Don't Say a Word

by Beverly Barton

  “You need to tell me who this friend of Maria’s is, Max.”

  “No can do. Put me in jail, if you have to.”

  “I’ve done it before.”

  “Yeah, you sure did. And it turned me on, especially the second time when you slammed the cell door yourself.”

  “Shut up, Max. This is serious.”

  “I know. That’s why I’m helping you out. Thought you’d want to alert the Las Vegas police that she’s out there and they need to look for her.”

  “We’ve already got a BOLO out on her. But this will help. They can canvass the casinos. Thanks, Max. I think.” She frowned. “This better not be another of your cons.”

  “Me? Heaven forbid. I’m just trying to do you a favor and win your personal regard.”

  Julia laughed a little at the feigned hurt expression on his face but headed back to the table, eager to tell Will what Max had found out. Anything that would help get their investigation moving forward was welcome news. She and Max returned to the table with their friends, and Julia sat listening to their conversations, but her mind was back on the case. When the food was delivered to the long buffet table at the rear of the room, guests slowly began meandering over to get in line for the steaming pans of lasagna and spaghetti and pasta primavera, hot crusty garlic bread, and lots of other Italian goodies. J.D. knew her favorites, all right. That’s when Julia caught sight of Tam Lovelady sitting at a nearby table. She decided to go over and say hello.

  “Hey, Tam, how’re you doing?”

  Tam turned and looked at her, and Julia knew at once she had caught her CPD partner at a bad time. There was the sheen of tears in Tam’s eyes, tears that she quickly wiped away with the back of her hand.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Did I interrupt something?”

  “No, no, of course not. Let me introduce you to my . . . husband. Julia, this is Marcus. Marcus, this is my new partner, Julia Cass.”

  “How do you do,” Julia said, feeling like a fool. She had obviously disturbed a private conversation—even worse, an emotional, personal one.

  Marcus held out his hand. He was a nice-looking man with kind eyes and an easy smile. His handshake was firm and warm. “You must be J.D.’s sister. He speaks very well of you.”

  “Yes, he’s my big brother. He overlooks my faults. At least, most of the time.”

  Marcus grinned. “J.D. and I have gone to a couple of Memphis State basketball games together.” They chatted a few minutes longer, and Julia sensed at once that Marcus cared deeply for Tam, if only by the longing way he looked at her.

  “Tam’s been telling me about you,” he said to Julia. “She’s looking forward to joining you on your new case.”

  “Me too. I could use some help. There’s not a lot to go on yet. The city’s all riled up because of the media’s hysteria about the Tongue Slasher. That’s not helping us. There might just be the one victim. We have no evidence that it’s a serial killer.” But my gut still tells me it is, she thought. She turned to Tam. “When do you get to testify?”

  “I’m next on the list, thank God. But J.D. and I can’t leave because we’re on the standby list.”

  Marcus said, “How about letting me escort you two lovely ladies to the buffet table? I don’t know about you, but I’ve been working all day, and I’m starving.”

  Tam smiled at him, and even though Julia understood they were separated, or had been, she knew instinctively that they were well on their way back into each other’s arms. At least she hoped so. According to J.D., they made a perfect couple. Julia wasn’t sure what had caused the strife in their relationship, and she certainly wasn’t going to ask. On the other hand, she knew for a fact that police work wasn’t exactly conducive to happy marriages. She hoped that J.D. and Audrey would fare better, if and when they got married.

  The party was going well, her friends back at their table. Julia was supposed to sit at the head table, so she took her plate and headed there, eager to talk to Will. She sat down where her place card was, between Will and Audrey.

  “You mad at me, Jules?” Will asked, but he was grinning. He hadn’t been cracking many jokes since they’d picked up the Tongue Slasher case, but what’s amusing about severed tongues and yellow nooses? And he called her Jules only when he was in a teasing mood.

  “I’ll get you back, Brannock. Just wait and see. I’ll strike when you least expect it. Like the Phantom.”

  “I’ll keep my eyes open.”

  He seems different tonight, Julia thought, and wondered why. But she liked him when he was relaxed and enjoying himself. She liked him, period. Unfortunately.

  “I see your beach bum friend is here.”

  Will was watching her closely now. “Yes, he and Charlie are good friends. They hang around together a lot.”

