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“Yeah, I was just thinking. Um, I’ll come down tomorrow morning. I’m not sure what I can do to help, but we can talk about it over coffee.”
“Thank you!” The relief in her voice was palpable. “We can meet at University Grounds in Nova Cambridge at ten thirty. My treat.”
He ended the call as Cody came trotting up, panting and grinning. Hez scratched his ears. “Hey, buddy. I think your dad just did something dumb.”
* * *
Hez looked every bit the polished attorney who would rescue Savannah from the legal morass where she floundered. Seemingly unfazed by the noise of steam wands frothing milk and the din of student chatter, he sat erect and alert in a corner table at University Grounds. Two cups and her favorite beignets were already on the table.
Hez spotted her and stood to pull out her chair. His appreciative glance made her glad she’d picked out the red A-line dress that skimmed her hips. Did she hug him, shake his hand, or what? A brief memory of meeting him at their favorite coffee shop in Birmingham hit her. It was the day she’d come in to tell him she was pregnant. He’d picked her up and swung her around the room while other patrons laughed and clapped. No one was laughing now.
She settled in the chair. “I hope you weren’t waiting long.”
“I just got here.” He scooted in her chair before resuming his seat. “I hope you still drink peppermint mochas.”
“And you’ve got black coffee in your cup, right? No froufrou drinks for you.”
His wide grin emerged. “It’s really great coffee. How long has this place been here? It looks new.”
She inhaled the aroma of espresso before she took a quick sip of the bold flavor of peppermint and chocolate. “It is. The old Hotel Tupelo was going to be torn down, but an investor rescued it and turned it into office and retail space last year. The students love the modern vibe, and we professors love the excellent coffee.” She reached for the beignet. “And they make the best beignets around.” She took a bite of the powdered sugar treat to force herself to quit babbling.
He arched an eyebrow. “You always make small talk when you’re nervous. Is it that bad?”
“It’s not good. I feel like the police are circling like sharks around a bleeding dolphin, and I don’t know what to do.”
“You’re the easy target, Savannah. The detective finding that book title made for easy pickings. Do you have any idea who might have killed Abernathy? Anyone have a grudge against him?”
“I don’t think many of us liked him. He was the sleazy sort.” She set down her mocha and leaned forward. “Hez, I told you that someone has been raiding the Willard Treasure and selling the artifacts after authenticating the pieces. Maybe Abernathy was involved in it too. Or maybe he discovered what was going on and was killed to keep it quiet.”
Hez’s brow furrowed, and he took a sip of his coffee. She watched his mouth touch the edge of the cup and a sudden memory of the feel of his lips on hers hit her out of nowhere. How could she still feel such a draw to him after all that had happened? His sudden reappearance showed her how little progress she’d made to forge a life without him. Would she ever be free of him? Did she even want to be?
He tapped his fingers on the tabletop. “Someone in your department has to be involved, which will occur to the police too. The mastermind would need someone who had access to the artifacts as well as the ability to know how to write an authentic-sounding provenance letter. And they’d need the university seal, which Abernathy had in his possession.”
“Why would he need someone in the history department when he had access to history department letterhead on his own?”
He lifted a brow. “How do you know he had access to letterhead?”
“Beckett told me.”
“Beckett? Who’s Beckett?”
Heat rose in her cheeks, and she lowered her gaze to her coffee cup. “Beckett Harrison. He’s the provost, and he discovered an order Abernathy placed for history department letterhead.”
“He just blurted this out to you?”
“Ah, w-we’re good friends, and I called him when I found the fake provenance letters. He promised to poke around and talked me out of calling the police until we had a chance to ask Abernathy about it. He’d hoped Abernathy had a good reason for the order.”
“So he was with you when the body was discovered?”
She gave a quick bob of her head. “Yes.”
Her cheeks had to be bright red. Hez was the smartest man she’d ever known. He would see right through her “good friends” comment and realize at least a potential relationship might exist there.
She lifted her gaze to Hez’s face and saw the realization dawn in those blue eyes that missed nothing. “He’s asked me out, but I’ve always said no. I-I’m not ready to date. Besides, we’re still married.”
“I see.”
The hurt in his voice squeezed her chest. “I’ll pull back the divorce papers. I never should have filed without talking to you.”
