Hart To Hart

by Vella Day

  “Uh-huh. Oh, Mom. I’m sorry. Gotta go. Annetta is calling to me.”

  Thank you, Annetta. She must be the cop. “You can call me anytime on this line.”

  “Okay. Love you, Mom.”

  “Love you, too, sweetie.” Ellie hated to hang up, but it was for the best. She wasn’t ready to admit even to herself that Vic was getting under her skin.

  Voices sounded in the main entrance near Sharon’s desk, implying the detective was still there. As long as she had some time, Ellie wanted to check in with Wendy and then Hilton. She better use her regular phone or Wendy might not answer. Her friend would be working at her old art store at this time and not answer an unfamiliar number. Given the time difference, Wendy might even be at lunch, which would allow them to talk in private.

  Ellie dialed and Wendy picked up right away. “Ellie? How are you?”

  “I’m fine.” She gave her friend the rundown, leaving out nothing but her growing attraction to Vic. She knew what Wendy would say—go for it.

  “Oh, my Lord. How is Charlotte doing?”

  “I can’t really tell. She seems quite taken with her bodyguard and not all that thrilled to have moved once again. I’m sure it will hit her soon that her life was in danger not once but twice.”

  “Does Vic have any leads?”

  “Not yet, but he’s working on it. How’s class going?”

  “Good, but Cal called to say he wasn’t coming for a while. Something about an emergency. To be honest, I’m kind of glad. He creeps me out.”

  Ellie tried to count the days to see if Cal could have followed her to Montana. He always complained that he was broke, so she doubted he’d spend the money to fly there. “Did he say what kind of emergency?”

  “Nope, just that he wouldn’t be back for a while.”

  “Okay, thanks. How’s Hilton doing? He’s not used to manning the store.” A small smile lifted her lips. “I wonder if he even knows how to use the credit card machine.”

  “Funny you should ask. He, too, said he had something he needed to take care of.”

  She didn’t like the sound of that. “Who’s at the gallery then?”

  “He asked Ronnie Maloney to come over.”

  Ugh. “I didn’t know they’d patched things up.” Hilton had first asked Ronnie to go in with him to start the gallery, but he’d turned Hilton down.

  Her friend groaned. “I know nothing, and I ain’t asking.”

  Wendy was smart. “I appreciate the input. I won’t keep you but call if something new comes up.”

  “Will do. I miss you.”

  Ellie smiled. “You have no idea how much I miss you, girl. Hugs.”

  “Stay safe.”

  As soon as Ellie hung up, a heavy weight sat on her shoulders. She had to tell Vic about Cal’s and Hilton’s disappearing acts. She thought they’d already crossed both names off the list, but after what Wendy told her, the possibility existed that one of the men was her stalker. Just when she believed it couldn’t get much worse, this had to happen.

  When she stepped from the room, Trent had gone. Sharon looked up. “Everything okay? You look pale.”

  There was no reason to give Sharon all the details. “I’m fine. I need to speak with Vic for a minute. Is he free?”

  “Yup. Go on in.”

  When Ellie entered his office, he was seated, wearing glasses. She hadn’t seen him in them before, but he looked good.

  He looked up. “Something wrong?”

  “I didn’t know you wore glasses.” That was a dumb thing to say, but she was still trying to figure things out.

  He took them off. “Only need them for reading. How’s Charlotte?”

  Ellie pulled over the wooden chair. “She seems fine, though I think she has a little crush on Trent.”

  Vic’s jaw tightened. “Did he try something?”

  He always was protective. It was one thing she admired about him. “No, but our daughter wished he had.”

  Vic leaned back in his chair. “That’s good.”

  “No, it’s not.” This wasn’t why she’d come in here. “We’ll talk about this later. I spoke with Wendy and she said both Cal and Hilton gave excuses as to why they had to go out of town.”

  Any semblance of cheer left Vic’s face. “That’s not good. I’ll see if I can get a handle on where they went.”

