Chapter 31 #3
Luckily, they were shown upstairs to a table for two in an alcove with a view of the river.
More importantly, from her seat, Nikki could see the top of the staircase and view customers as they arrived.
She didn’t have to wait long. She had barely dipped a spoon into her roasted corn chowder before she noticed Otis Childers and Westin Stark enter.
Stark was wearing black, his clerical collar visible as they made their way to a table across a hallway.
A third man joined them, though Nikki didn’t recognize him.
He was possibly Stanley “Stoney” Tripp, the geologist Kyle had mentioned.
No one else showed up. Though she kept an eye on the room across the hall, she didn’t see Archer Greenlee or Knox Quinlan nor, as it turned out, her brother Kyle.
The threesome were partially hidden by a wall, but as she finished her soup and salad, she made a note that no one else had joined their table.
“Tell me more about Knox Quinlan,” she said.
Pierce was halfway through his hamburger and fries.
“He’s a hometown boy. Played on the same school football team as Jamison—tight end, I think.
Don’t really know. But they were kind of rivals, I think, and Naomi was engaged to Quinlan, or almost, when Jamison came back to Savannah, started working for his family law firm, and stole her away.
They got married, and Quinlan went downhill.
” He shrugged. “Anyway, that’s the way I heard it. ”
“What does he do?”
“Construction. But he’s got a ranch that he inherited a few years back. As I said, he got into some trouble, did some time, but has walked the straight and narrow for a few years now.”
“You checked.”
“You bet I did. He found the Lord.”
“And now attends All Christian and pals around with the reverend.”
Why did that seem phony? She couldn’t square his reckless, seemingly irreverent cowboy attitude with someone pious, but that was her own prejudice talking; the two were not mutually exclusive.
She took a bit of bread from the basket on the table.
So Quinlan was a sexy rancher type who seemed to be romantically involved with a married woman.
It happened. All the time. Sometimes to the most faithful of believers.
“Naomi and Jamison were good, though, right?” she asked. “They were going to have a romantic stay-at-home weekend?”
“That was the plan, according to Jamison. And this is strictly off the record,” he said, pausing, waiting for her to agree.
“Sure. Of course. What?”
“They’re hoping for another baby.”
“What? A baby? But Shana’s … eleven. That’s a gap.”
“They want a boy, at least Jamison does. You know, a male heir to carry on the family name and all that. A kid he can throw a ball to and take hunting. Do all the dad/son things.”
“You’re kidding. And they could get another girl,” Nikki pointed out.
“I’m just telling you what he said.”
She sat back in her chair. “And yet Naomi is involved with Knox Quinlan? It doesn’t make sense.
I mean, I don’t really know Naomi that well, but I was at a party, and she was talking to some friends.
I overheard her complain about pregnancy, how awful she felt, really bad morning sickness, I guess.
And she mentioned she’d had a couple of miscarriages between the girls.
” Nikki paused and set down her spoon, remembering the conversation.
“She was talking to Janey Cartwright, someone we all went to school with. Janey was complaining about getting her body back in shape, and I swear Naomi said something along the lines of, ‘Thank the good Lord I don’t have to go through that all again!’ Actually that might be a direct quote. ”
“She must’ve changed her mind,” Pierce said, but he was holding back, she could feel it.
“What?” she said, and when he didn’t answer, she added, “You didn’t buy it either, when Jamison told you.”
“No, that isn’t it. He just said they’d hit kind of a rough patch and were trying to put some spark back in their marriage.”
“By having a midlife baby?” She didn’t hide her skepticism.
His phone rang.
“Hold on a sec.” He wiped his hands, then pulled it from his pocket and answered, “Reed … yeah … okay. I’ll be right there.” He clicked off and threw his napkin on the table. “Gotta go.”
“Did they locate Naomi?” Or was it to do with the Savannah Slasher? Dear God, was there another victim? Or has the killer been found?
He was already motioning to the waiter for the bill and scraping his chair back.
“Pierce, what?”
He gave a short shake of his head. “Give me a sec,” he said, as the waiter returned. Quickly, he paid the bill. “Let’s go.”
They hurried down the stairs and outside, where darkness had fallen, night folding over the city. The riverfront was alive with tourists and locals walking in the cool of the evening, while streetlamps reflected on the dark water and the riverboats, all tiers glowing, docked near the shoreline.
“What’s going on?” she asked, hurrying to keep up with his longer strides.
“Video has come in from cameras at the state line.” He unlocked his Jeep remotely while they were still half a block away. “It looks like they’ve got images of Naomi’s Mercedes going north to Charleston yesterday, and then, a few hours later, there’s film of her returning to Georgia.”
“So, she’s back. But they haven’t located the Mercedes?” she guessed as they reached the Jeep. “Or Naomi.”
“Right. But this is the first confirmation that she returned.”
“So where is she?” she asked as she climbed inside and he slid behind the wheel.
“That’s the question, isn’t it? We don’t know. At least not yet.” He started the engine and pulled into traffic. “But we’re sure as hell gonna find out.”