Free Lowcountry Bombshell (A Liz Talbot Mystery) by Susan M. Boyer Page B

handful of people on Stella Maris who had met Calista. I needed to interview him as a part of the investigation. That’s what I would tell Nate and it was the truth. But I also needed to tell Michael he and I wouldn’t be going out Friday night, or any other night. I needed to do that in person. Michael and I had a lot of history. I owed him that much.
    “Liz!” Michael called across the yard when he saw me. He looked so happy to see me.
    I felt just awful. “Hey, Michael.”
    “I’m so glad you stopped by I was thinking we’d go to Anson tomorrow night if it’s okay with you. It’s short notice, so we’ll have to eat a little early. They’re booked from seven on.”
    “Michael, I can’t go tomorrow night.”
    “Would Saturday night be better?”
    A little piece of my heart broke. I struggled to make the words I needed to say to Michael come out of my mouth. I stalled. “Can we talk about that in a minute?” I stepped into the shade of an enormous oak. It was late morning already and the heat was brutal. “I need to ask you something.”
    Michael followed me. “Shoot.”
    “You know Calista McQueen, right?”
    “Sure, you remember. I took you through her house. We just got the occupancy permit a month or so back. She’s had decorators in there ever since. I think she’s moved in.”
    “She has. I just met her yesterday. What do you think about her?”
    “What do I think about her?”
    “Yeah, I mean…is she pretty?”

“What? You said you met her.”
    “Just please answer me. What does she look like?”
    Michael shrugged. “She’s not ugly or anything. Kinda plain. A little on the shy side. Liz, what’s this about?”
    Calista had dressed for Michael like she did when she went into the diner. “I’m just curious about her. She’s my new neighbor, after all. I’ve got to get her a casserole made.” Talking to Michael about Calista beyond asking the questions I needed answered violated client confidentiality. I didn’t want to lie to him. But there were simply things I couldn’t discuss with him. I offered him my sunniest smile.
    Michael wasn’t buying it. “You didn’t come over to Mt. Pleasant to ask me what your neighbor, who you’ve met yourself, looks like.”
    “Was she always alone when you met with her?” I looked at him with a silent plea.
    “This is about some case, isn’t it?” He gave me a look that let me know he was biting back most of what he thought.
    I gave him a part wince, part smile look, which was open to interpretation. “Was she alone?”
    He relented. I felt sick on account of that was likely because he cared about me. “Most of the time. Robert Pearson was with her once. And we met with the Glendawns a couple of times about the property. There at the last some guy came with her for walk-throughs. She said he was her yoga instructor. Whatever. It wasn’t any of my business.”
    “Did you know Elenore Harper was working for her as a housekeeper?”
    “No, that’s news to me.”
    “Did you install a security system?”
    “Yeah. I sub-contracted that. I usually go with ADT, but she insisted on this outfit from Los Angeles. They were involved from the get-go. That place is a fortress.”
    “What about outside? Does she have perimeter security?”
    “Sure. Cameras, motion detectors.” His irritation level was rising.
    “They’re well hidden.”
    “That’s a fact.”
    “Is all of that stuff monitored?”
    “Now that I don’t know. She would arrange for that service just like any other utility. But who would have all that stuff installed and not have someone monitor it? Will you please tell me what’s going on?”
    “It’s related to a case. I’m sorry, I really can’t.”
    Michael’s brow creased. “See, every time you talk to me about a case , I start playing that scene in my head where you’re on Blake’s Jet Ski getting shot at. Have you thought at all about what I mentioned, about training to be a paralegal?”
    Not this again. I