  “How can you do that?” As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized her mistake. Amy, of course. “Never mind.”

  “No. It’s a good question. I plan to ask Ted if he can check flight manifests to see if either one booked a flight to Rock Hard.”

  He was amazing. “You don’t work for him anymore. Why would he help?”

  Vic shrugged. “He’s a nice guy.”

  It would be smarter to accept what Vic said. “Neither man has motive to harm me.”

  Vic cocked a brow. “Sex is a powerful motivator. And you weren’t harmed, I was. And Charlotte almost was.”

  His mind always seemed to go to sex. “This isn’t about unrequited love. If it were, I can see him taking you out, but harming Charlotte makes no sense.”

  “Don’t sound so blasé about my possible demise.”

  Sometimes, Vic tried too hard. “I’m not. Sorry.”

  “He might have thought Charlotte was you. If he knew the difference, perhaps he believed if your support system disappeared, you might seek solace from him.”

  That was a horrible thought. “Well, doesn’t that suck?”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Vic needed to get to the bottom of this. “It does suck, but when a man fixates on a woman, he can do strange things—like harming the person he cares about.”

  “Are we talking about Cal or Hilton?” Her body language looked identical to when she’d first come into his office, but it couldn’t be helped.

  “Both. I need to know—not as your current lover, but as your private investigator. Have you slept with either man?”

  She sat up straighter. “Hilton, but only once. I realized right away that I had made a mistake.”

  “Describe mistake.”

  “Why are you doing this? To embarrass me?”

  Fuck. “No, El. Don’t you see?”

  “No.”

  He was messing this up royally. “Hilton might have been ashamed if he had a performance issue. He’ll want to prove to you he’s a real man. There are a ton of reasons. Men are basically stupid creatures.” He threw that last bit in to appease her.

  “He doesn’t have a performance issue.”

  That had been his best theory. “Did something happen?”

  She shrugged. “We were celebrating the opening of the gallery and went out to dinner. I might have had a bit too much to drink. Hilton drove me home and stayed. It was a rather slam, bam, thank you ma’am kind of thing.”

  Vic smiled. “He didn’t love you right. I get it.”

  She glanced away. “Don’t flatter yourself.” Humor tinged her tone.

  Vic chuckled. “Then what happened?”

  “Hilton asked me out a week later, and I had to tell him I thought it best if we kept our relationship professional. Business and pleasure don’t mix.”

  Vic begged to differ, but he wisely kept quiet. “He wasn’t pleased I take it?”

  El glanced to the ceiling. “No.”

  “Did he remain upset?”

  “Not really. He tried a few more times but finally got the hint. We were back to normal within a few weeks.”

  Vic found it odd that Hilton, a widower, would give up so easily. “You said you dated a man by the name of Brian. How did Hilton respond to that?”

  “Is this relevant?”

  Perhaps he’d pushed her too far. “It could be. Both Hilton, and the one you describe as your creepy student, have left town. You don’t find it odd that they are conveniently away just when someone tries to run me off the road and shoot Charlotte?”

  “I don’t want to believe it.”

  Now they were getting somewhere.
“I understand.” He’d do more research before asking additional questions about the wealthy Hilton Davies, though Davies asking his first-choice partner to take over the gallery the moment El left town seemed more than a little coincidental. “What about Cal?”

  Her eyes widened. “He asked me out several times, but I never acted on it. I told him it wasn’t appropriate.”

  “I trust he wasn’t happy either?”

  Her lips thinned. “No.”

  “I’m sorry, El, but I really want to get this guy. It’s possible our stalker is from Virginia, and when he failed to frighten you, he decided to come after your family.”

  She dragged a hand under her eyes. “I know you’re only trying to help.”

  Vic pushed back his chair and came over to her side. He held out his hands. “El, look at me.” She glanced up and placed one hand in his. He drew her to her feet. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to pry.”

  A fleeting smile lifted her lips. “Yes, you were.”

