“You mean are they a couple?” Elly snorted. “Heck no. The only reason Brenda gives him the time of day is because he waits on her hand and foot. He brings her food for supper at work, does her grocery shopping for her, and cleans her house sometimes. It’s just sick if you ask me.”

  “Why would he do that? What’s in it for him?”

  “I been trying to figure that out for years. I think he’s just got a bad crush on her and is too dumb to realize that ain’t nothing ever gonna happen with her.”

  “Unrequited love,” Chas mused.

  “I don’t know what that means,” Elly frowned.

  “Means he likes her and she don’t like him back,” Sylvia explained.

  “Indeed,” Chas nodded. “Do you think Scooter would kill for Brenda?”

  “I don’t think he’s smart enough, to tell you the truth, and he’s just a big, sweet teddy bear. I ain’t never had an issue with him, I just feel bad that he’s so sweet on Brenda,” Sylvia replied.

  “Thank you, ladies, for your candor and your hospitality,” Chas set his empty glass down on the table between his chair and Sylvia’s. “I’ll be in touch.”

  “You come by anytime, handsome,” Sylvia grinned and shook his hand.

  “Mama!” Elly blushed to the roots of her hair.

  “Pleasure to meet you both,” Chas chuckled and headed for his car.

  **

  Scooter Jones worked at the Calgon County Department of Highways as a sign holder. Rather than risking parking his car on the highway, near road construction, and endangering the public by distracting someone whose sole job was to hold the sign telling cars to slow down, Chas decided to wait until after business hours to talk to Scooter.

  Ringo had been doing an amazing job of giving the detective leads to follow in the case, so Chas already had Scooter’s address on hand. When he arrived at the ramshackle camper that was parked on a weedy lot in a blighted part of Calgon, the detective discovered that Scooter wasn’t home. Glancing through his file, he found Scooter’s phone number and gave him a call.

  “Uh, hello?” was the slow answer.

  “Scooter, this is Detective Chas Beckett, Calgon PD, how are you this evening?” Chas greeted him, trying not to spook the somewhat slow young man. He might have valuable information about Brenda Brogan and if he left town, he’d take the info with him.

  There was a pause.

  “Uh, I’m fine.”

  “Good. Hey listen, I’d like to get together with you to talk for a few minutes, can we meet somewhere for coffee?”

  “It’s…it’s after three o’clock, I can’t drink coffee after three o’clock.”

  “That’s fine. Where’s a good place? Are you near town?”

  “I’m uh…at the store.”

  “Are you near home? Because I can wait here for you,” Chas was working at sounding upbeat and positive, despite his frustration.

  “I can…I think I can be there pretty soon, yeah.”

  “Like ten minutes?” Chas pressed him.

  “Yeah, like ten or so.”

  “Okay, great. I’ll be here when you get home.”

  “Okay.”

  Chas hung up, and a few minutes later, Scooter actually arrived.

  “I can’t invite you in,” he said, looking embarrassed.

  “Oh? Why?”

  “Because I didn’t know anybody was coming, so I didn’t do dishes or nothing and the chairs are all full of stuff so there ain’t nowhere to sit.”

  “That’s not a problem, Scooter, it’s a beautiful night. We’ll just talk out here.”

  “Okay.”

  “Scooter, do you know Brenda Brogan?”

  “Yes sir, she’s one of my best friends,” he nodded somberly.

  “Did you hear about what happened to her husband, Buster?”

  “Yep, I did. I was sitting at the diner and there was people talking about it.”

  “Did you know Buster?”

  “Not real well. He didn’t like me hanging around too much, so I mostly saw Brenda when he wasn’t around.”

  “Are you Brenda’s boyfriend?”

  “No sir, Heath is her boyfriend. She always tells me that.”

  “Does Heath mind you hanging around?”

  “I don’t know. I never really asked him.”

  “Have you ever kissed Brenda?”

  “Maybe a couple of times. I don’t know,” Scooter blushed.

