She started to ask him what was wrong, but he gave a slight shake to his head, and she held back her question. “We’re about to go to lunch. You hungry?”
“Famished.”
“We’ve got a Mexican buffet special going on today in the dining room,” she said.
“I’m in,” he said.
Hailey slipped her hand into his as they started for the Grand Dining Room. “Torie got yelled at.”
Torie’s face went hot, and she looked away from Joe’s probing gaze. “My aunt’s always been a little difficult. And she’s never liked me.”
“She’s always been so good to Hailey and me.” Joe took her hand and squeezed it. “What’s not to like?”
The warmth in his words made her shoot a glance his way, but she found it hard to accept the admiration in his green eyes. Was it only admiration or something a little stronger? She wasn’t used to reading emotional undercurrents. All of the subtext went right over her head. Why couldn’t people say what they mean and mean what they said?
But maybe Joe was one who did. She’d seen no evidence of him twisting his words. He was only guilty of twisting her insides into a knot. And her heart.
“My dad says she’s jealous. That Genevieve has been angry ever since he dated her, then dumped her when he met Mom. I can’t remember our relationship ever being anything except how it is right now.”
They walked toward the dining room, and Hailey waited until they were seated to announce her second bombshell. “Someone was in Torie’s old apartment. He busted up her mom’s perfume bottle. And Torie cried when we were there. You should get her some ice cream to make her smile again.”
Torie went from a flinch to a full-bodied laugh. She leaned over and tickled Hailey. “Don’t pull me into your little schemes, girlfriend. You’re the one who wants the ice cream.”
“I thought you liked ice cream,” Joe said.
His deadpan voice didn’t fool her. He might not be interrogating her right this minute, but he’d be firing questions her way the moment they were alone.
But she’d do the same. She hadn’t missed the stress around his mouth and the worry in his eyes. Something had happened this morning.
Chapter 32
A siren blared, and Joe jumped, sure the MPs were after him.
Once it screamed past his building, he relaxed. Just a state trooper. Perspiration beaded on his forehead in the warm humidity near the sea lion enclosure. They’d talked Hailey out of ice cream with the lure of seeing the newly arrived group of sea lions.
The sun shone on the water and steel fencing where his four sea mammals frolicked and barked. One of the sea lions flopped out of the water onto the decking and clapped his flippers until Hailey tossed him crab.
“He’s glad to see you,” Joe said.
A perfect day if it weren’t that he’d just quit the best job he’d ever had.
Hailey was ten feet away talking to a sea lion. Far enough away he could talk without her overhearing, especially since she was chattering away.
“What about the intruder in your old apartment? You see or hear anything?”
Torie shook her head. “I had a funny feeling when I saw the closet door was standing open. I was sure we’d shut it.”
“You didn’t go in, did you?”
If she’d interrupted that guy . . . He suppressed a shudder.
“I should have, but I couldn’t make myself take one step that way.”
At the shame in her voice, he gripped her by the shoulders. “Never apologize for using the good sense God gave you. Only an idiot would make a move to surprise an intruder. Especially when you were responsible for a child.”
The shame fled her brown eyes, and she smiled up at him. “How do you always know the right thing to say?”
“Do I? That’s the first time anyone’s ever told me that. I’m usually accused of being too blunt.”
“I like a man who says what he means and means what he says.”
“That’s good because I don’t think I could change if I wanted to. And I want you to like me. More than like me.”
The sparkle in her eyes at his confession made his heart skitter in his chest. Maybe they were starting to get somewhere.
“I found Lisbeth’s missing pages—at least some of them.” She reached into her bag and pulled out some journal pages. “I haven’t had a chance to read them yet.” She handed some to him. “You take a look and I will too.”
He began to leaf through the pages. “These seem different from the others you showed me. Choppier. Look.”
She leaned over to read where he pointed. “‘Tell Torie? Can’t decide. Wish I’d never found it. Genevieve saw it on my desk and we argued about it. Why would she do something like that to her sister?’” Torie frowned. “What was Lisbeth struggling with telling me?”
“I don’t know.”
Torie went back to her pages. “Here’s something. This page isn’t from her journal. It’s a Xerox of my mother’s suicide note: ‘You’ll only have yourself to blame at my funeral. Lily.’” Torie put her finger at the bottom of the page. “This is Lisbeth’s handwriting here. ‘Found this tucked into a Bible in a nightstand in the master bedroom. Did Anton hide this to protect Torie?’”
He read it and whistled. “We should ask him if Lisbeth called him to ask about it.”
“I wondered if Mom even wrote the note since it wasn’t handwritten. But I never heard of a suicide note being found at the crime scene, so that must be why Lisbeth wondered if Dad hid it.”
Speculation wouldn’t get them anywhere. “What happened today with your aunt?”
Torie’s smile faded, and she laid down the pages. “She always finds something hurtful to say. Today it was that I was pretentious in using Latin quotes and that I should do something to hide my l-large feet.”
Something in Joe’s heart broke at the pained expression on her face. “Only a genius knows Latin, so that’s a moot point. But a personal attack like the size of your feet? They’re proportionate to your height. You’re six feet tall. Did she even stop to think how ridiculous you’d look if your feet were a size five? I hope you jumped right back down her throat.”
“I’m ashamed to say I did. I tried to keep my temper, but she was just so mean. I dislike meanness.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” He reached out and stroked a strand of hair that had escaped her crown of braids. “Your mom was beautiful.”
She nodded. “She was gorgeous.”
“I bet she wore a size twelve shoe.”
She arched a brow. “How would you know that?”
“I saw a picture of her at your cottage. You look so much like her, and her feet are in the same proportion. But you’re even more gorgeous.”
Red swept up her neck. “Now you’ve gone from truth to fiction.”
“Ask any man, and he’d tell you the same thing. You didn’t see the admiring glances Craig was sending your way when he met you. You’re one of those rare women who have no idea of the feminine power they have. Let’s keep it that way, okay?”