Mine to Entice

by Karen Anders

He rose off the bed and moved with her to his gleaming metal-and-marble bathroom.

  Kate stopped at the door and just stared. “This is very, very decadent.”

  There was a large shower that took up one corner of the room. And the multihead shower caught her attention. She walked over to the frosted-glass doors, opened them and walked inside.

  “Oh.” She ran her hands over the three showerheads. “I’ve got to get me one of these.”

  He laughed and turned on the faucet. Kate jumped back with a screech as the cold water hit her hot skin. She grabbed him in a headlock while he continued to laugh. He adjusted the controls while she tried to find his tickle spot.

  They washed each other beneath the spray with soapy hands and kisses. One thing lead to another and Kate found her back up against the warm tiled wall, ruthlessly pinned there by Jericho’s hard, muscled body. He’d already sheathed himself during their shower.

  She’d had enough slow and teasing for one night. “Hard and fast…hard and fast, Jericho.”

  He slid his hands around her buttocks and lifted her against the tile. Her legs went immediately around his waist.

  Kate’s back arched against the wall at the feel of his thick, hard cock moving in and out of her. It was too much for her, for them. He pressed her to the wall again, her legs tight around him, and thrust up inside her over and over until they both cried out in tandem.

  KATE STOOD IN FRONT of Jericho as she dried off his hard chest with a big fluffy towel.

  “Did it hurt?”

  “What?” he said, his eyes half closed in pleasure as she moved the towel over his skin.

  “The wishbone?”

  “I don’t remember. I was so wasted that night, I don’t think I remembered my own name.”

  “Does the wishbone symbolize what I think it does?” she asked, leaning against him. He looked delicious with his wet hair slicked off his face, the steam eddying around the bathroom in a fine mist, collecting on the mirror until they were just a blur in its reflected surface.

  “You have a wonderfully witty mind, Kate.”

  She had indulged in her wildest fantasy, but Jericho was real and solid. She traced the tattoo with her finger. “Wish for a bone—er?”

  “The guys used to say that girls always wanted me. When I got the tattoo, they picked it out. Thought it was hilariously funny.”

  “But I’m sure you didn’t after you woke up with a major hangover and what I’m sure was a major sore, uh, nether region.”

  Taking the towel from her hands, he secured it around his waist. Grabbing his robe off the back of the door, he bundled it around her. “You have no idea.”

  “What do you think the DNA test will reveal tomorrow?” he murmured, pulling her out of the bathroom to the bed.

  She rummaged around in her bag and suddenly realized that she’d forgotten something. “I think we’ll find that Ken Mitchell was in Mrs. LePlante’s apartment the night she was killed. Shoot.”

  “What?”

  “I didn’t bring anything to sleep in.”

  He walked over to his dresser as he picked up the thread of their conversation. “You know his attorney will say that he could have stolen from her at any time. Doesn’t necessarily place him in the apartment the night of the murder.” He pulled the drawer open and pulled out a faded gray T-shirt with Columbia Law across the front.

  He came across the room and handed it to her.

  She took off the robe and pulled the T-shirt over her head, her voice muffled for a moment in the fabric. “And you’ll say, yes it can, since Mrs. LePlante’s Tiffany bracelet was there the day she was killed and was missing after she was murdered.” She reached into her bag for her blow-dryer.

  “You are a clever woman.” He drew down the bedspread. “You think Danny’s totally innocent.” He paused and looked up at her.

  She shook her head. “Not exactly. He did hit her with the candlestick, but I’m sure it was in what he would call self-defense,” she said, going back into the bathroom and plugging in her blow-dryer. “I think Danny should be cleared and set free, though.”

  “Probably,” he said, coming into the bathroom and taking the blow-dryer and brush out of her hands. “Sounds like he’s as innocent as you said he was, but I have to wait for the evidence.”

  Over the soft whine of the blow-dryer, she said, “I understand. The truth, not to mention the evidence, will set him free.”

