Prince Charming is a Liar (Your Every Day Hero Book 1)

by Higgins, Marie

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or deceased, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Prince Charming is a Liar (Your Every Day Hero Series)

  Copyright © 2016 Marie Higgins

  Cover Design by Sheri McGathy

  Edition License Notes

  This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Amazon.com (Kindle) and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  I want to thank my friends, Cherub-Angel, Veronica Mesia, Sharon Simmons, and Mary Martinez, for helping me with this story. They are really good at finding my mistakes. I’d also like to thank my oldest daughter, Chrystal, for helping me brainstorm! She is a Law & Order SUV fan, so her knowledge is very helpful. And of course, I can’t forget my wattpad.com friends. They always encourage me to keep writing. Thank you all!

  Other published stories from Marie Higgins

  “Stealing the Duchess” – Regency Romance Suspense

  “Secrets and Lies” – Victorian Romance Suspense

  “Haunting Secrets” – Victorian Paranormal Romance

  “Amazon Sunset” – Victorian Romance Action / Suspense

  “Love Lost in Time” – Victorian Time-Travel / Suspense

  “Waiting for You” – Paranormal / Time-travel Romance

  “Becoming a Lady” – Regency Romance

  “In the Arms of Danger” – Romantic Suspense

  “Crazy For You” – Romantic Comedy

  “My Heart’s Treasure” – Victorian Romantic Suspense

  Where Dreams Come True Series (fairy tales)

  “The Witch Hunt” – Young Adult Fantasy

  “Champion” – Robin Hood / time travel

  “Her Very Own Godmother” – Modern-day Cinderella, romantic comedy

  “Keep on Believing” – Historical Cinderella

  “Once Enchanted” – Rapunzel romance

  Christian Historical Series

  “A Walk in Heaven” – book 1

  “Touching Heaven” – book 2

  “Reach for Heaven” – book 3

  Regency Romance Series

  “The Sweetest Kiss” – book 1

  “The Sweetest Touch” – book 2

  “The Sweetest Love” – book 3

  “The Sweetest Secret” – book 4

  Victorian Romance Series

  “Love Me Always” – book 1

  “Charmed by Knight” – book 2

  “True Love’s Deception” – book 3

  “Belong To Me” – book 4

  “Love Comes Blindly” – book 5

  Colonial Romance Series

  “Take My Heart” – book 1

  “Falling in Love Again” – book 2

  “Wonderland by Night” – book 3

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  In my story, Prince Charming is a Liar, I’ve gone farther than I usually do with my stories dealing with the subject matter. My heroine is a police detective, and the police have seen every horrible thing criminals in this world have done. I’ll just talk about one of them in my story. Although the subject matter leans more toward a sexual nature, I assure you, my story is still considered ‘clean’. There will be no swearing or no sex scenes in this story. I hope you still enjoy the suspenseful—and a little funny—crime romance.

  When Detective Brittany Russell goes undercover to expose a murderer, she had no idea what she was getting herself into—especially after meeting wealthy businessman, Austin Reeder…who happens to be a suspect. He is hiding something, and Brittany is determined to bring him down. Unfortunately, to catch the killer, she might have to break a few rules. The longer she talks with the charmer of women, the more she’s drawn to the gorgeous man. Thankfully, her partner, Kurt Hamill, is the one who has always kept her out of trouble. Loving him comes easy. But now she’s stuck in the middle of a love-triangle. Too bad she doesn’t know which Prince Charming is telling her the truth.

  ONE

  Detective Brittany Russell, from Seattle’s West precinct, raised her fist to knock on the door, but when she placed it on the hard wood, the barrier pushed open. She held her breath and listened for signs of movement inside the penthouse apartment. Why would the door just open, when her informant assured her Austin Reeder would be in a meeting all day? Apparently, her informant wasn’t very accurate.

  She cleared her throat and called into the quiet apartment, “This is Detective Russell with Seattle Police Department. I need to ask you a few questions.”

  Still, she heard nothing.

  She opened her decorative, black, beaded purse that hung over her shoulder, and grabbed her phone, quickly dialing her partner. Hamill here. I’m busy, so leave a message.

  She growled. Where was he? He was supposed to be here with her. “Kurt, get your butt over here, pronto. I’m at Austin Reeder’s suite, and I think there might be a break-in…or maybe even another murder scene. The door is cracked open, but I don’t hear anything inside. So get over here—” click. The phone disconnected. He really needed to make the phone message time a little longer than that.

  “Mr. Reeder?” she called into the room. “Are you there? Are you hurt?”

  Once again, silence greeted her.

  Glancing at the elevator, she tried to decide what to do. She couldn’t go inside the suite until Kurt showed up. It was too dangerous to go in alone. But because her partner wasn’t answering his phone—

  A heavy thud came from inside the penthouse suite. Her heart knocked against her ribs harder, and she quickly grasped her glock inside the purse. She still didn’t dare go inside. She was overdressed for this particular assignment, but when Captain Martinez told her to check out one of the suspects—insisting it was to be done now—who was Brittany to argue? Besides, when the captain wanted something immediately, he didn’t want to hear excuses. Trying to explain that Brittany was at her father’s, and soon-to-be stepmother’s, afternoon engagement party wouldn’t have hit the stubborn captain’s ears, anyway.

