Illegally Blonde

by anna snow

  I knew this would be coming if the public found out Kelly was a suspect. I'd just held out hope that the word wouldn't get out, but it obviously had, and now I had a growing mob of angry fans on my sidewalk, some holding signs declaring their hate for Kelly.

  "What are we going to do?" Mandy asked.

  "First," I said, moving away from the window, "I'm going to call Tyler and let him know what's going on outside." I pulled my phone out of my pocket. "Hopefully, he'll be able to send someone down here to thin out that crowd. Then we're going to close up shop, and you're going to go home and stay there while Silas and I check out these band members. I don't want to risk your safety by leaving you alone here with those maniacs just outside the door."

  Mandy nodded, powered off her computer, and gathered her things.

  An angry mob hadn't been how I'd wanted to begin my day, but over the years I'd learned that we don't always get what we want.

  "Oh no you don't," Silas called out and ran to the door where some members of the crowd tried to force their way into the office. He pressed his body against it then snapped the lock into place.

  "They must know she isn't here. What do they think they're going to accomplish rallying here?" He stepped away to the window and twisted the long wand used to close the blinds. We could no longer see the crowd, but we could certainly still hear them.

  I pressed my phone to my ear, ran to the back door, and twisted the lock into place just in case some of the crazed fans had discovered the back entrance and gotten some wild ideas.

  Much to my surprise, because Tyler rarely ever answered his phone, he answered on the second ring. "Hey, babe."

  "Tyler, I need you to get over here as fast as you can."

  "What's wrong?" I could hear the concern in his voice, and it calmed me just a fraction.

  "The fact that Kelly is a suspect hit the front page this morning, and now there's a mob of angry fans crowding the office entrance. They even tried to get inside."

  "Lock the doors. I'll be right there."

  He ended the call, and I slid my phone back into my pocket as I made my way back into the waiting area.

  "Tyler will be here soon."

  "Thank goodness. We can't get out of here safely until that crowd thins out." Mandy shook her head.

  Silas flipped on the small television we kept in the waiting area and turned it to a local news station.

  "Well, there's how the fans figured out where Kelly works." He motioned toward the television where a woman wearing a red jumpsuit was talking into a microphone outside the front steps of the police station.

  "Again, for those of you just tuning in, I'm broadcasting live from the Dallas Police Department where a suspect has been detained in the brutal murder of the very popular rock band The Rebels front man, Mark Reynolds. In a shocking turn of events, Reynolds longtime girlfriend, Kelly Sears, has been named the primary suspect in the murder. Ms. Sears, as you may have heard, works for the PI firm of Jackson Investigations. You'll remember that Jackson Investigations was responsible for helping apprehend the murderer of Lydia Hatchett, wife of modeling agent Robert Hatchett, a little more than three months ago. There's no word yet on whether or not formal charges will be filed. We'll fill you in as the story unfolds."

  "Fantastic," I said and sat down in one of the guest chairs. "Even if Lopez does somehow get Kelly released, how are we going to keep her safe?" I asked. "If they know where she works, then I'm sure they're smart enough to look up her home address. There're probably people waiting outside her apartment building right now in case she's released."

  "She can stay at my place," Silas offered.

  I raised my eyebrows at him. "Really? I thought houseguests cramped your style."

  Silas shrugged. "Not really. I cleared this week's schedule at the gallery and asked a couple of the ladies I hired to look after the place after you called asking for my help. She can stay at my apartment in the spare bedroom until we get to the bottom of all this. My apartment building has a doorman and guards in the lobby. No one goes in or out without permission. You know that." He smiled at me, and I could see the hope in his eyes. He wanted her safe as badly as I did because Silas had feelings for her. Real, substantial feelings.

  He was good at hiding his feelings for her beneath his laid-back attitude, but I saw right through it.

  "Silas's place really does appear to be the best option at this point," Mandy agreed with a shake of her head. "If the public knows where she works, they could easily find out where we live as well, and who knows what some of those hardcore fans are capable of?"

