Window to Danger (Danger Incorporated Book 7)

by Olivia Jaymes

  “It’s an old joke,” Dizzy explained. “I was trying to break the tension. You told them to have the hostess call them a cab. You’re a cab. She called them a cab. Get it? It’s just a stupid joke.”

  Now she felt stupid but then Easton smiled. The tension was officially broken. “I’ve never heard that one before.”

  Dizzy feigned shock, her hand flying to cover her open mouth. “How is this possible? That joke is older than our parents and it’s not even that funny.”

  “I don’t know, it’s kind of cute.” His entire demeanor had changed since his friends had left. He’d gone from cold and remote to warm and endearing. “When you tell it, anyway.”

  A flush of heat suffused her cheeks and she tried to play it off by sipping her water.

  “Interesting friends you have. I have a feeling they’re going to be talking about me…and you…to everyone in your little social group.”

  Reaching across the table, he captured her hand, his thumb softly stroking her pulse point. It should have felt strange and disturbing – this was Easton after all – but instead it simply felt right. Like he should have been doing it for years.

  “They are definitely not my friends and I don’t belong to any social group that includes them. I see them from time to time at parties and at the club. I’m cordial because we do business together but frankly, I find them boring as hell. After tonight, I also find them ill-mannered and cruel. So my next question is…are you okay? Should I have punched Alicia out for what she said?”

  The image of Easton defending her honor with a right hook to Alicia’s chin made her smile, although she knew it was wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Physical violence was never the answer. But as this was only pretend Dizzy gave herself a break. Just this once.

  Although she wouldn’t mind if Alicia had a nasty hangover tomorrow.

  “That might not be the best idea but I appreciate the sentiment. I’m fine. I don’t care about their opinion of me, although I have to admit that it’s interesting to hear one of the stories that’s going around town. I bet that’s one of the tamer ones.”

  “I’m still sorry they acted that way. I’m mortified by their behavior and why they thought it was okay to do that. They’re crass and snooty but they’ve never been downright rude like that.”

  “To your social circle,” she pointed out. “But I’m just one of the unwashed masses. I bet they’re crappy to wait staff too. People like that always are. And that’s not your fault, but thank you for the unnecessary apology. None of this was your fault.”

  Dizzy had always felt that a person could tell quite a bit about someone by how they treated those in food service. Having waited tables in New York on the upper West side while she was in art school, she knew what a thankless job it was. Hard on the back, hard on the feet, and the abuse from nasty customers had almost made her quit several times. Luckily there were many more nice people in the world than mean ones.

  “Actually, I think you’re right,” Easton agreed. “I’ve seen them both berate a waiter or a parking valet for taking too long.”

  “I’ve got a good eye when it comes to people. I follow my intuition and it’s rarely wrong. The minute Gary came up to the table and looked at me I knew he wasn’t a good person.”

  “That was quick. You don’t think you jump the gun when you do that? Not that you weren’t right this time,” he added hastily.

  She wasn’t surprised that Easton wasn’t a fan of her methods. “I trust my gut more than a spreadsheet of numbers. Just because something, or someone in this case, looks good on paper doesn’t mean that they are. How long did it take you to figure out that Gary and Alicia were kind of terrible people?”

  Shifting in his seat, his cheeks turned red. “Not long. He was difficult to work with and I had to ask for certain documents multiple times. As for Alicia, I’ve seen her at the club and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a genuine smile from her.”

  “That’s sad. You have to wonder if she’s a happy person. Life’s too short, you know? But it sounds like you and I came to the same conclusion but used slightly different methods. But I bet ultimately you trusted your instincts. They’re just not your go-to method.”

  He hadn’t let go of her hand and he took possession of the other one, his large hands enveloping her much smaller ones. There was something about Easton, a way he had that made her feel protected and cared for. Not that she needed him to. She didn’t. But it was a nice, comfortable feeling even if she had no business feeling it.

