This man was so surprising. He looked big and tough, rarely speaking. But when he did he had a raw honesty that touched her heart. With his childhood he should have been hiding his emotions, scared to trust but he was just the opposite. He simply put himself out there and the world could like him or not.
“You have them now,” she replied softly. “And thank you for not hating me. I swear I’m a nice person.”
“I know that. I’m sorry for thinking that you weren’t, even if it was for a short time. It couldn’t have been easy growing up with the name Anderson.”
Her problems were petty compared to his. “You can’t even compare it to your situation. It’s so superficial.”
He braced his hands on the counter and leaned closer. She caught a whiff of his scent, clean and manly. Just like him. “It’s not a contest, Leann. Which one of us had the worse upbringing? My problems don’t make yours any less real.”
“I think about it, you know,” Leann found herself saying. His honesty pushed her to be more as well. “Moving home.”
“Your family will be thrilled if you decide to.” He held up his hands in surrender. “But don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me. I have a feeling if Jason knew you were thinking about it you’d never hear the end of it.”
“You know my brother well,” she joked, grabbing another cookie. “I appreciate your discretion. You know, your house is better decorated than mine is. I feel like a home economics failure. These cookies are better than mine too. If you can make lasagna I’m going to crawl away in shame.”
Luckily, he took her ribbing well and threw his head back and laughed, rich and warm. My oh my, Zach Gibson was an attractive man. The fact that he could color coordinate a kitchen and make cookies only made him more so.
And I’ll be living here until the killer is caught.
“If it makes you feel any better Aubrey helped a little. She has a good eye for color so she’d show me paint and fabrics and I’d say yes or no. But the cookie recipe is all mine.” His eyes twinkled as he smiled. “And I make a mean lasagna. A good pot roast too.”
“Will you share your recipes?”
Rubbing his chin, Zach appeared to think about her question. “I’ll make you a deal. If you let me show you some self-defense moves, I’ll share my recipes. Deal?”
With a killer on the loose, it wasn’t a bad idea to learn more about defending herself. Plus, these cookies were fantastic.
“Deal.”
Maybe staying with Zach wouldn’t be so bad after all.
* * *
Zach wasn’t a good sleeper at the best of times but when he was trying to keep another human being safe it was even worse. Jason had sent him a text that the cops were going to send regular patrols by the house and Zach had an excellent security system, but he still couldn’t rest comfortably knowing that there was a killer out there going after popular girls from Leann’s class.
Was it revenge? Or was someone using the reunion as a cover for something else? A sleight of hand to push the investigation in one direction while the guilty party pursued their real target? There simply wasn’t enough evidence at this point to decide.
Knowing he wouldn’t sleep much tonight, he made a saucepan of hot cocoa – a better version than the one he’d made for Gigi and Aubrey all those years ago – and camped out in front of his laptop to do some research on the two victims. It was possible the women had more in common than just being friends all those years ago. He was deep into Carole Russell’s financials when he heard soft footsteps behind him. Leann.
“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked, twisting in his chair to where she was standing at the entrance of his kitchen looking positively adorable. She was wearing red plaid flannel pajama pants and an oversized grey sweatshirt. Her feet were bare and she’d polished her toes a bright scarlet that should have clashed with her hair, but somehow didn’t.
She’s off limits. Don’t forget.
“I thought I was being quiet. How did you hear me?”
“Too many nights on patrol in the Middle East. Would you like some cocoa? The warm milk will help you sleep.”
He didn’t wait for her to answer, simply standing and pouring a mug of the lukewarm concoction. The microwave would have it steaming hot in no time.
“I woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep,” she explained, sliding into the chair opposite him. “What’s your story?”
Chuckling, he handed Leann her cocoa and sat down again. “I’ve never been a good sleeper. As a kid I always had one ear cocked for trouble and I guess it’s a habit now.”
Her expression sobered and he wished he hadn’t mentioned his childhood again. She was a soft touch, clearly. “That must have been so hard on you…to be the man of the house at such a young age.”
Smiling, he shook his head. “I don’t feel sorry for myself, Leann. My upbringing kind of sucked but it made me who I am today. That and a decade with Uncle Sam. It’s all good, I promise. I don’t think of myself as a victim of society or anything like that. There are lots of people in this world that have it much worse than I did. I had my sisters and that made all the difference.”
Tucking her feet under her, she sipped at the hot liquid. “You’re very well adjusted. People could take a lesson from you.”
“Perspective is a gift and combat is happy to give it to you,” he chuckled, remembering his years in the military. “Bad things happen to everyone. It’s how you deal with them that makes the difference.”
Leann gazed down at her mug as if it held the secrets to the universe. “Is that what this is? My turn to have something bad happen?”
“The cynical in me might say yes, but my gut tells me that what’s happening here as very little to do with you and everything to do with the killer. These are his issues, not karma pulling up in front of your house.” But that brought up another question. “Are you saying that nothing bad has ever happened to you?”