  “I also saw him whispering in your ear and leading you off to a dark corner.”

  Will was a regular Chatty Cathy now, smiling, even. Maybe that was because he was armed and his back was to the wall.

  “It wasn’t dark, and he took me there because he gave me a lead on our case.”

  Will turned serious really quick. “Is he working on this case, too?”

  “Yes. Tanya Lockhart’s afraid the killer’s coming after her and her brother.”

  “I don’t think so. She should have told us that when we talked to her.”

  “Probably was afraid we were as corrupt as her daddy.”

  “What’s the lead and where’d he get it?”

  “He won’t say where, but he said Maria Bota’s looking for work in the Las Vegas casinos, and we should get the Las Vegas police looking for her.”

  “What else?”

  “Nothing. I told him to stay out of it.”

  Brannock didn’t say another word but pulled out his phone and headed out to the lobby. Within minutes, he was back. “LVPD’s going to search for her. Keep your fingers crossed.”

  The food was good, and everybody seemed to be enjoying it, as well as the liberally flowing wine. Julia enjoyed the sweet interaction between Audrey and J.D. For heaven’s sake, J.D. smiled around like some kind of sappy, lovesick puppy dog when it came to Audrey Sherrod. But why wouldn’t he be so besotted? She was an elegant and gracious lady whose eyes absolutely glowed when she looked at him. Yep, he was pretty much a goner. So was Audrey.

  As the night wore on, Julia tried her best to meet all the friends and coworkers who came up to introduce themselves and welcome her. It was a touching gesture, and Will actually carried on a conversation that didn’t include fillet knives, gangs, and autopsies. He made a crack or two about Max and the wisdom of staying away from a private detective fishing for information. And another about Max stalking her. Perhaps this new attentiveness of his had more to do with Max Hazard than it did with her. She smiled at that idea. As Audrey tapped on her wine goblet with her knife, Julia leaned back in her chair. The room gradually quieted.

  “First off, I want to thank all of you for coming here to meet J.D.’s sister.” She raised her glass toward Julia. “Here’s to our beautiful Julia. We’re all so happy to have you here with us.”

  Julia nodded and smiled. Will saluted her with his wineglass and whispered, “Now we can all sleep better at night with you on the job.” He laughed a little at Julia’s discomfort when Audrey told everybody about Julia’s law enforcement decorations and sharpshooting trophies. Yes, she was going to have to kill him. He was having way too much fun at her expense, but maybe that was a good thing. Both of them had been so intensely concentrated on finding Lockhart’s murderer that letting off some steam was probably the best medicine for both of them. As soon as Audrey took the spotlight off Julia, Julia raised her goblet and drank deeply.

  “You keep drinking like that, and I might have to carry you home,” Will said.

  “I don’t think so.”

  “I could overpower you. I’m pretty strong.”

  “So am I. And I know where to kick you.”

  “Well, maybe you can carry yourself ho
me. Just so Max Hazard isn’t in the picture.”

  They quieted and listened as Audrey continued speaking.

  “There is another reason I invited everyone here,” Audrey said to the crowd of their friends, a big smile on her face as she turned to look at J.D. “Since everyone we love is here in this room, I think it’s the perfect time for me to make good on a threat I made to J.D. last summer.”

  Julia looked at J.D. He appeared surprised, clearly in the dark about whatever was coming next. So, Julia wasn’t the only one getting a surprise tonight. Julia leaned close to Will. She could smell the faintest scent of some kind of citrus aftershave. She liked it. “What’s this all about?”

  Will shrugged. “She didn’t fill me in on this one. I bet it’s going to be good, though. Poor J.D.”

  Audrey had walked over to J.D. She took his hands and pulled him up until he towered over her. “If you’ll remember, J.D., I told you that I’d give you six months to propose to me, before I took matters into my own hands and proposed to you.”

  The room exploded in a roar of laughter and clapping. Zoe’s voice rang out from the end of the table. “Well, finally!”

  That brought more laughter, even from Will. He had a deep laugh that matched his voice, a pleasant sound that Julia hadn’t heard much of since they’d seen Lucien Lockhart hanging from a rafter on his back porch.

  J.D. was grinning, too. Pleased as punch. He gave Audrey a bow and waited. “Well, go ahead, hit me with it,” he said, to the crowd’s delight.

