The mighty Quinns: Liam - By Kate Hoffmann Page 0,38
much to say. He shoved his hands into his pockets and watched them both with an uneasy smile. “So, how did you two meet?”
“Liam saved me from a burglar who’d broken into my apartment.”
Sean nodded, as if he were really interested. Then he shrugged. “I gotta go.”
“It was nice to meet you,” Ellie said.
“Nice meeting you.”
They watched him walk back inside the apartment, then Liam turned to Ellie. “Don’t worry about him. He’s a little shy.”
“You mean, not all the Quinns are as charming as you?”
“Sean has his own special way with women. He ignores them and they can’t seem to resist the challenge.” Liam slipped his arm around Ellie’s shoulders. “Are you ready to go? I think I’ve snapped enough photos to fill a few albums. No one can say I shirked my family responsibilities.”
“We don’t have to go. The food looks good. And Olivia was going to show me the gifts she got for the baby.” She held up her champagne flute. “And I’m going to have another mimosa.”
“I’ll get you one,” Liam said, dropping a quick kiss on her lips. He was tempted to linger, but knew that they’d already generated enough curiosity without adding more fodder for speculation to the mix. He left Ellie in the kitchen when she offered to help Olivia slice more baked ham for sandwiches. The champagne was on ice in the dining room and he found Sean staring at the cake, a perplexed expression on his face.
“What is this?” he asked.
“A cake.”
“I know it’s a cake.”
“It’s a baby buggy.”
“I thought it was a clam with wheels.”
“Don’t let Olivia hear that. Conor said she spent two days making that.” Liam glanced over at his brother, considering what he was going to say to him next. He’d thought about his options over and over again over the past few days, trying to decide how to handle the situation. “There is one more thing I should tell you,” Liam murmured. “Ronald Pettibone is in town.”
Sean’s head snapped around, his attention focused.
“He’s been in Boston for about a week,” Liam continued. “That was him outside the coffee shop—the guy I mentioned who was arguing with her.”
“How do you know?”
“She told me. He looks different from the photo. He’s not wearing his glasses anymore and he’s changed his hair. It’s lighter. And he has a tan, too. He’s staying at the Bostonian, Room 215. Pretty ritzy digs for a guy who is out of work, don’t you think?”
“How did you find all this out?”
“He left a message on her machine while I was at her apartment.”
“Was she there?”
“Of course she was,” Liam said. “We were…together.”
Sean sent him a suspicious look. “How did she react?”
“It was a little hard to see, since she had her back to me. But I encouraged her to call him back and she said she would. Until then, I think you should keep an eye on the guy. And find out if he rented a black sedan a few days ago.”
“You think he tried to run her down? Then she’s got to be mixed up in this. What motive would he have to kill her? Unless he didn’t want to split the take.”
“He’s her ex-lover. Maybe he’s obsessed,” Liam replied. “Just keep an eye on him.” He paused, wondering about his next move. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. “Here.”
“What’s this?”
“It’s the keys to Ellie’s apartment. I put in a new security system for her in case Pettibone came calling again. The code is 3-5-5-4. Make sure you get it right or you’ll set off the alarm.”
“All right,” Sean said. “Three-five-five-four.”
“I’ve got tickets to the Sox home opener on Tuesday. I’m supposed to photograph the mayor doing some pregame presentation and then he’s going to throw out the first pitch. None of their sports guys want to do it, so they hired me. I’m taking Ellie. She should be safe in a stadium full of thirty-six thousand people.”
“Good. That should give me plenty of time.”
Liam’s jaw went tight. “Just don’t make a mess, all right? I don’t want her to be all upset again.”
Sean nodded.
Satisfied that the matter had been taken out of his hands, Liam sighed. “I’m going to go talk to Ma. Why don’t you come with me?”
“Nah, not today.”
“Why not today? It’s as good a time as any. Sean, you can’t carry this grudge any longer. Da has forgiven her. So has Keely—and they had a whole lot more to be pissed about