Tightrope (Burning Cove #3)(81)

Willa headed toward the front door. “Do we know what happened to her, by the way?”

Amalie followed Willa into the hall. “Matthias told me that the FBI collected her from the Burning Cove jail late this morning.”

Hazel trailed after Amalie and Willa. “Hard to believe she shot a man in cold blood. She’s a gossip columnist, for heaven’s sake. She’s probably guilty of murdering a few careers over the years but it’s bizarre to think she actually killed someone.”

Amalie thought about her encounter with Lorraine in the ladies’ room of the Paradise Club. “Personally, I don’t find it at all hard to believe that she might have murdered someone. I’m pretty sure she wanted me dead.”

Willa shuddered. “In that case, thank goodness the FBI took her away. What about that top secret machine that was stolen?”

“It’s in the hands of the FBI, too,” Amalie said. “I doubt if we’ll ever hear anything more about it now that the government has it.” She set the grocery sack on the tiled counter. “The whole crazy business is finished.”

Hazel started to put away the groceries. “To think it all started with that robot shooting Dr. Pickwell.”

“Pickwell was shot by Lorraine Pierce, who was wearing a robot costume at the time,” Amalie said.

“So they say.” Willa said with a knowing look. “But they never found Futuro, did they?”

“What?” Amalie had been about to open the refrigerator door.

“The robot disappeared, and no one has seen it,” Willa said. “Who knows what it can do? What if it really is the killer?”

“Oh, for pity’s sake,” Amalie said. “Chester Ward and Matthias took that robot apart piece by piece. It didn’t disappear. It was dismantled.”

“But how can we be sure of that?” Willa said. “Maybe the authorities are trying to cover up the truth because they’re afraid people will panic if it turns out robots are capable of murder.”

“Don’t you dare breathe a word of that silly conspiracy theory,” Amalie said, using very stern tones. “There are enough wild-eyed stories connected to this inn as it is. We don’t need any more.”

“Okay,” Willa said. “Not to change the subject, but would you mind if I took the rest of the day off? Pam and I want to have a soda and catch the early show at the Royal. Pam has a car, so she can pick me up and bring me home.”

Amalie smiled. Willa had arrived in Burning Cove a desperate woman. But she was embracing her new life with enthusiasm. She looked happy.

“You deserve some time off,” Amalie said. “I’m glad you’ve made a friend here in town. Who is Pam?”

“She works at a dress shop. I met her when she came through on one of the tours.”

“That’s great,” Amalie said. She paused. “Willa?”

“Hmm?”

“Did you have any feelings for Jasper Calloway?”

Willa looked confused. “Feelings?”

“He really did enjoy your cooking. And you liked watching him eat the food that you prepared for him. I think he tried to flirt with you.”

Willa rolled her eyes. “I liked him, but not in the way you mean. For Pete’s sake, Amalie, he was way too old for me. I did enjoy watching him eat, though. It made me realize that I belong here at the inn. Clearly I was born to be in this business.”

“I’m glad,” Amalie said. “The three of us really are a family again.”

“Yes,” Willa said. “That’s exactly what we are. A family.”

“This family member is going to take a nap,” Hazel said. She started across the kitchen but paused at the doorway to fix Amalie with a curious look. “Will you and Mr. Jones be staying in this evening or will the two of you be off to the Paradise Club again?”

“There’s talk of the two of us going to the Burning Cove for dinner,” Amalie said.

Hazel chuckled. “A real date, hmm?”

“That’s the idea.”

“About time.”

Hazel went upstairs.

Amalie waited until Willa left with Pam before she sat down at the kitchen table with a cup of tea. A heavy silence descended on the villa. For some reason she found it unsettling. It occurred to her that she had not spent much time alone during the past few days.

But she wasn’t alone, she reminded herself. Hazel was upstairs. It wouldn’t be long before Matthias returned from his meeting with Luther. She was looking forward to spending the evening with him. Things had been moving so quickly in the past few days that they had not had much time to simply be together. Time to get to know each other. Time to talk.

On second thought, maybe talking was not such a good idea. What if the conversation did not go well? What if Matthias told her that his work in Burning Cove was done? What if he hung around for a while, got bored, packed his bag, and drove away? Maybe forever.

She really did not want to contemplate that possibility. She refused to consider it. He had said he wanted to stay in Burning Cove. She would take him at his word. She trusted him.

And in that moment the reality of what had happened slammed across her senses.

I love him.

Her glance fell on the grocery receipt. She needed to distract herself, and there was work to be done. She finished the tea, picked up the receipt, and left the kitchen. She went down the hall to the front desk.