  Audrey laughed, too, and said, “J.D. Cass, will you marry me, or not?”

  “I do,” he said, eliciting more laughter.

  Then he sobered and took Audrey’s hands. The crowd quieted again, then oohed and aahed as J.D. went down on one knee. “I will,” he said. “That’s why I brought this ring along tonight. You just beat me to it.”

  Now it was Audrey’s turn to look stunned. She watched as he flipped open a small black velvet box. He took out a large diamond ring that flashed and sparkled in the overhead lights. “Will you marry me, Audrey Sherrod?”

  “You bet I will, J.D. Cass.”

  There was murmuring throughout the crowd as J.D. slid the ring on her finger, and they hugged and kissed as the whole room cheered.

  “Well, I’ll be damned. I never figured J.D. for a romantic,” Will whispered, close enough to Julia’s ear to send a cold chill racing down her arm. “Looks like there’s going to be a wedding. If that transpires, I guess you know you’ll actually have to drop your tomboy persona and put on a dress.”

  “I’ve had a dress on, Brannock. Once. And that was once too often,” Julia answered, but that wasn’t true, of course. As she watched Audrey and J.D. kissing, she got a big lump in her throat and tears burned her eyes. Good grief, she thought, what in the world is going on here? But in her heart, she knew. She was just happy, so happy for her brother to have finally found the love of his life. And, by the looks of things, Audrey Sherrod was definitely his soul mate. Embarrassed, she surreptitiously dabbed at a tear. Will noticed. He placed his hand over hers, where it lay in her lap, and gave it a comforting squeeze. She looked at him, and even before he spoke, she could see the understanding in his brown eyes.

  “I know. It’s because you’re happy for them.”

  Swallowing hard, she looked down at her hand covered completely by his long, tanned fingers. So Will Brannock could be nice and comforting and compassionate, too, as well as all that supersexy and crazy-masculine and more-attractive-than-humanly-possible stuff he possessed in such gargantuan quantities. On the other hand, he was still her partner and pretty much hands-off. Well, that’s just great, she thought, irked to high heaven. I finally find a guy that turns me on and causes ripples to shiver over my flesh, and he’s off-limits. Wow, how lucky can one girl get?

  Her gaze connected with Will’s concerned eyes again, and she smiled to herself. Then again, they wouldn’t be partners forever, now would they? Another reason to catch this psychopath Tongue Slasher as soon as possible. Maybe then, but only then, the time would be right for her and Will Brannock to hook up and see what would happen.

  Chapter 12

  Sweat pouring, breath heaving, blood pumping, Cathy Axelrod kept the fast jogging pace she’d set all the way to the end of the road that paralleled the river. Her German shepherds raced along with her. The Akita, his paw sufficiently healed to have returned home from Charlie’s, lagged behind as if he knew Cathy would just turn around and come back. He was the smartest dog, after all. Cathy had been a star cross-country runner in high school and college, with lots of ribbons to prove it. Since she’d joined the Wilderness Trail Running Association, she never missed a morning run, rain or sun, sleet or snow. It had a way of clearing her head, making her happy just to be alive, especially on a beautiful summer morning. She and Julia used to run together a lot when they were in their first K-9 training academy with Charlie, but she’d had to drag Julia out of bed if it was before seven o’clock. Dawn was totally out. Julia did like to sleep in. She smiled at the thought of the times she’d jumped up and down on Julia’s bed, forcing her to get up. And Jasper, of course, still a growing puppy back then, helped by yapping and licking Julia’s face. She was so thrilled her friend was in Chattanooga and actually lived right next door. Just like old times. She hoped they’d soon become as close as they once were.

  It would be good to have someone like Julia for some serious heart-to-hearts, especially right now. Lonnie was truly struggling with his clinical depression, and she wanted desperately to help him get through the bad times. Those times didn’t happen very often, but when they did, he was so deeply sad that she suffered along with him. Anytime one lost a family member, it was very hard to survive. Lonnie’s loss had happened in late summer, around this time of year, many years ago, and Lonnie always sank into an introverted, depressed state when the last week of August rolled around. She was determined to help him snap out of his melancholy, and maybe with Julia around, he’d be more apt to talk. He had done well at Audrey Sherrod’s party, better than she had expected, and had actually cheered up a tad.

