Twin Surprise

by Jacqueline Diamond

  Since he’d moved back to Villazon after a brief stint as a private investigator in Santa Ana, trouble had followed. There’d been a deadly run-in with a prison escapee who claimed he’d been railroaded. In a confrontation at Vince’s daughter’s house, the ex-chief had shot the man to death.

  A few months later, fire had gutted Ben Lyons’ apartment in the building where both he and Vince lived. And Norm Kinsey, one of Vince’s disgraced former cohorts, had returned seeking revenge against those who’d testified at his dismissal hearing. He’d been foiled by Hale’s determination and by his own ailing heart.

  Too many incidents to be mere chance, in Derek’s opinion. The more he thought about it—especially since his conversation with Marta—the more he believed the source might be one of several officers still loyal to Vince. They were distributed among the bureaus, which would explain how they appeared to have access to a range of information.

  He respected Marta’s discomfort at spying on her friends. Therefore, the simplest way to check up on Vince appeared to be for Derek himself to volunteer at Villa Corazon. And if working here provided more time with Marta, well, he wouldn’t mind. Their chats at the hospital were frustratingly brief.

  He would have liked to stop and say hello now, but her small charge clearly occupied her full attention. Instead, Derek approached Yolanda and explained that he wished to tutor.

  “Great idea. The children, especially the boys who don’t have fathers, respond well to men,” she told him.

  “How should I proceed?” He’d heard that the center required training, which made sense.

  “Follow me.” Yolanda escorted him to the reception area to fill out forms. “We require a background check, but I don’t imagine that’ll be a problem in your case. By the way, I can’t thank you enough for participating in the auction.”

  “My pleasure.” No exaggeration there.

  He attacked the forms despite the distracting sound of hammering from the playroom. Yolanda, perpetually in demand to answer questions or solve problems, vanished back into the auditorium.

  After completing the paperwork, Derek was debating whether to wait around for Marta when he heard low, urgent voices. A man and a woman entered the office area.

  He instantly recognized Elise Masterson and Vince Borrego. Her tone was angry, his defensive.

  “I work during the week. This is the only time I can volunteer,” the ex-chief said. “Don’t you think the end justifies the inconvenience?”

  “Go bestow your good deeds somewhere else. There are lots of other volunteer organizations in Villazon,” she snapped.

  Don’t let him leave Villa Corazon yet. Not till I nail his butt to the wall, Derek thought.

  Ben Lyons, brown hair falling into his eyes, poked his head out of the playroom, where he’d been doing repairs. “He’s welcome here. Mrs. Rios says so. Don’t you agree, Sergeant Reed?”

  Put on the spot, Derek muttered, “Far be it from me to argue with Mrs. Rios.”

  That drew three stares, Ben’s puzzled, Vince’s skeptical and Elise’s surprised. “You’re tutoring?” she asked.

  “I had so much fun on the stage, I decided to stick around,” he joked.

  “These kids could use more male role models.” Vince stared at Elise. “That wasn’t meant as a sexist remark, if anyone’s keeping score.”

  “Oh, blow it out your ear.” Pulling on her motorcycle jacket, Elise stomped out to the parking lot.

  Ben adjusted his grip on the hammer. “She’s got no business holding a grudge. Whatever happened, it was years ago.”

  To Derek’s astonishment, Vince responded, “She has every right to resent me. I acted like a jerk.”

  The guy appeared sincere. Although Derek didn’t trust his former boss, he understood why Yolanda might.

  “People should forgive and forget,” the nineteen-year-old countered.

  “Like you’ve forgiven your father for being so rigid when you were younger?” Vince prodded.

  “That’s different!” Clearly unwilling to continue the discussion, Ben disappeared into the playroom.

  Vince regarded Derek with a glint of humor. “Touchy subject.”

  “Guess so.” Despite the ex-chief’s congenial matter, Derek didn’t trust him. There remained that not-so-minor matter of the department’s continuing problem with press leaks.

  Yolanda’s return short-circuited further comments. “Well, Sergeant, let’s schedule your orientation. We’re open next Saturday despite the Thanksgiving holiday. Will you be around or are you tied up all weekend?”

