April nodded and took another sip of coffee. “Feels more like a betrayal of trust than a misunderstanding.”
Her mom nodded. “I can see that, but think of it this way. You were both young. Eighteen-year-old boys are not as mature as girls. They’re still finding themselves. Cole was about as mature at the time as any kid I’ve ever known, and I have no doubt he loved you, but it’s also not hard to imagine him scared out of his mind worrying you didn’t love him back. I bet he was extremely nervous about buying a ring and asking you to marry him at eighteen. It’s not hard to believe that someone could easily convince him that you would say no. Especially not that conniving bitch, Violet. Pardon my French, but that girl was jealous of you all through high school. And let’s face it, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Her father is a piece of work.”
April couldn’t help chuckling at her mother’s language. “You have no idea.” She was not about to get into what the mayor was up to this morning. She didn’t have the energy.
JoAnn reached over to squeeze her daughter’s hand. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I know this sucks. But it will get better. I promise. Don’t let Violet Chamberlain ruin any more of your days.”
April groaned. “Why listen to her of all people? Why not ask me himself? He left town and never looked back because some gossipy bitch told him a pile of lies. That hurts.”
Her mom nodded again. “I get that. It’s heartbreaking. But it doesn’t change the fact that he loved you then and still loves you now. He was devastated when he left here last night. Pulled on my heartstrings. That man would move heaven and earth to fix this.”
April smiled. “I know. I promise I won’t mess this up. I just needed some space.”
“Of course. Totally reasonable.” She turned around and grabbed the toast from the toaster, buttering it and then handing it to April on a small plate. “Eat. Shower. Go find him.” Her voice was firm.
April nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
Her mother’s cell phone rang on the counter, and JoAnn turned to grab it. “Bill?” she said to April’s father. It was unusual for her dad to call in the middle of the workday.
Her mother’s eyes shot open wide and she put a hand over her heart before pointing at the living room and running in that direction.
April jumped down from the stool to follow her mother, watching in confusion as her mother turned on the television. “What is it?” The question was immediately moot. Whatever station was on didn’t matter. April dropped down onto the edge of the sofa, her legs giving out as she read the caption running across the bottom of the screen under the chaos of news people and sirens and police cars.
Breaking News: Police Chief Reginald Clarkson and Mayor Richard Chamberlain both dead in apparent murder-suicide.
April couldn’t blink or breathe. She stared in total shock as the reporter elaborated on the caption. “… So far there is no motive, but sources familiar with the mayor say that he was involved in multiple shady dealings in an effort to purchase all of the businesses needed to build the planned strip mall just north of town. Was there a connection between his attempt to buy out the local store owners and Chief Clarkson? ...”
April gasped. “My God. I can’t believe it. I should call Cole.” She rushed into her room to grab her phone and returned, noticing there were several missed texts. She hadn’t checked it when she got out of bed. It had been sitting on her dresser plugged into the wall in silent mode.
As she returned to the living room, she scanned the texts. None of them were from Cole. They were all from Rodney. April’s stomach dropped as she started reading.
April, I know it’s early but I need you to call me as soon as you get this message.
April. Are you there? Call me ASAP.
I hope you’re not ignoring me. This is important. Call me.
I don’t know how to tell you this, but in case you’re ignoring me, I’m going to have to text this to you. Cole was picked up this morning for questioning in the deaths of Richard Chamberlain and Police Chief Reginald Clarkson. The police need you to come in for questioning too. You were one of the last people to see the mayor. Please call me the moment you get this.
“Oh God,” April murmured.
“What is it, sweetie?”
“Cole was picked up in connection with this crime, and they need to speak to me too,” she murmured as she dialed Rodney’s number.
Rodney picked up after less than half a ring. “April. Thank God. Where are you?”
“I’m at my parents’ house. I stayed here last night. I just woke up and heard the news. What the hell happened?”
“It’s complicated and total chaos here. Can you come to the station?”
“Yes. I just need to put some clothes on. I’ll be there as fast as I can.”
“Good. Ask for me.” The call ended, leaving April standing in the living room, her hands shaking so badly that her mother had to take the phone from her before she dropped it.
Her mother spoke calmly. “Get dressed, sweetie. I’ll drive you.”
April nodded in a daze and then spun around and headed back into her bedroom, never more grateful than now that she kept clothes here. She quickly tugged on a pair of jeans and found a T-shirt, sweater, and tennis shoes. Not bothering to deal with her hair or makeup, she rushed back to the living room to find her mother ready to go, purse and keys in hand.
April followed her out to her car, beyond grateful once again. There was a solid chance April would have driven straight into a tree if she had to drive herself to the station.
As soon as they pulled up, her mother turned to her and grabbed her hand. “I love you, sweetie. Everything is going to be fine.”
April leaned over and kissed her mom on the cheek. “I love you too, Mom. Thank you so much.”
“You want me to wait?”
