“Glen and some of his buddies followed Benny around trying to intimidate him, a push here, and a shove there, angry words. They wanted to see if they could break him, or he’d slip up and say something to pin himself to the crime if they riled him up a bit.”
“Why does everyone assume Benny had something to do with it?” Her heart stilled as she waited for his reply.
“He was the last person to see Karina. They were involved. His bad reputation didn’t help matters either. At least as far as Glen was concerned.” Judson’s tone hardened. He’d bought into everyone’s beliefs as well, not giving Benny the benefit of the doubt
The more Judson spoke and the more she watched his facial expressions, it became obvious he really cared about Mr. DeVito. She considered letting him get more involved than she’d planned. The thought of sharing her belief in Benny’s innocence and the tips she’d been getting from some outsider made her pause. No need to jump right into it, she’d take this slow. “Did he say anything?”
“Nothing. Glen was positive Benny killed Karina, or at the very least had something to do with it. Too bad he couldn’t prove it.”
Sunny pulled some papers from a manila envelope on the floor. “These are old newspaper clippings Mr. DeVito had in his files. I also have a copy of the original police and autopsy reports, but they’re about useless.”
“How’s that?”
“Most of the autopsy report is blacked out. Not sure why.”
Sunny sat back while Judson scanned through the reports. Chocolate jumped on the arm of Judson’s chair and watched him through hooded eyes.
“Whenever I look at pictures of Benny and Karina I can’t imagine them as a couple. They were complete opposites in every aspect of their lives.” Judson reached out to pet Chocolate, but her cat jumped from the chair before he could touch him.
“He doesn’t warm up to strangers very quickly.” Sunny chuckled.
“He’s not the only one.”
Sunny swallowed her quick comeback as she considered the possibility he wasn’t taking a jab at her, but making a reference about himself.
“Anyway,” Judson continued, “Glen put a stop to their dating as soon as he met Benny, but he never knew they were sneaking around behind his back.”
Sunny tightened her jaw, able to understand the dead girl’s pain. “Karina was an adult, even though I respect Mr. DeVito, he had no right to run her life. You can’t always help who you fall in love with.”
“I’m sure Glen was just looking out for her like any father would.”
“It’s right in the police report that Benny was…”
“…changing his life with her help. I know, I’ve read it many times.” Judson flipped the pages of the report closed and let them sail through the air to rest on the coffee table.
Sunny pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. Since Judson had a lot of the same information and was interested in helping, they might as well join forces, but only to a certain extent. “He was taking business classes because he wanted a better life for himself and Karina. And earn Mr. DeVito’s respect.”
Sunny took a deep breath and wished she hadn’t. His light musky scent interfered with her pulse. If they worked together, she’d have to put up with her pulse racing all the time. She smiled inwardly at the idea of getting her cardio workout without breaking a sweat.
“I need to put in a request to have the evidence pulled from storage.”
“I’ve already taken care of that,” Judson replied.
“Oh…thank you.” It irked her he hadn’t talked with her first, but at the same time she respected the fact he planned ahead. “It’d be great to have something solid we can test against DNA when we narrow down a suspect.”
“When I learned Glen didn’t have much time left I knew I needed to—had to—help you with this case.”
Sunny held his gaze. “It doesn’t have anything to do with my brothers, or my dad?”
He chuckled and her body tingled. “Although persuasive, I make my own decisions.”
She had to admire the way he never broke eye contact, and her instincts said to trust him. They didn’t have to be best friends to solve this case, but they each had knowledge and experience to bring to the table and get the job done.
“They didn’t ask you to persuade me to get out of PI work did they?” She tapped her foot on the rug beneath the table as she waited for his response, which seemed slow in coming.
“Your brothers asked me to bring you in that night, and they wanted me to help you, but they never mentioned anything more than the case.” Although his voice sounded delicious, she wouldn’t let it derail her train of thought as she sized up his words. She wanted to believe him.
“You can’t fault them for worrying about you, Sunny.”
She darted her tongue over her lips. “I know they worry about me, but they need to ease up. Everyone has jobs. Why can’t they accept mine?”
“You have to admit it’s a risky occupation.”
“Don’t tell me you agree with them?” She sat up straight. “There are plenty of women investigators out there; some better qualified than their male counterparts.”
“Whoa, Wildcat. Don’t get your panties in a twist.” He leaned back in his chair, totally relaxed. “I’m just saying it’s a risky job for a girl. Your family would prefer you doing something less dangerous.” Then he nodded his head as if he’d given it serious consideration. “And I have to say I agree with them.”
“A girl?” She shot from her seat. Her heart rate jumped from normal to supersonic in a matter of seconds as her hands slammed over her hips.
Judson rolled his eyes. “I know—I know. You’re a woman.”
Oooohhhh, if only she could spit nails, she’d secure him to the floor outlining his body with them like a chalk line. First she had to defend herself to her family and now to this—this smug stranger. It unnerved her that she needed to justify herself to this man. Let him have no misconceptions about her.
“Damn right I’m a woman, and don’t you forget it.” She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “How about you heed my words and then you can relay a message to my Neanderthal brothers for me?”
