by Stacy-Deanne
“I mean it, Dee.” Lisa put on her seatbelt. “Stay away from Grayson Paul. If you get involved it could jeopardize our investigation.”
“The man asked me to dinner.” Dee thumbed through the book. “Why are you jumping down my throat?”
“Because you like him.” Lisa stuck the key in the ignition. “What’s worse is that you’re enamored of him and if I hadn’t been there just now he’d have wrapped you around his little finger.”
“Girl, please.” Dee waved her finger. “No one is wrapping Dee Quarter around anything.”
Lisa started the car. “Tell me you’re not wet right now.”
Dee hit her arm. “Lisa!”
“Don’t treat me like I don’t know the deal, girl.” Lisa glanced at the house. “Stay away. I think he’s trying to get close to you so he can keep tabs on this case.”
“So it can’t just be that he wants to see me again?” Dee straightened her seatbelt.
“Just stay away from Grayson Paul.” Lisa drove down the street. “You promise?”
Dee looked back at the house.
****
“Here you go, Detectives.” Veronica Wood handed cups of coffee to Dee and Lisa, then sat across from them on the ottoman in her living room. “So I’m assuming this visit has to do with Edana Paul’s murder?”
“You assume right.” Lisa sipped the spicy cinnamon coffee and set the cup on the table.
“Is it true that Grayson Paul was with you yesterday afternoon at three to about five?” She got out her notepad and pencil.
“Yes.” Veronica flicked her wavy brown hair off her shoulder. “We were hanging out and talking about the latest rumors in the writing world.” She smiled.
Lisa jotted. “How long have you known Grayson?”
“Boy.” Veronica looked up and crossed her legs. “I’ve known him for about twenty years. We knew each other before he was published. We were in the same writing group together.”
“Yeah, he said you were a writer too.” Dee sipped coffee. “I’m sorry but I didn’t recognize your name right off. Are you published?”
Veronica wiped lint off her slacks. “I published some books a few years ago but they didn’t do too well so I was let out of my contract.” She rubbed the side of her coffee mug. “The books are out of print.”
“Sorry to hear that,” Dee said. “It’s a tough business though.”
“Oh you got that right.” Veronica clenched the cup. “These days you don’t even have to have much talent and you can pop up on the New York Times list.”
“Ouch.” Lisa jotted. “That sounds a little bitter if you don’t mind me saying so.”
“You’d be bitter, too, if you worked your ass off for decades only to have books that looked like they were written by monkeys do better than yours.”
Dee whistled. “So you and Grayson managed to stay friends all these years?”
“Oh yes.” Veronica smiled. “I’m very proud of his success.”
“I’m a big fan of his work.” Dee laid her hands on her chest. “He’s a brilliant writer.”
“Yes.” Veronica lifted her cup in salute. “He sure is.” She sipped. “It’s funny but sometimes I feel like I live through Grayson. I mean my writing career isn’t anything to celebrate so it’s good to see someone I care about doing so well.”
Dee nodded.
“He definitely deserves everything he gets,” Veronica said. “He’s worked very hard.”
“So you knew Edana well?” Lisa asked.
“I don’t know how well but I knew her, of course.” Veronica looked into her cup. “We weren’t close or anything. We didn’t talk much at all.”
Lisa tapped the pencil against her cheek. “Do you remember Edana and Grayson having any problems?”
Dee cut her eyes to Lisa.
“Well, Edana had a wandering eye.” Veronica fixed the pillow underneath her. “She wouldn’t even try to hide it. She even flirted with men right in front of Grayson.”
Lisa flipped her notepad to a clean page.
Veronica shook her head. “I warned Grayson that she couldn’t be trusted but he was a man in love so he didn’t listen.”
“Did you ever witness any serious problems between them?” Lisa asked. “Like...domestic abuse or anything?”
“Oh, of course not.” Veronica turned up her nose. “Grayson’s a gentleman. He’d never hit a woman.”