“No. Go on home. Someone will bring me to get my car later. I feel like this is going to take a while. And I’m not leaving here without Cole.”
“Okay. Be careful.”
April jumped out of the car, slammed the door, and ran into the police station. She had no idea what she was about to face, but she knew Cole was in here being questioned for something he most certainly didn’t do, and she would be facing similar questioning. All she wanted to do was hold Cole in her arms, look him in the eye, and tell him how much she loved him.
It was loud in the police station, and everyone was hurrying around. No one was available to help April, but she spotted Rodney in the crowded room and made her way toward him.
The moment he saw her, he rushed to close the distance and grabbed her arm, leading her away from the chaos and down a short hallway until they came to an open door. He stepped inside, drawing her with him, and shut the door. “Jesus, it’s loud out there,” he mumbled as he pointed to a chair next to a small table.
April took a seat and he took the other chair. “Is this an interrogation room?”
“Yes. I need to ask you a few questions, but it’s also the only place where it’s quiet right now.”
“What happened?”
He sighed and rubbed a hand down his face. “Piecing things together, I’d say that Mayor Chamberlain had an arrangement under the table with Chief Clarkson. He was probably buying the protection of the police force, which I suspected all along. I’m betting he stopped paying. It would stand to reason he was running out of funds because he kept loaning money to people like Cole’s father and hadn’t collected yet.”
April nodded slowly. “So the police chief snapped?”
“Not sure, but many complaints had been filed in recent months about Clarkson, including from me. The local district attorney was about to file charges against him. It leaked last night. Clarkson went to Chamberlain’s house earlier this morning, confronted him, and then killed him before taking his own life.”
“Shit.” April was still struggling to fully grasp the magnitude of this situation. “How did Cole get pulled in?”
“There was a polic
e report from his altercation with Dewey Hartman yesterday. Hartman fingered Cole as being involved in a financial dispute with Chamberlain. Nothing to worry about. The case is clear. No one is questioning the obvious murder/suicide. They are just asking him some questions to get more details about what Chamberlain was involved in. They’ll be questioning everyone who owns a business in that area.”
April blew out a breath and nodded.
“When did all this happen?”
“Three twenty this morning. Chamberlain’s wife woke up when she heard shots fired. She rushed down the stairs and found both men dead in the library. No one else was present.”
“Okay. That’s good, right?”
“Couldn’t be tidier, to be honest. Once this is all investigated, the list of crimes both men committed will be fairly long. It would have taken years of trials to convict them. Several of Chamberlain’s associates are being questioned, including Dewey Hartman.”
April sighed.
“There’s one more important detail. When Dewey was at the shop yesterday attempting to get Cole to sign over the business, he claimed to have gotten text pictures of you at Chamberlain’s. He showed them to Cole in an attempt to pressure him, insinuating that you were being held until he signed. I need to know if you were aware of that?”
April shook her head. “No. What pictures? Where did they come from? I didn’t notice anyone taking them.”
“We traced the number they came from to the police chief’s phone.”
April sat up straighter. “Are you serious? How did he get them?”
“Did you know he was also at Chamberlain’s yesterday?”
She shook her head. “No. I never saw him.”
“We think he was in the house the entire time you were there. Sneaking around.”
“Why?”
“We suspect he intended to use them as leverage to get Chamberlain to pay what he owed the chief. Dewey was working for both men. He needed both of them to succeed. Clarkson figured if he sent the pics, Cole would believe they came from Chamberlain. Clarkson could use the pictures for two purposes—to get Cole to give up the deed and then blackmail Chamberlain to get his late cut of the incoming funds.”
April rubbed her temples. “What a mess.”
Rodney stood. “You’re not kidding. To be honest, and I told Cole this earlier, I’m not sure how long this town would have gone along being terrorized by Chamberlain and Clarkson if Cole hadn’t come back to town and stirred things up by putting his foot down about turning over the deed to his father’s shop.”
April blew out a breath. “I guess you’re right.”
Rodney nodded. “His dad likely would have run out of options and signed over the deed. Instead, Cole lit a fire under those two and sent them scrambling to try to fix the damage. They dug their own graves.”
April nodded. That was a lot to take in.
“Well, that’s all I need from you. I assume you’re going to want to wait for Cole anyway?”
“Yes. Is that okay?” She stood and followed Rodney toward the door.
“Of course. I’ll find you a place to wait.” Before he opened the door, he turned and faced her. “For what it’s worth, I’m glad you two are back together again. I hope things work out for you. I don’t know what the hell happened back in high school to put a wedge between you, but you belong together. It’s obvious to anyone.”
April swallowed through the emotions as they came back to the surface. “Thank you. That means a lot. I hope we can work things out too.”
“Good.” Rodney smiled and leaned over to kiss April on the cheek. “He’d be crazy if he let you get away.”