  “And what does your intuition tell you about me?” Easton asked, his voice deep and throaty. A bolt of electricity ran up her spine and she had to take a few breaths before she could answer.

  “That you’re a good man.” She giggled at his look of pride. “A frustrating one, too, but a good one.”

  And that fact was becoming a big problem. She’d never expected to have this good of a time with Easton. But she had and more. He was smart, funny, sexy, and a just a nice man. He was also the cousin of her best friend.

  What in the heck was she supposed to do now?

  * * *

  Easton was instantly on alert when he and Dizzy walked into her house and found Leann pacing back and forth while her boyfriend Zach peered out the kitchen curtains, a frown on his face. Zach was usually pretty laid back and happy, especially in Leann’s presence, so his mood didn’t bode well.

  Leann rushed over to Dizzy and gave her a hug. “I’m so glad you’re home. You won’t believe what he’s doing now.”

  Everyone needed to get a grip. His cousin was pale and clearly shaken so he turned his attention to Zach, who looked to be the calmer of the two.

  “What’s going on? What are you watching?”

  Turning from the window, Zach rubbed at his temple. “Our good friend Trip Stanford has decided to put in a flowerbed in his back yard. He’s been out there for a couple of hours.”

  Easton wasn’t getting what Zach was trying to say but then he was a humble finance guy who didn’t deal with murder and mayhem every day.

  “Can you translate that for me?”

  Leann had slapped down two wine glasses on the kitchen counter and poured them half full. “I can do that. Trip Stanford is putting a flowerbed in his back yard. In Montana at the end of summer. Under the cover of darkness. Do you see where we’re going with this now?”

  Fuck.

  Dizzy reached for one of the glasses and took a gulp. “This is good though, right? I mean, we’ll catch him red-handed when he tries to bury the body.”

  We? Easton didn’t like the sound of that. If a killer was burying a body, his pretty female neighbor probably shouldn’t be hanging around watching.

  “You’re not going anywhere near Trip Stanford.”

  He hadn’t meant for the words to come out so bossy but if it kept her inside the house he didn’t care.

  Her brows shot up to her hairline. “Are you giving me an order? Because let me tell you what you can do with–”

  “Can I get some quiet here?” Zach interrupted loudly. “Let’s not tip him off that we’re watching him. I think he saw you leave for the evening with Easton so he thinks that you’re not at home, Dizzy. Plus, Leann and I just got here about half an hour ago. That’s why he’s chosen tonight.”

  “That and the smell,” Leann muttered under her breath. “Unless he had her in a freezer it had to be getting bad.”

  They’d all watched too many horror movies. But this was high on the creep factor if Stanford was truly out there burying a dead body.

  “Morbid much?” Easton asked as his cousin. “Dizzy just ate dinner. Have some sensitivity.”

  Dizzy, however, waved away his concern. “My stomach is fine but my heart is racing a mile a minute. Should we call the cops?”

  Zach shook his head, his lips a grim line. “Gardening it not against the law and considering that they don’t believe you right now, I think it might be the worst thing we could do. Currently your friendly neighborhood murderer thin
ks he’s gotten away with it. We need to let him continue to think that. Otherwise he might turn his attention to you…and Leann by extension.”

  Easton had placed a reassuring hand on Dizzy’s back and he could feel the shudder that ran through her body at Zach’s statement. She was frightened but he wasn’t going to allow anyone or anything to hurt her. Trip wouldn’t get within fifty feet of Dizzy and Easton would make sure of it.

  Lifting the curtain slightly, Easton peeked out of the window and across to Stanford’s back yard. Just as Zach and Leann had said, a single light shown on the deck. Perhaps it was a lantern or a bright flashlight, but it cast a beam of light down the steps and into the yard where a lone dark figure was hunched over with a shovel planting flats of flowers into the ground.

  “What did you see? Did you see him bury the body?”

  Easton felt a hand on his arm and turned to see Dizzy looking up at him, her eyes wide with surprise. “Then you believe me?”

  The choice was clear in front of him. Two roads. But his path was easy to see.

