by Ruth Langan
The old man shrugged. “Unrelated, as I recall. A young girl’s body was found behind the sugar beet refinery. A guard at the refinery heard a scuffle, went out to investigate, and found the girl dead and saw a man running from the scene. He shot and killed him. Turned out to be a migrant worker, and an investigation exonerated the guard of any guilt.”
“The third?” Intrigued, his granddaughter set down her fork, her food forgotten for the moment.
The judge shrugged. “An older teen who’d been drinking, apparently. Her body was found floating in the water just offshore. The sheriff figured she’d been skinny-dipping and become disoriented in the dark. It was considered an unfortunate drowning accident, the result of too much alcohol and too little sense.” He turned to Jason. “How did you know I’d presided over the first trial?”
“I read the transcript, as well as the sheriff’s reports and newspaper accounts.”
“You do your own research, do you?”
Jason nodded.
“I’m impressed.” The judge helped himself to a piece of fish, causing his wife to lift a brow in surprise. “I always figured you writers hired someone to do that for you.”
“Some do, I suppose.” Jason bit into the omelette and grinned at the housekeeper. “You haven’t lost your touch, Trudy. This is amazing.”
The older woman couldn’t hide her pleasure as she began cutting cinnamon coffee cake into slices. When she passed them around, she put the biggest slice on Jason’s plate. That had Emily and her sisters exchanging knowing smiles. Their housekeeper’s fondness for this man hadn’t been diminished by the passage of so many years.
The family lingered over coffee, watching the parade of boats on the water, and speculating on the changes their town would experience with the newest development.
The judge sighed. “Devil’s Cove won’t be a small town much longer.”
“True.” His wife set aside her empty cup. “And a bigger town means bigger problems.”
Emily looked over at her grandmother. “Is that why you decided to give up teaching?”
“Not at all.” Bert shook her head. “It was just time to step aside and make room for a younger teacher. But I haven’t given it up completely. I’ve already told the board I’ll be available to tutor any students who need individual attention.”
She saw Jason studying her and gave him a gentle smile. “Who knows? Maybe the next troubled boy or girl will turn out to be my senator one day.”
Her husband held her chair and offered his arm as she got to her feet. With a wink he asked, “Why not go for a president?”
“Why not, indeed?” She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “After all, there was a time when I set my sights on the smartest, best-looking young lawyer in town and got him.”
“And I say thank heavens for it.” He turned to the others at the table. “I’m taking my bride for a walk, to work off all this fine food. Any takers?”
One by one the others pushed away from the table.
Charley touched a napkin to her mouth and got to her feet. “Sorry. I’m needed at my office.”
“On Sunday?”
“The developer is flying in a team of architects. I promised to meet with them.”
“I have a landscaping job that won’t wait until tomorrow.” Hannah kissed her grandmother’s cheek.
Courtney followed suit. “I’m needed at my shop. With so many in town for Bert’s tribute, it’ll be mobbed.”
Sidney glanced at the sun, now high overhead. “I have to get back to my painting while the light is still good.”
The judge paused to consider his last remaining granddaughter. “Emily? Would you and Jason like to join us, or do the two of you have other plans as well?”
Before Emily could respond, Bert caught her husband’s hand and turned him away. “If you don’t mind, I’d like you all to myself. And I suspect those two young people feel the same way.”
With a laugh they started across the lawn, leaving Emily and Jason alone on the patio.
“Alone at last.” Jason leaned close, then looked up to see Trudy just heading toward them. With a muttered oath he stepped back. “Looks like I spoke too soon. How do you manage to get any privacy in a crowd like this?”
Emily caught his hand. “Come on. I know just the place.”
She led him across the patio and around to the rear of the house. As soon as they were out of sight of the housekeeper, Jason drew her into his arms and covered her mouth with his.
Emily felt the quick rush of heat and thrilled to it. As he took the kiss deeper she wrapped her arms around his neck.
Against his mouth she whispered, “Why don’t we take this inside, away from any possible intrusions.”
“I like the way you think, Doctor Brennan.”
With a laugh she reached into her pocket and withdrew a ring of keys. “I keep my clinic closed on Sunday, except for emergencies.”
As she turned, Jason nibbled the back of her neck. “This is definitely an emergency.”
They were laughing as she bent to insert a key. Before she could, the door slid open.
Her laughter died in her throat.
She stared at the open door for a moment in silence before turning to Jason. “Someone’s been in here.”
“Are you sure?” He saw the alarm in her eyes. “Maybe Melissa forgot to lock it last night.”
“Mel left before me. I locked up last night. And I distinctly recall locking this door.”
“Your family?”
She shook her head. “They don’t have keys. Besides, they would never come around to the rear door. If they’d wanted to gain access, they’d have come in through the house entrance.”
“Stay here.” He stepped inside and walked from room to room, opening doors to the examining rooms, checking closets for places to hide. When he was content that no one was hiding inside, he returned to the door and held it for Emily.
“Maybe you’d better check out any drugs you keep here.”
