Chapter 11
Cadie woke to the steady rhythm of Barrett's breathing beside her. She lay still, not wanting to disturb the moment. Barrett was on his side with one arm draped across her waist, and his face was relaxed in a way she rarely saw when he was awake. He looked at peace.
She noticed the faint lines at the corners of his eyes, the dark hair falling across his forehead, and a small scar near his left temple that she had seen last night but hadn't asked about.
There were years written on his face that she hadn't been part of.
But at that moment, with his arm warm across her body, that didn't matter.
The night before came back to her in vivid detail.
She remembered the music at Prohibition and the revelations over dinner.
She remembered the way Barrett had taken her hand on the stairs and turned toward his room instead of hers.
She could still feel the tenderness in his hands when he touched her face, the way he had been unhurried and careful, as if every moment between them was something to be treasured.
She had no regrets.
Her life felt more complete, as though something that had been missing for a long time had quietly settled into place.
She couldn't say where things would go after the investigation ended.
There were too many unknowns. Her life was in New Orleans with the band, and Barrett had a business in California.
It was too soon for commitments, too early for promises that neither of them could be certain they could keep.
But Barrett had stolen her heart…again.
He stirred beside her, and his arm tightened slightly around her waist. His eyes opened, then he smiled.
"You're watching me," he said, his voice low and rough with sleep.
"I am."
He reached up and stroked her hair, his fingers gentle as they followed the dark strands across the pillow. Then he leaned over and kissed her. The kiss was slow and unhurried, and it said more than words could have.
Barrett drew her closer and Cadie gave her heart to the experience. She matched his tenderness with her own, letting the morning warm her as the world outside the hotel room waited.
The connection between them deepened with every touch. The intimacy was more than physical closeness. She trusted Barrett enough to be vulnerable. Whatever happened afterward, she would cherish these precious memories.
For a moment, she snuggled next to Barrett. He pressed a kiss to her temple, then sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed.
"Coffee," he said. "I'll get it started."
Cadie smiled. "Perfect."
He pulled on his jeans and a gray T-shirt, then crossed the room to the small coffee maker on the desk. She heard him filling the reservoir with water and the quiet click of the machine starting.
Cadie slipped into the bathroom to freshen up.
She washed her face, brushed her teeth with the spare toothbrush the hotel provided, and ran her fingers through her hair.
She studied her reflection for a moment and noticed something different, a softness in her expression, or maybe a steadiness that hadn't been there before.
She put on one of the white hotel robes, tying the sash at her waist, and returned to the room.
Barrett leaned against the desk with two cups of coffee already poured. The sleeves of his T-shirt stretched across his broad shoulders, and his dark hair was still tousled from sleep. He looked impossibly sexy standing there, completely at ease.
He handed her a cup, and his fingers touched hers. The brief contact sent a wave of pleasure through her.
"Should we go down for breakfast?" she asked, wrapping both hands around the cup.
Barrett shook his head. "I'll order room service." He held her gaze. "I prefer to be alone with you, for as long as we have."
The words were simple, but they carried weight. There was no guarantee about the future, and Cadie heard that truth beneath what he said. She understood it completely.
Her heart ached with loss already. She wanted more mornings and quiet moments with Barrett.
Cadie settled onto one end of the small sofa near the window while Barrett took the other end. The room smelled like fresh coffee and the faint scent of Barrett's cologne. She tucked her legs beneath her and sipped the coffee, which was hot and strong.
Barrett sat with his cup resting on his knee. "We have that meeting later this morning."
At dinner the night before, he'd mentioned the meeting with Detective Sullivan and the forensic medical expert.
"While we eat, I'll share a bit more with you," he said. "There are a few things I haven't had a chance to cover yet."
When Barrett looked at her, his expression was warm and she nearly crawled to the other end of the sofa to be in his arms. The hours she'd spent with him had changed her.
She felt like her real self, being with the man she loved.
She could admit that she loved Barrett, even though she hadn't said the words yet.
Her heart swelled with a depth of emotion that was painfully pleasurable.
But no commitment had been made, so the moment was bittersweet.
She was on her second cup of coffee when a knock came at the door.
Barrett answered it and carried a tray to the space between them on the sofa.
Room service delivered scrambled eggs, crisp bacon, and an assortment of pastries with a small pot of jam and extra butter. The smell of bacon filled the room.
Cadie ate slowly, watching Barrett.
