“The man’s dead. He won’t mind.” A pause. “Did you leave that lamp on?”
“It’s on a timer.”
“Let’s hope no one saw it from the street. Last thing we need is somebody dropping by with another greasy casserole.”
“Then turn off the light and let’s go back outside,” Dessie said nervously.
“In a minute, darlin’. Is there a safe in here?”
“Not that I ever found.”
“You checked all the desk drawers? The credenza? The bookshelves? We can’t leave any stone unturned. You know how important this is.”
Dessie suddenly sounded annoyed. “I’ve taken this study apart and put it back together a dozen times, just like I’ve done to every other room in this house. If there was anything to find, I would have come across it by now.”
“I don’t mean to be a pain,” he said in a placating voice. “It’s just...we’ve come this far. We can’t be too careful.”
“Clete—”
“What is it, babe?”
Nikki couldn’t see either of them from her hiding place. She tried to picture the scenario. The man’s voice was closer. He sounded as if he stood on the other side of the desk, but Dessie’s voice came from across the room, as if she were hovering on the threshold, hesitant to enter Dr. Nance’s sanctuary.
“I just had an awful chill,” she said.
“It’s the AC. It’s always cold inside after a swim.”
“It’s not the air-conditioning. Something’s wrong. I can feel it. Someone’s been in here.” Nikki heard the soft slap of her flip-flops as she entered the room. “If I didn’t know better, I’d swear Dr. Nance was here.”
“There’s no such thing as ghosts,” Clete said.
“I’m not so sure about that. I’ve felt a presence in this house ever since they found him.”
“Now, don’t you go getting spooked on me, Desiree Dupre. Eye on the prize, remember? In another few weeks, we’ll be sipping mojitos on a secluded beach in the Caribbean. No worries, no nosy neighbors. No one around for miles. Clothing optional, of course.”
Another silence followed by a rustling sound.
“Stop it, Clete. Not in here,” Dessie whispered. “Let’s go back up to my apartment.”
“Whatever you say, babe. Just let me have a quick look—”
He moved around the desk. In another moment, he’d pull back the chair and spy Nikki. She had no excuse for being inside Dr. Nance’s office. If she’d been able to justify her visit, she wouldn’t be hiding underneath the desk.
She held her breath and clutched the book. The chair squeaked as he rolled it back. He was right there in front of her—
The doorbell sounded and he paused. Dessie hurried over to the French doors to glance out on the porch.
“It’s that woman again.” Her soft drawl hardened unexpectedly with contempt.
“What woman?”
“Lila Wilkes. I told you about her. She’s already been by once today to talk about the funeral. I tried to explain to her that I need more time, but she won’t leave me alone.”
“Tell her there won’t be a funeral. Tell her it was Dr. Nance’s last wish.”
“That won’t stop her. She’ll insist on some kind of memorial service, with or without my help.”
“Then let her have at it. That’s what she really wants, isn’t it? To be in charge? It’ll be one less thing you have to worry about.”
“I guess, but Dr. Nance never had much use for Lila Wilkes. It doesn’t seem right, letting her have the final say.”
“Dessie, Dessie. How many times do I have to say it? Charles Nance is no longer your concern. Let the old biddy have her fun.”
The bell pealed again, sounding more insistent this time. Nikki could imagine Lila Wilkes on the porch, thumb pressed to the button as her brow furrowed in determination.
“She must have seen the light from the street,” Dessie said. “I should have thought to turn off that timer.”
“Too late now. Go see what she wants and then send her on her way. I’ll turn out the light when I’m finished in here.”
Nikki tracked the sound of Dessie’s footfalls to the hallway door. “Make sure the blinds are drawn so she can’t see you from outside. And for God’s sake, be quiet until she leaves.”
Clete moved away from the desk. “You sure you don’t want me to come with you?” he teased. “I’ve always had a way with widows.”
“Lord help me. Last thing we need is for her to get an eyeful of you.”
He laughed seductively.
A note of fear crept into Dessie’s voice. “I’m serious, Clete. You keep your distance from that woman. She may be the town do-gooder, but she’s also got a big mouth.”
Dessie’s footsteps receded down the hallway, leaving Nikki alone in the room with Clete, whoever he was. She was still holding her breath, still clutching the book as she drew herself up into a tight ball. Clete moved back around the desk and opened the top drawer. He rummaged through the contents, then closed the drawer softly and turned to the credenza, where he rummaged through more drawers. Finally, he gave up, turned off the lamp and left the room.
Nikki waited for several minutes before she scrambled from her hiding place and slipped out one of the French doors. The evening was still hot and steamy. Sweat trickled down her spine as she jumped off the porch and crouched in the bushes, giving Lila Wilkes enough time to exit before venturing into the moonlight. She was just about to move away from the house when a slight sound startled her back into the shadows.
Lila slipped along the porch, glancing behind her toward the front entrance before easing up to the French doors to peer in. Then she turned to scan the landscaping and the street beyond. Nikki kept low, but for a moment she was certain the woman had discovered her. Lila’s keen gaze seemed to vector in on the very spot where Nikki huddled. She even came to the edge of the porch and peered down into the shrubbery.
“I know you’re in there,” she said softly.
Nikki hunkered lower.
“You