  “I’m not big on celebrating holidays. Saturday would be fine.” Derek returned Vince’s polite farewell nod, glad to see the man go. Yolanda gave a little wave as well.

  “I like the way you dealt with Tom Bernardi.” She must be referring to the rebellious math hater. “He idolizes his older half brother, Billy, who sets a terrible example. Now that he’s in jail, Tom’s two younger siblings look to Tom, since there’s no father in the home. Their mother rents my fourth unit, so I’ve come to know them all fairly well. That’s how I was able to persuade Tom to join us.”

  “What’s she like? The mother, I mean.” If she had serious problems, as well, that would hurt the boy’s chances of going straight.

  “She does her best, but she works long hours,” Yolanda said. “If you can bring Tom around, you’d be helping the whole family.”

  “You’re suggesting I replace his tutor?” The notion appealed to Derek. He could relate to a kid that age more easily than to, say, a kindergartner.

  “She’s in over her head. I think I’ll pair her with a little girl,” the director said. “That is, if you feel comfortable teaching math.”

  It had been one of Derek’s best subjects. His parents had urged him to pursue the field, perhaps to specialize in financial law or become a forensic accountant. Although he loathed the idea of being chained to a desk, tutoring was a different matter. “I’d enjoy it.”

  He hadn’t expected to feel this way. To him, volunteering had been merely a means to an end. But meeting Tom had put a different spin on things.

  Yolanda nodded in confirmation. “Oh, about the holiday—if you’re not already booked, I’m hosting a potluck Thanksgiving dinner at my house. We’d love to have you.”

  He’d declined an invitation to join his parents and siblings on a ski trip, which in his present condition was out of the question. He still hadn’t told the other Reeds about that.

  Nevertheless, acting sociable with a bunch of casual acquaintances wasn’t Derek’s idea of a good time, either. He’d better claim he had plans, even if those plans consisted of eating a frozen turkey dinner and watching a couple of DVDs.

  “Well, that’s very kind—” He broke off as Marta approached, a strand of hair sticking from the bun atop her head. Without thinking, Derek reached over and tucked it into place.

  Marta gave him a small, pleased grin. Their contact had the easy familiarity of lovers, Derek realized.

  Yolanda clearly didn’t miss the interchange. Smoothly, she said, “Marta’s co-hosting the event. You’ll recognize a lot of the guests. Connie and Hale Crandall, for example.”

  “You’re coming to our annual Thanksgiving party?” Marta beamed. “Wait’ll you taste the fabulous food! We all prepare our favorite dishes.”

  Derek didn’t have the heart to refuse. In truth, he no longer wished to. “What can I bring?”

  “Do you have a specialty?” Yolanda asked.

  “Middle Eastern food.” Marta shifted a book bag on her shoulder. “Just kidding.”

  Derek rather liked the idea. “I’ll pick up hummus and pita if you don’t mind eating that on turkey day.”

  “That suits me fine. We always have Mexican dishes and occasionally Vietnamese,” the director said. “I’ll see you both there.”

  After she left, Derek noticed how invitingly Marta’s jeans and velour top emphasized her figure. He felt a profound urge to kiss the curve of her neck. If
she had the same cravings, they were crazy to deny themselves a return match.

  “Shall I pick you up for Thanksgiving?” he suggested as an opening.

  Her answer startled him. “I don’t think so.”

  “Why not?”

  “Well…a couple of reasons.” She hesitated.

  When the pause lengthened, he pressed the point. “Have I offended you?”

  “Not exactly.”

  Perhaps his presence here wasn’t entirely welcome. “Care to explain?”

  “Why are you volunteering at the center?” Marta demanded. “You never mentioned wanting to tutor.”

  Derek remembered her objection to spying on her friends. Fair enough, but her personal qualms didn’t preclude him from snooping on his own.

  As he weighed his response, he acknowledged that this conversation was too touchy to conduct in the reception area, with volunteers signing in and students passing by. “Mind if we talk outside?”