Lisa tapped the notepad. “Did you notice anything strange about Edana and Grayson?”
“I don’t think I follow you, Detective Swanson.”
“Well, you said Edana had a wandering eye.” Lisa jotted. “Grayson also admits Edana cheated on him continuously. This had to make him angry.”
“I’m sure it did.”
Lisa nibbled on the pencil eraser. “Did he ever seem jealous of other men when it came to his wife?”
“Edana was a beautiful woman and she had a Brazilian accent that could make your skin melt.” Veronica chuckled. “Grayson always said that the things he loved about her were a curse because they were also what other men loved about her. I guess you can say he was jealous.”
“Did you ever witness any arguments?” Dee asked.
“Look, I’m not stupid okay?” Veronica touched her hair. “They never argued in front of me but I felt the tension. I would ask Grayson things and he confided in me and he tried to make his marriage work but Owen was the last straw.” She sipped. “I don’t know why Grayson felt he needed to hang onto Edana so tightly. He’s a wonderful man. Any woman would be lucky to have him.”
“Amen,” Dee whispered.
Lisa looked at her.
Dee cleared her throat.
“Did Edana ever appear to be afraid of Grayson?” Lisa asked.
Veronica laughed. “Edana wasn’t afraid of anyone. Believe me, the only crime Grayson is convicted of is falling in love with a woman who didn’t deserve him.”
CHAPTER THREE
That Night:
“Mmm.” Jake Jenson pushed away from Lisa’s kitchen table and dabbed his mouth. “That was delicious.”
“Stop lying.” She took their plates to the sink.
“What?” He sipped juice. “It really was very good.”
“You must be trying to get some.” She got a box of vanilla ice cream out of the fridge. “You know damn well that stroganoff was horrible.” She set the ice cream on the counter.
“I don’t know why my beef was so tough.”
“That’s because you bought the wrong cut.” Jake straightened his wheelchair under the table. “Need to buy cuts with more fat on them so they won’t cook so fast.”
“No, next time I need to make my boyfriend cook the food.” She got the ice cream scoop out of the drawer.
He laughed. “You need to have more confidence in the kitchen.” He wheeled away from the table.
Lisa got bowls from the cabinet. “It’s not so easy cooking for a man who was an executive chef.” She scooped ice cream into a bowl and set it in front of Jake.
“You got chocolate syrup?”
“Oh.” Lisa got the syrup out of the refrigerator and handed it to him.
He drizzled syrup over the white scoops. “So I still can’t believe you’re on the Edana Paul case.” He ate a chunk of ice cream. “Wow. I’m a huge Grayson Paul fan.”
Lisa put the ice cream up. “Yeah, I noticed you had some of his books.”
“I’ve read all of them.” He slurped ice cream. “He’s a literary mastermind.”
“That’s what Dee said.” Lisa joined him at the table with her bowl. “I think he’s a liar.” She poured syrup over her ice cream. “Something’s not adding up.”
“You’re a cop.” Jake slid ice cream into his mouth. “You’re born suspicious.”
“No, something is off with him.” She turned her spoon upside down and licked it. “He’s hiding something. Did he murder his ex-wife? I’m not sure but he is definitely hiding something. Maybe he wanted revenge for her cheating.�
�
“They’ve been divorced two years. If Grayson was holding a grudge, why would he wait so long to kill her or something?”
“I don’t know.” Lisa swallowed ice cream. “Maybe something recently happened between them. Also we spoke to the ex-boyfriend.” She wiggled her legs under the table. “Owen Calloway. She cheated on Grayson with him but ended up dumping Owen.”
“So did you pick up any strange signals from Owen?”
“He seemed genuinely distraught over Edana’s murder, or he’s a damn good actor.” She swirled her spoon around in the bowl. “Or even both.”
Jake leaned his bowl to the side to catch melting ice cream. “I still can’t believe you got to meet the Grayson Paul. Think you can get him to sign a book for me?”