  Damn, but she knew him too well. “Okay, I was a wee bit curious, but you wouldn’t have come to me in the first place if you didn’t think one of them could have been your stalker.”

  “You’re right.”

  “Why don’t you go paint and I’ll continue to investigate. Tonight, what do you say to a nice romantic evening at Rock Hard’s best steak house?” Hopefully, she still loved her medium rare steak.

  “I thought you were concerned about your high cholesterol.”

  How sweet that she cared. “I am, but I haven’t been to the Steerhouse in months.” She hesitated. “Come on. We need a break. It’ll help me think better.”

  He finally received the smile he’d been waiting for. “Okay.”

  * * *

  Ellie had been angry at first with Vic for asking all of those personal questions, but she soon realized he had to look under every rock. Neither knew for sure how long she’d have to stay there. While it was nice not to work all the time, she was getting a bit antsy. After putting on her coat for their date, she headed toward the front door.

  “You parked in the back, remember?” Vic asked.

  She halted. “I forgot.” Sharon had driven her to the store because her car was in front and Ellie’s was in back.

  She turned around. At the end of the hallway was a door that led to the back lot. While she didn’t mind driving, as soon as Vic’s arm completely healed, she hoped he bought another vehicle. Not being familiar with the roads made her a little nervous.

  “Relax. Nothing’s going to happen,” he reassured her.

  “You don’t need to placate me, Vic. I’m a grown woman. I know it’s dangerous for us to be out, but I do appreciate the freedom—no matter how temporary.”

  She hoped she wasn’t giving him hope of a future with her. Her problem was that she couldn’t keep her hands off him. Once he was naked, she seemed to lose all thought. Stupid libido.

  As Vic held open her car door, he looked around. She decided not to ask him who he thought he might see. Tonight she wanted to forget. Her goal was to direct the focus on Vic. Let him sweat for a change.

  As they headed into town, he told her where to turn. Because it was a Monday night, they thankfully found a spot close to the restaurant entrance. Vic escorted her inside. She had to admit, being in the upscale, cozy place made her feel as if she were back home. “This is nice.”

  He smiled. “I’m glad you like it.”

  Once they were seated, their server took their drink orders. “I’d like to hear the details about the incident that caused you to give up your life’s work,” she said.

  “You mean this?” He touched his scar.

  “Yes.”

  “It’s not very interesting.”

  She leaned forward. “Don’t shut me out. Again.” That was part the reason why they’d divorced—that and the fact Vic believed someone might target her or Charlotte.

  The waiter brought their drinks. She’d ordered wine, while Vic wanted a beer. “You’re right. I’ll tell you. You should know. While I was in Washington, I was researching illegal arms deals. Long story short, we suspected the large amount of guns destined for Rock Hard were some kind of stockpiling for a terrorist group. Ted and I decided it would be best if I went undercover. We had a team here for a while, and they needed to shake it up a bit. By posing as a homeless man, I could listen to the chatter without drawing attention. After a few months of living outside during the day, I learned that things were happening at a particular warehouse.”

  “A warehouse owned by Ed Hanson, I think you said?”

  He smiled. “Yes. You always were a good listener. I was there about a month when I got wind of a possible attack, although the details were sketchy.”

  “What did you do?”

  “I pick-pocketed one of the higher ups. He had a flash drive that described the terrorists’ plan. I had intended to get the drive to my team as soon as possible. I believed I was in the clear but was unfortunately spotted and had to ditch the drive.”

  “I remember you saying you gave it to a young woman by the name of Jamie.” She snapped her fingers. “Max Gruden’s wife.”

  “Yes, only they weren’t married at the time. I still feel bad about that, but I had no idea I wouldn’t be able to retrieve it later in the day.”

  “What happened?”

  He tipped back his beer. “Someone saw me give it to her, which then made her a target. When they realized I wasn’t some hapless bum, they grabbed me that day and dragged me into the warehouse.”

  She wasn’t certain she wanted to hear the rest of the story, but Vic had gone through something horrific, and maybe he needed to talk about it. “I take it that didn’t go well?”

