Summer At Lakeside Page 15

  “If we’re talking about people who need money,” Penny said. “Derek has to be at the top of our list.”

  Diana looked at each of her sisters. “He wouldn’t—”

  “You’re only saying that because you used to be married to him. He did much worse things during your marriage than steal something.” Penny studied the expression on Diana’s face. “If you don’t want to talk to him, I will.”

  “No, it’s okay,” Diana said. “I’ll call him. But he wouldn’t have stolen it.”

  “Even if someone did take it,” Barbara said. “How do we prove it? We don’t have any cameras in the house.”

  Diana was trying to stay positive, but it was hard. “Let’s take this one step at a time. I need to go to Bigfork in about ten minutes. I’ll print off the guest lists for our parties before I go. If anyone has a few minutes they could start calling people. Otherwise, I’ll do it tonight.”

  Katie put down her cell phone. “Mom and Dad don’t know where it’s gone. They suggested calling the police.”

  “I agree,” Barbara said. “If we don’t do something now, we might never see the snuffbox again.”

  Diana rubbed her temples. The dull throb of a headache was building behind her eyes. “I hate to remind you, but it could have been missing for a while. It might already be too late.”

  Barbara reached for her bag. “I’ll call the police now.”

  On that somber note, Diana walked out of the kitchen and into the office. Hopefully, one of the people who’d come to their parties would know where it was. Otherwise, it could be lost forever.

  Chapter 17

  Ethan turned off his computer and lifted his arms above his head. It felt good to stretch all the kinks out of his back and look forward to something that didn’t involve work.

  Apart from one emergency callout, he’d had a great day. Most of his patients were doing better than the last time he’d seen them. They had plans in place for the next few months and were doing everything they could to achieve their goals.

  The clinic’s doorbell jingled as someone entered the reception area. Zac must have forgotten to lock the door on his way home.

  Pulling himself out of his chair, he walked into the corridor and smiled at the beautiful, blond-haired woman coming toward him. “I didn’t expect to see you tonight.”

  Diana stepped into his embrace and hugged him tight. “Penny decided to postpone her first wedding planning session.”

  Tilting his head to the side, he studied the tense expression on her face. “What’s wrong?”

  “The snuffbox and the key that opens our great-grandparents’ dresser have gone missing. They’re not with Chloe in Washington, D.C. or anywhere in the house.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “We’ve spent a lot of time looking for them. Barbara’s called the police.” Diana cleared her throat. “I need to ask you a question. But you have to promise you won’t be annoyed.”

  “I didn’t take it, if that’s what you want to know.”

  Her eyes widened. “I didn’t think you did. That isn’t what I was going to ask.”

  He couldn’t imagine what else it would be, but it must be important. “Go ahead.”

  “How well do you know the teenagers in your art therapy program?”

  Ethan stared at Diana. “You think one of them took the box and key?”

  “Not necessarily. But we’d really like to know if they saw it while they were working at the inn.”

  “The students who came to your house have challenges. They’re good kids who ended up in dysfunctional families. But stealing is a completely different matter.”

  “And Cassidy?”

  Ethan’s arms dropped from around Diana. “You can’t be serious?”

  “We need to find the snuffbox. Cassidy has worked with us for a few weeks. She’s in and out of the living room all the time.”

  “Have you asked her if she’s seen it?”

  “Not yet. I wanted to talk to you first.”

  “To see if I think she stole it?” He was disappointed that Diana thought Cassidy could be a thief. “She’s honest and hardworking. Of all the teenagers I’ve met in Sapphire Bay, she would be the least likely to take something that wasn’t hers.”

  “That’s all I need to know.”

  Taking a deep breath, he tried to think calmly and logically. If he was in Diana’s shoes, he’d probably look twice at the students, too. But, even so, it hurt that she’d think he would let anyone near her home if they couldn’t be trusted.

  “What about the people who have stayed at the inn? Have you asked them?”

