by Dinah McCall
Dallas, Texas—Eleven years earlier
Tonight was the homecoming game. Olivia had less than an hour to get changed and back to the stadium before kickoff, and she was determined not to be late. Her hair was in curlers, and she was still barefoot, but she had on her new sweater and slacks. She loved the sensuous feel of the soft wale corduroy pants and the chunky-knit, cowl-neck sweater against her skin. She’d chosen the style for herself but the color for Trey. Her Trey. He loved blue, and she loved Trey, so it was an easy choice all around. She was taking the last of the rollers out of her hair as a knock sounded on her door.
“Come in!” she called, slinging curlers onto the bed as she made a frantic dash to the closet for her shoes.
“Olivia…I—”
“Oh, Grampy! I’m glad you’re home. I thought I wasn’t going to get to see you this evening before I left.”
“That’s what I wanted to—”
Olivia grabbed her shoes and ran to the side of the bed to put them on.
“It’s homecoming tonight! Did I tell you?” she asked as she yanked the last of the curlers out of her hair and slipped her feet into the shoes. “TammyWyandotte is picking me up in less than fifteen minutes.”
Marcus sighed. He’d been about to suggest that Olivia stay home tonight. He was concerned about her attachment to a certain boy but didn’t know how to broach the subject. This was one of those times when a girl needed her mother, but he was all she was going to get. He knew she was keeping company with a boy from a less than desirable family, and he worried about the consequences. Still, the excitement in her voice was so genuine and her joy infectious. Instead of saying what he’d come in to say, he gave her a hug, told her to be home before midnight and kissed her goodbye.
“You have enough money with you?” he asked.
“Yes, Grampy, I’m fine. Keep your fingers crossed for our team, okay?”
He couldn’t bear to take that joy from her face, so he sighed, then smiled.
“Absolutely,” he said.
She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly on the cheek.
“Oh, Grampy, you’re the best.”
The doorbell rang.
“That will be Tammy!” she said, grabbed her purse and dashed from her room.
Marcus followed her to the head of the stairs, then watched as she ran out the door.
By the time she and Tammy got to the football field, the captains of each team were on the field with the referees, who were in the midst of the coin toss.
Tammy squealed as they sat down.
“We won the toss! We’re kicking off first,” she said, and waved hysterically at her boyfriend, who was the second-string quarterback.
Olivia nodded, but she was more focused on the tall, long-legged running back standing near the bench. His thick black hair was just long enough to brush the padding around his neck, and there was a defiant jut to his chin that was unmistakable.
Trey Bonney.
Her heart stuttered just at the thought of his name. Two weeks ago, their relationship had taken a long leap from boyfriend and girlfriend to lovers. For Olivia, it had been the most frightening, and yet the most uplifting, moment of her life. She’d gone from being a girl to a woman in Trey Bonney’s arms. She’d spent every waking moment since dreaming of a repeat performance and how they would spend the rest of their lives together.
Trey was graduating in the spring, and she had one more year of high school to go. They’d already talked about attending college together and sharing an apartment. They were so into each other that it never occurred to them that the rest of the world might object.
She held her breath, watching—willing Trey to turn around and see her. And then he did. She saw that moment of surprise roll over his face, then that slow, sexy smile. He winked, then pulled his helmet on his head and ran out onto the field.
For Olivia, the game passed in a fog. The fact that one of her friends was crowned homecoming queen was secondary to knowing she would be with Trey after the game was over. The moment the last seconds ticked off the clock and the whistle blew, she was on her feet and running toward the lockers. Trey would look for her to be waiting on the benches outside. That would leave them almost two hours to be together before her curfew.
She got to the benches and scooted into the shadows beyond the night-lights, waiting anxiously for Trey to come out. Nervous, she kept glancing often at her watch, trying not to think of the precious minutes being wasted.
Suddenly she saw him, silhouetted in the doorway with the light behind him as he stared out into the darkness.
She stood.
Alerted by the motion, he moved toward her at a lope, then caught her up in his arms and kissed her hungrily.
Olivia moaned and then sighed.
“You were wonderful tonight,” she said softly.
Trey grinned, then leaned down and kissed the side of her neck below her ear.
“Thank you, Livvie, although the night’s not over.”
She blushed at the hint of things to come, but her heart was willing.
“I love you, Trey.”
The smile died on his face as he took her in his arms and hugged her close. His voice was soft against her ear. “I love you, too, baby…more than you will ever know.” Then he took her by the hand. “I’ve got Mom’s car.”
Livvie blushed again, but it was dark, and he didn’t see.
“I have to be home by midnight.”
Trey glanced at his watch.
“We’ve got an hour and thirty minutes,” he said.
Within fifteen minutes, they’d made it to a secluded park near a small, man-made lake.
Trey parked the car, turned the radio down low, then took her in his arms. The nervousness they’d experienced their first time was gone. Familiarity choreographed their actions, and young lust led the way. Within a couple of minutes, Olivia was in the back seat of the car, minus the new blue corduroy pants.