  “A couple of times?”

  “Maybe.”

  “She must like you a little bit if you are best friends, right?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Does she ever ask you to do things for her?”

  “Yeah.”

  “What kinds of things?”

  “Like washing her car and getting groceries and bringing her lunch to the hospital and stuff.”

  “And you do those things for her?”

  “Yep.”

  “Why?”

  “That’s what friends do,” Scooter seemed to squirm a bit.

  “What does she do for you?” Chas asked.

  A series of emotions seemed to play out across Scooter’s thick features, and he mostly ended up looking bewildered.

  “She’s nice to me.”

  “Is she?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Does she ever yell at you?”

  “Sometimes.”

  “Hit you?”

  “Not hard.”

  “Hurt your feelings?”

  “Not on purpose.”

  “Why do you let her do those things?”

  “She’s my friend.”

  Chas changed tactics.

  “Where were you on Wednesday afternoon, Scooter?”

  “Work.”

  “When did you leave work?”

  “I get off at three, so like…three-fifteen.”

  “What did you do when you left work?”

  “I went home.”

  “Did you stay home the rest of the night?”

  “No.”

  “What else did you do after work?”

  “I went to Burger Barn to get some food, then I went to my friend Carl’s house.”

  “Carl?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Can you give me his name and address?”

  “What for?”

  “I just want to talk to him too.”

  “I don’t remember his address or his last name.”

  Chas stared hard at the young man.

  “Then how did you go to his house?”

  “I been there lots of times before. I remember how to get there, I just can’t remember the address.”

  “How do you know Carl?”

  “He works with the highway department, same as me.”

  “He’s a sign holder?”

  “No, he directs traffic and stuff.”

  “Okay. So you work with him, but you don’t know his last name?”

  “Nope.”

  “Has Brenda said anything to you about what happened to Buster?”

  “No, she’s been real busy since it happened. Doing funeral things and such I guess.”

  “So you haven’t seen her since it happened?”

  “Nope.”

  “When was the last time you saw her before that?”

  “Uh, Tuesday, I guess,” Scooter scratched the back of his neck.

  “How did she seem on Tuesday?”

  “Happy, I guess.”

  “Happy? Why was she happy on Tuesday?”

  “Cuz she said that Buster was giving her some money and a car and a boat.”

  “And then they were getting divorced?”

  “Yep, she was happy about that.”

  “Did she say anything threatening about Buster? Like, that she wanted to hurt him or anything?”

  “No sir, nothing like that.”

  “Did you see her by yourself, or was there someone else around?”

  “It was just us. Heath was bowling, I think.”

  “Okay. Scooter, you didn’t kill Buster, did you?”

  “Heck no, I didn’t kill nobody!” Scooter became agitated.

  “Did Brenda?”

  “Brenda? No, that’s just plain crazy. I ain’t gonna talk no more, this is stupid,” he declared and stomped toward his camper. Chas let him go.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  * * *

  “How did you feel about your first week?” Missy asked Mattie as she prepared to leave on Monday.

  “I absolutely love this job,” Mattie enthused. “The girls are great.”

  “I’m so glad to hear that. Is there anything that you need?”

  “Nope, I think I have everything. I was wondering about something though,” Matisse looked a little bit uncomfortable.

  “Oh?”

  “That guy that comes by all the time, Spencer…is that really necessary? I feel like he’s watching me or something. It’s kind of creepy, even if he is ridiculously good looking. I hate to complain, but I just wanted to see how you felt about it.”

  Missy nodded. “Well, I want you to always feel that you can talk to me about anything, so thank you for sharing that with me, but come sit with me for a minute and I’ll tell you a little bit about Spencer,” she invited, heading to the kitchen. “Would you like a cup of herbal tea? It feels like I live on this stuff nowadays,” she smiled.

  “Sure. I’ll just have whatever you’re having,” Mattie sat down at the breakfast bar.

  As Missy filled the kettle and put it on the stove, then reached into the pantry to fetch the teabags, she began to explain.