  He sent the brush through her hair, the warmth of the air sending goose bumps along her skin. “You are relentless, Kate. I like that,” he said, nuzzling just below her ear, then nibbling on her lobe.

  She automatically tilted her head to the side, giving him better access to her neck as he worked at her hair.

  “All done,” he said, shutting off the instrument and setting it on his vanity.

  “Thanks,” she said. He stepped closer, aligning her back to his chest. A muscled arm slid around her waist, and he pulled her body to his.

  She rested her head on his shoulder, meeting his eyes in the mirror.

  “I wouldn’t have missed that experience for anything, Kate.”

  “Me, either,” she said. She wasn’t going to admit to herself what she felt for Jericho. He was running for D.A. and she would have to accept the fact that he deserved to win. She couldn’t be the person to mess that up for him. The emotions for him twisted in her chest and she turned in his arms, unable to look into his eyes.

  It wasn’t until much later when Kate lay spooned to his body that she felt vulnerable and panicked, but it had nothing to do with her proximity to Jericho. Physically, she was all his in every way, but it was the raw emotions working their way up to the surface that made her feel so exposed to him. Her throat closed and she swallowed hard as the feelings swamped her. He’d said a week. A week to open her up like a flower coming out into the sun. It’d taken less time and he’d kept his promise. The emotions were alien to her, just too scary and unmanageable. But a bargain, she understood. He’d give her the souvenir and she could prove to her friends once and for all that she wasn’t Sister Kate.

  Right, her mind took over even as her heart objected. Such feelings of passion wouldn’t have lasted anyway. They couldn’t have. If they did, she and Jericho would just simply burn out. She didn’t want to be around for that fall.

  It would be too far.

  BRIGHT AND EARLY, even before Jericho woke, Kate got up and dressed for work. She went downstairs and brewed a cup of coffee, looking at two blue jays splashing in Jericho’s wonderful marble birdbath. His house was beautiful, decorated very tastefully, but it seemed so…unlived in. That was the word. It needed a woman’s touch, she thought. But not hers. She wasn’t meant for this kind of life. Simplicity and intellectual pursuits was what Kate understood.

  But her heart clamored, you and Jericho fit so nicely together. She told that organ to shut up and finished her coffee, leaving enough in the pot for him.

  She called a cab and as soon as she walked into the lab, she analyzed Ken Mitchell’s DNA sample.

  Hours later she compared it to the DNA she’d found in the shower. It matched perfectly.

  But when she compared it to the DNA from the shower, Ken’s blood and the blood from the glass shards, they didn’t match. The blood on the glass shards also didn’t match Danny’s DNA.

  Two things occurred to her.

  There had been a third person in the bathroom.

  And Ken must have seen him.

  14

  KATE WALKED UP to Sienna’s desk. “He had to have seen who killed her.”

  “Ken?”

  “Yes. I just finished my analysis and his DNA doesn’t match the blood I found on the shards. I was so sure, but I was wrong. There was a third person in the bathroom.”

  “What do you want to do now?”

  “I want to ask Ken to tell us the truth. At least about Danny, so he can be cleared.”

  “Let’s go.”

  Fifteen minutes later they were sitting
in the interrogation room with Ken and his lawyer. “Look, I told you I don’t have anything else to say.”

  “Ken, tell us what happened in the bathroom the night Mrs. LePlante died. It’s not going to hurt you. We’ve already got you for the Phantom Bandit thefts. But what you say can clear Danny.”

  “The bitch. She never liked Danny. She was always calling him names. I figured it served her right to take stuff from her, especially since she was so into material things.”

  “So you did know her?”

  “Yeah, she knew my dad. They were really good friends.”

  “Why didn’t your father come forward with that information?”

  “He didn’t want to get involved in the murder.”

  “You have a lot of anger toward your father.”

  “He thinks that I’m a waste and can’t handle picking up the reins to his empire. The truth of the matter is, he won’t let me. So, yeah, it causes a lot of anger.”

  “That’s why you stole?”