  Neither one of them seemed to realize that there was a chance Lopez wouldn't be able to secure Kelly's release. All this discussion about where to stash her could be a huge waste of time.

  "He'll get her out," Silas said, noting the expression on my face. "He's too good not to."

  "I hope you're right."

  It wasn't long before the whine of a police siren sounded in front of the office. I hopped up and jogged to the main window then peeked through the mini blinds. "Tyler's here, and he brought back up."

  A moment later Silas unlocked the front door, and all four and a half feet of my fiery red-haired Aunt Mona came charging inside.

  "Lord have mercy, girl, it's a madhouse out there," she said as she tossed her enormous, yellow, leather purse on Mandy's desk where it landed with a plop. "I haven't seen a crowd that rowdy since our trip to Best Buy on the last Black Friday sale. There for a moment I thought I was going to have to start throat punching some fools." She reached up and fluffed her already towering flame red hair.

  "It's good to see you too, Mona." I chuckled. Mona might have been small, but she was serious about dealing out those punches. "I thought you'd be at work today."

  "Oh, honey. I'm off for the next two weeks. My paid vacation time was about to expire. It's a new thing they've started doing, which I think is ridiculous, but I'll tell you more about that later," she prattled on. "And I wasn't about to lose it. I'd just stepped into the station to grab the scarf I'd forgotten as I left for home yesterday when I ran into Tyler, and he told me what was happening down here. So, I hitched a ride with him to come down here and make sure you girls were all right. I was already headed here to see if there was anything I could do to help anyway."

  "Need us to fill you in on anything?" Silas asked with his always-in-place charming smile.

  Mona stepped toward Silas. He leaned down, and she kissed him on one cheek while patting him on the other like a sweet old auntie, which she was anything but. Mona was a ball of fire. "No," she answered when she stepped back. "Everyone down at the station has a pretty big mouth, so I got the gist of the whole situation. I even got to see Kelly for a few minutes. She's doing all right, bless her heart. Her lawyer was there to see her when we left." She reached out and patted my arm.

  The door opened, and Tyler strolled in. He cast Silas his usual touch my woman, and I'll destroy you glare.

  Silas grinned in return.

  Over the past three months, I'd grown accustomed to their macho male behavior. At first, it was a little bit flattering to have two such handsome men throwing glares and insults at each other over me, but now I was beyond over it. I'm talking if they didn't start acting like adults, I might have to take a page out of Mona's book and try out a few of those throat punches she was so fond of.

  Tyler stepped forward and kissed me.

  "How are you holding up?" he asked as he stepped back and took my hand in his.

  "I'm fine, just anxious to get started. Then that crowd showed up, so now we can't even get to our cars."

  "Well, there's good news and bad news," he said with a sigh. "The bad news is that we can't make the fans leave if they're assembling peacefully. Which they are, considering that they haven't damaged any property, and they aren't exactly screaming and shouting. They're just rude as hell, a bit loud, and their signs are ridiculous."

  "So what's the good news?" I asked even though I was afraid o
f the answer. To me, if the police couldn't make the rabid fans leave, there was no good news.

  "The captain is allowing a couple of officers to stay here for a while to watch over the place. Just in case these fans decide to go a little crazy after we leave," he clarified. "We're pretty sure that once you're all out of here the crowd will disperse. There won't be anyone here to taunt, so they'll probably find their way down to the station to join up with the other crazy fans."

  "Good. Let's get out of here. I've got work to do."

  "Don't you mean we?" Silas asked.

  "We?" Tyler asked in return. "What's this we business?" Tyler glared down at me.

  Mona grinned, Mandy chuckled behind her hand, and I groaned.

  "Yes. We," I said impatiently. "Since Kelly is in jail, Mandy doesn't work in the field, Mona would find any reason to blast someone with that Taser she keeps in her purse, and you told me to be careful while I investigate, I asked Silas to tag along. Is there going to be a problem with this?"

