Deadly Notions - By Elizabeth Lynn Casey Page 0,32
and filet mignon are one and the same.”
Blinking against the sudden moisture in her eyes, she squeezed his hand in response. “I’m sorry, Milo. I really am. I’m not sure why I let Leona get in my head like that.”
His fingers left her hand in favor of her face. “This stuff with Ashley Lawson has thrown you for a loop, that’s all. When a person is stressed about one thing, silly things tend to balloon up as well. It’s human nature.”
She cocked her head to the left and studied him, his amber-flecked brown eyes a perfect compliment to the dimples she saw growing in his cheeks. “What? What’s so funny?” she asked.
“It’s kind of nice knowing you care so much.”
Turning her head, she caught his fingers with her own and planted a kiss on their tips. “Don’t let it go to your head—”
The ring of his cell phone cut her short and she released his hand. Rummaging in his pocket he pulled out the silver device and checked the screen.
“It’s Beth.”
Point Two—Beth.
“This will only take a second, I promise.” He tugged the phone open and held it to his ear. “Hey, Beth, what’s up?’
The familiar voice poured from the phone, this time so shrill and so loud it was impossible for Tori to miss. “It’s Beth. I need you to come quick. Please.”
He sat up tall, his hand tightening around the phone as he met Tori’s gaze across the table. “Beth, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“Someone just tried to kill me.”
Tori, too, sat up, the woman’s words striking a sense of fear in her.
“What did you just say?” Milo repeated.
“I—I said I think someone just tried to kill me.”
“What happened?” he snapped.
Sniffling was followed by the woman’s throaty, yet broken voice. “I—I w-was walking through the parking lot of the inn just now and I heard footsteps behind me.”
“Okay . . .”
“I turned around once and didn’t see anyone so I figured I was wrong. Then I heard it again, and just as I was starting to turn around a car pulled into the lot and whoever it was dove behind a parked car.”
“Did you see who it was?”
“No. But they had a knife.”
His eyes widened along with hers. “A knife? Are you sure?”
“It dropped to the g-ground when they d-ducked behind the car. As soon as I saw it, I—I r-ran.” And then the sobbing started, loud racking sobs that left them feeling more than a little helpless.
Tori looked at Milo. “Ask her if she called the police,” she whispered.
The crying stopped. “Is someone there with you?” Beth asked between whimpers.
“I’m with Tori.” He tipped the phone at an angle to make it easier for her to hear. “Did you call the police when this happened?”
Beth sniffed once, then twice. “I th-thought about it. B-but I don’t want any publicity r-right now. Nothing that might d-detract from the unveiling of the designs.”
Tori closed her eyes, recalled the breathtaking dresses the woman had shown her just the previous morning.
“Do you think that’s wise?” Milo asked. “If you’re right, and someone meant you harm this evening, the police really should know.”
“And I’ll tell them. If it happens again,” Beth promised. “But not now, Milo. Please.”
Tori watched as his leg began to bounce ever so slightly, a sure sign Milo was feeling stressed. His words simply served as secondary confirmation. “I don’t know, Beth . . . You’ve got me worried now.”
The sniffing stopped. “You’re worried about me?”
Milo nodded.
“Milo, are you there?”
“Oh. Sorry. Yes. I’m worried about you. How could I not be?”
Beth hiccupped into the phone. “It was scary. So very, very scary. And to tell you the truth, I’m still scared, Milo.” The woman’s voice paused a moment before resurfacing with a noticeable shake. “Do . . . do you think you could come by and take a look? Just to make sure no one is lurking outside my door?”
He raked a hand through his hair then met Tori’s eyes with the question she knew he was hesitant to verbalize. Instead, she beat him to the punch. “Why don’t you go have a look? It’ll make the both of you feel better.”
Covering the phone briefly, he searched her face closely. “Are you sure? You went to so much trouble for this dinner.”
She nodded, her hand finding his free one and holding it close. “I’m sure. It’s the right thing to do, Milo.”
He pulled his hand from the front of the phone and whispered a kiss across her forehead. “I love