He shrugged. “A man makes one mistake and you won’t let him live it down.”
The idea of seeing Martha won her over. “What time’s dinner?”
Radcliffe grinned and she could see the wheels in his mind setting some plot into motion. “Let’s aim for seven, Blackbird.”
She laughed. “For crying out loud, keep all that Blackbird nonsense to yourself. Call me Charlotte for Christ’s sake.”
“Watch your mouth, girl,” he corrected, an amused gleam in Beau’s sharp eyes.
“I learned all the choicest words from you,” Charlie teased, picking up her pencil and getting back to work.
A fine fedora went from his fingers to a jaunty angle on his head. “Good evening, gentleman. Been a pleasure doing business with you. Take care of my Lottie now.”
The screen closed, Charlie watching out the window as the cars drove away.
“I’ll be damned.” Eli trotted over with her little present, opening the ring box to see just what Beaumont Radcliffe brought her. A yelped curse and the box fell, the contents—five bloody human teeth—chattering over the counter like dice. “Why the hell did Radcliffe give you that?”
Ignoring Eli’s poke at a half crushed molar, Charlie met the steely gaze of Matthew, knowing he understood perfectly. He answered for her. “‘Cause he killed the man who touched her.”
Eyes already back to her notes, Charlie agreed. “That would be why.”
Though it wasn’t totally true: Beaumont killed the man who ruined what was, no doubt, an underhanded plot to seize the Emmerson stills—a man who let himself be beat up by a girl.
Eli, still in awe of the whole affair, said, “I can’t believe you know Beaumont Radcliffe personally.”
“You know him, what makes it any different?” Charlie mumbled, writing out the last lines of the icebox pie recipe. “Keep in mind, Eli, if you so much as whisper about this to a soul, you’ll draw a lot of negative attention my way. Do me a kindness and keep your lips sealed.”
“‘Course, Miss Charlie.” He said it with such enthusiasm she almost believed him.
“Eli, clean that mess off the bar.” Matthew ordered, near enough Charlie could feel his breath brush the hairs on the back of her neck.
Taking care to put the cards away, Charlie climbed from her seat with the pages she’d copied and looked to the man. She gave a small smile, hoping he didn’t notice her blush, and tried to cover with confidence. “I suspect things are square with you and Radcliffe now. No hard feelings and all that.”
Matthew gave a curt nod.
Swallowing past the strange feeling in her throat, Charlie brushed past to gather her coat. “I’ll leave you boys to do whatever it is you do once it grows dark in Monroe.”
“No one said you had to go,” Nathaniel complained, taking his customary seat at the bar. “Sit down and have a drink with us. ‘Sides, there ain’t nothing to do in town tonight, and it’s too dark for you to sit and look at things.”
“So I should look at your sloppy ass instead?” Charlie mocked, arms tucking into green velvet.
“Didn’t know you was lookin at my ass,” Nathaniel countered, bobbing his eyebrows.
Coat half on, she gaped at her friend, took in his disheveled appearance, and burst out laughing. He might be a drunken fool but he sure was funny. “Nathaniel, when you get your shit together and stop drinking every waking hour, you’ll make yourself a decent man.”
“I prefer indecent.”
“So I’ve noticed.”
Matthew was watching, measuring her words and movements, waiting for her to look at him while Nathaniel was telling her to stay so he could nod in agreement, but she hadn’t looked.
It was Eli who had all her attention now. “You got my keys?”
“Actually, Matthew fixed your car,” the boy said, the teeth dropping with a tinny clank into the waste bucket.
At last she leveled him a look, Charlie’s nervous smile soft as she crossed the space to say goodbye. “I hope it wasn’t too much trouble.” She reached out, palm up to take her keys.
Looking down at her little hand, Matthew scowled and grit his jaw. “Wasn’t no trouble.”