Shadows of Doubt

by Corcoran, Mell

  “So when was it exactly that you started falling for my daughter?” Joe gave him a half smile as he navigated the cart path.

  It shocked Max to hear those words, and not the daughter part of the statement. It was the falling for part that kicked him in the gut. The truth of it was it really didn’t matter who those words came from, they would have overwhelmed him regardless. “Pardon me?”

  “With all due respect, my Dom, it may have taken me getting thumped over the head by my wife to see it, but anyone who takes a second can. So may I ask when? From the two of your banter early on this morning, this wasn’t the first time you met. I mean, I know you have been keeping tabs but it’s rather unlike you to take such a hands on approach in matters that are usually reserved for the Council.”

  “Christ.” Max blew out a breath. He had already admitted it to Lou so there was no sense in keeping the facts to himself any longer. “We never actually met. We crossed paths in the morgue when I went to see Carpesh and the Talbott woman’s body. Then she spotted me at the Winslow crime scene before I knew who she was. But we never spoke. Hell, I was expecting some old codger with a name like ‘Detective Lou Donovan’!”

  Joe pulled off the cart path into a patch of dirt under a tree and set the brake. He turned to Max with a most serious expression. “I am sure you did a thorough check on Lou, but I am not sure how far you went back?”

  “Five or six years I believe. Why? Is there something I should know?” Max’s brow furrowed as Joe thought for a moment.

  “You need to go back a bit more. I don’t think it’s wise I tell you now, knowing you as I do. But you need to know. Something that I kept from the Sanguinostri but not for any other reason than it was complicated. Involving you would have put too much at risk at the time. Shevaun’s side of the family and the department had it handled once it was done. Perhaps text Frank or Abby so they have it for you when you get back to the hotel.”

  “Why can’t you tell me now? I could order you.” Max was seriously concerned now.

  “I know you could. But out of respect for my daughter and my family as a whole, I would ask you please to wait and read it on your own. It will explain many things about Lou.” Joe prayed that Max would accept that as enough for now.

  “Very well, then.” As Joe started the cart and continued to the patio, Max pulled his cell phone from his pocket and sent Abby a text message to pull the details for the time Joe directed. It worried Max immensely but he truly tried to keep himself in check. Something he obviously had not been doing well for the past week.

  When they arrived at the patio, the girls were donning jackets and the sun was setting behind a heap of bruised clouds. The cold bit hard as if to remind everyone winter still had a strong grasp on things. Caddies came to retrieve the bags and one paused to ask Max if he would be storing his clubs with them. Lou tried not to be so relieved when she heard Max answer in the affirmative.

  “Well boys, congratulations on kicking our behinds. You won fair and square.” Shevaun offered a good sport handshake.

  Grinning, Max took her hand then leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Hardly fair, I intruded on a customary game. That’s unsettling and I should have had better manners than that.” He turned to Lou and extended his hand. “Please forgive me.”

  Lou smiled at him despite herself then took his hand. “Nothing to forgive. Especially if you give us a rematch.” She held her breath when she felt him squeeze her hand gently.

  There was hope. “Best two out of three perhaps?” Now he held his breath as he waited for her answer.

  “You buy dinner next time then.” Whoa, did she just say that?

  Max breathed again and decided to go for broke, leaning down he kissed her cheek ever so softly, trying not to linger as he inhaled her jasmine and vanilla scent. When he stepped away, releasing her hand, he felt his heart race. Dear God, he was so lost for this woman.

  Lou was afraid to move. If she did she feared she would fall sideways. It took her several seconds before she realized she still was holding her breath so she tried to exhale without being obvious about it. “Well, I really should go. It was very nice meeting you, Max.” Christ she had a frog in her throat now. “I’ll see you two at home later?”

  Shevaun nodded. “We’ll be along soon sweat pea. I just need to pick up my outfit I bought and check my tee time for the Ladies Auxiliary on Tuesday.”

  “Want us to bring you something home to eat?” Joe offered.

  Trying her best to get the hell out of there, Lou waved Joe off. “Oh no, thanks, I’m still stuffed from brunch.”

  Max held a hand up in farewell then shoved his hands in his pockets. He absolutely hated seeing her leave but knew if he opened his mouth, something asinine would fly out.

  Shevaun looped an arm through Joe’s and the other through Max’s as they watched Lou dash down the hill to the parking lot. “Well boys, I think we all could use a drink right about now.” She tugged to get them moving and the three strolled off to find the bar.

  Caroline paced back and fourth in Frank and Abby’s suite while Frank made a pitcher of something in the kitchen and Abby clicked away furiously on her laptop. When her phone beeped to indicate a missed call, Caroline looked at the number and grumbled.

  “That’s the second time she’s called. I hate this!” She paced a little faster now.

  “Just be patient. We know what we are doing and it’s all going to work out.” Abby tried reassuring her again but needed to get the search Max had requested done before he got back. When the data she requested popped up, Abby’s jaw dropped and she turned to Caroline. “Did you know about this?”

