Best Kept Secrets(49)

stiffened.

"Is he busy?"

"I don't think so. Come on, I'll take you back."

"I hate to tear you away from your novel."

He glanced dubiously at the torrid cover. "Doesn't matter.

It was getting monotonous."

"What's it about?"

' 'A legendary cock's sojourn through most of the bedrooms

in Hollywood, both male and female."

"Oh, really?" Alex inquired, feigning interest. "Can I

borrow it when you're finished?"

"Shame on you," he exclaimed. "I'd be corrupting the

morals of a minor, wouldn't I?"

"You're not that much older than I am."

"Compared to Reede and me, you're a baby," he told her

as he opened the door to the den. "Dad, we've got company."

Angus glanced up from his newspaper. In the span of

several seconds his face registered surprise, irritation, then a

smile.

"Hello, Angus. I hate to disturb you on a sleep-in morning

like today."

"No problem. There's not much going on. We can't exercise

racehorses outdoors when the ground's frozen." He

left his red leather recliner and crossed the room to welcome

her. "You're a bright spot on a gloomy day, that's for damn

sure, hey, Junior?"

"I've already told her as much."

"But as I've told Junior," she hastened to say, "this isn't

a social visit."

"Oh? Sit down, sit down." Angus waved her toward a

tufted leather love seat.

"I'll just--"



"No, Junior, I'd like for you to stay," Alex said before

he could withdraw. "This concerns all of us."

"Okay, shoot." Junior straddled the overstuffed arm of

the love seat as though it were a saddle.

"I spoke to Judge Wallace again yesterday." Alex thought

she saw both men tense, but it was so fleeting, she could

have imagined it.

"Any particular reason why?" Angus asked.

"I wanted to have my mother's body exhumed."

There was no mistaking their reaction this time. "Jesus,

girl, why in hell would you want to do something like that?"

Angus shuddered.

"Alex." Junior reached for her hand, laid it on his thigh,

and massaged the back of it. "Isn't this getting a little out

of hand? That's . . . that's gruesome."

"The case is gruesome," she reminded him as she eased

her hand off his thigh. "Anyway, as I'm sure you know,

what I asked for is impossible. My mother's body was cremated."

"That's right," Angus said.

"Why?" Her eyes were bright and intensely blue in the

dim room. They reflected the fire burning in the fireplace,

making them appear accusatory.

Angus resettled in his chair and hunched his shoulders

defensively. "It seemed the best way to handle things."

"I fail to see how."

"Your grandmother planned to leave town with you as

soon as everything was tidied up. She made no secret of it.

So I decided to have Celina's body cremated, thinking that

Merle might want to take the, uh, remains with her."

"You decided? By what right, Angus? Under whose authority?

Why was it left to you to decide what would happen

to Celina's body?"

His brows beetled with displeasure. "You think I had her

body cremated to destroy evidence, is that it?"

"I don't know!" she exclaimed, rising from the love seat.

She moved to the window and stared out at the empty



paddocks. Lights shone through the doors of various stables,

where horses were being groomed, fed, and exercised. She

had thoroughly researched Minton Enterprises. Angus had

millions invested in this facility. Was he reticent because he

had so much to lose if she won an indictment, or because he

was guilty, or both?

Eventually, she turned to face the men. "You've got to

admit, in retrospect, that it seems an odd thing for you to

have done."

"I only wanted to relieve Merle Graham of that responsibility.

I felt I should because her daughter had been killed

on my property. Merle was out of her mind with grief and

had you to take care of. If what I did seems suspicious now,

that's just too damn bad, young lady. I'd make the same

decision if I had to do it again today."

"I'm sure Grandma Graham appreciated what you did. It

was an unselfish thing to do."

Shrewdly, Angus looked at her and said, "But you wish

you could believe it was entirely unselfish."

She looked him straight in the eye. "Yes, I do."

"I respect your honesty."

For a moment there was no sound in the room other

man the friendly, crackling noise of burning firewood. Alex