by Mary Burton
“Any leads on Deidre’s killer?”
“Working on it.” He studied the still, quiet entrance to the path, very tempted to jog into the woods and check on her.
“She wouldn’t like that,” David said.
“What?”
“Deidre went in after her once. When I saw Deidre come out of the woods, I asked her about Leah. She said Leah was polite but not really happy. She didn’t like being babysat.”
Alex checked his watch. Whether she liked it or not, she had two more minutes before he went in after her.
“She’ll be here soon,” David said. “She’s slow as hell.”
“Never quits.”
“Yeah, I guess that should mean something. But let’s face it, they don’t hand out trophies for last place.”
“Right.”
“She’s odd.”
“Really?”
“I offered to pick her up before a run session, but she came up with a reason to meet me here. Seemed kinda nervous that I knew where she lived.”
“You run with her, but that doesn’t mean you know her or she knows you.”
David shrugged. “I just wanted to give her a ride to the group. Trying to be a gentleman.”
“Right.”
“I haven’t heard about a funeral date yet,” David said.
“No news yet.”
“God, I hope you catch the creep.”
“I will.” He stared at the woods, his internal clock ticking. She had one more minute and then he was going in to find her.
“She’s a veterinarian, you know?”
“I’d heard that.”
“Got to be smart to pull that off.”
“So I hear.”
He leaned in, as if they were conspirators. “A couple of weeks ago, I touched her on the shoulder and she froze up like I’d done something terrible. She shrugged and stepped away. Lots of issues with that one. And you’ve seen the scars.”
“Yes.”
“Leah and Deidre were pals. Have you asked Leah where she was the night Deidre was stabbed? She’s just weird enough, and it doesn’t take much to wield a knife.”
“Really?”
Color warmed his face. “Look, I’m not trying to lay blame on Leah.”
“I didn’t say you were.”
“But you came by my office asking questions.”
“I’m asking a lot of people questions.”
“Just so you know, Deidre and I’d planned to take a break from each other.”
“You said that.”
“It was all hot and heavy last summer, but things really cooled off in the last couple of months. I think I was the excuse she needed to leave her husband. It was never a long-term thing with her.”
“Did that piss you off?”
“No. Deidre and I had fun. That was enough for me.” He nodded toward the entrance to the park as Leah emerged. “Besides, my wife and I are talking again. We might work it out.”
“Good.” He took a step toward the woods as he saw Leah jog down the path and up toward the parking lot. Relief jabbed like a pesky bug.
“Leah’s a good-looking woman.”
He agreed. “You think she’s odd.”
“A man can deal with a lot of quirks when a woman is attractive.”
Alex rubbed his hands together. He wondered just how hard David was working on his marriage. “Better get going.”
David opened the door to his car. “Keep me posted on Deidre’s funeral.”
His gaze didn’t waver from Leah. “Sure.”
When Leah came out of the woods, all the other runners had left. Even David was nowhere to be seen. The lone car in the lot was the black SUV, where Alex stood waiting, his arms crossed.
He’d been waiting for her. Her throat tightened with emotion as she made the final push across the field to the parking lot. When she stopped running, her breath was quick and ragged and a stitch pinched her side.
Alex moved toward her, his steps slow and easy. Already, the cold air chilled her skin, whereas he seemed to barely notice the cold. “You need to get warm. Get in my car.”
She glanced toward the SUV. Imagining herself alone with him in the car, she hesitated before she caught herself. “Sounds great.”
He walked beside her, shortening his long strides so he didn’t outpace her. He opened the passenger door, and a rush of warm air greeted her. She slid onto the leather seat. He closed the door and, head ducked to the wind, crossed the front of the car.
The car was neat, well organized, and looked as if it had been freshly vacuumed. Her car wasn’t so pristine. She’d transported a couple of dogs from the shelter to the clinic last week, and they’d left paw and nose prints on her backseat windows and seats. Her cup holder held today’s coffee and yesterday’s, along with a couple of empty water bottles littered the floor.
He opened the door and slid behind the wheel. The interior of the car shrank as his broad shoulders filled the space. “Thirsty?”
“Yeah.”
He reached in the backseat and grabbed a couple of water bottles. He handed her one. “What’s going on with your tire? I can see it’s a spare.”
She’d forgotten all about the earlier frustration. “Flat.”
“What happened?”
“I don’t know. These are new tires. Maybe there’s a problem with the valve. Maybe I picked up a nail.” The excuse sounded good but didn’t quite ring true even to her. “I had to change it before I could get here.”
Alex’s gaze warmed. “Aren’t you handy.”
She twisted off the top of the bottle and drank. “Jack of all trades.”
“Anything else happen out of the ordinary?”
She tossed him a nervous look. “Why do you ask?”
He hesitated. “Just asking.”
The card from her aunt had thrown her off base, but that hardly seemed worth mentioning. “No.”
He studied her. Again, peeling back layers. “Keep me posted on anything odd that happens.”
Unspoken words hummed between them. “Do you know something about Deidre that I should know?”