Then he set his fork down. "I haven't told you about the neighbor interviews yet."
"Yes, I recall you mentioning that you planned to check that out."
"I canvassed the area and knocked on doors in the surrounding blocks," Barrett said. "Most people weren't home or didn't have much to offer, but one woman was very helpful." He reached for a piece of bacon. "Her name was Margie Williams, an elderly woman who remembered your aunt fondly."
Cadie felt a pang of warmth at the thought of a neighbor who cared enough to remember. "What did she say?"
"She described Olivia as a devoted caregiver, but then she added something interesting." Barrett paused. "She thought that Olivia was a devoted caregiver, but something was 'odd.'"
"Odd how?"
"When I asked her to explain, she said that Olivia met with a man regularly at the coffee shop on the corner. She told me there was nothing wrong with that, but Olivia always seemed secretive about it, and they would sit in the back corner."
Cadie set her coffee cup on the arm of the sofa. "How often?"
"At least once a week, for months. Margie noticed because she goes to that same coffee shop every morning."
Cadie sat up straighter. "Could she describe the man?"
"She said he was young and well dressed. A business type with dark hair who looked professional."
The description was general enough to fit any number of people, but Cadie's mind went straight to Kal Davis. She pictured his expensive suit, and the way he'd appeared at the garden gate.
"There's more," Barrett said. "I went to that coffee shop."
Cadie put her plate on the tray between them and turned to face him fully. "And what did you find out?"
"I used a photo of Olivia that was in your aunt's things," Barrett said, "and I got a photo of Kal from his real estate business website. A barista named Robin recognized both of them."
Cadie waited for him to continue.
"Robin said they came in regularly, and always sat in that back-corner booth," Barrett said. "She told me they'd been meeting for months, maybe starting last spring."
The timing lined up with the earliest journal entries, the ones where Celia Ann first mentioned feeling tired and dizzy. Cadie felt her stomach tighten.
"I asked Robin if she noticed anything about their interactions," Barrett said. "She told me they seemed close and that the conversations looked intense. She said Olivia appeared kind of hopeful, and she described Kal as very professional."
The word hopeful caught Cadie's attention. "Did she say anything else?"
"She said they stopped coming in about a month ago, maybe six weeks." Barrett leaned back against the sofa cushion. "And when I asked her to describe the man, she confirmed what Margie said. He was younger and well dressed, dark hair, a business type."
Barrett went quiet.
Cadie considered the information and didn't speak right away. The picture forming in her mind demanded careful attention.
Olivia and Kal had been meeting regularly for months at a coffee shop near Stratton House.
The meetings started around the same time that her aunt's health began to decline, which was also when the financial evidence showed money flowing from Kal's business accounts to Olivia's bank.
Celia Ann's journal entries described worsening symptoms during that period, including confusion, dizziness, and weakness.
Olivia had dismissed every concern, assuring her that everything was normal for her age and condition.
The neighbor had noticed the meetings, and the barista had noticed them too. But no one had put the pieces together, because no one had reason to suspect that a devoted caregiver and a real estate developer were plotting.
Cadie set her plate on the tray and stood. She walked to the window, then turned and paced the length of the room. Her bare feet were quiet on the carpet. She crossed to the desk, then back toward the sofa, then to the window again.
Barrett watched her without speaking. He didn't try to fill the silence with reassurance or analysis, and he let her move through it at her own pace. She appreciated that more than she could say. He understood that she needed the space to think things through without pressure.
She paced for another minute, turning the facts over in her mind.
The pattern was impossible to deny. Her aunt had trusted Olivia with her life, including her medications, her appointments, and her daily care.
And during those same months, Olivia had been sitting across from Kal Davis in a back-corner booth.
It seemed as though Kal and Olivia were planning their relationship—or something more frightening.
Cadie stopped at the window and pressed her fingers against the cool glass. She took a slow breath.
She turned to face Barrett. "I need to go to my room to shower and dress for our meeting with the forensics expert."
Cadie started toward the bathroom to collect her clothes from the night before. She paused in the doorway and turned back to him.
"I want to hear what you think this all means," she said. "I think I know…but I want to talk about it."
Barrett set his cup on the tray and stood. "Of course."
He crossed the room to her and wrapped her in a warm hug. His arms were strong around her, and she felt his chin rest gently against the top of her head. She leaned into him with her hands flat against his chest.
"I'm with you," he said. "We'll figure this out."
Cadie closed her eyes and let him steady her.