  He chuckled. “Hardly. As I lay broken and unconscious from the severe beating, they set the wooden structure on fire. When I woke up, I was in the hospital. I was lucky that the assistant Fire Marshal happened to be driving down the street at one in the morning and spotted the flames. He called it in.”

  She hissed in a breath. “Weren’t you scared?”

  “I was scared that I wouldn’t see you or Charlotte again.”

  Ellie studied his face to see if he was just saying that for her benefit, or if he truly meant it. She believed him. “Was the pain intolerable?”

  “I was drugged up a lot. In all honesty, those days are still a blur—proof that I was in bad shape.”

  “Yet you still wanted to stay with the FBI?”

  He shrugged then finished his drink. “Deep down, I knew my career was over.”

  If anything happened to her hands and she couldn’t paint, she wasn’t sure she’d have been as brave.

  The waiter stopped by and they ordered their meal. She asked for a steak with a warm red center, while Vic had the salmon.

  “Do you miss the job?” Ellie wasn’t certain why she wanted to know. Perhaps she wanted to convince herself that he wasn’t the man for her. Too bad every answer seemed to be what she wanted to hear.

  “Yes and no. I like bringing the criminals to justice, but I don’t like the fallout. Clearly, someone wants to harm what I hold dear.”

  “Or someone wants to harm what I hold dear,” she said.

  “You mean Charlotte?”

  And Vic. She nodded. “Do you think you’ll ever find him?” Too many damn possibilities existed. She didn’t want to consider a woman was responsible. Even though Wendy answered the phone and talked about what was going on in Virginia, she could have been in Montana.

  Stop it. Wendy is my friend.

  “All criminals make mistakes. It’s just a matter of time.”

  “I’m not sure I can wait around that long.” The server brought their food, and her stomach grumbled.

  “What are you saying, El? You plan to leave if I don’t fix this within the week? Or are you giving me a month?”

  A month? She’d be bat shit nuts if she had to sit in his back room all that time. “I don’t know.”

  Vic reached out and clasped
her hand. “I know you want to get your life back. I don’t blame you. You think I like knowing someone tried to harm our daughter? Twice?”

  Guilt swamped her. “I know you’re doing the best you can, but I have a gallery to run.”

  “I know. Give me a few more days. Please.”

  “Okay.”

  He smiled and her heart did that flip-flop thing it always did when Vic exposed his soul to her. All she’d ever wanted was a connection with him—to know that she was important. Heaven only knew she’d put him first for so many years.

  “Good. Let’s eat and agree not to talk about the case for the rest of the evening. It’s stressful enough.”

  She blew out a breath. “I couldn’t agree more.”

  All through dinner, Vic asked questions about the gallery. “It seems as if you really love your job.”

  She smiled, happy he understood. “I do. I did need financial help from Hilton, but I had a vision of how it could be. We’re just beginning to get a name for ourselves.”

  “I’m happy for you, El.”

  “Thank you. You seem happier in Rock Hard than I’ve ever seen you.”

  “I am.”

  They finished their meal, and both of them pulled out their credit cards at the same time. Some things would never change. “It’s my treat, Vic. If you hadn’t known me, and I’d hired you, would you be paying?”

  His lips twisted. That was enough of an answer. “Perhaps not, but I do have money saved up.” Once more, he reached out for her hand. “But you aren’t just a client. You are the woman I dream about at night.”

  Ellie didn’t need this. It would rip her heart in two when she explained why she couldn’t stay. “Vic, don’t. Please.”

  He let go. “No pressure. I just thought that while you’re here, we could enjoy each other.”

  She laughed. “Enjoy each other?” She leaned forward, not wanting the entire restaurant to hear their conversation. “You mean have wild sex all the time? We’re already doing that.”

  His grin dimpled one cheek. “I’ve never heard you complain.”

  “You are hopeless.”

  “Wait until we get back home, and I’ll show how hopeless I can be.”