  Tyler growled low then blew out a breath as he ran his fingers through his thick black hair. "No." He kissed my forehead and peered down at me with those mesmerizing emerald green eyes of his. "Just be careful." He tossed a glance in Silas's direction. "This isn't exactly Deuce Bigalow's line of work." He looked back at me. "I worry about you, you know?"

  "I know." I grinned up at him. His deep green eyes always sent a shiver right through me. "I'll be fine. Now, get us out of here so we can all get back to work."

  Mona grabbed her purse. "I'm going to Mandy's place with her to help with anything you might need while you're following leads today."

  "I appreciate your help," I said, but I knew the real reason she was camping out at Mandy's. Unlike me, Mona didn't like being alone. She also just wanted to bake for someone while she watched her soaps, and Mandy didn't mind because she got homemade cookies out of the ordeal. I couldn't blame her. Mona's cookies were to die for. "Just let me grab my things, and I'll be ready."

  I hurried over to the chair I'd been sitting in and grabbed my purse then made sure my gun was still secured in the holster strapped to my ankle.

  "Just follow me." Tyler placed his large hand on my elbow. "There are three officers outside. I'll help Barb to her car," Tyler addressed the room. "Once we step outside, one of the other officers will escort Mona and Mandy while the remaining officer keeps an eye on everyone. Just ignore whatever they may say to you, get in your cars, and drive away. Everyone clear?"

  Mandy, Silas, and I nodded. Mona gave a salute and grinned. Mona was a bit of an adrenaline junkie. I knew that in the back of her mind she was sort of hoping something would happen as soon as we stepped outside. She loved a good flare-up any day of the week. I'd often wondered how Mona didn't have a police record a mile long by now.

  Tyler took my upper arm and ushered me through the main door and out onto the sidewalk. The crowd covered most of the sidewalk and was spreading into the street. I didn't know what they thought they were accomplishing, seeing as Kelly was in jail, and nothing they were doing here was going to make it back to her.

  We each made it to our vehicles without incident. I was relieved, while Mona looked a little disappointed as she plopped down into the passenger seat of Mandy's vehicle.

  I got into my car, and Tyler kissed me through the open window.

  "You be careful. I mean it."

  His expression would have frightened most people, but I knew his worried face was completely different from his mad face. He was simply worried for my safety and wasn't afraid to show it.

  "Call me if you need anything, and I'll let you know as soon as I have any new information."

  "Thanks. Be careful." I gave him one more quick peck on the lips before he stepped away from the window.

  Tyler grinned and tossed a wink at me, scowled at Silas, and then headed back toward his vehicle.

  A quick glance in the rearview mirror told me that Tyler had pulled away from the curb safely, and he'd been right about the crowd. They were making their way away from the office, slowly but surely. With any luck, if we had to get back into the office today, we'd have a clear path.

  After the fiasco with the crowd of fans at the office, we'd wasted more of the morning than I'd thought. It was already nearing noon.

  "So, where do we start first?" Silas said while he relaxed back in the seat, and I headed toward the highway.

  My stomach chose that moment to release a growl. "Whataburger."

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Two patty melts on sourdough buns, fries with cheese, and sodas later, Silas and I were sitting in the parking lot of the nearest Whataburger, trying to decide which one of Mark's bandmates to pay a visit to first.

  I took a drink of my soda, slid the cup into the drink holder, and then pulled a pen out of my purse.

  "I say let's start with the first name on the list and just go from there," Silas said then popped the last of his fries into his mouth.

  "That's as good a plan as any," I agreed and scanned the list Mandy had given us. "We have four names here: Jamie Sullivan, Henry Latimer, Toby Dobbs, and Dale Allens. So, it looks like Jamie's up first, but before that, I was thinking since Mona is at Mandy's, and I'm sure she's most likely chomping at the bit to help, I'm going to give her something to do."

  "Something that will keep her out of trouble?"

  "Definitely," I agreed, pulled my phone out of my pocket, and dialed Mona's number.

  She answered on the first ring, which told me she was bored out of her mind being the only one without anything to do but bake.