She ran her hands up under Trey’s sweater, caressing the hard muscles beneath his hot, smooth skin.
“Oh, Trey…”
“Shh,” he whispered as he grabbed a condom and fitted himself.
He moved over her, then into her, in one smooth, fluid motion. Without foreplay, without hesitation, they began the act of love in innocence and haste.
Olivia gasped as he filled her, and when he started to move, she locked her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. The heat of bare skin against bare skin quickly warmed the cooling interior of the car. The music shifted from a slow, sexy love song to the hard-rock rhythm of The Rolling Stones. Their bodies moved with it in perfect harmony, following the drumbeat all the way to a climax that rocked their world.
The present
Trey stopped in the E.R. long enough to ascertain that the man he’d come to talk to was still being examined. The injured who’d been brought in had already been transferred to the burn unit, which meant they probably wouldn’t be available to interview tonight. With a promise from one of the nurses to give him a buzz when the hero of the hour could speak freely, Trey headed for the elevator to Livvie’s room.
Just as he walked into her room, she moaned.
He moved quickly to her side and leaned over.
“Livvie…darling…are you in pain?”
Olivia moaned again, then sighed. She could still hear Trey’s voice and was reluctant to give up the dream.
“Livvie?”
She flinched, then opened her eyes.
“Trey? You’re here.”
He frowned. “Where else would I be, honey?”
She ran a hand over her face. “I think I was dreaming.”
He smiled. “About me, I hope.”
“Actually, yes.”
His smile widened.
“Really? What was I doing?”
“Making love to me in the back seat of your mother’s car.”
The smile shifted sideways as a wave of want washed through him.
“Jesus, Livvie,” he said softly. “You sure know how to bring a man to his knees.”
“It was a good dream,” she said.
“Thank you…I think.”
She smiled back at him, then put her good arm around his neck and pulled him closer.
“I think I could get used to waking up like this.”
He leaned closer, then closer still, until their lips were nearly touching. Trey brushed the surface of her lips with his mouth, gently, then settling firmly on the center. He felt her hand at the back of his neck, pulling him closer. It would be so easy to lose himself in the moment, but that wasn’t why he’d come. It was with reluctance that he was the first to pull away.
“Honey…we need to talk,” he said.
Olivia heard concern in his voice and frowned. She didn’t think she could bear any more trouble.
“Please don’t tell me something else is wrong.”
“Your grandfather called me and asked me to come by. He didn’t want you to hear the latest from your home front on the evening news.”
Olivia’s thoughts went instantly to Anna.
“Is everyone all right?” she asked. “Is it Anna? Has something happened to Anna?”
“Everyone is safe and sound, although your first instincts were right on. Somehow, Anna set fire to the kitchen. It burned through to a room upstairs, but the fire is out, and your grandfather wanted me to assure you it’s nothing that can’t be repaired.”
“Oh my God,” Olivia muttered. “Poor Grampy. On top of everything else, now this.” Then it hit her that no one had mentioned Rose. “Is Rose all right, too?”
“Yes. Everyone is okay.”
“Thank goodness, but this is all my fault. I shouldn’t have insisted on having her come home with us. I could tell she was losing her grip on reality. I just didn’t realize it could be dangerous. What is Grampy going to do? Where will we go?”
“It’s going to be okay,” Trey said. “At least, from where I’m standing, although if it makes you uncomfortable, I won’t be insulted.”
“What would make me uncomfortable?”
“I told your grandfather that I would take you home with me tomorrow when you’re released. I have a next-door neighbor who would be more than happy to stay with you during the day until I come in from work. Her name’s Ella Sumter, and she’s eighty-one, but she’s a hoot. Does tai chi on her front lawn every morning and doesn’t look a day over sixty.”
“All right,” Olivia said.
Trey stifled the urge to do a little victory dance.
“You will?” he asked.
Feeling suddenly proper, Olivia nodded.
“Yes, of course, and I thank you for the offer.”
He grinned. “Oh, trust me…you’re very welcome.”
“Where’s Grampy going to stay?” she asked.
“The Mansion on Turtle Creek, as will your uncle Terrence and aunt Carolyn. As for the rest of it, he said for you not to worry, just get better. He’ll stay in touch.”
She sighed. “This has certainly become something of a mess, hasn’t it?”
Before he could answer, his pager went off. He glanced down at it, then straightened.
“Honey, I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go down to the E.R. and interview a man. I won’t be long, okay?”
She waved him away.
“Of course. Go do what it is you detectives do. I’ve got a dream to get back to.”
Trey grinned.
“Save a place for me in that dream.”
“I don’t have to,” she said softly. “You are the dream.”
Trey was still thinking of Livvie as he got off the elevator, but his thoughts shifted quickly when he saw the man he’d come to talk to hurrying out the exit.
“Hey!” he yelled, and started toward him at a lope.
Foster turned. It was the cop who’d followed the ambulance to the hospital. He’d heard him talking to the nurses. The guy wanted to talk to him about the fire. With his luck, they would accuse him of starting it. He glanced out the door. Freedom was only a few feet away. But the cop was almost here.