  “We’re working through the list now.” Diana touched his arm. “I’m sorry, but I needed to know if you had any concerns about Cassidy and her friends.”

  Ethan’s cell phone rang. He looked at the caller display and frowned. He’d been trying to get hold of Chloe for the last two days. “Would you mind if I took this call?”

  Diana shook her head. “Go ahead.”

  “I won’t be long.” He couldn’t talk to Chloe while he was with Diana, so he walked into his office and closed the door. “Hi, Chloe. Thanks for getting back to me.”

  “It’s no problem. How can I help?”

  When Diana told him her family was permanently lending the Smithsonian her great-grandparents’ dresser and chest, Ethan decided to make a replica dresser for the inn. Two days ago, Chloe sent him some more photos and dimensions, but he had a couple of questions for her.

  After they’d discussed what he needed, Ethan returned to the reception area. Diana was reading a magazine.

  “Thanks for waiting.”

  “That’s okay. I should be on my way. Another guest is checking in tonight.” She left the magazine on top of the others. “I’m glad you don’t have any concerns about the students. I’m sorry if I offended you.”

  Ethan ran his hand through his hair. “You didn’t offend me. It surprised me, that’s all. I’m just happy you spoke to me first. I can’t imagine how Cassidy would have reacted if you’d asked her.”

  Diana looked worried. “Do you think she’ll be upset if I speak to her about it?”

  Ethan frowned. “They’ll all be upset. Why don’t I talk to them? It will be less confrontational if it comes from me—especially since you’ve called the police.”

  “Thank you. I’d appreciate it.”

  “Where are you going next?”

  Diana sighed. “Home. What about you?”

  “I’m going for a run. Theo’s competing in a half marathon and I said I’d be his training buddy.”

  “That sounds a lot better than what I have planned. The only exercise I get these days is walking Charlie around the lake. Enjoy the run.”

  Ethan stepped forward and hugged Diana. “We will. If you want me to come over after we get back, I can help you make some calls.”

  “That would be great.”

  He leaned his head against hers and sighed. “I’m sorry if I’m a little defensive about the kids in the art therapy program. They’ve had a tough life and shoulder the blame for a lot of things they have no control over.”

  “I would have reacted the same way if our situation was reversed.” With a relieved smile, Diana kissed his cheek. “I still think you’re an amazing person.”

  He tightened his arms around her shoulders. “I’m glad.”

  And now all he had to do was ask Cassidy if she’d seen the snuffbox. With a father who’d been in and out of prison for most of her life, her reaction was unlikely to be very positive.

  Diana sat in the Inn’s office and picked up her cell phone. Ethan had arrived twenty minutes ago, fresh from his run with Theo. After a quick cup of coffee, he’d joined them in the kitchen, calling the next person on their list. So far, no one had seen the snuffbox.

  After putting off this moment, she was ready to make the one call she’d been dreading. The phone only rung once before Derek answered the call.

  “Diana?”

&n
bsp; She didn’t blame him for being surprised. It wasn’t that long ago that she’d told him not to contact her again. Now, here she was, breaking every post-divorce promise she’d ever made to herself. “I know this call is unexpected, but do you have a few minutes to talk?”

  “What’s happened?”

  Taking a deep breath, she practiced the words he wouldn’t want to hear. “We’ve put a small blue and gold snuffbox somewhere in the inn and we can’t find it. You didn’t see it when you visited us, did you?”

  “Where did you last see it?”

  “It was on the wooden dresser in the living room.”

  She could sense the cogs in his mind moving. “I didn’t notice it when I was there. You don’t think I took it, do you?”

  “We’re calling everyone who’s been in the house.”

  “You didn’t answer my question.”

  She looked through the window, trying to distract herself from their conversation. She wouldn’t react to the anger simmering in Derek’s voice, the accusation that she, of all people, would have the audacity to question his integrity. “I didn’t think you stole it.”