  “I do,” he said firmly. “Now we have to figure out what to do about it.”

  Because he wouldn’t let her become victim number two.

  Chapter Fourteen

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  Dizzy’s hand visibly shook as she set the wine glass down on the table. She’d had a few sips but it was better to keep a clear head. The time for getting tipsy clearly wasn’t now. Her neighbor had just buried a dead body in his backyard. They just hadn’t caught him in the act. By the time Leann and Zach had shown up, Trip had been planting flowers on top.

  And Easton believed her that it had happened.

  Sure, the fact that Zach and Leann weren’t questioning her sanity might have had something to do with it. Or the fact that Trip Stanford was currently knee deep in dirt in the dark. That was suspicious all on its own. Still, Easton believed that she’d witnessed a murder. This was real growth for him. He hadn’t seen it with his own eyes and it was something hard to believe in the first place. There was no evidence to point to, no other witnesses. Somehow though he’d mustered the courage to go beyond his five senses and that was big. If she hadn’t heard it from his own mouth she wouldn’t have believed it.

  Easton and Zach were looking out of her kitchen windows while she and Leann sat at the table. Dizzy’s legs had felt decidedly like jelly but she was beginning to recover from the shock of the news. Just what was Trip thinking?

  He’s thinking that no one believes you.

  “So walk me through what you saw when you got here,” Easton said, his gaze still zeroed in on the single spotlight in Trip’s backyard. “Was he digging the hole?”

  “He’d already dug the hole and was planting the flowers,” Zach replied. “But it was pitch dark outside and had been for some time. No way he started when it was light out. Plus, there’s no moon tonight which I’m sure helps him.”

  Gray clouds had filled the sky since late afternoon but tomorrow was supposed to dawn clear. And cold. The weatherman had said that the warm temperatures were behind them and the chilly air of fall was back for good.

  “It makes no sense to plant flowers the last night of summer, right?” Dizzy asked, amazed that the entire town didn’t see what she did. “I mean…there’s no logic there. They’re going to freeze and die.”

  “I’ve seen it snow in July,” Leann declared. “So yes, they’re going to die eventually. But even if it was June it doesn’t make a lick of sense to plant them in the dark.”

  “Unless you’re trying to hide something. Then it’s perfectly logical.” Easton dropped the curtain. “He’s going back inside so I guess he’s done. Now what do we do?”

  “We can’t call the police,” Leann sighed. “They don’t believe that anything happened.”

  Zach turned from the window and went to stand behind Leann, massaging her shoulders.

  “And they can’t dig up his yard without a warrant anyway. We didn’t actually see him bury anything. He’d just say that it’s no crime to plant pretty flowers.”

  Dizzy was still having a hard time comprehending what had gone on here tonight.

  “It’s so brazen. It’s like he’s taunting me. He knows I know and he knows that no one thinks I’m telling the truth.”

  “That’s not true,” Leann protested. “We believe you, and it’s only a matter of time before everyone does.”

  Easton hadn’t said much tonight, his expression thoughtful and angry at the same time.

  “Do you think people will eventually believe me?” Dizzy asked him. “If nothing changes and we don’t have any proof?”

  “We have to get proof,” he said after a quiet pause. “But that’s not exactly my department. I think we need to keep a close eye on him, though. He might eventually slip up and show his cards.”

  They might be waiting forever for that.

  “And in the meantime?” Dizzy questioned. “Is he going to keep messing with me?”

  Zach shook his head. “First off, I don’t think he meant for you to see that tonight. My theory is he saw you leave with Easton and took the opportunity. It was his bad luck that you didn’t go anywhere after dinner and came straight home. I think he was counting on you seeing a movie too.”

  Leann’s brows pulled down. “So you don’t think he’s taunting her?”

  “I don’t but I could be wrong. This whole situation doesn’t feel like he’s an experienced killer. He did it in his own home, first off. That’s a big no-no.”

