Dead by Midnight - Beverly Barton [43]
“If the killer somehow got hold of the original masks from the film and is using them to decorate his victims, Powell’s might be able to find out what happened to those masks after the movie was completed,” Derek added.
“I’ll contact the office and have our investigative staff see what they can find out. It’s possible we could even come up with a name, especially if someone purchased all the masks at one time.”
“Possible, but not likely,” Derek told her. “The movie was made ten years ago and those masks were part of the costumes, which were probably used over and over again and then disposed of by either tossing them in the trash or selling them. Tracking down the buyer or buyers would be an iffy proposition.”
“What about Charlie?” Lorie asked. When the other three stared at her, she elaborated. “He was a nice guy, a goofy, funny guy who liked to play practical jokes. I remember him laughing all the time, as if…Before this happened…before he was killed, was he doing okay? You mentioned a wife and stepchildren. I guess he was able to turn his life around once he left LA, just the way I did.”
She looked at Mike then and found him staring at her, his expression surprisingly sympathetic. Odd how, over the past nine years, she had become accustomed to his hostile glares and cold, disapproving expressions.
“Do you mind staying on for a while to keep an eye on Lorie?” Maleah asked Derek. “I really need to—”
“Why don’t you both go?” Mike suggested. “Do whatever you need to do to move things along. I don’t work on weekends, unless there’s an emergency. My kids are with their grandparents. And all I had planned for this afternoon was doing a little housecleaning and laundry, which I can do tonight. I’ll stay here at Treasures with Lorie.”
“Are you sure?” Maleah asked.
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
Derek grabbed Maleah’s elbow. “Let’s go, woman.”
She jerked free of his hold and flashed him an eat-dirt-and-die look, then turned to Lorie. “From here on out, I don’t want you to be alone, not here at Treasures or at the house or even to and from work. Even though, so far, this guy has killed only at night, we can’t be certain he won’t strike in broad daylight.”
“I understand. Better safe than sorry,” Lorie said.
When Maleah and Derek walked away, Lorie looked at Mike. “Have you had lunch?”
“Just some cheese and crackers around eleven this morning. Why? Want me to order lunch for us?”
“Uh…no, I…You’d do that, share lunch with me?”
“Why not? I’ve got to eat. You’ve got to eat. No reason we shouldn’t share a meal.” He glanced around the store, still empty except for Paul Babcock, who was deeply engrossed in the antique postcards. “What do you do when you’re here alone?”
“I close the shop for half an hour,” she replied. “I lock the door and place the CLOSED sign in the window.”
“Okay. So, tell Paul you’re closing for lunch while I order us something. What do you want?”
“I’m not picky. You choose.”
“The Ice Palace has some great sandwiches and they deliver downtown.” When she nodded and smiled, he asked, “Do you still like roast beef on wheat with horseradish?”
“Yes, I do.” Be still my heart. Mike remembered my favorite sandwich.
“Me, too. Barbeque chips and dill pickles?”
“Absolutely.”
“Mind if I get dessert?”
“I don’t mind,” she told him. “As a matter of fact, I’d love a piece of their lemon icebox pie.”
Mike grinned. “Two pieces of lemon icebox pie.”
Life was strange. She’d been back in Dunmore for nearly nine years and during all that time, Mike had been barely civil to her and had never smiled at her. And suddenly today, when it had become obvious that her name was on a madman’s hit list, Mike had smiled at her for the second time. Did that mean he actually cared about her safety, that although he might not want her to be a part of his life, he didn’t want anything bad to happen to her?
If only she didn’t have to worry about the possibility of being killed, she could appreciate Mike’s new attitude a lot more.
Did she dare hope that she and Mike could