  “Chas and I found out several months ago that Spencer had been highly educated, specifically trained, and hired to protect Chas, and he’d been doing it literally all of his adult life.”

  Mattie’s eyes grew round. “Protect him? Protect him from what?”

  “That’s a long story in itself,” Missy sighed. “Suffice to say, Chas is the eldest son of a very powerful family. He chose a different path in life, because he wanted to make a difference in the lives of regular people, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s heir to a vast business empire, and as such, he needs to be protected. That’s why Spencer has shadowed him for years, and why Spencer lives on our property now. More important than that, however, is the fact that Spencer is like a son to us. You’ll never meet a kinder, more fiercely loyal person in your life. He’s put his personal safety at risk for us again and again because that’s just who he is. He’s wickedly intelligent, highly skilled, and trained in specialties that you and I have never heard of, which I guess might make him seem kind of spooky at times, but you have nothing to worry about. When you see him, he’s just doing his job, and when you don’t see him, he’s still doing his job, you’re just not aware of it.”

  It was evident in Missy’s tone that she cared a great deal for the young man of which she spoke, and that fact was not lost on Matisse.

  “Big brother is watching, huh?” she smiled wryly.

  “Big brother in the very best sense of the word, yes,” Missy nodded. “He’s got our backs, and now that you’re a part of this household, he’s got yours too. Give him a chance, he’s a great guy and a lot of fun when you get his guard down and get to know him.”

  “I can’t imagine, but I trust you,” Mattie laughed softly. “He’s pretty intimidating, though I’d never admit that to him.”

  “It wouldn’t surprise me a bit if he thought the same thing about you,” Missy grinned.

  “What? Me? Why? How?” Mattie was astonished at the thought.

  “He seems to be a bit baffled by women,” Missy shrugged.

  “Is he gay?”

  Missy nearly choked on her tea as she laughed aloud.

  “Oh goodness, no. He’s just spent so much time doing his job that he hasn’t had a lot of time for relationships.”

  “Wow, you’d think that a guy who looked like that would have women falling at his feet,” Mattie murmured.

  “The few who have tried to capture his heart never seem to work out. It’s going to take someone special.”

  “Well, I’m sure that a chubby, mousy-haired nanny who spends her days with spit-up stains on her blouse wouldn’t even begin to catch his eye. Not that I would want to,” Mattie hurried to clarify.

  “Oh, don’t be silly, you’re lovely. Besides, I would tend to think that Spencer would be more swayed by character and integrity than anything else, but then again, it’s not like we’ve ever had a conversation about it, so who knows?”

  “Well,” Mattie sighed. “I guess I was judging him a bit harshly, all things considered. I’ll try to be nicer to him from now on.”

  “I think you’ll find him a better ally than enemy,” Missy grinned.

  “As long as he doesn’t mess with my routine, we’ll be fine,” she warned.

  “Just let him know that, I’m sure he’ll be very respectful.”

  “So…is he like a special agent or something? Is he like…dangerous?”

  “Only to those whose intentions are harmful. And yes, I’d call him a very special agent,” Missy chuckled.

  “Well, I should get going I guess,” Mattie drained the last few drops of tea from her mug. “Thanks for the tea.”

  “You’re welcome, darlin’. See you tomorrow.”

  Missy watched the young woman go, a thoughtful look on her face.

  **

  “I heard you needed a lifeguard,” Spencer greeted Mattie cheerily at the pool.

  “Well, I actually don’t think so, both girls have floaties, but Mrs. Beckett thought it would be a good idea,” Mattie looked up at the massive man, who was dressed casually in swim shorts and a tank top, shielding her eyes from the sun with her hand.

  “Well, Missy is the boss,” Spencer tossed his towel on a lounger. “So, what’s the plan?” he picked up Kaylee, who had come running to him and attached herself to his leg.

  “I was just going to take them in the shallow end and let them float and splash a bit,” Mattie said as she sprayed down Jasmine with sunscreen.

