“What’s that?” My mouth falls open at the prospect of what it might be.
“I think it’s time we pay my sister a visit over at Financial Premier.”
Of all the things I could have guessed, visiting his sister wouldn’t have made the short or long list. But then I remember she works at the financial firm that handles Wallace Hathaway’s billions.
Shep offers me a ride home, and I accept. He walks me to the door and offers a peaceable nod goodnight.
It’s not the romantic ending to a beautiful evening that it could have been, but on the bright side, he did say we should pay his sister a visit.
I curl up in bed with Pixie and purr just as loud as she does at the thought of Shep and me making up that royal we.
Now there’s something I can get behind.
And it looks as if I have a half a million dollar mystery donation to thank for it.
Chapter 13
Financial Premier looks remarkably similar to the library at the manor. But without the cats to offer that homey appeal, it just looks plain stuffy.
Kelly Wexler sits back in her enormous leather chair with that cat who ate the canary grin on her face as she takes the two of us in.
Her hair is blonde and brassy with her two-inch roots showing a mixture of brown and gray. She’s got the same baby blues as her brother, but that’s where the resemblance ends. She’s a couple of years younger than him, of a stockier build, and a touch shorter, and judging by that budding grin, my guess is she’s a fun one.
“So this is a thing, huh?” She points a red glossy fingernail between the two of us. “You go with the one who tied me up and almost shanked me?” she muses his way.
“I didn’t almost shank you,” I’m quick to correct her. Apparently, she likes to exaggerate, too. “I thought you were attacking him. He does have his fair share of crazed fans.” Geez. Hogtie someone once, and you never live it down.
She shrugs my way. “I’m not surprised. Shep always did like them spicy.” She shoots a look to her big bro. “Word to the wise, I’d have something to cut yourself loose with if you’re going to keep company with this one. Now what brings the two of you out my way?”
“We’re not dating,” I clarify. “Shep is just my landlord, and we share a cat.”
“You share a cat?” She nods his way as that expression on her face lets us know she’s thoroughly amused. “I thought the cabin in the back was your office?”
My mouth falls open as I look to him. “Is that where the magic happened?”
Kelly gives a guttural laugh. “Office was code for skank tank. Shep didn’t like the hordes of women he was hauling in night after night to wrinkle his sheets.”
“Eww.” I swat him on the arm. “And you let me sleep there? I’m going to bleach the place from top to bottom when I get back.”
Kelly leans my way. “Never do something for a man that he should be doing for himself. It’s his place, after all.”
I’m liking Kelly more by the moment.
“Wallace Hathaway.” Shep clears his throat. Judging by the way his brows have formed a hard line over his daring blue eyes, I’m guessing he’s not all that amused with his spicy little sister. “What’s going on with his money?”
“It’s safe and sound right here in my proverbial arms.” She taps her keyboard with a pen. “Just the way it should be.”
“Kelly.” I scoot in a notch. “One of the suspects in Madeline Swanson’s murder investigation, Sophia Hathaway, Wallace’s daughter—she let me know that a half a million dollars was gifted to Goober, Inc. She said she asked her father and he didn’t know anything about it. She also mentioned he didn’t seem too concerned either.”
She lifts a hand. “That’s neither here nor there. He doesn’t have to tell his daughter anything about his financial transactions. Whether or not he knew about the donation is something we may never know.” She narrows her eyes on her brother while pointing my way. “I thought you said she was a waitress?”
“She is.” Shep gives a long blink. “And she’s also a little too curious for her own good.”
“Wait a minute.” Kelly squints over at him. “You’re into her, aren’t you?”
“No.” Shep’s eyes round out for a moment before glaring at his sister for even suggesting something that I wish would happen. “Bowie and I are”—he pauses to glance my way—“just friends. She has an interest in the case and she came to me with the information she just shared. Look, I know you can’t tell us any private information regarding your clients, and I would never ask you to do that.”
I would ask my siblings in a heartbeat. And if they didn’t give it to me, I’d probably slam their heads against the wall a couple of times.
Kelly nods my way. “So she’s going to do the dirty work?”
“You bet that bottom dollar you were about to invest.” I strum my candy pink fingernails against her desk. “All we want to know is the date of the transaction and who authorized it. And”—I wince—“if there are any other dicey financial moves we should be apprised of.”
She blinks over at Shep. “You know I can’t put my license on the line like that. If the sheriff’s department needs this information, then they’ll have to get a court order to obtain it. Or better yet, ask Wallace to hand it over. If there’s nothing shady going on, I don’t see why he’d have a problem with that.”
Shep shakes his head. “That’s not happening any time soon. And there’s no way I’m willing to risk your license. But if you happened to look at his file, and you happened to note that a sizable donation to a certain social