  “Know about what?” Caroline marched over to see what Abby was talking about. She scanned the information that was displayed on screen and sighed. “Yeah. I knew about it but I wasn’t here during all that. I only know bits and pieces of what Lou has felt comfortable sharing.”

  “What?” Frank shouted from the kitchen.

  “You better get over here.” Abby shouted back at him.

  Frank came in carrying a pitcher of margaritas and balancing a stack of glasses. He set them down on the table then went to see what Abby was talking about. It only took him a moment before he saw it. “Oh shit!”

  “Oh shit is right.” Abby hit a key then pulled the CD out of the drive and shut the laptop. “He is gonna go postal when he reads this.”

  “If we are lucky he’ll only go postal!” Frank grabbed the pitcher and poured them all a drink.

  “What? Why? I mean I know it’s bad but I don’t understand.” Caroline looked at Abby then Frank. It was totally unorthodox having met both of them less then twenty-four hours before, but after everything she now knew, everything she had been through and the way these two people had comforted her, she felt almost as close to them as she did to Lou. Abby had even offered for Caroline to bunk with her and Frank since she didn’t want to be alone until she could talk to Lou.

  Abby and Frank looked at each other, Frank giving her a hairy eyeball then Abby furrowing a brow at him.

  “Oh come on you two! This is like my sister we are talking about here! I need to know what’s up!” Frustration was was wearing all over her face. “Are you two like talking without talking or some weird psychic crap only turned people get?”

  “No!” Abby laughed.

  “Not at all.” Frank sat down in the chair adjacent to Abby. “It’s just that when you’ve been like brother and sister for a hundred years, you kinda get to know what the other i
s thinking. I mean think about you and Lou after what? Five years or so?”

  “Okay, that I get. But then you understand how you would feel if someone was keeping something about the other from you, right?”

  “Right. Yeah.” Abby looked at Frank again and he nodded to her. “Okay he’s less likely to bite my head off if he finds out I told you. But you need to...” Abby looked at Caroline’s bandaged hand. “Okay so a Blood Swear probably would suck right now so just swear you won’t let on we told you this, okay?”

  Caroline winced and held her right hand close at the mention of Blood Swear. “I swear!”

  “It happened when Constantinople fell, in 1453. Max was engaged to be married for the first time ever and to him that was as good as married. Up until then, he had never allowed himself to have any kind of relationship because he took his role in the Council far too serious. “I won’t go into all the specifics but the basic gist of it is that Max got picked out of his Council to go defend Constantinople and while he was gone, one of his enemies beat, tortured and killed his fiance’. He has not so much as blinked at a woman since. Until now.”

  “Abby!” Frank shot out of his seat.

  “She’s going to figure it out soon enough!”

  “Whoa!” Caroline plopped down next to Abby. “So that’s the second time one of you has slipped on that. Max, the Dominor, really has a thing for Lou?”

  “Shit, I should have wiped that from you when I slipped last night.” Frank scrubbed a hand over his face.

  “Hey! You promised no wiping! That means ever!” Caroline pouted.

  Abby nodded in agreement with Caroline. “That’s like way more serious than calling no backs.”

  “Ah Geez Abby, this is way more serious than calling jinks and no backs!” Frank gulped down some of his margarita.

  The door swung open and Niko stepped in. “Olie olie oxen free. Time to open the door back up. Hello Caroline, I’m Niko.” He bowed his head politely to her. “He’s back and wants that data. Now, Frank.”

  “How did it go?” Abby looked at Niko hopefully. “Is he in a good mood?”

  Niko shrugged. “He sent me out before I could get a read. Frank will be able to tell.”

  “If he doesn’t kill him after he reads this.” Abby said as she handed Frank the disc. “Good luck little buckaroo. I love ya!”

  “Why? What’s on it?” Niko walked in and sat in the chair Frank had been sitting on.

  “Easier for him to read for himself. That crap doesn’t need to be said out loud.” Frank said as he headed out the door.

  “I don’t want to know the details, so please let him just read it.” Caroline insisted. It was only right to allow her friend to keep some sense of privacy. Caroline knew just enough that it killed her to think of Lou having suffered.

  Abby slid the laptop over so Niko could read. After a few minutes, he just sat back in the chair and blew out a breath.

  Niko thought for a few moments then looked at Abby. “This guy is really pissing me off now. Find out where he’s being held.”

  “Pissing you off, now? What’s that supposed to mean?” Abby pulled the laptop back and started clicking away.

  “Why?” Caroline risked asking the very large and scary man called Niko.

  “Because as soon as Max reads that he’s going to want to pay the man a personal visit.” He smiled at her which softened the scary considerably. “And when I tell him what’s transpired with that guy’s former cell-mate and pal over the last twelve hours, it’s going to make the outcome of that visit a little more final.