“No definitive word yet on her case. I’m running theories. As soon as I’m sure, I’ll have questions.”
She frowned. “Mysterious.”
“Not meant to be. I like my facts in good order before I present them.”
She sipped her water. “I suppose her husband will make the funeral arrangements.”
His brow rose. Had he picked up on the bitterness? “Does that bother you?”
She shrugged. “Just seems wrong he’d be the one.”
“Her sister is back in town. She’ll be involved. But Radcliff is still her legal husband.”
“I know.” A smile flickered, halfhearted. “And it’s really not my business.”
“But it bothers you.”
“I suppose it does. But in the eyes of the law my feelings don’t really stack up.”
“No.”
He studied her face, churning up a wave of self-consciousness. Was her scar showing? “I thought you weren’t coming today.”
“Takes more than a flat.”
Blue eyes sharpened. “You had a good run time today. I hear the time was probably your best yet.”
“Maybe one day I’ll approach the glory days of high school when I ran cross-country.”
“You ran cross country?”
She laughed. “It was a small school, and I liked to run.”
“Must have been some team.”
“Hey, I’ll have you know I ran a seven-minute mile in those days.”
“You ran a seven-minute mile? Amazing.”
She didn’t explain a stab wound left her with diminished lung capacity that derailed her time. “I hardly remember those days.”
“High school is a million miles away for me.” His darkening gaze conjured questions about what he really knew about her. He wouldn’t have to dig too deep to uncover her past. The idea of him poking around the shadows annoyed
her. “I bet you were a straight A student.”
He shook his head. “Did what I thought I needed to do and no more.”
“I pegged you for the classic overachiever.”
“That bug didn’t catch me until I joined TBI. What about you?”
“Classic A student. Cheerleader. Whole nine yards. Both my parents were still alive and healthy. Good times.”
She glanced at the clock. “So what brought you here today?”
“Checking out the running group.”
“Again? They all know you’re a cop.”
He shrugged. “Never know what you’ll learn.”
She sipped. “If you’re looking to catch people when their reserves are low, we’re doing intervals tomorrow. That workout always kills.”
That unpracticed smile flickered. “Are you trying to chase me away?”
“No. Not at all. As fast as you run, I doubt it will be a challenge.” He stared at her, not responding. Nudged by the heavy silence, she said, “Thanks for being my bodyguard and for giving me the water, but I’ve got to get to work.”
“Sure.” As she reached for the handle, he asked, “David ever talk about Deidre?”
She paused. “He invited me out for coffee last night. I think he’s worried. Doesn’t like being associated with murder. But then, who does?”
“He say anything about Deidre?”
“Only reiterated that they were friends with benefits. No passion. No reason to kill.” She cocked her head. “Is there a problem with him?”
“Why would there be?”
“You’re TBI. Deidre is dead. And you have questions about him.”
“I’m asking questions about everyone in the running group.”
“Even me?”
“Yes.”
“Fair enough.”
“Deidre ever talk about her past?”
“Like what?”
“Anything.”
“Other than her marriage, no.”
“What about work?”
“Never talked about work, but I got the sense she loved it.”
“Okay.”
“That’s it?”
“For now.”
She opened the door. “Thanks again for waiting.”
“See you soon.”
“Right.” Leah trotted across the lot to her car, glanced in the backseat, and then slid behind the wheel. She turned on the heat, promising never to complain about summer again. The SUV waited until she put her car in reverse, backed up, and waved. He nodded and followed.
As she pictured Alex waiting for her at the top of the hill, attraction snapped. The sensation was odd, something she hadn’t felt in a very long time. She’d been too nervous on their so-called date to feel anything other than nervous, but she felt something now.
Energy hummed in her veins. Her skin warmed. As much as she wanted to embrace the unexpected feelings, she feared them. She’d once been attracted to Philip.
The two men appeared to be similar, powerful and in charge, but she could see now that Philip was weak compared to Alex. Power, not fear, radiated from Alex, and the way he looked at her made her a little weak.
Getting close was a dangerous, risky thing to do. She’d promised herself she’d try dating this year. But she’d made no resolutions about starting a relationship, especially not with a man as dangerous as Alex.
Leah finished up the morning appointments just before two. Normally, the morning didn’t go so long, but there’d been a couple of emergencies, including an old cat having seizures and a dog that had been hit by a car. The cat had been stabilized and the dog, with a shattered back leg, had gone into surgery immediately. It had taken her over an hour and a half to set the pin in the dog’s hind leg, stitch it up, and build a cast. The half hound/half mutt named Maisey was in her cage. She was sleeping peacefully now, but when she woke in the next hour she was going to be sore and an unhappy camper with her cast and the cone around her neck.
Leah stood outside, behind the vet hospital, leaning against the brick wall. The afternoon sun hit this spot and it warmed the brick. It felt good to be in the fresh air. Instinctively, she reached in her pocket for a pack of cigarettes. Her fingers brushed dog treats and a rumpled pack of gum. She considered hopping in her car and making the five-minute drive to the drugstore, where she could pick up a pack of cigarettes. She’d only smoke one, she reasoned, and then she would throw out the rest of the pack.