“Do I look like Western Union?” He rested his hands behind his head and regarded her with raised eyebrows.
She bit off a laugh, not willing to let him know she liked his quick humor. “It’s now the twenty-first century; women can choose whatever profession they want.”
“Well, what’s wrong with being a secretary or a teacher? That’s something your family would be proud of too.” His eyes closed as if he were bored with their conversation. “Or if you couldn’t stop the urge to work in law, work in forensics, the lab, research. There are lots of areas you could become involved in without taking such a risk.”
Sunny hiked up her oversized sweatpants and tossed her glasses onto the table, hoping to disturb his peace. Judson’s eyes flew open when they hit the wooden surface with a solid thud.
“There is nothing wrong with being a secretary or a teacher, if that’s what you want to do, but I don’t. As for your other suggestions, they don’t hold my interest.” With her hands on her hips she leaned toward him. “I’ve wanted to be an investigator since I was twelve.”
“That long, huh?”
She could see his chest shake as he held his laughter in check. She plopped down on the couch, grabbed a small sofa pillow, and tossed it at his head with all her strength. Without any effort, he caught the pillow and nestled it behind his head.
Sunny shook her head. “Are all men the same?”
“Admit it, all you girls—I mean women—love it.”
He laughed from deep within his throat. Sunny aimed another pillow at his head, but it hit the arm of the chair and bounced to the floor.
They sat in a comfortable silence for several minutes before Judson kicked his long legs out to rest on the coffee table.
“So, is it a deal that we’ll work together, or do I have to w
ork solo on my own investigation?”
He’d more than convinced her of his intentions, but could she keep her mind on the case and not the man? Having him in the room, or anywhere near her already proved to be a distraction. Sunny chewed on her bottom lip. “Okay, here’s how this’ll work. First, this is my case.” Holding up her hand she ticked off her rules on her fingers. “Second, we’ll work it my way and only my way. Third, I have final say on any decision.”
Their gazes locked.
With a lift of her brow, she crossed one leg over the other and bobbed her foot. “Can you live with that?”
The edges of his mouth tilted upward.
“Don’t make me regret my offer.” Sunny huffed. “Just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean I’m a pushover.”
“Oh, I’m sure of that.” His eyes brightened, her throat contracted.
“You won’t be able to plow over my decisions like Derek and my other brothers. You got that?”
“I got it. Now my terms.” He didn’t blink. He mimicked her and started counting off his own rules. “First, you’ll be up front with me. Second, I’ll need all your information. Any clippings or photos you have, and anything else you think is pertinent to the case.” He leaned forward. “And finally, we are a team with no secrets. I won’t have you playing me like you play your brothers.” He arched his eyebrows. “Can you live with that?”
She nodded.
“Good. It’s a done deal then.” He checked the brushed silver watch on his wrist. “I’ll call you in the next few days. Answer your phone.”
Her cheeks warmed and she smiled. For some reason she’d gone mute, unable to speak as she listened to him dole out orders.
After Judson left, Sunny stood in her small office and fingered the anonymous handwritten note left on her car seat two weeks ago. The picture attached to it tacked upon the wall in front of her. The photograph showed a young Benny with his arm around a beautiful girl she recognized as a smiling, bright eyed Karina. Even though she had the two short sentences memorized, she reread them.
Benny is innocent. Look closer at his friends.
Sunny sighed and tossed the paper on the table. She needed more information. For all she knew Benny had figured out her identity and planned to throw her off his trail and confuse her with fake clues.
But her gut told her he wasn’t involved in Karina’s death, and she trusted her instincts. Her outside helper needed to tell her what friends to look at. No way could she narrow it down on her own. Benny knew too many people.
Her stomach clenched. The next time she and Judson talked she’d show him the note and the picture. Even though she agreed to share everything with Judson regarding the case, there was one thing she couldn’t.
Checking the time, Sunny walked from her office toward her bedroom to change into her sequined outfit. Her job at Benny’s was something she couldn’t let go, and she feared if Judson found out he’d inform her family and the gig would be up.
Chapter Four
“Hey, little lady, running late tonight ain’t ya?”
The hairs on the back of Sunny’s neck spiked. She recognized Slater’s raspy drawl as she rushed through the entrance of the dimly lit bar. She wanted to pretend she hadn’t heard him, but since he blocked her path to the time clock in the back room, it didn’t seem likely. Something about the stocky, red haired man made her skin crawl. She tried to keep their contact to a minimum, but he always sought her out. Not that they talked much. He preferred to sit in her vicinity, tapping his square black onyx ring on the side of his beer bottle and following her movements with his dead eyes.
“Excuse me, Slater.” Sunny gritted her teeth and stepped toward the back room, stopping when he didn’t move. “I need to punch in. I don’t want Benny to have a reason to give me my walking papers.” Even to her own ears her words had a hard edge. She wasn’t doing too good of a job hiding her dislike of Slater.
“No way would I let Benny ever let you go, little lady. Not only are ya a sight to look at, but we like havin’ ya round.” His leering smile lifted the corners of his untamed beard.
It required all of her strength not to recoil as his stubby fingers slid down the side of her cheek.