  “Yes, you were right there. I couldn’t seem to help myself.”

  “What happened that night?”

  “I left the party just like Kate said. It took me maybe fifteen minutes to get to Marie’s apartment. I had the master keys that I always took from my dad’s office. It was easy. I always replaced them, so he was never the wiser.”

  “What happened after you let yourself in?”

  “I went to her bedroom and took the bracelet. I heard her come in and scream, ‘Oh, no.’ Then she got on the phone and called Danny. She must have yelled at him for at least ten minutes about the water on her kitchen floor.”

  “Danny came over?”

  “Right away. He’s a good kid. Anyway, he looks under the sink and tells her that she shoved a box of detergent against the coupling and burst the pipe.”

  “What happened after that?”

  “She goes crazy. I mean, she starts hitting Danny with the end of the mop that she was using to clean up the water.”

  “What did Danny do?”

  “What could he do? He tried to leave. He was very upset, but he never raised his voice. When he got to the living room, she blocked the door and kept hitting him. That’s where he got the bruises on his arms.”

  “Then what?”

  “He grabbed the candlestick and hit her in the head. She went down and Danny ran out of the apartment.”

  “What did Mrs. LePlante do after Danny hit her?”

  “She came toward the bathroom. I had to duck inside or she would have seen me. I hid in the shower.”

  “Did someone else come to the apartment?”

  Ken clammed up and looked away from her. “Not when I was there.”

  “Who are you covering for?”

  “No one.”

  No matter what Sienna did or how she interrogated Ken, he wouldn’t say another word. They had no choice but to give up.

  Kate left the lockup and went over to the courthouse. She made her way to Jericho’s office.

  “Is he in, Sandy?”

  “Yes, but he’s due in court in about fifteen minutes.”

  “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.” She knocked on his door.

  He said, “Come in.”

  Kate turned the knob and opened the door. “Ken’s not the killer.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. There was someone else in that bathroom, someone who strangled Mrs. LePlante to death, left his blood on the glass shards of the mirror that broke when she struggled.”

  “A third person?”

  “Yes, and I think Ken saw him.”

  “You want me to offer him a deal.”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “I’ll have to talk to the D.A. about it.”

  “Whatever you have to do, Jericho.”

  He looked down at his watch and back at her. “I’ve got to get to court, but I’ll speak to him right afterward. Okay?”

  “Yes, thank you,” she said as he shrugged into his suit jacket and picked up his briefcase.

  “So did he say anything about Danny?”

  “Yes, he wrote a statement that exonerates him. How long do you think it’ll take to get him out of jail?”

  “The wheels of justice move slow, Kate. Have patience. I’ll need to see the statement and talk to Ken, then I’ll get the charges dropped.”

  “Good. I’ll tell him the good news.”

  He stopped outside his office door. “You should be proud of yourself, Kate. This was all you. You saved Danny from a trial and jail.”

  “I never believed he was guilty. Danny just couldn’t have done it.”

  He sighed. “I’ve got to go.”

  She nodded and was almost tempted to follow him and watch him prosecute his case. He was fascinating to watch, but she had too much to do in the lab and she really wanted to tell Danny that he’d been cleared of the charges.

  It took Kate most of the day to get to Danny’s cell. She was called out to a crime scene shortly after she got back to the lab. Then there was the autopsy to attend and the cataloging of the evidence. Finally, she had a few minutes to speak to Danny.

  As Kate made her way to Danny’s cell, someone called her name.

  “Ms. Quinn.”

  It was Ken Mitchell’s voice. She turned toward the cell. “Yes.”

  “I didn’t want to say anything in the interrogation room because I was scared.”

  “Scared of what?”

  “You don’t understand. You have to promise to protect me if I tell you who I saw.”

  “Of course.”

  “I want to meet with Jericho. I’ll tell him who I saw and him only.”

  “You don’t trust me?”

  “No, it’s not that. If I tell and he finds out, he’ll kill you. I’m trying to protect you.”