  “But someone did.” Derek’s voice dripped with scorn. “Was it your boyfriend? He seems the type to jump to conclusions. Maybe he’s the one who took it?”

  She wished so much that this conversation had never happened. She’d known Derek would react like this, but it didn’t make it any easier to hear. “Ethan didn’t take it and I didn’t contact you to have an argument. Thanks for answering your phone. I’ll leave you to enjoy the rest of your day.” Before he could say anything, she ended the call.

  “Are you okay?”

  Her heart ached at Ethan’s softly spoken words. “Derek didn’t take the box.”

  He nodded and leaned against the doorframe. “Is everything else okay?”

  “I’m fine. I just feel a little strange, that’s all. I told Derek not to contact me, and now I called him.”

  “You needed to find out if he’d seen the box.”

  Diana pushed her chair back from the desk and walked toward Ethan. “I should have asked one of my sisters to talk to him. Each time I hear his voice it takes me straight back to when we were married.”

  “But?”

  A smile tugged at her mouth. “We aren’t married and I am strong and brave and able to ignore Derek’s obnoxious personality.”

  Ethan grinned. “That’s my girl.”

  She wrapped her arms around his waist. “I am, aren’t I.”

  “I hope so. Do you have anything you need to do in the next hour?”

  Diana thought about her schedule. “Apart from some office work and helping Katie with dinner, I’m up to date with everything else. What did you have in mind?”

  “How does a walk around the lake sound? Charlie’s looking desperate for some exercise and I could do with the fresh air.”

  “You’ve just come back from a run. Are you sure you want to go for a walk?”

  “It will help clear your head and give me an excuse to kiss you. What do you think?”

  With a smile, she pulled herself closer to Ethan. “I think you don’t need an excuse to kiss me. In fact, if you’re really, really lucky, I’ll kiss you.”

  And with a sigh, she did just that.

  Twenty-four hours later, Ethan was on his way to The Lakeside Inn. He’d only just finished talking to all the students about the snuffbox. He wasn’t sure what Diana would say when she heard what Cassidy had told him—he just hoped she wasn’t hurt all over again by her lying ex-husband.

  When he stopped beside the garage, Barbara was walking in the front door with Charlie.

  She smiled and waited for him on the stone steps. “I thought you’d be working at the clinic.”

  “I have some news about the snuffbox. Are your sisters home?”

  “Diana and Katie are here. Penny’s in Polson talking to the county about the cottages on Anchor Lane. Do you know where it is?”

  “I hope so. Let’s go inside.”

  Charlie woofed and waited impatiently for his greeting.

  Reaching down, Ethan patted him. “It looks as though you enjoyed your exercise.”

  “We walked into town to see Dad,” Barbara explained. “The store’s selling a new line of doggy treats and Charlie tried all of them.”

  It was no wonder Charlie was happy. Ethan would feel the same way if he’d just been spoiled, too.

  Barbara led him through to the kitchen. “Hi, Katie. Have you seen Diana?”

  “She’s upstairs getting the honeymoon suite ready.”

  Barbara dropped her keys in a basket. “I’ll get her. Ethan has news about the snuffbox.”

  Katie nearly dropped the tray of cookies she was sliding into the oven. “Do you know where it is?”

  “Don’t say anything until I come back with Diana,” Barbara said as she left the kitchen.

  “That’s not fair,” Katie yelled after her.

  “Yes, it is,” Barbara yelled back.

  Katie closed the oven door and sent him a mischievous smile. “Our guests are all sightseeing at the moment, so we’ve got the house to ourselves.” She looked over her shoulder at the kitchen door. “Barbara won’t know if you tell me a teeny tiny bit of information about the snuffbox.”

  Ethan shook his head. “You’ll get me into trouble.”

  “It’s only Barbara you have to worry about. Diana won’t mind if you tell me.”

  “What won’t Diana mind?” Barbara asked as she walked into the kitchen with her sister.

  Katie sighed. “That was fast.”

