“It’s nothing,” she answered, returning to the desk. “Just a silly thought I got when I saw some birds.” She grabbed her jacket. “I need to be going now.”
“Don’t rush off.” He caught up to her. “I have a break coming up. I thought maybe we could grab some lunch at Miss Sophie’s and actually get through a meal without growling at each other.”
“I don’t know,” she hedged, inwardly jumping up and down at the idea of going out with him again, while simultaneously eyeing the door with thoughts of breaking out of this office and away from whatever this was he was making her feel.
“Why don’t you know? You said you weren’t seeing anyone.”
“I’m not.”
“Neither am I.”
“We don’t even know each other.”
“You kissed me.”
“No, you kissed me,” she readily clarified.
“We kissed each other. That hardly makes us strangers. Yeah, we started off on the wrong foot, but I have faith we can continue on this positive course.” He brushed a stray hair from her cheek. “I think we’ve made amazing progress today.”
Darci couldn’t argue with that. He’d made a lot more progress than she’d ever wanted him, or any other man, to make, and that was the problem. There was a reason she’d never been seriously involved with anyone in New York. Relationships were troublesome, and she just didn’t want trouble. Life was so much easier when you didn’t have those ties and the expectations that came with them, plus her career left little time for it.
“You gonna have lunch with me?” Steed asked again.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“I think it’s a great idea. We tried to start over yesterday at Miss Sophie’s, and things went pretty well until we got on the Warwick case again. With that hurdle crossed, we can get to know each other better. I do believe we’re off to a pretty good start.”
“One kiss is not a start.”
“Of course it is. It’s a beginning. We’re attracted to each other, and we’re both single.” He paused for a long moment. “You can’t tell me it’s a racial thing because I’d never believe it.”
“It’s not that, either.”
“Then what?”
If she told him, he’d probably think she was lying, and she didn’t feel like explaining herself. “I have a lot to deal with right now,” Darci answered, which wasn’t a lie. “You said it yourself, I need to grieve for Kenny. And I need to start accepting this…the way you said he died.”
“His suicide.”
She sighed loudly. Steed and that word!
“You can’t even say it, can you?”
“I’m trying, it’s just not that easy. I need…”
“Time, I know. What happens for you next?”
“I settle Kenny’s estate.”
“Then you’re going to be in town for a while?”
“As long as it takes.”
“And your job in New York?”
“I was in contract negotiations before I arrived. I need to call my agent and let her know what’s going on.”
“Think I can call you sometime?”
No! No! No! “Sure,” she answered, wondering where that quick response came from as she walked to the door. What happened to not wanting trouble?
“Darci, wait. I don’t know your number.”
“You’re a detective. If you really want to reach me, you’ll find a way. Besides, I can’t make this too easy for you.”
“Too easy?” He laughed. “Okay, I’m game. You’ll be hearing from me tonight. In the meantime, you try and have a good afternoon.”
“Given the fact I might have to deal with Eva, I won’t hold my breath on that one.”
* * *
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Kenneth Warwick glared at his irate sister through steel bars and closed his eyes again. “I think I’m stuck inside a cinder block prison, trying desperately to pretend I’m on a tropical beach and not being held captive by my drugged-out sister and her crazy boyfriend in some dingy cabin.”
“You shut that fresh mouth or I will shut it up for you.”
Kenny’s eyes flew open. “You mean for real this time? I can’t believe you, Eva. How could you do this to me?”
“How could I do this to you? What about what you’ve done to me!”
“What I’ve done to you?” Kenny leapt from his cot and wrapped his hands around the bars that blocked his path to freedom. “All I’ve ever done is try to help you. Mom and Dad never knew about your substance abuse problems because I kept it from them. When you needed money, I gave it to you. I helped you in every way I could, and this is how you repay me? Make our parents and the world think I killed myself. This is beyond cruel!”
“I didn’t make this situation. I just used it to my advantage.”