  Her red, silk dress that showed too much of her legs, and the matching jacket she wore was definitely not the required uniform. Anybody would think she was a Charlie’s Angel wannabe in this getup. Unfortunately, she was here to do her job, no matter what she looked like. However, her precinct would get a hardy chuckle out of this. She wasn’t sure she was ready to laugh along with them. Not yet.

  Another heavy thud came from inside. “Mr. Reeder? Can you hear me?”

  When she didn’t hear him, instinct told her that she needed to go inside and check it out. Taking careful steps, she entered the room with her G42 weapon held high. She quickly swept her gaze around the room, but so far it appeared the occupant wasn’t at home.

  She wasn’t surprised to see Mr. Reeder’s place decorated with expensive chairs, antique furniture, and Persian rugs. The man was extremely wealthy. Then again, he did own three banks and this luxury hotel where his penthouse apartment was located.

  As she took three more steps, her three-inch heels tapped on the floor of the entryway. Silently, she groaned. This was one of the reasons she’d wanted to go home and change, but Captain Martinez wouldn’t have it.

  “Is anyone here?” she called out again but received no reply.

&nbs
p; Although she really should turn and leave, her gut feeling told her to stay. She had heard heavy thuds. If Mr. Reeder wasn’t here, perhaps this was a break-in after all. That would certainly explain why the front door was cracked open.

  Brittany should certainly search his penthouse suite. He was a suspect of a murder, after all.

  The victim of the brutal murder was twenty-six year old, Hillary Banks. Brittany remembered the woman from high school. They weren’t in the same grade, but being a year younger, Brittany watched everyone and knew a lot about them, as well. Even back then, her detective instincts were taking control of her life.

  Hillary had been a religious girl in high school, but once she graduated, she went to college at WSU in Pullman, and Brittany hadn’t heard what happened to the woman. Only two days ago, Hillary had been murdered in her family’s home right here in Seattle. Her parents were at work, and her younger brother was at school. Hillary had just gotten out of the tub and wrapped a robe around her body. Within moments of leaving the bathroom, the woman was smashed over the head with a large object, crushing her skull, and killing her instantly.

  Suspiciously, the murder weapon was not found on the premises. No fingerprints were found on the crime scene, except for the family who lived there. The only thing the police had to use for leads was the list of men written on a piece of paper that was folded and found in Hillary’s robe.

  Since that discovery, her team had been trying to locate the men on the list and interview them. Austin Reeder’s name was at the bottom of the list. Brittany and her partner, Kurt Hamill, had planned to visit Mr. Reeder tomorrow. Why Captain Martinez wanted this done immediately, Brittany wished she knew. And where was Kurt? As her partner, he should have been here to back her up.

  She reached into her beaded purse again and pulled out her cell. Just like before, it went to his voicemail.

  “Hamill, where are you?” she growled. “I know you received Martinez’s call, so why are you ignoring me?”

  As she put the cell back in her purse, she seriously hoped he was on the way. Back up was most important in her line of work.

  A bead of moisture trickled down her neck. Good grief! Why did it feel overly warm in here? It was early summer, so unless he was trying to cook food on his counter top, the temperature shouldn’t be this hot. Either that, or she’d found a hidden trap door into Satan’s lair.

  She clutched her G42 and walked into the room further. The wealthy businessman had a glass case liquor bar, a large dining area, and living room. The three bookcases filled from edge to edge. It would seem he didn’t have a social life, and probably stayed at home reading. She’d had almost this many books when she was in college, and of course, she really didn’t have a social life, either.

  She took another step, heading toward the hallway, but before reaching it, the floor creaked. She jerked to a stop and listened closer.

  The door to one of the rooms opened, and out walked a man. He was tall, built like a quarterback, and wore a black bathrobe that reached his knees. His wet hair was slicked back on his head, and his face appeared freshly shaven. His attention was on his Ipod as he scrolled through it. In his ears were earphones with a cord attached to the electronic device.

  Inwardly, she groaned. No wonder he hadn’t heard her calling out, announcing herself! A good detective checks every room, Russell. But in her defense, she was about to when he walked out.

  Panic hammered away in her chest, bringing a momentary shut-down to her brain…and her lungs, because at this moment as she stared at his bathrobe and the muscular bare legs, she couldn’t breathe. Her worst nightmare—for today, anyway—had come true. She’d been caught in the suspect’s apartment looking like a girl going to her first prom, and holding a G42, no less! What kind of bad horror flick was this?

  The rhythm of her heart was as fast as a speeding train, and she knew it would derail and crash at any moment. If that happened, she’d be standing in the middle of his room, looking like a complete idiot in a fancy dress, with a gun.

  What would he think when he saw her? Although she could imagine plenty, it worried her that she didn’t look like a police detective. Naturally, he’d think someone was here to end his life. She definitely didn’t want him thinking that.