  "Hello there, darlin'," she said cheerfully. "How's it going?"

  "We're about to start questioning the band, but before we do, I was wondering if you can help us with something."

  "Anything. You name it," she said.

  "Great. I need for you to use your laptop to check the Facebook pages of each of The Rebels band members. I want to know if they're all definitely in town and if they've posted anything odd. Anything at all that might help us somehow."

  "No problem. I'm on it. I'll call you as soon as I snoop around."

  She hung up without waiting for me to end the conversation. I looked at the phone, shook my head, and then tossed it into my purse in the backseat.

  "She was bored out of her skull, wasn't she?" Silas guessed with a laugh.

  "Yes, but she'd never admit it. Now that I have her checking that avenue, let's get this show on the road."

  I put the car in drive and rolled up to one of the outside trash cans, tossed our wrappers inside, and then turned out onto the highway. It was lunchtime, and traffic was becoming a beast.

  "Where's this Jamie person live anyway?" Silas asked as he adjusted his seat belt, and we fell into the flow of the lunchtime rush.

  "The address is out in Irving on Magnolia Lane," I answered.

  "Modest neighborhood for a rock star. Nice and quiet."

  "I agree, but the band just recently hit it big. Some of these guys might not have started spending money like crazy just yet."

  Silas shrugged.

  Nearly thirty minutes later we pulled onto Magnolia Lane. I slowed down, and Silas and I scanned the house numbers painted on the curbs. Houses of all different styles and sizes, all with well-manicured lawns, lined the streets of the quiet neighborhood. It wasn't long before Silas spotted the house we were looking for.

  "There it is. 1225 Magnolia Lane." Silas pointed to a large house on the left side of the road. I pulled to a stop at the curb and killed the ignition. The house was a one-story structure with a Spanish-tile roof, burnt-sienna colored shutters, and a greener than green lawn.

  "Nice." I nodded my approval.

  "Looks like someone's home," Silas said as he motioned to a black Jeep in the driveway parked next to a maroon minivan. "I'm surprised there isn't a crowd of fans here too." He unbuckled his seat belt.

  "Well, I doubt any of the band members allow their addresses to be public knowledge. Well, except Mark, and as you know, h
e wasn't the sharpest tool in the box. Mandy doesn't always get her information legally, you know."

  Silas grinned. "She looks so sweet and unassuming."

  "And she could ruin anyone with the right amount of determination and just a few keystrokes," I replied with a grin of my own. "Let's check this guy out." Without waiting for Silas, I hopped out of the car and made my way up the smooth stone pathway to the front door.

  I raised my hand to knock, but before I had the chance, the door was yanked open.

  I peered down into the chubby little face of a small blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl with pigtails, chocolate around her mouth, and a raggedy doll in her hand. Its legs dragged the floor, and patches of its hair were missing.

  Don't get me wrong. I liked kids. I just didn't know how to act around them, especially when they were carrying around a doll that would scare the crap out of Chucky. I had to watch my language (which wasn't always easy), and they were always sticky or covered in some foreign substance. When it came to small kids, I was a fish out of water.

  "Um, are your parents home?"

  She smiled up at me then spotted Silas, and her grin widened impossibly. It amazed me that even children were taken in by his charm.

  I shook my head.

  "Why?" she asked simply.

  "Because we need to speak with them?" I said in a questioning tone. I was completely out of my element, and for a moment I wondered if she could smell my fear.

  "Margaret? What have I told you about answering the door?" A tall, thin woman hurried toward us. The little girl giggled then ran off, her doll dragging along behind her, leaving a trail of melted chocolate and something else unidentifiable in its wake.

  "I'm sorry about that. She doesn't quite understand stranger danger yet. I'm Silvia. Is there something I can help you with?"

  I smiled at the woman, who was just a tall adult version of her daughter, and replied, "My name's Barb Jackson, and this is my friend Silas Thorne. We're looking into the death of Mark Reynolds. We're looking for Jamie. We'd just like to ask him a few questions."