Seventeen #2
“Getting old, he said. Thanks, toots.” He took the beer Sharon brought and tapped her on the ass as she swatted his arm away. “He said he wanted a rest.”
“Are you talking about the old Lakeview owner? He wasn’t too tired to drive a hard bargain,” observed Sharon.
“Lucky I had the city’s best labor lawyer to do the negotiation.” Mickey took her hand, and Nico saw their matching wedding-band tattoos. “It was his baby. He wanted it to go to the right person. I’ll do the same when I retire.”
“You’re going to die at the grill,” Sharon said.
“Then you’ll make sure it goes to the right person.”
“We’re doing some research on how the Mariposas have grown,” said Nico, to get the conversation back. “The Lakeview was always central to the summer crowds. Was it hard for the old owner to get the staffing?”
Mickey snorted. “Not when you pay seasonal people under the table. I looked through his old files, and you’d think he only hired a dishwasher, one server, and a cook. Not a single other person on payroll.”
“Oh?” asked Nico. “We saw he expanded the patio in the nineties. He must have hired some more people.” Valerie gave him a tiny nod, as if to congratulate him on this line of questioning.
“If he did, he didn’t leave proof.” Mickey shrugged. “It’s bad business to have books older than six years for taxes anyway, so I burned them when I took over.”
Damn. More people came to take a turn, and Dalia excused herself to greet some new arrivals. “Wes! Nadine! Did you bring the cats?”
A man’s voice replied, “They’re city girls, Dal. Rebecca’s watching them.”
“She set up a camera so we could keep an eye on them,” said a dark-haired woman in a yellow dress as Nico and Valerie moved to the ring toss. “Or, more accurately, so Wes could.”
“I want to see the cat live stream,” Valerie whispered.
“Me too.”
“How are you doing?” she asked carefully.
He looked at her. “You really don’t need to check in.”
One smooth shoulder peeked out from her open collar. “I know that’s what you said.”
“I appreciate it, but I said I’d tell you if I’m uncomfortable and I will.” He was relaxed here with her, despite the crowd.
Valerie smiled. “Got it. What do you think?”
“That there’s nothing to be found from the Lakeview, which confirms the investigator’s report.” Nico landed his ring on the twenty-point pole. “We have to focus on the Badgertons, because we know someone there is involved.”
“Thinking about motivation might give us some clues,” she said.
“It might.” Valerie tossed her ring and he got out the pencil. “Ten points.”
“If it were you, why would you not tell Roger?”
Even on his bitterest days toward Stefanie—and there had been many—Nico couldn’t imagine doing anything so hurtful. He hazarded a guess. “Hate?”
“It has to be a big emotion, but I don’t see them hating each other,” she said. “Or maybe it was a small thing that snowballed?”
“How? Deciding to pay off Yvette and lie about it is pretty huge.”
“Yeah but I feel there must be something more than wanting to screw over Roger. As a family, they fight a lot but they love each other. What’s stronger than love?”
“Money?”
“That could be Penny or David. Jealousy?”
“That would indicate David,” said Nico. “Or Penny, if she was jealous of Yvette for monopolizing Roger.”
“Back to our two usual suspects.” Valerie tossed her ring and this time scored a hundred. Nico was about to cheer her on, when she turned with a stricken look. “Sorry.”
“For what? You did amazing.”
Valerie stared at him. “You don’t mind that I got a higher score?”
“Why would I? We’re a team.” He held out the next ring, excited for her to get another one. “I bet you can make the next hundred too.”
Valerie grabbed it as someone whooped at the corn hole station. “This party is so much fun.”
“You’d get along with my sisters. And mother.”
She beamed—he should have known she’d love that. “What about your dad?” She slapped at one of the dreaded deerflies that followed her like adoring pets.
“We’re different,” said Nico slowly. “My father likes to take his time making decisions, and so do I. He doesn’t like noise. Mom does. The radio is on, or the TV. Or she’s singing.” He grinned at Valerie. “She can’t hit a single note but that never stops her.”
“She sounds fun.”
“She is fun,” said Nico. “When I was growing up, she was the one to go tobogganing with us while Dad made hot chocolate at home. He always made triple because he knew Mom would invite people back. She loves the house being full. He’d put out snacks, then go read while she entertained.”
Valerie listened with interest. “Opposites attract?”
“They do, but they also fit together in a way I can’t see them doing with anyone else.” Nico watched someone execute a perfect dive from a high rock. “Mom needs Dad to steady her, and Dad needs Mom to bring some excitement into his life.”
“It sounds like a good match.”
“Yeah, it is.”
“Is that the kind of relationship you’d like for yourself?”
“It’s good to have people who can open doors for their partner,” he said. “I like the idea of being able to learn and explore something different.”
She looked over. “Me too.”
“Time for food,” called Dalia. “Come and get it!”
The moment was over. He tossed a last ring. Another twenty. At least Valerie had gotten them some points. He followed her to the table, surprised to find he was having a good time.
Like he’d found someone to open new doors for him to explore.