Chapter 245

I helped a shaking Amy sit in a kitchen chair. She was pale, and her breathing was shallow and rapid.

“Daisy, this is freaking me out,” she said. “Who would leave that photo and note in my mailbox? And is it true?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “But we need to find out.”

Whoever left them knows where Amy lives. I was worried about her, but I didn’t want to scare her even worse.

“I’m calling the police,” Amy decided. She picked up her phone.

“You should go downstairs and tell your dad before you call them,” I suggested. “It will scare him if he sees the police coming up here, and he doesn’t know anything about it.”

“You’re right.” Amy gathered the photo and note from the table, and we went downstairs to find Mr. Gray.

He was at the big stove preparing a sauce for a chicken dish that was the house special that evening.

When he saw our faces, he took the pot off the burner and rushed over. “Amy, honey, what’s wrong?” he asked.

Amy showed him the photo and the note.

“They were in our mailbox?” he asked. “And there was no envelope or return address?”

“We found them in the kitchen. They must have been mixed in with our mail when I took it out of the box,” Amy replied.

“We’re calling the police,” Elliot Gray insisted. He called the non-emergency number and arranged to meet an officer upstairs.

“Alonzo, finish the sauce and take care of any orders that come in while I’m upstairs,” he told his sous chef.

We went upstairs together. Amy paced while we waited. Fortunately, a uniformed officer arrived in about ten minutes.

“I’m here about a murder,” an older cop with salt and pepper hair said. A name tag above his badge identified him as Officer Cozzi.

“Please, come in, officer,” Mr. Gray said. He introduced us and handed the photo and note to Officer Cozzi. “My daughter found these in our mailbox.”

“Is the blonde woman in the photo your wife …or perhaps your ex-wife?” Officer Cozzi asked. “Your daughter resembles her.”

“I never met this woman.” He explained the situation to the confused policeman and waited for him to speak.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Gray. There is no proof of any crime,” Officer Cozzi said. “I’ll fill out a report, but my supervisors aren’t going to allow any man hours to be used to look into this.”

Amy’s face fell. “But what if she was murdered? You can’t let her murderer go free.”

Officer Cozzi shrugged. “Miss, if she was murdered, it happened a long time ago, right?”

“Yes. She disappeared almost eighteen years ago,” Amy said.

“Cold cases are hardly ever solved,” Officer Cozzi explained. “And we don’t have any proof that this woman is dead, let alone murdered. People do make themselves disappear, and they don't want to be found.”

I looked at my friend’s painful expression and knew what I had to do.

“Officer Cozzi, if you’re not investigating this matter, do you need the photo and note?” I asked politely.

“No,” Officer Cozzi replied and handed it to me. “If anything more substantial happens, or if you find evidence that would lead to a body or proof of a crime, please let me know.”

He gave Mr. Gray a card with his phone number on it.

“We will,” Mr. Gray said. He showed Officer Cozzi out and walked around the table to hug Amy. “Are you going to be okay, sweetheart? I’m sorry he wasn’t helpful.”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Amy said. “I need to split up these information packets with Daisy, and I’ll be down to help in the kitchen.”

Mr. Gray kissed her forehead and went downstairs.

“Daisy, help me,” Amy pleaded. “I need to know what happened to Deirdre.”

“We will find enough evidence for the police to do something,” I promised. “That’s why I wanted the photo and note. We’ll start by visiting Andy tomorrow morning. But don’t say anything to anyone.”

I understood how Amy felt. Even though I don’t remember my mother either, if I received a photo of her gagged and a note claiming she was murdered, I would move heaven and earth to make sure her killer was punished.

“I won’t tell anybody,” Amy vowed. “Do you need a ride home?”

“Nope, I texted Joe and asked him to pick me up,” I said. “He should be here soon.”

Amy and I went downstairs, and she waited with me until the limo arrived.

“I can’t wait until I can drive myself,” I said.

“I’ll meet you tomorrow morning around ten,” Amy said. “You can get in some driving practice on the way to see Andy.”

The limo pulled in front of us.

“We will find out what happened to Deirdre,” I promised before climbing into the car.

After arriving at the mansion, Benson greeted me in the foyer.

“Mr. Wilson has gone out to dinner,” he said.

“Oh, good. I’m glad he’s getting out of the house more often,” I told him. “Please tell the cook Victor will be joining me for dinner.”

“Very good, Miss,” Benson said as I headed for the stairs.

I had the feeling Miss Grant was the reason Alex was becoming more social. They had hit it off at the graduation party, and she had joined us for dinner here at the mansion last night.

I showered and put on a matching black lace bra and panty set under a comfortable linen sheath dress with black pumps. Then I freshened my hair and makeup before going downstairs to wait for my smoking hot fiancé.

He didn’t make me wait for long. I was watching the evening news when he arrived and joined me in the living room.

“What a day!” he said while helping himself to a drink. “I’m glad to have the evening to spend with you.”

He sat next to me on the couch and raised his glass to me. “You look beautiful, sweetheart.”

“Alex went out, so we’re eating alone,” I said. “I was hoping we could go to the ballroom afterward and dance a little.”

“That sounds marvelous.” There was a gleam in his eye that I was getting to know well. He had something deliciously carnal in mind. I couldn’t wait to find out what.

Victor was finishing his drink when Benson announced dinner. We walked to the small dining room and ate a scrumptious meal of lobster cocktail, beef tenderloin and mushrooms over wild rice, braised lettuce, and my favorite chocolate soufflé.

“Are you looking forward to being the leader of the association’s Luna?” Victor asked. “I’m almost ready for your father to hand over the appointment.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” I said. “Let me know when the ceremony is to take place. There is a lot of planning to be done to make sure the celebration will be worthy of you.”

Victor allowed Benson to clear the table before he kissed my hand. “Shall we go to the ballroom? I'm looking forward to that dance.”

After walking to the ballroom, I was surprised when Victor locked the door behind us and kept the lights low. He led me to the middle of the dance floor and used the remote to start the music.

The gleam in his eyes glowed brighter when he took me in his arms, and we began to waltz.

Twirling around the floor with him reminded me of when Victor taught me how to dance. Even though I didn’t understand it back then, there had been an intense attraction between us.

I now recognized and reveled in our mutual sexual attraction, and I could sense Victor had something delightful in mind. I was no longer shy when we made love, but Victor told me there was much more to experience.

I gasped when he pulled the sheath dress over my head, and I stood in front of him in the black lace panties and bra.

But then the music changed to a tango, and he stared into my eyes as we danced. Our connection was sizzling, and the anticipation of whatever he had in mind was building.

He dipped me, holding me bent backward while kissing my throat. “I’ve had a fantasy about you ever since the day we were dancing and fell to the floor together right here. I had to leave the room before I couldn’t control myself.”

He laid me down gently on my back and lay on his side next to me. “Do you remember it, my love?”

“Yes, I remember,” I whispered.

Victor’s voice grew husky when he asked, “Are you ready to fulfill my fantasy, Daisy? Don’t be frightened of something new. Just let me love you.”

“Yes,” I moaned. I could sense his lust for me, and my entire body throbbed with anticipation.