This situation. Kenny sighed. It would be laughable if it weren’t so sad and impossible to believe. A few short days ago he was walking on air, preparing for a hot date with a buxom blonde from the station. Eva coming up behind him when he’d arrived home hadn’t surprised him, but it had ticked him off. Pleading for money, and edgy from coming off another high, probably the prescription drugs she was partial to, Eva and her sorry state were the last things he had wanted to deal with.
After her usual “I need” speech, Kenny had offered her food, but not another dime. They had stepped inside his house, and that was when everything changed. He had found some stranger on his couch, wearing his favorite suit, and looking more like his clone than he wanted to admit. That stranger, who introduced himself as Jason Hyde, became an integral part in the deception his sister and her demented beau had perpetrated on Kenny and the rest of the world.
The door slammed, jostling Kenny from the memory of his not-so-distant past. Eva’s partner in crime, a dark-haired, beady-eyed guy named Fritz, walked in.
“How much you get?” Fritz asked.
“Seven hundred and fifty thousand,” Eva said.
“Yes! I told you he had big money.” Fritz rubbed his hands together like an evil cartoon madman.
A few inches taller and a couple of pounds heavier than Fritz, Kenny knew he could take the man if those bars weren’t between them. How Fritz found information about his financial status baffled Kenny, but since he was sitting in a block prison cell inside a cabin, Fritz had to have pull somewhere.
“I can’t get the money until I finish rehab,” Eva explained, her angry eyes burning holes through Kenny. “I want my money. I’m not going to be at the mercy of Darci Clarke.”
“It’s my money and you don’t have a choice. I’m dead, remember?” Kenny returned to his cot. “Guess your little plan’s not working like you hoped, huh? Only a drug fiend would think something so foolish would pan out.” So far, it was working, but with his sister’s addiction and a fervent hope that sibling compassion still resided somewhere inside her heart, he figured he could find his way through a crack, work on some doubt, and get the hell out of this. He glanced at the metal toilet/sink in one corner of his prison. He had to get out of here, and get some fresh clothes. He’d been in his beige suit for days.
Eva stomped over to Fritz. “This was your idea!”
“And you went with it!” Fritz held up his hands and took a breath. “Don’t let him shake you. We can get this money.”
“How?”
“Yeah, Fritz, how?” Kenny echoed. “My wishes are written out clearly, and there’s no way Darci won’t follow through. As a matter of fact, she’s gonna realize something’s wrong. She, if no one else in this world, knows I wouldn’t kill myself.”
“Darci’s in her ‘I can’t believe Kenny would do this’ phase, but to the world you’re dead. And she can’t deny that.”
“Nobody can deny it, because I made it so,” Fritz added. “I’m well aware of police procedure, and that poor slob who decided to blow his brains out on your couch is you. It’s like Jason Hyde was never there. His clothing, his wallet
, his mere existence. Poof. I covered all the bases.”
Kenny squeezed his eyes shut. How he wished he could turn back time. Jason explained he had sent many letters, which was probably true, but Kenny never answered letters that didn’t come from women. The man wanted Kenny to be his friend, to have people see them out together so he’d be accepted by association. Eva and Jason. Two people who wanted something from Kenny, and then went too far when they didn’t get it.
Had he kept Eva out of his house or sent that pathetic man an autographed picture or something, this turn of events wouldn’t have happened. He knew he had a way with women, but Jason Hyde’s devotion to him had gone far beyond the usual fan appreciation. The fact the man looked so much like him freaked him out even more. Being friends? Hanging out? Breaking into his house and wearing his clothes? That was a little too much.
When Kenny had attempted to call the police, Jason pulled out a gun. A Desert Eagle Mark XIX semi-automatic pistol, one of a half-dozen firearms Kenny’s deceased uncle had left him. Kenny wasn’t much of a gun fan, but he’d loved his uncle, and felt obliged to keep the collection. Considering at least one of the guns was loaded, that decision had bitten him big time.
