Murder at the Bellamy Mansion by Ellen Elizabeth Hunter Page A

but I’ll have the CSU guys take a look anyway.”
    I remembered something. “Nick, Willie told us he caught one of the rental equipment guys roaming around up here the morning he was shot.”
    “ Yeah, Hudson told me the same thing. We’re looking into that,” Nick responded with disinterest.
    Then he gave us a thoughtful look. “You know, when Hudson was shot, I thought this was all about him. Someone with a grudge against Hudson. But now? Well, I am reassessing our perp’s motives. Looks to me like he’s trying to shut down this project. Someone does not want you restoring that observatory. Why would anyone want to do that?” He looked from Jon to me.
    I replied, “Nick, that doesn’t make sense. Why would anyone care enough to prevent us from restoring the belvedere?”
    “ That is what I’m asking you, Ashley.”
    “ Well, I don’t know.”
    “ What other explanation is there?” Nick asked.
    “ You’re the detective, Nick,” I said.
    “ And you’re always the victim!” he retorted savagely.
    Jon had said nothing during this exchange. Now he said, “Nick, we used to be friends. Now all we get from you is hostility.”
    “ That’s true, Nick,” I said. “Why are you so hostile?”
    Nick’s jaw tightened with suppressed rage. “Because, dammit, that could have been you up there, grabbing the broken hand rail and falling down those stairs! And that could have been you in the belvedere when a sharp-shooter went on a shooting rampage! You little fool, you’re always so careless. And then you find yourself in danger. And you expect me to come rescue you!”
    His intensity alarmed me.
    “ Now,” he threatened, “I’ve got a good mind to shut down this project until we catch this guy.”
    “ You can’t do that,” I yelled at him.
    “ Oh yes, I can, baby. In the interest of public safety I can declare this mansion off limits until we’ve got our perp locked up securely behind bars!”
     

 
     
     
     
    12
     
    “ Nick is still in love with you, Ashley,” Jon told me over dinner. I did not detect resentment in his statement. Nor jealousy. Jon is much too confident about what he has to offer to be jealous of another man.
    He gave me one of his special looks. It’s the one where his face lights up and his eyes look deeply into mine, so that I experience again our connection and the joy that passes between us. Plus the raw animal magnetism. “Not that I blame him. Only an idiot would let you go.”
    “ Oh, Jon, I don’t think so. Nick just lets himself get so wrapped up in a case that he can’t think straight. I lived with him, remember? I know how he can be.”
    But secretly I agreed with Jon. Nick was still in love with me. I had seen it in his eyes. But I would never, ever admit that to Jon.
    “ Ashley, I’m glad Nick didn’t have the good sense to appreciate what he had until it was too late. For two years I played the role of your best bud. Waiting for you to open your eyes and see me. Waiting for you to grow up, I suppose.
    “ I was grateful to Nick when he went off the deep end and got caught up in that Blackwater Security misadventure. Thought he was some sort of super-hero but all he ever was was just another hired gun. Went to Iraq with those outlaws and didn’t even tell you where he was going. Nick’s a dope.”
    He gave me one of his heart melting smiles. “But I’m glad he’s a dope. Because of his idiocy I got the chance to show you how good we could be together. We want the same things out of life. The universe is a better place because we are together. This is just so right.”
    I reached across the table and stroked his hand. “I couldn’t agree more. So let’s forget about Nick and not spoil this wonderful dinner with talk of him. It’s bad enough he keeps turning up with his investigation. Now, how about refilling my wineglass.”
     
     
    We had spent hours at the medical center emergency room while Lonnie was checked over and X-rayed. Even though his