“You have chores here at home,” Father said.
“I can still complete them,” she said, surprising herself, both by contradicting Father and by how easily she’d done it.
The tension in the air, coming from William Dryer, caused Henry to question if this was the best plan. It had been the only one he’d come up with, and because he was a man of action, always had been, he had to put it into play. He was already hot on Elkin’s tail. As soon as he’d left her backyard last night, he’d gone to work. Elkin was still in town, but had changed his profession. It appeared he’d taken over for Burrows when it came to moonshine. Burrows had started up a still near the docks, but that was only for show; in reality, the man had been plotting to steal shipments of Minnesota Thirteen, the most sought-after whiskey in the nation. Each shipload was worth its weight in gold, and an entire shipment had gone missing right before Burrows had been arrested. Yet, none of the speakeasies were lacking in their supply. Including the Rooster’s Nest, which was widely known as a major port in the supply chain of the brew.
It wasn’t the proof he needed to call in other agents, but it was enough that he had to make sure that Betty understood the seriousness of this case. He hadn’t been able to shake how distant she’d seemed last night, and knew he had to speak to her today. Shy of climbing the trellis and sneaking into her bedroom, this was the only plan he’d been able to compile.
“If you are available, I would like to show you what we’d like to have you do,” he said to Betty. “Now.”
There was still confusion in her eyes, but she nodded.
He’d expected confusion from her, even defiance, as well as disapproval from her father, but, to his surprise, within minutes, Betty was walking out the door with him.
In the short time he’d spent alone with William Dryer, both prior to Betty entering the office, and after she’d agreed to accompany him to the house and excused herself to collect her purse and hat, Henry got a distinct sense that William Dryer was hiding something. Henry also determined he’d find out exactly what.
Betty returned, and Henry guided her out the door and toward his car. “Thank you for agreeing so readily.”
“Why are you doing this? I’m assuming you truly don’t need the house cleaned.”
He opened the passenger door for her. “No, I don’t, but I did need to talk to you.”
“About the case?”
He waited until she climbed in the car before he said, “Yes.” He closed the door, walked around the car, and climbed in.
“Have you found him?”
“No, but I have made progress in learning his activities.” He started the car and backed out of the driveway. “Neither you nor your sister can go to the Rooster’s Nest.”
“You said that last night.”
Her perfume, so subtle that some might not notice it, was already playing havoc on his senses. By not doing anything more than sitting in the seat beside him, she had his pulse throbbing beneath his skin. “I need to know you understand that Elkin is a dangerous man—he’s not going to stop until he gets what he wants. He could be anywhere, watching, waiting.”
“What does he look like?” she asked.
His nerves sizzled and snapped like a shorted-out electric line. “Why? Have you seen something? Someone?”
“I’m not sure, but after Patsy and Lane had left after their wedding, I was sweeping the rice off the church steps and noticed a man sitting in a car. I couldn’t see his face because the sun was shining on the widows, but I could feel him watching me, and then he drove away.”
“Do you remember what the car looked like?”
“No. It was black. That’s all I remember.”
Henry didn’t need to know more in order to confirm it had been Elkin, and that he was after Lane and possibly Betty and her sister. It was a cat-and-mouse game. Elkin would pounce sooner or later, and Henry had to be prepared to be ready for it at any time, anyplace. That was his main focus, but in the interim, he’d had another line of investigation that he wanted Betty to be involved in with him.
“Do you know Blake Owens?”
“No,” she answered. “I do know that he built a few houses for my father, before James.”
“That’s correct.” He continued to drive, past the abandoned house and the studios.
“Why?”
“Does Owens know who you are?” he asked in response. This was personal. He was going to discover all there was to know about James Bauer, so she would know exactly who she was engaged to marry. Lane had told him a small amount, that Bauer was a nice enough guy, but spineless, and Dryer had him wrapped around his finger. Lane had suggested he talk to Owens to learn more.
She shook her head. “I’m sure he doesn’t. I’ve never met him. Why?”
“I have a meeting with him this morning. Undercover, and it would be helpful for you to come with me.”
“Why?”
“I’m going to pretend that I’m interested in having him build a house, and it would be more believable if I had a wife with me.”
“A wife? What would any of that have to do with catching Elkin?”
It was a stretch, but he hoped she’d believe him. He had never done something like this before, just for his own sake, but despite how hard he’d tried, he couldn’t not care about her marrying someone else. She deserved a man who loved her, not one who was simply doing her father’s bidding. “I have to make sure that Elkin hasn’t already gotten to your father.”
“My father?”
“Yes. Your father is a rich man and we don’t know what Elkin’s ultimate goal is. We have to cover all avenues.” Guilt gurgled in his
