33- New persons whenever I go

Mr. Lee ignored them both and kept his gaze on Hazel. “Why the sudden
decision to run?”
“I’m not running anywhere.”
“Then why didn’t you mention thistrip when we were talking?”
“It didn’t come up. Besides, Lauren was still working out the details. I didn’t
know if we were going.”
“Going where?” he asked.
She frowned at him, but she answered with barely concealed impatience. “I
am going to Denver with my friends because Cassie’s mother is having surgery.
We want to be there to support her. It’s not a big deal. We’ll be back in a day or
so, as soon as we know that everything’s okay.”
Mr. Lee caught the unmistakable worry in her eyes, the hint of urgency in
hervoice. Because of his career, because of his mother’s short-term attention
spanwith men, he was a cynical man. There weren’t a lot of people he trusted.
Something told him he could trust Hazel, at least about this.
Finally he nodded and stepped out of her path. “Don’t make me regret this,”
he warned.
“I won’t,” she promised. Her lips curved into the beginnings of a smile.
“Careful, Mr. Lee. Someone might get the idea that you have a heart.”
“They’d be wrong,” he said tightly, then watched her go. As she was about
to take the final step into the plane, he called to her. She looked back. “I hope
everything goes okay with Cassie’s mother.”
She acknowledged his words with a wave, then disappeared inside the plane.
Mr. Lee walked slowly back into the hangar, then crossed to the office.
Inside, he found a middle-aged woman chatting on the phone. She glanced
up, murmured something to whoever was on the other end of the line, then
smiled at Mr. Lee.
“What can I do for you?”
“That charter you’ve got going out, did the pilot file a flight plan?”
“He sure did. Plus, when Lauren called, she told me where they’re going.”
“Which is?”
Her gaze narrowed. “Are you with the media?”
“No.”
“Because I’m not doing or saying anything that’s going to get that woman’s
picture splashed all over one of those supermarket tabloids. When she’s around
here, she’s among friends. What she does and where she goes is nobody’s
business.”
Her eyes widened at his fierce tone. “Is Hazel in some kind of
trouble?” “That depends on where that flight is going.”
“Denver,” she told him finally. “They’re going to Denver to be there for
Cassie while her mom has her surgery.”
Relief flooded through Mr. Lee. Hazel hadn’t lied to him. “Good,” he
murmured.“That’s great.”
The woman regarded him with a puzzled expression. “You think it’s great
that Cassie’s mother is having surgery?”
“No, of course not.” Any explanation he tried to give would be way too
complicated and unnecessary. “Never mind. Thanksfor the information.”
“Sure thing.”
Mr. Lee felt lighter somehow as he drove back into town. For once in hislife
histrust hadn’t been misplaced.
Of course, it remained to be seen if Hazel actually showed up back in
Winding River when this mission of mercy ended. Something told him that until
she came back again, he was going to be doing a lot of pacing and worrying Mr. Lee was not used to having time on his hands. He didn’t like being
idle. Worse, he realized that he actually missed Hazel, and not just because he
couldn’task a few more sneaky questions in an attempt to learn something new
about Rinaldi and the missing money. He also found it worrisome that her
planned
two-week trip was now creeping on into itsthird week with no sign of Hazel in
Winding River.
“Still in town?” a gruff voice inquired just before Hazel’s father slid into the
booth opposite him at Stella’s. “I thought you’d be long gone by now, especially
with Hazel out of town for the last few days.”
“Unfortunately, I haven’t finished my business here,” Mr. Lee said. “Can I
buyyou a cup of coffee?”
“Don’t mind if you do,” George Petrillo replied, signaling to Stella. “You
never did say what your business here is, did you?”
“No.”
George’s gaze narrowed. “Isthere some deep, dark secret to it?”
“No, it’s just a confidential matter. I can’t discuss it.”
“Okay, then, let me think. What kind of professions take their secrets so
seriously? You don’t strike me as a psychiatrist. And given the way you were
kissing my daughter, I doubt you’re a priest. How am I doing so far?”
“Right on target,” Mr. Lee conceded, impressed with the man’s deductive
reasoning, if not the suspicion behind it.
“Then I’d say that leavesthe law. Are you an attorney, Mr. O’Donnell? And
if you are, what business could you possibly have that concerns my daughter?”
“I never said—”
“Let’s get serious,” George said, leaning forward. “Your being here is no
accident. You’re not a tourist. Your bumping into Hazel way out here, when it just
so happens that the two of you live in New York, is no coincidence. The way I
figure it, you’re either stalking her or she’s in trouble. Which is it?”
Mr. Lee admired the man’s blunt assessment. He had a feeling that under
othercircumstances, they could get along very well. “I think you should discuss
this with Hazel, not me.”