Page 35 of In Plain Sight

“She didn’t paint them in Lenox?” Gary asked.

The senator blinked. “Now that you mention it, I have no idea where she painted them. I never saw her at work, apart from when my wife and I sat for her. Thatwasin Lenox, at our house.” He stared at Gary. “Why? Is it important?”

“Maybe.” Gary smiled. “Thank you, Senator, for—”

The door opened, and a woman entered. Dan recognized her instantly. It was Mrs. Cain, as immaculate as if she’d just stepped down out of her portrait, not a hair out of place, the combination of high-waisted charcoal pants and a cream sweater with three-quarter sleeves making her look every inch a politician’s wife.

Senator Cain frowned. “Della? You didn’t mention you were coming to Boston today.”

She gave a thin smile. “I didn’t realize I had to keep you informed of my movements.” Her eyes sparkled. “But if you insist, I’ll let you know every time I intend to do a little shopping.” She glanced at Gary and Dan, then back to the senator. “I’m sorry for interrupting. No one told me you were in a meeting.”

“This is the detective who called me yesterday.” Senator Cain gestured to Gary.

“Then I’ll leave you to it.” Her gaze flickered toward Dan.

“Actually, we’re finished,” Gary said politely.

The senator blinked. “That’s it? No more questions?”

“I don’t think so. If anything else occurs to me….”

Senator Cain nodded. “Then please, come see me. I wish you luck in your investigation. If there is anything I can do to help, I would be only too happy.” He walked to the oak door and opened it. “Curtis?” The PA appeared, and the senator indicated them. “Please show my guests out.”

“Thank you, Senator.” Dan had to say something. “And… I’m sorry for your loss.”

Senator Cain’s eyes glistened, and he turned away quickly.

“Goodbye, gentlemen.” Mrs. Cain’s smile didn’t reach her eyes.

Curtis escorted them to the front door, and they exited the house.

They strolled to the parking space Gary had found. “You know we keep talking about coincidences,” Dan remarked. “Well, here’s another. Both the Cains and the Brightmores have houses on Nantucket. For all we know, they could be neighbors.”

“The same thought crossed my mind.” Gary glanced back toward the square. “I’ll be honest, he wasn’t at all how I’d expected him to be.”

Dan couldn’t resist asking. “Well? Do you think he’s our killer?”

Gary laughed. “You obviously don’t.”

“He grew up with her, encouraged her, supported her. But you know the one thing I took away from that conversation?” Dan’s head was buzzing. “If she’d worked on the copies in Lenox, her father would have seen them. And the senator says she didn’t tell him.”

Gary had a gleam in his eye. “So that means….”

Dan nodded. “Somewhere there’s a studio that may contain clues to her death.”

A studio they knew nothing about.

Chapter Twelve

Saturday, July 21, 2018

WHEN THEafter-dinner conversation morphed into Gary and Nina sharing their memories of Cory, Dan was glad. Nina’s brother had been Gary’s best friend since childhood, and it had been his murder that had eventually brought Gary and Dan together: Gary had confessed that needing to find Cory’s killer had been the catalyst. He’d pushed aside his previous negativity toward psychics and demanded that Dan be brought into the investigation.

How does the saying go? “The rest is history.”

Their history had a long way to go before it caught up with Gary and Cory’s. And speaking of Cory…. Nina and Gary had been talking for maybe forty-five minutes before Dan decided he needed a little air.

He pushed his chair back from the table, murmured his thanks for the meal, stood, and headed for the hallway. He’d spied french doors that opened onto a small balcony. He stepped out onto the wooden surface surrounded by a dark brown railing. The sun had set maybe an hour ago, and the air was starting to cool. It was still too light to see stars. Below, he caught the hum of traffic from Main Street a few blocks away.

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