Kenny kept the Mark XIX and the other guns in a locked display case in the living room. A display case Jason managed to have a key for, along with a key to Kenny’s front door. Jason had apologized profusely for letting himself in and trying on the suit, but swore he couldn’t go back to jail. Feeling sorry for Jason, Kenny had assured him he wouldn’t call the cops and told him he could go, but Jason turned the gun on himself anyway. Moments later Fritz rushed in and Kenny’s life changed.
Kenny opened his eyes, staring at his captors. “Darci is going to realize something’s wrong.”
“Not gonna happen.” Fritz swaggered over and held onto the bars. “You’re stuck with us,” he said. “If you want things to get better, you’ll find a way to undo what you did.”
Eva approached and touched Fritz’s arm. “Don’t taunt him, Fritz.” She flashed Kenny a smile. He wanted to kick her. It was too late for his sister to play sweetness and light. “We need money, Kenny. I’m sure you can think of something to change this will.”
“What?” Kenny snapped. “Dead men can’t talk, and they sure as hell can’t change wills.” He expelled a quick breath. “You made this mess, Eva. So you either wait out the year, or you let me go. I don’t owe you a damn thing.”
“What do you owe your dear friend Darci?”
There was no mistaking the threat in her tone. His sister was off her spool, but he couldn’t show his alarm. “You can’t do anything to Darci,” Kenny said.
“No?” Eva clicked her tongue. “You willing to risk that? The world thinks you’re dead. How hard do you think it will be for us to make it look like grief overcame poor Darci?” She stared at him. “I want her hands out of my pockets, Kenny. You better see that it happens.”
CHAPTER 9
“You’ll have to excuse the lived-in conditions,” Steed said, grabbing a shirt from the back of his couch and tossing it into the closet. “I don’t have many visitors.”
Darci chuckled. “Why am I not surprised?”
The plush upholstered sofa and loveseat done in a creamy beige color complemented the glossy hardwood floor, but the strewn clothes and countless mugs stained with remnants of black coffee weren’t exactly the ideal accessories. This was definitely a bachelor pad. It even smelled like his cologne.
“I’m usually a bit tidier than this,” Steed said, gathering more shirts and tossing them in a laundry basket in the corner of his living room. “I had a little trouble finding a clean shirt for our date.” He kicked a white sock under the couch and sighed. “I should have cleaned. I didn’t think we’d end up here, and…I’m really much neater than this. There’s just been so much going at the station, and—”
“It’s okay. We usually go back to Jackie’s after our dates, but after two weeks, I figured I’d spare you another inquisition from my family,” Darci said with a laugh, moving to the couch.
“That’s fine. I like your family.” Steed joined her. “Jackie and Carl are great people, and Ronnie and Craig’s interest in law enforcement is very exciting. They have great questions. They remind me of myself at that age, always asking Uncle Pete a million things about cases and procedures. I couldn’t get enough of that. Sorta like you are with anything peach related.” He laughed.
“Ha-ha. I like what I like. I’m consistent,” she said. “Now, Uncle Pete. He was your father’s partner, right?”
“Yeah. He’s great. Even after Mom left New York and remarried, Uncle Pete would call me and come down to Texas to visit Lori and me. He was even kind to Brett.”
“He shouldn’t have been kind to Brett?”
“He didn’t have to be. Brett is Mom and her husband’s son. Lori and I are Dad’s. Uncle Pete was good to all of us.”
“Your stepfather wasn’t good to you and your sister?”
The pained look on Steed’s face made Darci wish she hadn’t asked the question. Steed had talked about his family, not nonstop by any means, but he’d mentioned them. Mostly his Nana Jean, the mother of his stepfather he barely mentioned.
“He was fine. It was just different. Josh is a wealthy rancher and he seemed to always be throwing money around.”
“Seemed to? You didn’t like him because he was wealthy?”
“I didn’t say I didn’t like him.”
“You didn’t have to. You change when you talk about him. I hear resentment in your voice.”