Pursing her lips, she considered his question. “Nothing too terrible or out of the ordinary. I lost my grandparents and that was sad. I’ve buried a few family pets and I still get teary-eyed about them. I had a friend who was sleeping with my college boyfriend behind my back. Does that count?”
“Yes, it does and by the way, she obviously wasn’t a friend if she did that. Are you worried that because you haven’t had life smack you between the eyes that something really bad is going to happen? Like there’s a rotten luck quota and you haven’t been dealt your cards yet?”
The sheepish look she gave him answered his query. “I feel like I’m sitting here waiting for the other shoe to drop. Like perhaps my life has simply been too happy and the shit is about to hit the fan.”
“There’s nothing wrong with having a happy life, Leann.”
Propping her chin on her hands, she frowned at his statement. “But you said that what you went through built character. What if I lack character?”
She was truly worried about this but she didn’t need to be. But it said a great deal about her that she was. Most people wouldn’t give it a second thought.
“I said it made me who I am. I’d like to think that I already had some character to begin with. Adversity simply taught me perseverance, not integrity. You have character.”
“I know I’ve been lucky,” she finally said, the words simple but almost apologetic. She didn’t need to be sorry about that.
“I’m glad that you have. I don’t go around wishing that people had lousy childhoods. That would denote a serious lack of character, don’t you think?”
He’d finally managed to get a smile from her. “I guess you’re right. You could have been a psychologist.”
“It’s fascinates me but I don’t have the patience to listen to people tell me their troubles day in and day out. I’ll leave that to you. You’re the shrink.”
“I couldn’t do what you do either. Being in charge of someone’s security is a big deal.”
He couldn’t help but laugh at the horror in her expression. “It�
��s all about protocols and following them. Which reminds me, I have to go to the office in the morning so Jason is going to send out one of the other guys to hang out with you until I’m back.”
“Do they know the protocols?” she teased, her hands wrapped around the mug. “Can’t I just go with you?”
Good question. Why not? The safest place for her would be at the office.
“If you like, but I can guarantee you it will be boring as hell. I have to do a little bit of paperwork. It won’t take long, though. We can go out to lunch or something if you like. Then maybe a self-defense lesson.”
She nodded and then pointed to his laptop. “So what did I interrupt?”
“I was just looking over some information about the two victims. Their friends, family, careers, finances. Anything and everything that might give us a clue as to why they were targeted.”
“Any luck?”
“Not yet, but I still have quite a bit to go through.”
She peered around to see the screen of the computer. “I could help. I doubt I’m going back to sleep any time soon.”
Zach could use the help…
“Are you sure? It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack.”
“You tell me what to look for and I’ll do it.”
That was the thing; he didn’t always know. “Anything that doesn’t look normal. Debt. Arrests. Family or marital issues. It could be anything.”
“How would you know they were having marital issues?”
He turned his laptop so she could see the document he had pulled up. “For example, they might have credit card charges to a doctor or therapist. Or maybe the husband spent a lot of money on hotels, jewelry, and lingerie. Maybe the wife recently bought a gun or talked to an attorney. Perhaps the husband made regular cash withdrawals but the amount is too large to be pocket money. Small actions can have big consequences.”
Leann’s eyes had lit up and she looked eager to help. “I can do that. It sounds fascinating.”
“Tell me that when you’re almost cross-eyed in a few hours. Just let me dig out my tablet and you can work on that, then I’ll make us some more hot chocolate. Should I get the cookie jar too?”
Zach could get used to this. Having someone to share a long, dark night with. Someone who was interested in his work. He chuckled inwardly that she found it fascinating. It wasn’t but it was sweet that she was all gung-ho about it.
But before he settled in he gave himself another stern reminder. Leann was off limits. Way out of bounds. And even if she wasn’t, she wouldn’t be here in Tremont for long.
Chapter Six
‡
Stephen Glover was a good looking, blond-haired man in this early thirties who was currently wearing a determined expression. He’d been waiting by the door of the consulting company offices when Zach and Leann had pulled up this morning. Now Zach had Stephen sitting in their one and only conference room with a cup of coffee and one of the glazed donuts that Jason had brought in while Leann set up in her brother’s office.
“Do you want me in there with you?” Jason asked. “I can be, if you like.”
“Give me ten or fifteen with him,” Zach replied. “Then come join us. I’m guessing by then I’ll have a better idea of why he’s here. You can visit with your sister while I’m talking to him.”
Chuckling, Jason refilled his coffee. “Then I’ll give you twenty. I can definitely use the time to catch up with Leann. Brinley was bugging me last night about having her over for dinner, which means you would come too, of course. While you’re in there I’m going to check what Jared dug up on the Glover family. Maybe there will be something we can talk to him about.”
Joining the bereaved husband, Zach sat across from him and took a sip from his coffee cup, still sizing up the situation. This was highly unusual, a family member showing up here at the offices. Normally, Zach questioned them in their own home where they were comfortable. If they were a suspect, he might question them at the police station.
He decided to keep the conversation friendly and neutral. Let Stephen drive until Zach figured out why he was here.
“How can I help you, Mr. Glover?”