April smiled as she followed Rodney back into the main area of the station and accepted his help finding a seat in the crowded waiting area. She dropped down onto the cold, hard chair feeling a combination of emotions. She was heavy with the weight of unspoken words that needed to be said to Cole. She also couldn’t imagine what the death of the mayor would mean for Cole’s family and their business. Would they still owe a debt they had no way of repaying?
Chapter 17
When Cole finally emerged from the small room where he’d spent over two hours talking to two investigators about his family’s situation with Richard Chamberlain, he was exhausted. He rubbed his eyes as he headed toward the exit, and then stopped moving when he saw April in the waiting room.
She rose to her feet, offering him a wan smile.
For a moment, they simply stared at each other, but Cole was overwhelmed with the swell of feelings that came to the surface the moment he saw her. When he finally convinced his legs to propel him forward, he hurried toward her, closing the distance as she rushed toward him at the same time.
Her smile grew as they closed the distance, and the moment he could reach her, he hauled her into his arms and hugged her fiercely. His heart beat faster, and he buried his face in her neck. “Thank you for coming.”
“I wouldn’t be anywhere else. Besides, they needed a statement from me too,” she whispered into his ear.
He finally leaned back, his hands on her shoulders. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Agreed.”
He took her hand, threaded their fingers together, and led her out into the midday sunshine. “Your place?” he asked as he drew her closer.
“Yes.”
“Where’s your car?”
“My mom dropped me off.”
“Good.” He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles, not wanting to release her, not wanting her to drive separately, not wanting another moment to exist without her in his space. “Have you eaten?”
“Toast.”
He chuckled. “Let’s grab something on the way then. Chinese?”
“Perfect.”
He lost contact with her only long enough to round the hood of his SUV after settling her into the passenger side and shutting her door. The moment he was in his seat, he set his hand on her thigh while she typed away on her phone, placing an order so they could pick it up.
It felt like he was holding his breath while he waited for her to finish so he could hold her hand again. It seemed like the oxygen in the car wasn’t right until he had her fingers in his grip. He blew out a long breath, not even realizing he’d been holding it.
He held her gaze for several seconds too until she offered him another smile and then leaned over the console to cup the side of his face with her other hand and kiss him gently. “Let’s go. We can talk when we get to my apartment.”
He nodded and started the engine, glancing at her every few seconds to make sure she was really with him and he wasn’t imagining it.
After picking up their food, they headed for her apartment, but the moment they were inside, Cole dropped the food on the floor next to the door and grabbed her around the waist.
She giggled. “I thought you were hungry.”
“I am.” He held her tighter, gazing into her eyes. His voice dipped lower when he spoke again. “Last night was the second-worst night of my life.”
She sobered and licked her lips. “Same here.”
“Can you forgive me for being a total jackass ten years ago?”
“Yes. I don’t have a choice. I can’t live without you. I won’t.”
He blew out the first full breath in over a day and set his forehead against hers. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too.”
He groaned. “I want to drag you into your bedroom, but I need to feed you first. You’re shaking.”
“I agree. It’s a conundrum,” she joked.
He leaned down and grabbed the bag of food and tugged her toward the kitchen table. As if they were in a hurry, he opened all the containers and pulled out plates and silverware.
He couldn’t keep from smiling at the spread in front of him. “You remembered all my favorites.”
“Yeah. We did eat Chinese a time or two when we were dating.”
Cole handed her a plate and they both filled theirs with some of e
verything before dropping onto adjacent chairs and stuffing their faces.
He loved the little sounds April made when she enjoyed her food, and she had to be starving, so she was more expressive than usual, moaning around every bite.
April scarfed half her plate before swallowing and speaking. “What happens next with your shop?”
“Well, there are no guarantees, but Chamberlain’s death may make the entire problem go away.”
April sat up straighter and lifted a brow. “Really?” She grinned.
“Hopefully. It would seem that Chamberlain’s wife had no idea he was operating so underhandedly to acquire that land. In addition, Chamberlain was shuffling around dirty money, using what he extorted from one seller to pay another. Neither his wife nor his daughter was aware. In fact, they seem to be appalled, according to Rodney.”
“And you believe them?”
“Well, it might not matter. If they’re lying and they knew everything, they will look guilty and be charged with the multiple crimes Richard was involved in. If they’re smart, they will take this opportunity to insist they knew nothing and generously forgive all debts. Time will tell.”
They continued eating for a few more minutes, but then Cole couldn’t stand it another second. He took April’s fork out of her hand, dropped it on her plate, and dragged her from the table.
She giggled as he backed her into her bedroom, cupping her face. “Enough nourishment. I need to be inside you.” His hands went to her shirt to tug it up and over her head. He attacked the button of her jeans next, but she made it difficult because she was pulling his shirt over his head at the same time.
They engaged in this awkward striptease until they were both naked. Finally, he had her in his arms, holding her tight against him, rocking them back and forth, needing the contact, the feel of her breasts against his chest, the beat of her heart, the breathy sounds coming from her lips.
Hot SEAL, April's Fool Page 14