“Damn,” she muttered. “You’re not going to do that.”
She opened her eyes and pushed away from the wall, her gaze catching sight of the spare tire on her car.
The image stirred the tension in her gut. She’d dropped the flat tire off at the garage that morning and the mechanic had promised to have it ready for her by the end of the day.
Her skin prickled, as if a thousand spiders crawled over it. It’s just a tire. No big deal.
Remembering her promise to call the South Carolina detective, she fished her cell from her pocket and checked. To her surprise, there were ten messages in her voice-mail box. She didn’t recognize any of the numbers. What the hell?
She played back the messages. Several from the local American Red Cross about a blood drive, one regarding real estate properties in Franklin, one from the Democratic Party and the other from the Republican Party. There was also one missed call with no message. Was someone giving out her phone number?
Frowning, she dialed the South Carolina number and waited as it rang. On the fourth ring, voice mail picked up again. “This is Leah Carson, former Leah Latimer. I called you a couple of days ago, checking on the status of an old case. Philip Latimer. He was my ex-husband, and his body was found in your county. Could you call me? I have a few questions.” She rattled off her number and hung up.
She turned to head back inside when she caught a shift in the shadows. She hesitated, gripping the phone in her hand. A tall man dressed in jeans, a collared shirt, a thick leather jacket, and cowboy boots stepped in her path. He had thick, dark hair, peppered with gray, and a thick mustache. He wore a cowboy hat.
“If you’re looking for the clinic, the front entrance is around the corner.”
His stare lingered on her long enough to ignite all the alarm bells in her head. “You Leah Carson?”
“Who’re you?”
“I’m Tyler Radcliff.”
“Deidre’s husband.”
“That’s right. You must be Leah.”
“What do you want, Mr. Radcliff?”
A smile twitched the edges of his lips. “Seems kinda strange for you to be calling me mister anything. I mean, with you and Deidre being friends, I bet you discussed all kinds of details about our crumbling marriage.”
“Deidre was very private,” Leah said. “We didn’t talk about you.” That wasn’t true.
“She didn’t have a lot of close friends. We were each other’s best friends.”
When Philip had been very angry, his voice could be so soft, his words sound so reasonable. In the early days, she’d tried to reason with him. But no matter what she said, the cord holding back his temper always snapped and his words lashed.
“You’re not talking.”
She took a step back. “I can’t help you, Mr. Radcliff.”
“Of course you can help me! You were Deidre’s friend. Christ, you’re the one who found her body.”
The image of Deidre lying facedown in her own blood flashed in her mind, and she grimaced. “I’ve got to get back inside.”
“You’re done with the morning appointments. I already spoke to the receptionist.”
“When did you call her?”
“This morning. I wanted to catch you alone so we could talk.” He checked his watch. “You’re late. You should have been finished a couple of hours ago. Must have been that hound. She was wrapped in a blue blanket and her owner was holding him close. Looked panicked. Hit by a car?”
The idea that he had been watching the clinic both scared and irritated her. “You wer
e watching the clinic.”
“I wanted to talk to you. And you didn’t answer your phone.”
“You were the unidentified number. You didn’t leave a message.”
“What I need to say is better said face-to-face.”
“I’m not talking to you.” Her anger rose as she pulled her phone from her pocket. Philip would have pulled a stunt like this. “I’m going back inside.”
He blocked her path. “Not before we talk.”
“I don’t have anything to say to you.” She glanced at the phone and typed in 9-1-1.
“She ripped my heart from my chest.”
The agony-laced words also reminded her of Philip. He could make her feel so guilty for not loving him. “I don’t know what to say.”
His eyes glistened. “You have to know! She was your friend, and I know how women talk.”
“We didn’t talk.”
“That’s not true. That’s not true.”
“I can’t help you, Mr. Radcliff.”
Large hands fisted and unfisted. “Like hell you can’t.”
So much for politeness. “I’m calling the cops.”
He snarled, “I am the cops.”
Her gaze rose, her finger suspended over the Send button. Memories of Philip talking and joking with the police after she called leered out from the shadows.
“No one is going to believe you. I’m a good cop with a great record.”
“I guess I’ll just have to try real hard to convince them you aren’t such a good guy.”
He advanced toward her. “You’ll look like a fool.”
“You really think I’m afraid of that?” Ghosts of being stabbed stirred her anger. She wouldn’t be bullied by Tyler Radcliff.
As if he read the conviction etched on her face, he doubled down. “They won’t believe you.”
“Yes, they will.”
“Who’s gonna take your word over mine?”
Gravel crunched behind Tyler. “Me.”
Leah looked past Tyler to see Alex Morgan. Dressed in a dark suit, polished shoes, and a dark overcoat that accentuated broad shoulders. His hands in his pockets, his badge and gun caught the afternoon sunlight.
Tyler turned around. “Morgan, this has nothing to do with you.”