  Charlie had been the one who had not seemed himself that whole night. Even with his old friend, Max Hazard, joking with him, Charlie had barely spoken to anyone until Julia appeared at their table.

  Apparently, what Lonnie needed was friendly social diversions. Maybe she should plan a dinner party herself, and soon, just to cheer him up and get him out of his studio and back into the swing of things. Yes, that was exactly what she’d do.

  Slowing down, about ready to turn back, she watched a black-and-chrome Hummer truck turn off the highway and onto their road. It was unusual for anyone to come visit, especially this early in the morning. Moments later, she recognized the driver as soon as he rolled to a crunching stop on the gravel beside her. Will Brannock, in the flesh, and some flesh it was. She’d met him last night at Audrey’s party, only briefly but he seemed very nice. Maybe a mite reserved, as Julia had described him, certainly a watchful and quiet man, but he had said nice things about Julia. That was good enough for Cathy.

  “Well, fancy meeting you here, Mrs. Axelrod,” he said in his deep voice, rolling down his window and grinning at her. Wow, he was indeed a good-looking fellow. She was happily married, but she wasn’t immune. She noticed men who looked like Will Brannock, all right. Just like most other women did.

  “Mornin’, Will. And please, call me Cathy.”

  “You look bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning. Don’t tell me you’re a die-hard early-bird-who-always-gets-the-worm kind of person.”

  Cathy laughed because the adage fit her so well. “Thanks, I think.”

  “It’s a compliment. Nothing like watching the sun come up over the river. That’s what I always say.”

  “Oh, so you live near the river, too?”

  Will looked away and then changed the subject. “You’re the lucky one, with a place like this. It’s beautiful out here. Julia mentioned that this property’
s been in your husband’s family for years.”

  Cathy noticed that he didn’t answer her question. An inquisitive sort since she was a child, Cathy wondered why. She didn’t push it, though. “Yes. He still gets offers now and again, but he’s never gonna sell this place, you can rest assured of that.”

  “Well, I can see why. It’s nice to have these woods surrounding your house. Does he hunt?”

  “Sometimes. Deer and squirrels. Not so much since we got married.”

  “Well, I won’t cool you down from the rest of your run. J.D. called this morning and asked me to pick up Julia out here. He forgot to tell her that he wants to come by later and pick up the Charger for a full diagnostic overhaul. Couldn’t get her on her cell.”

  “She probably forgot to charge it. She’s bad about that.”

  “Yeah, I noticed. J.D.’s putting on all new equipment for her, including four new tires. Says they’ve needed changing for a long time, but he kept putting it off.” He looked up the road toward Cathy’s house. “I take it I’m going in the right direction?”

  “You sure are. We live in that log house up there on the left.” She turned and pointed up the narrow gravel road. “Julia’s staying in the boathouse about half a mile farther along the river.”

  “Okay, I think I can manage that.” He patted the dashboard. “And this baby’s got GPS, if I get lost.”

  Cathy laughed. She rather liked him. And he was such a hunk. He’d be perfect for Julia. Nice-looking, good profession, everything pointed to a great match. “Hey,” she said on a sudden impulse. “How about joining Lonnie and me for dinner on Saturday night? Julia will be there.”

  Will Brannock didn’t hesitate a second. “Thanks for the invite, Cathy. That sounds great. Count me in.”

  They chatted for a few more minutes, during which time he asked what he could bring to the dinner party, and then Will Brannock bid her good-bye and rolled off in his truck toward the boat dock. She watched him go, smiling after him. Julia had been alone ever since she lost Bobby Crismon in that awful domestic-dispute call; had hardly dated anybody since. And that had been three years ago. Maybe Julia was finally ready to move on, and Cathy decided right off that Julia and Will Brannock made one kickin’ couple—movie-star striking, both of them. Yeah, Julia needed a new man in her life, and perhaps Cathy could be the one to nudge that relationship up to the next level. She was one heck of a good matchmaker, just like her mother. Delighted with her new quest, she whistled for the dogs and turned back toward the house. She took off with her usual last hard sprint. Lonnie would be up soon and ready for breakfast. And she had a romantic dinner party to plan.