“But the boy,” David said. “She told me Coalie was her son.”
“He’s not her son,” Lee explained. “There were just the two of them, Eamon and Tessa, from the time she came over from Ireland five or six years ago until he got killed.”
“So she lied.”
“Looks like. I know that boy isn’t hers. He wasn’t with her in Chicago. Just here in Peaceable.”
“You know a hell of a lot about her and her brother,” David commented.
“That’s because Eamon was always telling me about his sister—Tessa this and Tessa that. I think he was trying to do some matchmaking ’cause he asked me for a picture to show his sister.” Lee smiled at the memory. “Anyway, before he died, he made me promise to look out for her.” Lee fixed his gaze on David. “And I’ve tried. I tried to be nice to her but I swear that woman hated me on sight. She avoided me at the Satin Slipper and was downright hostile to me when she couldn’t. She’s made it damn near impossible to look after her. I sure as hell don’t want anything to do with anyone else’s sister.”
David raked his fingers through his hair. “I know what you mean.” He looked at his friend. “And you don’t have to look out for Tessa any longer, Lee. She’s my responsibility now. I’ll take care of her.”
“Be my guest,” Lee invited. “You’re welcome to that other she-devil, too.” Lee rubbed absently at a spot on his flat stomach. The spot the bullets would have entered had she decided to pull the trigger. It hurt just thinking about it. He shuddered. “I don’t know who the hell she is.”
David laughed. “I do.”
Lee glared at him.
“My sister, Mary.”
“That figures.” Lee rolled his eyes.
David clapped him on the back. “How about lunch? I’ll buy. We can say it was my way of appeasing you, to keep you from pressing charges against Mary after she pulled her gun on you.”
“Nah, it’s too risky,” Lee answered. “Besides, I’m due back at the Satin Slipper before noon.” Lee patted his pockets, feeling for his gold watch. “What time is it, anyway?”
David removed his and checked the time. “Twelve after eleven. Where’s your timepiece?” Lee always sported an expensive watch.
“It’s at the jeweler’s,” Lee explained. “I snagged the chain and broke it and the crystal. I told the watchmaker that chain was too delicate for my watch.”
David hated the thought that came to mind, but he wondered suddenly who was lying and who was telling the truth. And he also wondered if the piece of gold chain in his top desk drawer belonged to Lee Kincaid.
* * *
“I think you should go with Mary to the ranch,” Tessa said to Coalie when he unlocked her bedroom door and came out.
“I want to stay with you,” Coalie told her.
“It’s just for a little while.” Tessa knelt on the floor in front of Coalie, pl
eading with him to understand. “I can’t look after you properly until this is all over—this thing with the man at the Satin Slipper, the dead man.” She hated to say his name. She hated to even think about him.
“I’ll look after you.” Coalie wrapped his arms around her neck and hugged her tightly. “It’s my turn.”
“Please, Coalie,” she whispered. “If Liam Kincaid comes back I may not be able to protect you.”
Mary looked first at Tessa, then at Coalie, studying them closely. There was no doubt Tessa loved the boy and that he returned her love, but there was no family resemblance. After witnessing Tessa’s outburst and her fear and hearing her accusations against Liam Kincaid, it wasn’t hard for Mary to put the pieces of the puzzle together. “Coalie’s not your son, is he?”
Tessa whirled around to face Mary, a denial on her lips.
“Did you take him away from his parents?” Mary demanded.
“No,” Tessa said softly. “I rescued him from a brutal drunkard who beat him every day.”
“We run away,” Coalie added. “Me and Tessa. We run away so I’d be safe.”
Mary looked at Tessa with new awareness, her gaze full of admiration for Tessa’s unselfishness and courage. “And now this Mr. Kincaid is following you?”