“I appreciate your support, but I need to clock in.” She glared at him. “Excuse me, please.”
Slater moved aside, barely giving her enough room to squeeze past. The stench of beer and stale cigarettes assaulted her nose. She grimaced, and pushed through the swinging doors to the back room determined to hold her anger in check. Positive his intention all along had been to have her brush up against him. He liked to make all the girls uncomfortable.
An equal opportunity jerk.
Her hand shook. She’d like to give him a piece of her mind, and maybe a slap across his puffy face, but she couldn’t make an enemy of Slater and risk losing this job.
Whatever brought Benny and Slater together as friends was a mystery to her. When she’d first met them she’d been frightened. Reputation alone, Benny wasn’t so bad, and as she’d gotten to know him, she’d discovered the rumors were scarier than the man. He was a good person. But Slater had been in and out of prison twice in the last five years for assault and harboring a fugitive. She clenched up when he was around, her instincts screamed bad news.
Once behind the bar, Sunny popped caps off of beer bottles and mixed drinks for the patrons gathered around the stage. Her shift flew by, and after the first few awkward minutes, Slater left her alone. Although the tingle along the back of her neck had her feeling like she was being watched, she chose to ignore it and convinced herself she’d seen one too many scary movies through the years.
The night passed in a blur, and just after midnight, Sunny headed down the steep wooden steps to the basement so she could restock the upstairs cooler. The perfect opportunity to go through the last section of Benny’s file cabinet since he was circling the room chatting with the regulars to get them to buy more drinks. Although convinced he hadn’t been involved in Karina’s murder, she hoped to come across something that would aid in her investigation. So far the file cabinet wielded nothing spectacular, just business receipts and correspondence from beer distributors.
The door to his office stood open and the lamp on his desk filtered across the room, giving her just enough light to finger through the files. The beat of the music upstairs shook the walls and her heart thumped in the same rhythm.
If someone discovered her snooping in Benny’s office, she’d lose her job for sure, and that would destroy her whole investigation. Not only that, but it could send her back to square one in trying to prove to her family she could handle this type of case.
Sunny held her hand over her chest and stopped breathing when she stood midway inside the small windowless office to listen. Satisfied she hadn’t been followed, she pulled the remaining drawer open. Hopefully tonight the gray metal file cabinet would be more revealing.
Sunny shuffled through the folders, glancing over her shoulder on occasion when her peripheral vision caught imaginary movement, or the hairs on the back of her neck prickled. Nobody was covering the bar, so she couldn’t afford to be gone long.
At the back of the cabinet, a brown accordion folder looked out of place. It wasn’t filed in a slot, but laid flat on the bottom of the drawer. Karina was written across the front of it in bold block style letters which she recognized as Benny’s handwriting. Sunny sucked in her breath and pulled it from the drawer, turned to place it on Benny’s desk and stuck her fingers into the first compartment of the folder.
What she pulled out made her gasp, there were at least twenty love letters written in flowery, feminine cursive writing on pink and lavender stationary. All signed With Much Love, Karina. This was private, but she couldn’t stop herself from reading some of the beautifully written letters that spoke of love, plans for the future, and the excitement of sharing their lives.
Sunny swallowed a sob and slipped the letters back inside the folder. The other slots were filled with
similar remembrances that only a man in love would cherish and save. Pictures of Benny and Karina taken at various areas around the city, their smiling faces filled with adoration.
The stairs creaked, the weight of somebody moving down the steps forced her to tuck the pictures inside one of the pockets and shove the folder inside the drawer. Beads of sweat formed on her upper lip as she turned from the file cabinet at the same moment Slater stepped into view.
“What ya doing little lady? Not lost are ya?” The dim lighting cast a shadow over Slater’s face to reveal his tightly twisted lips. A shiver clung to her spine, but she grabbed a pen from Benny’s desk, swiped the sweat from her lip and looked up at him smiling.
“Lost? Not likely.” Sunny laughed, hoping it sounded natural. She’d almost been caught, hell maybe she still was. “I wanted to write Benny a note to order extra of that specialty beer he’s trying out. It’s selling like crazy, a great money maker.” She wrote a quick sentence on a pad of paper. Sweat percolated across the back of her neck, she brushed her free hand along the cool skin and tossed the pencil on Benny’s desk. When she looked up, Slater gave her his infamous stare, and even though her heart beat in her chest like a gorilla trapped in a bird cage, she matched it with one of her own.
At least the beer had been a big hit, so it really was something she’d planned to mention to Benny. Her main concern at present was if Slater had seen her in the cabinet. She waited for his response. It took forever as he rubbed his chin while he regarded her then nodded, his lips parted to show his crooked yellowish teeth, and the low light in the room gave him an eerie glow.
“Ya’re missed upstairs. Lots of people need drinks.”
Sunny turned sideways to press past him, grabbed the case of beer she needed from the row of coolers along the wall outside of Benny’s office and bounded up the steps, but not before she shot Slater a quick glance over her shoulder. He stood in the doorway where she’d left him. His hollow gaze raked over her, crinkling at the corners as they narrowed.
Some Like It in Handcuffs Page 4