  “Gacy and Dahmer did it in their own homes,” Easton pointed out, leaning a hip against the counter. “It’s not unheard of.”

  “That’s true,” Zach conceded. “But this one doesn’t feel planned. He got the female here. We know that.”

  “And she didn’t drive her own vehicle,” Easton added. “Maybe they were on a date?”

  “That’s a good guess,” Zach agreed. “They were on a date and things went well enough that she said yes to coming to his place. That’s a lot of trust for a woman to put in a man. My guess would be that it wasn’t their first date.”

  “They could have met online,” Dizzy said. “One of the teachers at school does a lot of online dating and she talks to them for weeks or even months before she meets them. She always says she feels like she knows them really well.”

  “Then she’d trust them,” Leann nodded. “Enough to maybe even go home with them. So you don’t think he planned it?”

  “If he did, he’s lousy at it,” Zach snorted. “He didn’t think about the neighbors or making noise or being seen. He had no method of disposing the body and no alibi other than he was home all alone and asleep.”

  That was pretty lame. If Dizzy was planning to murder someone she’d make sure that she had a dozen people as her alibi.

  “So the good news is that I don’t probably have a serial killer as a neighbor,” Dizzy said. “The bad news is that he might have anger issues and poor impulse control, plus a healthy disrespect for the female gender.”

  Zach placed a kiss on Leann’s cheek. “Jared’s working on the background check for Trip Stanford. Once we have that we can see if there are any skeletons in his closet. It will also give me something more to go on to build a profile. Other than that, we need to keep an eye on him and keep you safe.” He gave Dizzy a smile. “Both of you.”

  Should she be worried about her safety? Would he come after her at some point?

  “Seriously, would he try anything? If he did the cops would look at him first.”

  Zach nodded in agreement. “That’s true but eventually all the gossip will die down and he’ll start to feel comfortable. Except for one outstanding thing. You. He may decide that he can get away with getting rid of you. He’s already killed once and right now is getting away with it. That’s going to breed confidence inside of him.”

  Easton crossed his arms over his chest, a determined glint in his blue eyes. “Then we need to make sure to shake that confidence. Make sure he knows we’re still watc
hing and talking about it. Keep up the pressure.”

  “I agree up to a point.” Zach pointed to Easton and them himself. “You and I need to keep up the pressure. These ladies? They need to fade into the background.”

  Dizzy wasn’t a happy camper when people were talking about her like she wasn’t sitting right there.

  “Um…you know we’re in the same room, right?” She held up her hand like she was in a classroom waiting to be called on by the teacher. “It is my life. I get a say in this.”

  Easton opened his mouth but she shut him down immediately before he could get started, poking her finger into his chest.

  “You know I’m right and that you’d do the same, so don’t even go there.”

  Sighing, he nodded. “Fine. You get to decide. Do you want to live or die? It’s your choice.”

  She turned to Leann, who was watching with great interest. “He’s a charmer, isn’t he? And they say he has no people skills.”

  “I have people skills. Shit. They don’t say that. They say I’m cold and heartless. Two totally different things.”

  His indignant tone almost had her laughing but the situation didn’t exactly lend itself to levity.

  “I’m sure you do,” she said in her most soothing tone. “And you’re not cold and heartless either.”

  If she’d ever thought he was – and she had to admit that there were times when she did – she certainly couldn’t say that now. He’d shown a far different side of himself these last few days. A side she was becoming quite enamored of.

  “I’m going to stay here tonight again,” Zach pronounced. “But I’m going to need to leave for an out of town assignment tomorrow. Do you think you could stay here while I’m gone?”

  Easton nodded as if it was a foregone conclusion, but to Dizzy it wasn’t by a longshot. This wasn’t technically his battle. He’d only been dragged into it because he’d driven Leann here Friday night.

  The men quietly talked, making plans or whatever it was that men did, while Leann and Dizzy looked out the kitchen window to Trip’s yard. They couldn’t help themselves. There wasn’t much to see but the whole situation was grotesque and she felt nauseous simply thinking about it.