Without a word she went to the locked cabinet. Finding it undisturbed, she walked from room to room, looking for anything that might be out of place.
Jason nodded toward the file cabinet. “Would someone want to go through your files?”
She shrugged. “For what reason? Except for a list of medical conditions, I can’t think of any use they’d be to an intruder.” Still, she opened each drawer, checking to see if any file folders appeared to be in disarray.
She returned to the reception area and began to pace. “Why would someone go to the trouble of breaking in, and then leave without taking anything?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. Are you absolutely certain you locked that door?”
She shrugged. “I thought so. Now I’m not so sure.”
Seeing the way she held herself stiffly, arms wrapped across her chest, he locked the door and crossed to her side.
She appeared startled. “What are you doing?”
Without a word he gathered her close, pressing his mouth to a tangle of hair at her temple.
“Jason? What are you…?”
He scooped her up and started into one of the examining rooms. Once inside he kicked the door shut and lowered his mouth to hers.
Against her lips he murmured, “I’ve always found the best way to ponder a mystery is by doing something to divert my attention.”
“I see. Is that all I am? A diversion?”
“The best.” He cut off the protest she was about to make, kissing her, long and slow and deep, until heat rose up, pulsing between them.
When at last she came up for air she managed to mumble, “Umm. I suppose you mean that as a compliment.”
“You bet. And since we’ve finally escaped that big, noisy family of yours, I figure there’s no sense letting this precious privacy go to waste.”
She gave a laugh of pure delight. “I’m beginning to like the way you think.”
He ran hot, nibbling kisses down her throat. “I figured you
would.”
Chapter 12
Emily jogged down the curving driveway of The Willows and hit the main street at a run. Because of the dense fog rolling in off the lake, the street-lights were little more than golden halos, visible only when she was directly beneath them. At this time of the morning hardly anyone in Devil’s Cove was up.
When she’d been at University Hospital, she’d had the use of one of the finest cardiovascular workout centers, with state-of-the-art equipment. Now she jogged to the local YMCA and did a quick round on their machines before following up with laps in the pool. What had begun as an inconvenience was now a source of real pleasure to her. She found that she liked having the streets of the town to herself. Loved watching the changing scene, from spring to summer, from a hot, muggy morning to one like this, with fingers of fog chilling her heated flesh.
“’Morning, Doc.” Albert, the high-school custodian, performed the same service at the Y during his summer break. He barely looked up from the magazine he was reading.
“Good morning, Albert.” It occurred to Emily that this building smelled the same as her old high school. That indefinable smell of locker rooms, pool chemicals and disinfectant.
She stepped into the workout room and noted that several regulars were already there.
“Hi, Emily.” Ted Johnson, the bank manager, lean and trim at fifty, was busy at the rowing machine.
Emily waved as she approached the stair-stepper.
“Hey, Dr. Brennan.” Bret Drummond was a high-school senior who worked for Emily’s sister, Hannah, during the summer to stay in shape for football season.
“Hey, yourself. Have you decided that laying sod and digging trenches isn’t enough exercise, Bret?”
“I figured I’d push a little harder.” With a grin he returned his attention to the weights.
Across the room Emily saw Chief Boyd Thompson working up a sweat on one of the treadmills. He didn’t bother to acknowledge her as he continued on at a steady pace.
Emily went through her routine, moving easily from the stair-stepper to the rowing machine vacated by Ted Johnson, and finally to weights.
Much later, satisfied with her workout, she stepped into a dressing room and stripped down to her bathing suit before placing her keys in her shoe and stashing everything in a locker.
The best part of her workout was swimming laps. Growing up in Devil’s Cove, she’d been swimming since she was old enough to walk. She’d always loved the water. There was solace in the simple act of diving in and feeling herself enclosed in a warm cocoon. Now, as she swam the length of the pool, then back, she allowed herself to think about the one thing she’d been avoiding.
This time she’d spent with Jason had been a revelation. It was as if the years had melted away, and they’d never been apart. All the old feelings were still there. They could talk for hours without running out of things to say. They could go for long stretches of time without speaking and feel none of the awkwardness that usually cropped up between two people. It was as though they were completely in sync. Hearts, minds, souls. With Jason she had discovered something else that had been missing from her life as well. Passion. From that first frantic tug at her heart, to the pulse-pounding need whenever he touched her, there was no denying the effect he had on her. His kisses packed a punch that no drug could ever duplicate. It ought to be thrilling, and it was. But it was also terrifying.
She was frowning as she pulled herself from the pool and started toward the lockers. Was that why she’d insisted on returning to her own place last night, even though the temptation to stay the night with him had been almost overwhelming? Hadn’t she fooled herself into believing that she could simply enjoy being with Jason for a week, and then get on with her life as it had been before? Now she was beginning to realize that, though she thought of herself as older and wiser, the truth was, she couldn’t avoid being hurt. Oh, she’d be able to put a good face on it. But when he left, it would be every bit as painful as before.