“Ugh. You’re as bad as Dee. This is a murder investigation, Jake.”
“What about Dee?” He licked ice cream off his lips.
“You should’ve seen them.” She rolled her eyes. “They were drooling all over each other.”
He laughed. “What?”
“Yeah and he had the nerve to ask her to have dinner with him.” Lisa scooped up a spoonful of ice cream. “He must’ve been out of his damn mind.”
Jake scratched his chest. “I bet she goes.” He grinned.
“Uh-uh.” Lisa waved the spoon. “She knows better. She can’t be hanging around a man who might be the very person we’re trying to catch.”
“Well.” He slid his wheelchair closer to her. “Just because you shouldn’t see anyone doesn’t mean that you won’t. You can’t always control attraction, Leece. You should understand that.”
She removed the spoon from her mouth. “I hope that’s not another crack about me and Winston.” She dropped the spoon in the bowl. “We agreed that Winston has nothing to do with you and me.”
“I know you say it.” Jake propped his elbows on the table. “But just because you say something doesn’t make it so.”
“Why do we have this conversation every day? I’m with you and not Winston.”
“So he really gets the point?”
“Yes, for the last damn time.” She got up and grabbed their bowls. “You seem to be the only one who doesn’t.”
“I’m sorry to keep bringing him up but...” He clasped his hands. “I can’t forget that you were in his bedroom alone with him. I just can’t stop thinking about what may have happened.”
She slammed the bowls into the sink. “For the last damn time, I didn’t sleep with Winston!” She marched to the table. “He came on to me and I rejected him. What else do you want me to say?” She took a deep breath. “I can’t keep going on like this, Jake. Either you believe me or you don’t!”
She left the kitchen.
****
Grayson swallowed the chunk of baked fish and grabbed his glass of white wine. “Are you enjoying your meal?”
Dee picked at the fish with her fork. “I shouldn’t have come here.”
He sipped. “But you did.”
“I don’t know why I did.” She ate some of the fish. “I’m not supposed to be here.”
“I don’t think there’s a rule that a detective can’t have an innocent dinner with a man involved in her investigation.”
She set her fork down. “I wish you’d stop staring at me.”
“Well I was staring at you earlier, too, and you didn’t seem to mind.” He set his glass down. “Why are you so uncomfortable now? What’s wrong?”
“This is making me feel weird because it’s not me. I don’t do this shit every day, Grayson.”
“You mean having dinner with a famous mystery writer?” He winked.
She clasped her hands on the table. “No, having dinner with a man who might’ve killed his ex-wife.”
He looked down at his plate. “Do you believe that I killed Edana?”
“How the hell should I know?” She threw her napkin on the table. “That’s why my black ass shouldn’t have come here in the first place.”
“I don’t think you believe I killed my ex-wife.” His mouth rose in the corner. “I think you don’t want to believe it because you like me. And the attraction’s mutual.”
“I’ve admired you for years and I love your work.” She picked up her fork. “A part of me finds it hard to believe you’d hurt anyone. It might sound like bullshit but I feel like I’ve gotten to know you through your writing.”
“Do you know how many people tell me they love my books?”
Dee sipped wine. “So many I couldn’t guess.”
“And do you know how many out of that many actually care about the man behind the books?” He touched his glass. “I’d bet less than five, if that. To readers all I am is a robot cranking out their favorite mystery. But with the way you talk...” He squinted. “I know you see more than that and it means the world to me.”
“I do see you as more than a writer.” She covered her grin.
“What?”
“I know this sounds crazy but sometimes I imagine that you’re writing those books just for me.”
He stroked his goatee. “Maybe I was.”
She looked into his enigmatic eyes.
Sylvia walked in. “Would you like dessert now, Mr. Paul?”
“That would be lovely but I think we’ll have it in the living room.” He set his napkin on the table, stood, and held his hand out to Dee. “Come on. I’ll tell you about my writing process.”
She smiled.