“It’s not resentment, it’s just…” Steed expelled a breath and the tension she saw on his face melted away with a smile. “You never stop being a reporter,” he said with a kiss to her cheek. “It’s a good thing I like you.”
“Imagine that,” she said with a laugh. It didn’t surprise her he’d changed the subject, he often did, but he felt what he felt for a reason, and she’d wait until he was ready to share why. Darci took in her surroundings. “This is a great house. A bit big for a single guy.”
“Three bedrooms and a couple of baths. I like my space, and my privacy, and this house gives me that.”
Darci walked over to the fireplace and picked up a frame. The smiling face of the older red-haired woman left no doubt of her identity. “Nana Jean, right?”
Steed smiled. “Yeah, that’s Nana. And the two munchkins in the other frames are Krista and Cody, Lori’s daughter and son.”
“Where are photos of the rest of your family?”
“In an album. These are the people who don’t hassle me. So, they get places of honor.”
“Krista is what, two?”
“Three. Cody is almost one. I saw them at Christmas.” Steed’s eyes brightened. “They’re wonderful.”
“Steed McGraw has a soft spot for children. You are full of surprises.”
“That surprises you?”
“Frankly, yes. The guy I met at the police station two weeks ago seemed more like a coal in the treat sack at Halloween type. The more time I spend with you, the more…”
“What?” Steed said, wrapping his arms around her waist.
“The more I like you,” she said, closing her arms around his neck and melting into his kiss.
* * *
Steed knocked on Chief Rogers’s door and waited for an answer. Maybe, after two months, he was finally getting word on his promotion. He had kept his end of the deal, and in the process got a lot closer to Darci. He couldn’t believe how important she’d become to him in such a short amount of time. In a matter of days, they’d gone from biting each other’s heads off to barely being able to keep their hands off each other.
Darci had decided against re-signing with Heart of the Matter, and to Steed’s delight, permanently moved back to Sterling. All of the TV stations in Crider, the nearest big city located thirty miles north of Sterling, approached Darci with job offers. The most lucrative coming from WCR with a proposal of Kenny’s vacant spot, mo
nthly features on the morning show, and outs for special projects. The notion of stealing Kenny’s job bothered her, but with help from Jackie, Steed had twisted Darci’s arm into accepting the position. However, nothing could convince her to move into Warwick’s house. She insisted she would move in if Eva decided to follow the wishes of Kenny’s will, but she refused to live there alone or permanently, so last week she’d sealed the purchase of her parents’ old house, where she’d already started moving in.
The only downside in all of this was her weeklong trip to New York to tie up loose ends and retrieve the rest of her things. She’d be back in town today, and Steed hoped to have good news with word of his promotion.
Darci had become his biggest cheerleader, insisting he had his promotion in the bag. Steed smiled. She wasn’t like any other woman he’d dated, specifically with her peach fascination. She wore peach-scented perfume, she loved peach cobbler and peach ice cream, and she even had peach-colored furniture. He was surprised when she bought a black Lexus.
He was falling in love with her. He’d never loved any woman that wasn’t related to him. Oh, he’d said it a time or two in his younger days to get a score, but it had just been words. Thinking about those words with Darci in mind made him happy. He wanted to take care of her, talk to her, hold her and kiss her. He wanted to find a way to take away the pain she still carried over Warwick’s death.
Although Darci had dropped her need to find Kenny’s “alleged” killer, she still hadn’t accepted Warwick’s suicide. She tried to pretend otherwise, but Steed knew better. Darci needed time, and he understood that more than anyone. He would give her the time she needed, and all the support she could handle. And maybe some good news would help that along.
Steed gave three more hard raps to Rogers’s door.
“Come in,” said Chief Rogers.
Steed entered to find Mayor Benjamin with Rogers. Steed’s heart pounded. Was he finally getting his promotion? He’d dressed in a suit and shaved in anticipation of Darci’s arrival, but maybe these things would be to his benefit in regard to this meeting. “You wanted to see me, sir?” he said.
Not Quite Right (Indigo Love Spectrum) Page 8
