“That’s true.”
Nikki followed her through the dining room into the large eat-in kitchen, where a row of windows across the back of the house looked out on the pool. A man dressed in charcoal slacks and a white pullover was seated at the breakfast table with an open briefcase before him. He closed the lid as they entered and rose.
Nikki froze as he came forward, her pulse jumping in agitation. She couldn’t be sure, but she thought he might be the man she’d seen with Dessie last evening.
Wait a minute.
Dessie’s creepy boyfriend was Dr. Nance’s attorney?
Chapter Eleven
Dessie put an arm around Nikki’s shoulders. “Mr. Darnell, I’d like you to meet Dr. Nikki Dresden. I’m sure you’ve heard Dr. Nance speak of her many times.”
“I have, indeed.” His smooth drawl was unmistakable. He extended his hand, and Nikki could do nothing but offer hers in return. “So many times, in fact, I feel as if I already know you, Dr. Dresden. Or may I call you Nikki?”
“Nikki is fine,” she said stiffly.
“Cletus Darnell.” He shook her hand firmly. “My friends call me Clete.”
Somewhere in his late forties, he oozed a slippery charm with his easy smile and glib demeanor. He wore his dark hair slicked back from his face, highlighting blue eyes, thin lips and a hawkish nose. Handsome, Nikki supposed, if one overlooked the hint of smugness in that easy smile and the glint of cold calculation in those baby blues.
Remembering the unpleasant way in which he’d spoken about Dr. Nance last evening, Nikki slid her hand away. “Clete, is it? Dessie said you were Dr. Nance’s attorney. I’m sorry, but I never heard him mention you,” she said coolly. “What happened to Mr. Townsend?”
“He retired some months back,” Dessie said. “Mr. Darnell took over his practice here in Belle Pointe. He also has an office over in Longview.”
“You must be a busy man,” Nikki murmured.
“Keeps me out of trouble.” He flashed that charming grin as he reached inside the briefcase and extracted a business card. “Should you ever need my services.”
“Thank you, but I have an attorney.”
He shrugged. “Keep the card anyway. One never knows.”
“One never does,” she agreed, as she pocketed the card. “When did you say you took over Mr. Townsend’s practice?”
“Last spring. The papers were finalized in May, to be precise.”
“Funny, I don’t remember seeing you around town. Is that your car in the driveway? Impressive. I’m certain I would have remembered seeing a vehicle like that on the streets.”
“It’s not my everyday ride,” he explained. “I save it for special occasions.”
“This is a special occasion?”
“It’s a beautiful Sunday afternoon and I’m standing here with two lovely ladies, so yes. I would say this counts as a special occasion, the underlying reason for my visit notwithstanding.” He sobered. “I am sorry for your loss. I know Dr. Nance thought of you as family. So does Dessie.”
“Thank you,” Nikki said. “We were both just saying what a great man he was.”
“I didn’t know him well, but I always enjoyed our interactions,” Clete said. “He had some good stories to tell.”
“When was the last time you saw him?” Nikki asked.
His gaze slid to Dessie and back. “I beg your pardon?”
“You said you enjoyed your interactions. That implies you met him more than once. I’m curious when you last saw him.”
“He came into the office a few times after I took over the practice,” Clete said. “I made the effort to touch base with all Mr. Townsend’s clients, encouraging them to update their wills and so forth. You’d be surprised how many people neglect such things.”
“I suppose it’s understandable,” Nikki said. “Being confronted with our own mortality isn’t something most people enjoy.”
“And yet as the county coroner, you confront mortality every single day. Automobile accidents, old age...even murder. I would imagine some of the more gruesome cases keep you up at night.”
The statement was casually spoken, but Nikki could have sworn she heard a taunt in his tone. Or was it a subtle threat? She thought about the elusive shadow she’d glimpsed in her backyard during the storm the other night, followed by the lumber of an old truck out on the street. She doubted Clete Darnell had had anything to do with either, but she couldn’t dispel her uneasiness. As Dr. Nance’s attorney, he was privy to all manner of personal and financial material. Maybe he’d found a way to update that information and then had somehow wormed his way into Dessie Dupre’s unassuming life.
Nikki gazed back at him. “Some cases do keep me up, particularly the ones with no easy answers. But I’m a light sleeper anyway. Even the sound of an old truck passing by on the street will sometimes rouse me.”
A smile flickered even as his eyes narrowed. “Maybe you should consider moving to a quieter neighborhood.”
Dessie had been standing silently listening to the back-and-forth, but now she said a little too briskly, “My goodness gracious. If this isn’t the strangest conversation I’ve heard in quite some time.”
“Yes. We do seem to have strayed a bit off course,” Clete agreed.
Her smile looked strained. “Why don’t the two of you have a seat? I’ll get the lemonade.”
“None for me,” he said. “I should get going so the two of you can have a visit. I’ve taken up way too much of your time as it is.” He turned to Nikki. “Normally, I wouldn’t have asked to come by on a Sunday afternoon, but I was in town on other business, and seeing as how I’ll be out of the office for a few days, it seemed a good idea to tie up loose ends. One less thing for Dessie