  “Good idea.”

  The parking lot proved busy as well, so they strolled across the street to the high school. About a dozen cars dotted the blacktop and occasional shouts from behind the low buildings signaled that practices were under way on the athletic fields. Otherwise, the parklike campus appeared deserted.

  Derek didn’t relish detailing his frame of mind. But he’d rather be frank with Marta than antagonize her.

  *

  She couldn’t imagine where she’d found the nerve to question Derek’s motives, or the strength to risk angering him. Still, Marta refused to act like a wimp on issues of principle.

  She wasn’t sure why the matter bothered her so much. The center did need more tutors, and once he committed, Derek struck her as the type of person to continue at least until the end of the school year. But the presence of a man with an agenda, even a dear friend, troubled her. She’d helped establish the center as place of refuge and encouragement, not a hunting ground.

  Still, what if Vince had joined in order to stir up trouble with Elise? He might be the one misusing the center, not Derek.

  They navigated a grassy area dappled by sunlight through scattered trees. Memories flowed of her adolescent years—sitting on a low wall eating lunch with Connie, joking with Rachel between classes, holding hands with her boyfriend Joey as they discussed plans for the prom.

  When they reached the iron fence surrounding the interior courtyard, they discovered it was unlocked. Clubs might be meeting on a Saturday, or maybe the custodian had opened it to accommodate the athletes. Although she felt like an intruder, Marta escorted Derek to one of the picnic tables in the outdoor lunch area.

  “Not exactly luxury accommodations.” She sank onto the bench. “I never used to notice how hard these were.” She’d been younger and more flexible in those days. And hadn’t suffered through a near-fatal car crash, either.

  “You attended school here?” Derek took in a poster advertising a drama club production of Noises Off and another urging students to place early orders for yearbooks.

  “Yes. Where did you graduate from?”

  “Estancia.” It lay in Costa Mesa, about thirty miles away.

  “I’ll bet the girls followed you around.” She wouldn’t blame them.

  He shifted sideways on the bench across from her. “I’m sure their parents warned them to give me a wide berth. But yeah, I dated around.” He left it at that; no specifics. “You’re afraid I’m faking an interest in tutoring?”

  “It’s partly my fault,” she conceded. “I did tell you about Vince joining the center. But I didn’t expect you to dive in without warning. Then today you turn up and wham! you’re twisting Yolanda around your finger.”

  “Nobody puts anything over on that lady.” His mouth quirked at the notion. “Did I come here to keep an eye on Vince? Sure. But I’m getting excited about teaching. The boy I’ll be working with reminds me of myself at that age.”

  Overhead, a seagull circled and mewed. It had strayed twenty miles from the ocean, but those powerful wings could easily return it to the sea.

  Marta decided to allow Derek the benefit of the doubt. Besides, his comment piqued her interest. “How does he resemble you?”

  “He pretends a toughness he doesn’t feel. And there’s an undercurrent of anger. I’m looking forward to helping channel it.”

  “Good for you.” She sensed he was holding back. “Derek, why’s it so important to you to find out who’s tipping off Tracy? I understand that you have a duty, but you’re spending your free time on the search. You even tried to enlist me. This seems personal.”

  Derek’s gaze followed the seagull wheeling through the sky. “It is.”

  “Why?”

  He swallowed before continuing. “Between you and me, I don’t feel like I’m contributing enough to the police department.”

  “Everyone says you’re doing a great job.” The previous community relations officer, according to Rachel, had been ineffective with the press and disorganized in running programs. His departure to accept a private security post had bothered no one.

  “I appreciate that, but I can’t sit on the sidelines while a traitor undermines the entire force. I didn’t choose police work because I enjoy playing footsy with the media. Especially not when there’s more at stake.” Derek’s tone verged on a snarl. “If I have to handle this damn job, I intend to make the most of it.”

  Until now, Marta had assumed that his occasional grumbling stemmed from a desire to downplay what amounted to a promotion. An open display of ambition within the department could alienate friends. But his anger made that motive unlikely.

  “You didn’t request a transfer?” she asked.