Glancing around she realized the others were already gone. She turned the combination lock and was reaching for her clothes when she suddenly froze.
She’d put her keys in her shoe, and set her jogging clothes on top. Now they were in disarray, with her clothing tossed carelessly to one side, and her shoes turned over. After a few frantic seconds she located her keys lying under the pile of clothes.
She stood a moment, puzzling over this. It was clear to her that the one responsible for rifling though her things had made no effort to hide it. But why? To annoy her? To frighten her? To warn her that she was vulnerable?
If so, it had had the desired effect. Heart pounding, she took a deep breath and closed herself in a dressing cubicle. When she stepped out minutes later, she hurried outside and set a brisk pace for the run home. Once there she showered and dressed for a day at the clinic, grateful that her busy schedule would keep her mind off this latest mystery.
Melissa poked her head in the examining room. “That’s the last patient of the day.”
“Thanks, Mel.” Emily made some final notes in the file before handing the folder over to her assistant. “Are you going to the play tonight?”
Melissa nodded. “Wouldn’t miss it. I think the entire town will be there.” As she stepped into the reception area she called, “Hi, Jason. The doctor is in, but only if you’re not here as a patient.”
“You can count on that.”
Emily looked up as he filled the doorway. A moment later he closed the door and leaned against it before dragging her into his arms.
Against her lips he whispered fiercely, “You should have stayed the night.”
She absorbed the familiar rush of heat and clung to him a moment, loving the feel of his mouth, rough and possessive, on hers. “I needed…” She put a hand to his chest and sucked in a quick, shuddering breath. “…to get back to my routine.”
“God knows I don’t want to get in the way of that, Em. But I spent a miserable night wishing you were with me.”
She gave a shaky laugh. “Yeah. Me, too.”
“Good. It’s nice to know I’m not alone in this madness.”
From the other side of the door came Melissa’s muffled voice. “Good night, you two. See you at the play.”
Before Emily could reply she was dragged close for another kiss. This time she gave herself up to it completely, loving the feel of Jason’s arms holding her close while his mouth plundered hers.
When at last he lifted his head, the fire in his eyes had her heart hitching. “I know I promised you dinner before the play, Em. But I’m afraid if I don’t soon get some time alone with you, I’ll devour you.”
Without a word she took his hand and led him out of the clinic and up the back stairs to her room. Once inside she closed the door and turned to him.
He drew her into his arms. “You don’t mind? If you do…”
She touched a finger to his mouth. With a smile she whispered, “We can have dinner anytime, Jase. Right now I want the same thing you want.”
And then there was no need for words as they took each other with all the fury of a summer storm.
Emily picked up a shawl and was about to open the door to her room when Jason’s arms came around her and he drew her back against the length of him.
“You’re sure you’ve named everyone who was at the Y this morning?”
“I’m sure.” She paused before adding, “Jase, nothing was taken.”
“That’s just it. Nothing was taken from your clinic, either. But someone is working overtime to get your attention. We need to figure out why.”
“Maybe it’s just someone’s idea of a prank.”
He turned her to face him. “Has this ever happened before?”
She shook her head.
“Then maybe it isn’t just being done for your sake.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He shrugged. “There are no secrets in Devil’s Cove. By now everyone knows that you’re spending time w
ith me. Let’s not forget that there are plenty of people in this town who resent me for the book I wrote.”
“You said it was fiction.”
“Based on something that actually happened here in Devil’s Cove. And from my research, I drew conclusions. Fictional ones, but conclusions all the same.”
“Are you saying that there really could be a murderer here in our town who is afraid of what you know?”
“I wish I had the answer to that.” He met her eyes. His own were narrowed in thought. “I never wanted to put you in harm’s way, Emily. I want you to promise me that you’ll be careful.”
She was already shaking her head. “If you think I’m going to give up jogging, working out, putting in evenings in my clinic…”
“I wouldn’t even suggest such a thing. Just don’t take any chances. You can do those things without being careless.”
When she started to draw away he tightened his grasp on her upper arms. “Promise me.”
She gave a sigh before nodding. “I’ll be careful.”
“Good girl.”
He led the way down the stairs and out the door to his car. When they were settled he gave her a smile. “I like the title of the play. An Orchid for Mrs. B. Let’s see if the high-school drama club is any better than we were.”
Though he managed to keep his smile in place, he found himself glancing around as they parked and made their way through the crowded assembly in the high-school auditorium to their assigned seats with the rest of Emily’s family.
As the lights went down and he struggled to follow the plot of the lighthearted play, Jason had the prickly feeling that someone nearby was watching. Throughout the play he couldn’t shake the feeling.
Chapter 13
“What did you think, Mrs. B?” One of the student actors addressed Bert, who was basking in the afterglow.
“Would you prefer a critique of the writing or the acting?” She stood, arms laden with orchids, which had been presented on-stage by a cast member, to thunderous applause from the audience. Now, as the crowd began to drift away, she remained with the actors and their families, enjoying the moment.
