But what he did say seemed enough, Ricky giving a slight nod and easing back, Olivia relaxing and saying, "No, I'll be in. I'd rather get up to speed and ready for Monday."
"All right, then. As for the ghost--"
"No ghost stories. Got it. And I'm sorry if I got carried away. You were humoring Patrick, but this isn't a real case. My undivided attention will be on that: real cases."
Before he could say anything more, she hurried out the door with Ricky. Gabriel stood there, watching them go. As he shut the door, footsteps sounded behind him.
"May I ask you a favor, Gabriel?"
He turned. His aunt's expression was unreadable, which meant she was about to say something that would upset him, and so she tread carefully. He'd left once before, not to return for years, and while that had been about protecting her, it had still hurt, a fact he only realized in retrospect. To Rose, it had felt like rejection, and so, as solid as their relationship might be now, she tread as lightly as Olivia. It was like the punch line to a poor joke. How do you have a relationship with someone who can't fully grasp the concept? Very, very carefully.
Rose walked closer. "It's about Liv."
He took shallow breaths. If he stiffened, she'd back off, and whatever she had to say, he needed to hear it.
"If you're having second thoughts about her job--" Rose began.
He tried to protest, but she held up her hand and continued. "If you are, I'm going to ask that you tough it out for six months, and then you help her find a new position and offer a glowing recommendation. She deserves that."
"I'm not--"
"She gave up her job at the diner to work for you. Yes, that wasn't exactly a sacrifice. She has a graduate degree. She shouldn't be waiting tables. But nor, one could argue, should she be a private investigator. You offered her the job, and she loves it, and no one else is going to hire her until she has more experience."
"Yes, of course. I--"
"Liv doesn't even need to work, but she wants to. And she wants the job you gave her. She's been a damned fine investigator."
"I know. I--"
"So do not let your personal issues threaten that, Gabriel. She doesn't deserve it. Those issues? I'm sorry--you know I hate to say this--but they are yours. Exclusively yours."
He pulled back, and he heard her sigh softly. He steadied himself and said, "I have no intention of firing Olivia. I do not employ her out of charity. She does her job very well, and thus there would be no legal grounds to dismiss her."
"We aren't talking about legal grounds, Gabriel."
"I know. What I'm trying to say is that if she thinks her job is in danger, I will set her straight on that point. We had a personal dispute. I told her not to come into work. I only meant for one day--I was upset. But even that crossed a line. Her job is secure, and if I've made her feel otherwise, I will rectify the misunderstanding."
"Good. Now come inside."
"I should--"
"Does that sentence end with the words 'go and speak to Olivia'?"
He said nothing.
"Then come inside," she said as she headed for the kitchen. "Someone needs to drink this tea now that you've frightened off my guests."
Gabriel followed her. "That was not my intention. I was simply coming to speak to you about..." He thought fast. "Ghosts. I want to speak to you about ghosts."
She glanced over her shoulder. "For this case that you told Liv you don't have time to investigate...after dangling it in front of her like a lollipop."
He cleared his throat. "That too is a misunderstanding. I only meant that she should not feel obligated to pursue this whim of Patrick's when she has just returned from vacation."
"Excellent excuse. Stick to it. Now go sit in the parlor."
He did. As he sat in front of Rose's desk, he saw a new book on top. Discovering Cape Breton Folklore. A gift from Olivia. He was leafing through it when Rose came in with the tea tray. He put the book aside and rose to pour tea, then took a cookie as he sat.
"First," she said, "before we talk ghosts, tell me you aren't wasting my time."