  “What are you talking about Niko? What the hell happened?” Abby had stopped typing and was glaring at him now.

  Niko rolled his eyes and began relaying the events of the previous evening. From when he decided to do a more covert recon of Lou than Abby had done, to his clean getaway after forcing one asshole to blow his own brains out. He also informed them that his investigation into the two had led him to the subject of Abby’s search and how the two were intertwined. Niko was not at all enthusiastic about having to tell Max all of that after he read what Abby had found. What he omitted was the fact that by morning, Detective Donovan’s attacker number one would be found hanging in his cell. The Fates had seen fit to put one of their own on duty when he was brought in to holding. Said trustee just so happened to be highly skilled at planting suggestions into feeble, corrupt minds. One less thing Max would need to get his hands dirty with as far as Niko was concerned. “Anyway, to answer your original question, Caroline, I would like to know where I am taking my Dominor and have the arrangements made ahead of time.” Niko gave Caroline his best sweet smile.

  “Oh.” It took a minute for the implications of his statement to sink in but Caroline’s eyes soon went wide. “Ohhhh!” Niko nodded and smiled again.

  “Well crap!” Abby had finished absorbing what Niko had told them about the two thugs. “If Max wasn’t going to go postal before, he sure as hell will when he hears that!”

  “I should have wished Frankie luck before he went over there.” Niko picked up Frank’s half empty glass, refilled it then took a generous sip before looking back at Caroline. “Okay, so you want in on the Code Pink club, huh?” Abby giggled at him.

  “Code Pink club?” Caroline looked at Abby but it was Niko that answered.

  “Alright, we need to catch you up on all the old episodes so you are up to speed. Grab your drink and relax while we fill you in. I need to make this quick and get in there soon, before Max rips Frank’s head off.”

  Abby hit a key then the sound of a printer went off somewhere in the suite. She closed the laptop and set it aside, grabbed her drink and grinned as she got cozy in her seat. “I love this show.”

  Frank walked in to Max’s suite to find him scanning the reports he had left him on possible leads to their rogue. At first glance, Frank would say that Max looked tense.

  “Close the door.” He ordered and Frank did so, rather grateful since he knew across the hall Niko, Abby and Caroline were no doubt conspiring. Frank preferred Max not overhear any of that just now.

  “How was golf? He asked and by the way Max’s head whipped up, lips moved but nothing came out, Frank knew his Dominor was having an internal crisis.

  “It was golf.” Max finally said, trying to keep his emotions in check by flipping through the reports. Not really reading a single word. “Where is the data I asked Abby for?”

  Frank simply couldn’t stand it anymore. If Max was going to kill him, so be it. But Frank knew if he didn’t let Max get it out now, when he read the data on Lou’s stalker, he would seriously go ballistic.

  “She’s working on it now. Max, my Dom, please forgive me but we’ve known each other too long to beat around the bush, true?” Frank was really trying to get this out thoughtfully.

  Max responded without looking up. “Of course.”

  “Right, well then you must please forgive me here but it is simply too much for me to sit by and watch you suffer like this.” He took one last breath before he got it out. “So what the hell happened with Lou at golf today?” Frank braced himself for Max’s wrath.

  “I don’t know what you mean.” The innocent blink was not working for Max very well.

  Frank threw his hands up in exasperation. “Max, give it a rest. I know you have feelings for the detective so let it go and just tell me.”

  “How the hell do y
ou know anything?!” Max took a charging step forward before he realized what he was doing.

  “Really Max? Is that how were gonna do this?” It was Frank who stepped forward now. “You think I’m stupid? When was the last time you played peek-a-boo with a total stranger? I know Max. I saw you watching her. There is no way you can deny it so you may as well get it all out before you blow.”

  Max resisted the urge to smash Frank’s face in and stormed out onto the terrace instead. It wasn’t that he was mad at Frank, he was mad at himself. Furious with himself was more like it. Having let this woman instantly get under his skin on sight was just wrong on so many levels. Then to lose all rational grasp on himself and think he could hide it from the person closest to him was just poor judgment, something he simply was not allowed to have. He growled when Frank followed him out but deep down he was glad for it.

  “How the hell do I justify this? Huh? Even her parents saw it. Her mother saw it within the first half hour! How is this acceptable behavior for a Dominor?”

  Just then Abby literally skipped out onto the terrace shoving a piece of paper at Frank, then kept moving towards Max. “It’s perfectly acceptable behavior for a Dominor when he is falling in love!” She yanked his collar and pulled him down so she could kiss his cheek. “So get over it and let it out, vent away! We are family and that’s what we are here for.” She whirled around and plopped down in one of the chairs.

  “Ah Christ, you know too?” He raked his fingers through his hair and began to pace.

  “You should know by now that Frank and I are Siamese twins, without the whole being physically attached part. The point is what he knows, I know, so don’t pretend you’re shocked.” She gave him an eye-roll and twirled her fingers through her ponytail. “Now let us help.”