  “It wasn’t my choice, believe me.”

  “Why did you accept?” she asked.

  He responded grimly. “Sometimes you have to do what your superiors think is best.”

  Considering the high visibility of the post, Marta didn’t believe he’d been assigned as a punishment. “Surely the chief would send you back to the detective squad if you told him how you feel.”

  “Things don’t work that way. Too complicated.” His tone indicated he didn’t wish to discuss the subject further.

  Marta respected his privacy. And though she still didn’t support the idea of Derek’s joining the center as a sort of mole, he obviously had taken an interest in a boy who’d been driving his tutor crazy. “You think you can knock that chip off Tom’s shoulder?”

  The change of subject eased his tension. “The kid needs to understand how the real world operates and why he should grab his chance at an education. I expect this will be a learning experience for both of us.”

  “You don’t have much experience with children?” He’d mentioned two younger siblings.

  “Not really.” No elaboration.

  For no reason other than simple curiosity, Marta asked, “Want a few of your own?”

  An expression of something akin to regret appeared, then vanished. “Once, I’d have said yes, but the older I get, the less I consider myself the family type. My big holiday plans consisted of figuring out which brand of frozen turkey dinner to buy, and that was fine with me. If Yolanda hadn’t invited me, I’d have been the biggest recluse in town on Thursday.”

  “You’ve got friends,” she pointed out. “You don’t have to be alone.”

  He stared blankly past her. “I’m happier by myself. Most of the time.”

  “You didn’t sound happy when you said that.” Marta reached out to touch Derek’s hand. She was half-afraid he’d draw away, but instead he enfolded her hand in his. “I hate spending holidays alone,” she continued. “Being around friends is like—” she searched for a comparison— “like luxuriating in a hot tub on a cold night.”

  He chuckled. “I can relate to that.” More seriously: “You’re naturally congenial. It’s a gift, and other people appreciate you. Frankly, I might not have accepted Yolanda’s offer if you weren’t part of it.”

  The revelation pleased her. Still, she
added honestly, “People enjoy your company, too. You shouldn’t shut them out.”

  He brought her palm to his lips, tracing a tantalizing trail across the sensitive skin and reminding her of that night in the spa. “Does that include you?”

  “Of course!” She’d thought the importance she placed on their friendship must be obvious.

  “I’m not the one who slammed the door, so to speak,” he said.

  “You’re twisting my words. Unfair!” Marta laughed a little breathlessly, nearly losing her train of thought as his dark eyes fixed on her.

  “Perhaps what happened between us didn’t affect you, but I feel like we left something unfinished,” Derek said.

  Did he really? Her chest squeezed. But his phrasing reminded her that “finishing” their affair meant exactly that. “Our night together meant a lot to me. You’re a special guy, Derek.”

  “Then why do you keep backing off?” he pressed. “Why not enjoy this as long as it lasts?”

  Marta couldn’t continue to dance around the truth. “Because I know what you’re like!” she burst out. “Sergeant Hit-and-Run!”

  Understanding glimmered. “And you aren’t willing to be left.”

  He was probing too close to her vulnerabilities. “I refuse to ruin what we’ve got.”

  “Which is?”

  “Talking. Kidding. Bucking each other up,” she summarized. “Having fun.”

  “How much fun can we have in the lobby of the Mesa View Medical Center?” Derek returned.

  “That depends on who’s watching!” Embarrassed, she wiggled her hand free on the pretext of replacing a bobby pin in her hair. “Russ saw us practically kissing. He’s not blind.”

  Beneath Derek’s grin, she thought she detected real fondness. Or perhaps her fantasies were running away with her. “I’m not ashamed of what happened,” he said.

  “Neither am I. But don’t go telling anyone.” Her cheeks heated. “I like privacy as much as you do.”

  “Great.” Derek stretched. “Now that we’re in agreement, why don’t I pick you up on Thanksgiving like I suggested.”

  Marta longed to be Derek’s date again, even on a casual basis. However, she couldn’t accept. “I promised to help Yolanda prepare. I’ll be arriving early.”