CHAPTER FOUR
An Hour Later:
Dee sat on the living room couch beside Grayson, enjoying him explain the creative ways he got ideas for his stories.
Sylvia came downstairs, pulling her purse strap on her shoulder. “I’ll be going now, Mr. Paul. It was nice seeing you again, Detective Quarter.”
“You too.” Dee crossed her legs and pulled down her dress.
Grayson waved. “Have a safe drive home, Sylvia.”
She nodded and went out the front door.
“Well.” Grayson scooted closer to Dee. “It’s just you and me now, hmm?”
Dee’s nerves did summersaults throughout her body.
“You seem tense.” He got the bottle of wine and poured some into a glass. “You need to relax,” he said handing it to her.
“Uh...”
He rubbed her shoulder. “We’re alone now so we can get to know each other better. Being a writer means I observe things and people very closely.”
“Is that why you stare so much?” She sipped the wine.
“No.” He scooted closer. “I stare because you’re very beautiful.”
She scooted back. “Something tells me you spend a lot of time observing women.”
He laughed. “What straight man doesn’t observe a gorgeous woman?”
Dee took a bird-sip from the glass.
“Observing anyone helps me to understand them. It also helps me create realistic characters.” He poured wine into the other glass. “You remind me so much of Ally.”
“Ally?” Dee giggled. “Ronnie Pine’s love interest? I love Ally.”
“She’s the perfect mixture of toughness, sexiness, and intelligence.” He tapped his glass against hers. “But she’s been in love with Ronnie for years and she’s never really told him how she feels about him.”
Dee held the glass to her lap. “So what does this have to do with me?”
“I get the feeling that you and Ally have something in common.” He sipped. “I get the sense that there’s someone in your life.” He touched her bouffant.
“It’s not how you might think.” The more she pulled her dress down the more it rose. “I mean, we’re not dating or anything.”
“I’m intrigued.”
“There’s this detective from work that I... you know.” She sipped. “He thinks of me as a friend, unfortunately.”
“What’s his name?”
“Winston.”
“Something must be wrong with him.” He scratched his head. “I don’t see how a man could just be f
riends with you.” He scooted closer. “Have you told him how you feel?”
“Shoot, no.” She scoffed. “I’m not going to embarrass myself like that.”
“Maybe he feels the same way.”
She shook her head. “He doesn’t, believe me.”
“Feelings often change. How would you feel if he changed and started having those same feelings for you?”
She shook the wine around in her glass. “He won’t change.”
“But he could.”
“He won’t change, Grayson. He wants someone else so it’s not happening, okay?”
“He’s an idiot.” He smacked his lips. “How could he even think of another woman with you around?”
“You seem to be the only man who wouldn’t when it comes to her. She seems to be God’s Gift to Men.”
He gaped.
“I shouldn’t have said that.” She sighed. “She is my best friend.”
“So this guy is in love with your best friend? I’m sure she doesn’t hold a candle to you.”
“It’s Lisa.” She sipped.
“Detective Swanson?” He glanced around then shrugged. “She’s attractive but I don’t see the big deal.”
“Grayson, she’s gorgeous. Come on. A blind man would think so.”
“Well you are too. I swear, I barely noticed her when I first came in the room.”
She grinned. “Please.”
“I’m serious.” He took her hand. “I couldn’t take my eyes off you.” He leaned over to kiss her.
“Uh...” She jumped up and pulled down her clingy dress. “I think I’d better go.”
He stood and pulled her to him. “How can a man not want a beautiful woman like you?”
“Grayson.” She put her hand on his chest but he didn’t budge. “Please. I’m tired and I need to be getting home.”
“Why?” He slid his hands down her trim hips. “Is anyone there?”
“No, but—”
“We’re both lonely, Dee.” He held her tighter. “Why don’t we be lonely together?”
“Wait.” She pushed him away. “I can’t do this. This is wrong.”
He licked his lips. “The first time I saw you...I wanted you.”