  “Would have been a challenge, handling both of them all by yourself,” Spencer said. He caught the bottle of sunscreen that she tossed to him, set Kaylee down and sprayed her liberally with it, then sprayed his own hands to spread it carefully on her face and ears.

  “I’m more than capable, thank you,” Mattie raised an eyebrow at him, then stripped off her t-shirt and nylon shorts, revealing a very tasteful and modest pink swimsuit beneath.

  “I’m sure you are. Never hurts to have an extra set of hands around these little wiggle worms though, right,” he tickled Kaylee, but continued to stare at Matisse.

  “Well, don’t just stand there gawking, she wants to get into the water,” Mattie picked up Jasmine and headed for the steps leading into the pool.

  “Yes ma’am,” Spencer actually blushed and followed her lead.

  Soon the girls were giggling like crazy and loving their time in the water. They’d been in for about half an hour when Kaylee paddled over to Spencer and said, “Want wunch!”

  “Somebody’s hungry,” he smiled at Mattie, who was spinning slowly in a circle with a delighted Jasmine.

  “I don’t need an interpreter, thanks,” Mattie replied, her back to him.

  “Don’t be so defensive,” he chuckled, splashing her.

  Mattie gasped and turned around. “You splashed me?”

  “Who me?” he flashed her a wicked grin.

  Her eyes narrowed and her indignation turned to determination.

  “Oh, you’re gonna get it, Secret Agent Man!”

  She turned to the side, shielding Jasmine with one arm, and splashed Spencer with all her might with the other.

  “Game on,” he called out, splashing back, with Kaylee joining in and giggling like mad.

  “Uncle!” a drenched, but laughing Mattie finally cried out, holding her free hand up against the onslaught.

  “High five,” Spencer turned to Kaylee, who slapped her little hand against his palm.

  “Wunch now?” she asked.

  “Heck yeah, you get some victory lunch, my little warrior princess,” Spencer lifted her over his head so that she could ride on his shoulders as he made his way out of the pool.

  “Two against one, you cheated,” Mattie observed, carrying Jasmine out of the pool.

  Setting the baby down, she shook out her long hair, which had become curly in the water.

  “I didn’t cheat,” Spencer grinned. “I merely utilized the resources at hand.”

  Toweling Kaylee off and making her laugh in the process, he stared at Mattie again. “Your hair looks really nice like that,” he observed.

  “Oh, you mean looking like a drowned rat is more attractive than my normal hair? Gee thanks,” she rolled her eyes.

  “No, I mean the natural curl. It’s awesome,” he commented, blushing and focusing his attention back on Kaylee.

  “Do you have any idea how long it takes me to straighten this wild mess every morning?” she asked.

  “Why would you bother, when your natural hair looks like that?” he was puzzled.

  She stared at him, shaking her head.

  “Lunchtime, baby girl,” she lifted Jasmine up and cooed.

  Setting the tot back down, she slipped on the squirming girl’s rubber pool shoes and took her by the hand, walking her toward the house. Spencer stood watching the two of them, while Kaylee wrapped up in her towel. Mattie stopped and turned around.

  “Well, are you just going to stand there, or are you coming in for lunch?” she challenged.

  Spencer stared, a half-smile on his face. “I could eat,” he agreed, taking Kaylee’s hand and holding on while she skipped toward her nanny. The little girl had really begun to come out of her shell in just a few sessions with Kumar.

  “Then hurry it up, there are some hungry girls here,” Mattie smiled at him. Actually smiled, then turned away and kept walking.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  * * *

  Among the first things that Chas noticed about Brenda Brogan was that she was smart and confident. One might say, overly confident. The well-groomed nurse didn’t speak in the same manner as her mom and sister, and it was clear that she thought pretty highly of herself. He approached her as she came out of the hospital, heading for the employee parking lot. She had seemed conversational, as if she hadn’t a care in the world, greeting Chas with a smile when he identified himself.