  “That’s admirable, but unnecessary.”

  “You don’t know who you’re dealing with. I’ll only speak to Jericho.”

  “All right. I’ll tell him.” Kate mused about what Ken had to say all the way to Danny’s cell. She would see Jericho as soon as she finished talking to Danny.

  BACK AT THE COURTHOUSE, Kate ran into Jericho coming out of his office.

  “Hey, I was just going to talk to Roth. What’s up?”

  “When I went to Danny’s cell, Ken stopped me and told me that he did see someone that night, but he will only talk to you. Do you think you could go over there tonight?”

  “Sure. Let me finish up with Roth and then I have a meeting with a witness. I’ll go over after that.”

  “Thanks very much.”

  “You can show me your appreciation tonight.”

  “Call me when you’re finished with Ken and we can grab a bite to eat together.”

  He nodded as he left her, hurrying for the elevator.

  Kate went back to the lab and started to work. She didn’t notice the lab clear out as people went home for the day.

  She continued to work until her cell phone rang. “Hello?”

  “Kate,” Jericho said.

  “Great, you talked to Ken. What did he tell you?”

  “He didn’t tell me anything. When he wasn’t in his cell, the guards looked for him. He was found in the shower, stabbed.”

  “Oh, my God! Is he dead?”

  “No, but he lost a lot of blood. They’ve taken him to the hospital. That’s where I am now. I was hoping he’d wake up in the ambulance, but no dice. The doctor isn’t sure he’ll make it through surgery.”

  “Do they have any idea who did this?”

  “No. No one saw anything and Ken really hasn’t been here long enough to make enemies. But he was stabbed with a homemade shank.”

  “This is terrible. What are you going to do now?”

  “I think I’ll hang around here. If he comes out of surgery, I might get a name.”

  “Okay. I’ll close up here and head on over.”

  Kate hung up the phone and prepared to clean up her work area and store the evidence she’d been work
ing on. She heard the door open to the lab, but didn’t turn around. A heavy blow to the back of her head knocked her down to the ground, but before she lost consciousness, she saw a pair of highly polished shoes go into the evidence area. Then blackness stole over her like a dark shroud.

  ACRID SMOKE FILLED her nose. Kate awoke with a ferocious headache. She rolled over to the phone and hauled herself up. Reaching out, she grabbed the receiver and dialed 9-1-1. She weaved her way over to the fire alarm and pulled it.

  Moments after, the sprinkler system kicked in and soaked her to the skin. She collapsed into a heap on the floor. She heard the sirens get closer and then booted feet on the stairs. Smoke was heavy in the room, but every time Kate tried to move, her head would spin. “Kate!” Sean said, bending down to her. “What happened?”

  “Someone hit me. I think they started a fire in the evidence room.”

  He knelt down and gathered her into his arms and rose. She clung to his neck, her head spinning and bringing her close to the black maw.

  When she hit the fresh outside air, she started to cough, but a paramedic was there with an oxygen mask and put it over her nose.

  “Kate! Oh, my God, what happened?” Sienna said to Sean.

  “Someone hit her and started a fire in the lab. It’s a good thing that fire didn’t reach the chemicals stored there or there would have been one hell of an explosion.”

  Kate registered that information as she breathed deeply.

  “I’m going with her,” Sienna said, flashing her badge. She climbed inside the ambulance and grasped Kate’s hand.

  “Is she okay?” Sean asked the paramedic.

  “Yeah, she’s stable. Nasty blow to the head and probably a concussion.”

  “Who did this to you, Kate?”

  “Don’t know.” Her words were muffled behind the mask.

  The ride was quick and when they pulled up at the ER door, Jericho was there to greet the ambulance.

  “Katie,” he said softly, grasping her hand, demanding information from the paramedic. The paramedic answered his rapid-fire questions.

  They wheeled her toward an examining room and a nurse said, “You’ll have to let go of her, sir.”

  Jericho reluctantly did so. “I’ll see you soon.”