  Diana smiled and kissed Ethan. “Hello.”

  His pulse quickened as he opened his arms for a hug. “Hello.” He knew what he had to say would hurt her. But she needed to know before it was too late to do anything about it.

  Barbara cleared her throat. “I hate to interrupt—”

  “No, you don’t,” Katie said. “But you’re forgiven this time. I want to know about the snuffbox, too.”

  Ethan held Diana’s hand. “I’ve just spoken to the students. Cassidy might have seen who took the box.”

  “She did? That’s wonderful. We could call them and ask where they put it.”

  “It’s not as simple as that.” He took a deep breath. “From the description of the person, it has to be Derek who took it.”

  “But he told me he hadn’t seen it.”

  “The two-timing toad,” Katie exclaimed. “I’m not surprised it was him. Anyone who cheats on their wife can’t be trusted with anything.”

  Barbara held up her hand. “I know you’re upset, Katie, but we need to be absolutely sure it was Derek. Did Cassidy actually see him take the snuffbox?”

  “She saw him put something in his pocket when he was in the living room. Cassidy thought it seemed strange, but it wasn’t until I asked her about the snuffbox that she thought it might have been that.” He looked at Diana. “I’m sorry.”

  Tears clouded her eyes. “Not as sorry as I am. After everything he said, I can’t believe he took it.”

  Ethan reached for her hand. “Do you know where he’s living? I could go and see him—”

  “No. I’ll go.”

  “If Derek’s living with his parents, you shouldn’t go to Cincinnati on your own,” Barbara said. “His mom and dad are as bad as him. I’ll go with you.”

  Diana wiped the tears from her eyes. “I appreciate everyone’s concern, but I need to do this on my own. I’ll call a friend in Cincinnati and see if she knows where he is.” She stood and kissed Ethan’s cheek. “Thank you for asking the students about it.”

  “I just wish Cassidy’s answer had been different.”

  With a sad nod, Diana sighed. “So do I.”

  Chapter 18

  Two days later, Diana looked over her shoulder before knocking on a brown wooden door. She just hoped Derek was staying where Sara, her friend, thought he was. Otherwise, she’d have to talk to his parents and that worried her more than seeing her e
x-husband again.

  Before she’d left Montana, Ethan had arranged for someone he knew in Cincinnati to make sure she was okay. George was on the other side of the street, leaning against a fence. To any of the people walking past, he was just another man checking his cell phone. A man who happened to be more than six feet tall and built like a quarterback.

  The door opened and Derek stood in front of her. The smile on his face disappeared. “Diana? What are you doing here?”

  “I’ve come to ask you about the snuffbox.”

  Not a flicker of remorse or guilt crossed his face. “I’ve already told you I don’t know anything about it.”

  “I know what you told me, but I have evidence that says otherwise.”

  Derek frowned. “You’d better come inside.”

  She only hesitated for a moment. What was the worst he could do? Her friend was waiting at the end of the street and George was even closer. If she didn’t leave Derek’s apartment in the next half hour, they would both come looking for her.

  “I don’t know why you think I took it,” Derek said as he led her into a small living room.

  “It could have something to do with the loan you owe the bank. I swear, Derek, if you’ve sold it, I’ll go to the police and tell them everything.”

  Derek stood defiantly in the middle of the room. “How could I have stolen something I never saw?”

  “You had plenty of opportunity to steal it. You were at The Lakeside Inn three times before it went missing. We didn’t bother hiding it because we didn’t think anyone would take it. You must have known how important it was to us.”

  “You never talked about it. How could I have known how important it was?”

  Diana wasn’t backing down. If Derek saw even a chink in her armor he would lunge into her doubt and make her feel worthless. “While you were in Sapphire Bay, stories about the snuffbox and the letter were in the newspaper and on Facebook. Even the local radio station told everyone about them.”

  Derek stood taller. “I had more important things to do than read the newspaper. I was trying to stop the bank from taking everything I’ve worked hard for.”