Free A Ghost to Die For by Elizabeth Eagan-Cox Page B

round. Audrey was glaring at me. “I’m so sorry. I was admiring it. Is it a Renoir?”
    “No. It was painted by a student of his and that’s all I know about it.” Audrey dismissed me with that statement and that moment was the perfect pause for Alex to speak up.
    “Miss Sinclair, I do apologize for being in hurry, we must get on our way. But I promise that as soon as I see my Aunt Dora, I will let her know you asked about her.” Alex’s charm was dripping honey from his lips and Audrey lapped it up.”
    “Of course. No offense taken, Alex. My maid will see you out.” Her maid appeared instantaneously and saw us out.
    In the car, Alex turned to me and said, “I take it, you mentioned my name in your phone call this morning to Audrey?”
    “Alex, honestly that is all that I did, I simply said that you, by name, and I, by name, were interested in Ruby Red. I had no idea Audrey would be so charmed by your company. Her ambush took me by surprise.”
    “Took you by surprise? How do you think it made me feel? I hope you used the time you spent behind my back wisely.”
    “Oh, don’t be so snide. As a matter of fact I did. Thanks to you blocking her view, I was able to sneak a couple of photos of that painting.”
    “And why so much interest in that painting?” Alex asked.
    “Something about it is familiar to me. She said it wasn’t a Renoir, and I did not see a signature, but it nags at me.”
    “How could it be related to the Andalyn Dixon and Ruby Red mystery?”
    “I can’t imagine.”
    Alex laughed. “I doubt that. Shannon, if anyone can imagine a connection it is you.” He looked at his watch and then said, “Let’s stop for coffee and breakfast. I now a small cafe in Mission Beach that has a great view. We can go over the file Audrey gave me.”
    “Hmm, coffee, yes that sounds good. Caffeine is just what I need to get my little gray cells to wake up.”
     
     
     
    Chapter 15
    The Sea Vista Cafe was perfect. The view was spectacular and at this time of the mid-morning, we had our choice of tables. Alex led the way to a corner window table that provided a view from each side of the corner. We sat next to each other, at right angles facing the windows. We each had an unobstructed view of the ocean, though I suspected Alex chose this seating arrangement for using his notebook computer. By facing the window light, window glare could not block out images on the computer’s screen.
    A balding middle-age man named Walter gave us menus and said he’d be back in a moment. He also greeted Alex by name and asked about Atlas. I wasn’t hungry, but Alex was. Walter returned and Alex ordered a breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast, with black coffee. I and asked for coffee with cream.
    “You ate already?”
    “Yeah, a little. But I didn’t drink my usual two cups of coffee. So, you and Atlas come here often?”
    “Often enough, and usually in the off hours, like now. That way we can sit outside at a patio table, enjoy the view and not be bothered by curious onlookers who want to pet Atlas.
    I laughed at that comment. “Yeah, I know what you mean. The other day when I took Atlas for a walk, it did not take much time for me to get tired of people commenting on the size difference between us. I guess people never stop to think of how many times I’ve heard someone tell me to put a saddle on Atlas and ride him.”
    “You know, there is a walking path you can take from the house that cuts through most of the busy part of the neighborhood, it’s a shortcut, a footpath alley that empties out near the Van Wyck house.”
    “I had no idea. And the Van Wyck house was our turnaround point, if only I had known. Where is it, Alex?”
    “Two houses down on the left, it looks like a private garden walk, so you probably have never given it a second look, it’s really a public easement. It’s been there since before Blackthorne House was built. In the latter part of the 1800s, it was a handcart path for the local