The man’s eyes were red-rimmed as if he’d been crying most of the night. He looked worn out and ready to sleep for a week.
“I want to know what you’re doing to find the man that killed my wife. I can’t get any answers at the police station. They said that your firm had taken over the investigation.”
Zach nodded. “We have been asked to consult on the case as we have extensive experience with murder investigations. As for what we’re doing, I can assure you that we’re doing all we can to find the person who did this.”
Stephen glanced down at the coffee cup sitting on the table in front of Zach. “I don’t see you doing anything so far.”
Glover thought the cops were sitting around sucking down java and watching Netflix?
“I can assure you that we’re on top of this. Any physical evidence has been sent to the state crime lab and we have to wait our turn for results. As for questioning any persons of interest, that task is split between the police and our firm.” Time to turn the tables on Stephen. “Since you’re here, would you mind answering a few questions? It would be extremely helpful to the investigation.”
Zach had questioned the husband briefly last night at the barbecue but the man had been so overwrought it was difficult for him to concentrate. Better luck might be had today. He didn’t wait for Stephen to give permission.
“How long had you and your wife been married?”
Glover was just tired enough not to have the energy to object. “Almost ten years. We met in college and got married after I finished law school. We moved here about five years ago to be closer to her mother. She’s not doing so well these days.”
“So you didn’t know many of the people at the park last night?”
Stephen shook his head, a haunted look in his eyes. “Just the ones that I’ve met in Tremont these last couple of years. I never thought–”
He broke off, choking as a sob made it difficult to speak. Zach changed the direction of the questioning from last night.
“Does Bitty have any enemies in town? Someone with a grudge?”
“Everyone liked her,” Stephen replied, a note of desperation in his voice. “She volunteered at our kids’ school, she worked part-time at the craft shop and gave scrapbooking classes. She taught Sunday school at our church. Bitty was a wonderful woman. Why would someone do something like this?”
A straightforward question with a murkier answer. “The reasons people do what they do aren’t always clear. He could be angry with Bitty or she could represent someone else, someone that he wants to hurt. At this point I can’t tell you which it is.” He paused before plunging forward. “Did Bitty ever talk about her high school days?”
“Some. She liked high school and she had good friends.”
“So she was popular?”
Shifting in his chair, Stephen appeared confused. “I guess you could say that. What does that have to do with anything?”
Zach wasn’t ready to answer anyone else’s questions. He still had a few of his own.
“Did Bitty ever turn down a guy for a date and make him mad? Did she have any admirers that didn’t take no for an answer?”
Glover’s eyes widened. “Do you think…? This could have been some guy who never got over his crush. Jesus, what’s the world coming to?”
From what Zach had seen? Hell and a hand basket.
“Did she mention anyone?” Zach pressed. “Anyone at all?”
“No, she didn’t.” A rush of tears fell from the husband’s eyes, dampening his cheeks. “Bitty didn’t deserve this.”
“I know and we’re going to do everything we can to bring the killer to justice.” The door swung open and Jason strode into the room, file folder in hand. “Mr. Glover, this is Jason Anderson, the head of our consulting firm. Jason, this is Stephen Glover.”
&nbs
p; The two men exchanged a handshake as Jason sat down next to Zach. Jason opened the folder and shuffled through the contents, letting Zach know silently that something had come up in the background check. It was typical to go through a murder victim’s life and finances with a fine-tooth comb.
“I just have a few questions, Mr. Glover. Stephen. Is it okay if I call you Stephen?”
“Sure.” Glover shrugged awkwardly, glancing back and forth between Zach and Jason. “What do you need to know?”
“Do you have any enemies, Mr. Glover? Anyone that might want to hurt you by hurting your wife?”
“No, I told your colleague here.” He pointed to Zach. “There’s no one.”
Jason pulled a piece of paper from the file and pushed it across the desk to Glover. “Can you explain this for me?”
Rubbing the back of his neck, Stephen gave the paper a cursory glance. “This isn’t what it looks like.”
Jason sat back in his chair. “Then what is it?”
“Yes, my brother and I got into it about six months ago when Bitty and I were visiting my folks in Seattle. A few punches were thrown and the neighbors called the cops, but it was simply a family disagreement.”
“What was the disagreement about?” Zach queried.
“Leland wanted to borrow money…again. He has trouble holding down a job because he drinks too much. Bitty and I knew he would probably ask again when we were in Seattle and we’d decided to cut him off. He got angry and physical and I defended myself. End of story.”
Stephen shoved the paper back at Jason, who took it and placed it back into the folder.
“Does he still have a drinking problem?”
Glover squirmed in the chair, his gaze darting around the room. “We’ve tried to get him help but so far it hasn’t worked.”
Jason glanced at Zach, nodding. “The murderer here in Tremont is highly organized, Mr. Glover. He makes plans and sticks to them. He’s detail oriented and he’s patient. It doesn’t sound like your brother fits that profile. Thank you for answering our questions. I know how distasteful they can be but we do ask them for a reason. We can officially rule him out now.”
Reunited With Danger (Danger Incorporated Book 6) Page 4