  Without another thought, she pushed the glock back in her beaded purse. Just then, the man raised his head and saw her. He stopped. His mouth hung open as his gaze moved over her. It didn’t bother her the way he scanned up and down her body like some kind of hungry coyote, but what concerned her was the way her mouth dried so quickly and cotton had taken up residence in her throat. This man was absolutely the most handsome man she’d ever laid eyes on—and she’d seen many in her twenty-five years.

  She forced herself to breathe—in through the nose, out of the mouth—before the oxygen stopped transporting to her brain. This handsome man made it impossible to concentrate. From his wet, short dark hair, to the cotton robe wrapped around his muscular frame, giving her a peep-show of his bare legs and thighs, was it any wonder her mind was so mixed up?

  Willing the words to come to her mind, she struggled with an excuse of what to tell him. Standing before him without her glock, made her feel naked…and of course, brain dead. She certainly wasn’t being professional now. The captain is going to ask for my badge and gun!

  Mr. Reeder’s narrowed gaze stayed on her as he walked toward her. When he finally stopped in front of her, the suspicious glint to his eyes had disappeared. A sexy, crooked grin touched his mouth.

  Sexy? She tried to shake the image out of her head. He was a murder suspect! Thinking of him this way was against the rules, and she kept the rule book in her head at all times.

  “How did you get in?” he asked, pulling out his earphones.

  “I…um,” she swallowed hard, “the door was already opened a little. I…heard a heavy thump inside. I…didn’t know what to think except you had fallen or something.”

  He nodded. “Oh, that. Well, I accidentally knocked the hamper over.” He ran his gaze over her again. “So I suppose you decided to come today, anyway?”

  The deep timbre in his voice made her heart flip-flop. Yet, why had he asked that question? What did he mean? Unless… Perhaps he knew who she was and wondered why she was here instead of tomorrow. But how could he know her purpose for being here? Especially dressed like this?

  She clutched her hands and held them to her middle. If only she had her gun, she’d feel more secure. She grumbled under her breath. What was she thinking to put it away so soon?

  “You don’t need to be afraid of me,” he spoke again. “In fact, why don’t you come over here.” He motioned to the dinette table. He slid his Ipod into the pocket of his robe. “We’ll have a drink to break the awkwardness between us.”

  Slowly, she shook her head. He had no clue to her identity. Nobody asked a police detective to have a drink of liquor with them. Maybe a cup of coffee or tea…but never liquor!

  Now the question remained, who then, did he think she was? For some reason, Mr. Reeder wasn’t at all surprised to see a strange woman—who dressed this fancy—in his apartment in the middle of the day. Obviously, he expected a woman like this, too. Yet, he certainly wasn’t dressed like he was going out for a night on the town, as she was.

  Perhaps she should play along and see where it led. After all, she was a detective, and she’d do anything to get the answers to her questions.

  Trying to relax her stiff legs, she wobbled to the table that was fancy enough to sit royalty. The Victorian style set came with matching mahogany, cushioned chairs. Did people really sit on something this expensive and actually eat?

  Hesitantly, she sat on one of the chairs. She didn’t take her eyes off him when he walked to the liquor cabinet, reached into the glass cabinet and took out two glasses.

  “What would you like to drink?” he asked. “I have just about everything there is.”

  She couldn’t stop gaping at his magnificent build. Her brain told her to s
top, because she loathed it when others looked upon her as if she was dessert served on a China plate with a golden spoon. But how could she stop admiring something so magnificent? He moved so sensual, like a model that’d been trained to turn a woman’s head.

  He glanced at her over his shoulder as if waiting for an answer. She licked her dry lips. She wasn’t a big drinker, even at special occasions when it called for champagne, she was usually the one turning it down and asking for ice water with a lemon. And because she was on duty, drinking was definitely out of the question.

  Mr. Reeder’s eyes narrowed on her again. His intent stare brought her out of her improper thoughts, and yet, her mind still remained blank. Silently, she scolded herself for acting this way. He wasn’t that good looking was he? Oh, yes, he is! But she still needed to quit acting like a deaf mute.

  She cleared her throat, preparing to say something, even if it was stupid. This had to be the longest she’d gone without speaking.

  “I’m assuming Derek sent you.” His grin made his eyes twinkle.

  Are his eyes green? That wouldn’t be a good thing. She’d always loved to stare into a man’s dreamy, green eyes.

  Her mind quickly came out of the clouds and consumed his question. Who was Derek? Well, since she was already in character—whatever character he thought she was—she’d play along. She nodded instead of verbally replying. Where was her voice?

  His smile widened. “Please don’t be scared. Loosen up a little. I’m going to have brandy, would you like one?”

  She shouldn’t, but… She didn’t have to drink it. Instead, she’d just act like it. That would be good enough. She gave him another nod.

  His long, lean fingers plucked off the bottle cork of the crystal decanter and poured the rich amber colored liquid into two crystal goblets. He brought the drinks to the table and rested one on a coaster in front of her.