Foster took a couple of steps toward the door, then froze as a police car pulled up to the entrance. His shoulders slumped; then he turned around.
It was over.
“Hey, man…where were you going?” Trey asked.
Foster shrugged. “Out. Don’t like hospitals much.”
Trey smiled, then clapped him on the back.
“Don’t much blame you, but I need your help. My name’s Detective Bonney.”
When the man didn’t answer, Trey let it slide for the time being.
“Are you feeling all right? That was quite a rescue you pulled off.”
Foster saw the determination on the detective’s face. Even if he ran now, even if he got away, it would only be a matter of time before they tracked him down. Truth was, he was tired of running. Tired of hiding. He’d fucked himself once by getting mixed up in something bad. He wasn’t going to do it again.
“Yeah, I’m all right,” Foster said, then held up his hands. “Just a few rope burns—and I need a new pair of shoes.”
Trey looked down. The soles of the man’s shoes were almost gone—melted by the heat of the roof on which he’d been standing.
“Let’s find a place to talk,” Trey said. “I want to get your take on the fire.”
Foster lifted his chin. It was time for the unveiling.
“Let’s just skip all the bullshit and get down to the truth. What you really want to know is, did I have anything to do with setting it.”
Trey’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
“Well…did you?” Trey asked.
Foster shook his head. “No, sir, I did not. If I had, I can guarantee I wouldn’t have been so damn stupid as to get myself caught in the blaze.”
Trey stared at him a moment; then he nodded in agreement. “Makes sense to me,” he said. “So…now can we talk?”
“Yeah, why the hell not,” Foster muttered. “I got plenty to say about a whole lot of things.”
“Do we need to go down to headquarters?”
Foster shrugged. “I was leaning more toward Florida, but right now, I don’t have anyplace else to go.”
“My car is just outside,” Trey said.
Foster fell into step beside Trey. Trey eyed the man cautiously, sensing he had yet to hear the whole story.
When they got to the car, Foster pointed to the back seat. “I reckon you’ll be wanting me to sit back there,” he said.
“Why’s that?” Trey asked.
“Well, I understand the Dallas Police Department has been wanting to talk to me for some time now.”
Trey resisted the urge to feel for his gun and took comfort from the weight of it in the shoulder holster under his jacket.
“Why’s that?” Trey asked.
Foster shrugged. “Beats me. I was sitting in my hotel room, minding my own business, when I heard my name on TV.”
Suddenly Trey knew—even before the man made the admission—but he still had to ask.
“And what name would that be?” Trey asked.
“Foster Lawrence, late of Lompoc Federal Prison and most recently the Henry-Dean Hotel.”
“Son of a bitch,” Trey muttered.
Foster grinned. “Yeah, I heard that name a few times before, too.” Then he held out his wrists.
Trey handcuffed him, then opened the back door.
“This is just a precaution,” he said. “I’ll take them off as soon as we get to the precinct.”
The smile slid off Foster’s face. “I heard that before, too,” he said. “And just for the record, I don’t know a damn thing about any dead babies, just like I didn’t know a damn thing about those murders twenty-five years ago. But seein’ as how nobody believed me back then, you can understand my reluctance to go through this shit again.”
Without a cage between him and the back seat, and driving alone, Trey was reluctant to transport Lawrence.
He took him by the elbow and escorted him to a police car parked nearby. One of the cops was standing by the unit, while the other was talking to an EMT driver.
When the uniformed officer saw the handcuffs, he began to pay attention.
“This is Foster Lawrence,” Trey said. “He’s just offered to come to headquarters and answer some questions. I wonder if you’d do me a favor and drive him for me. I’ll pick him up down in booking.”
Foster’s heart dropped.
“Am I being arrested?” he asked.
“No,” Trey said, then added, “Not unless you need to be.”
“I need a lot of things, but that ain’t one of ’em,” Foster said, and scooted into the back seat of the police cruiser when Trey opened the door. “See you there,” he told Trey, then leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes.
Trey eyed the melted shoes, the bandages on the man’s hands, and the red, angry flush on his heat-scorched cheeks. It was ironic that this man had gone from hero to suspect within the space of five minutes. It was all about luck, and Lawrence’s seemed to have run out.
14
Trey called Olivia from the car on his way back to headquarters. She answered on the second ring.
“Olivia, honey…it’s me.”
Olivia smiled to herself. “Hi, me.”
Trey grinned. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this good about life.
“Just wanted you to know that something’s come up. I’m on my way back to the precinct. I guess this was a night for fires. There was a bad one downtown at an old hotel, and I’ve got to talk to some of the survivors.”
“Oh no. How awful.”
“Yeah. Anyway, I won’t be back tonight. Get a good night’s sleep, and I’ll see you in the morning, okay?”
“Okay. Be careful,” Olivia said.
Trey chuckled. “Always, honey. Just think of it like this. I’m only going to the office. Sleep tight and dream some more good dreams of me. I’ll pick you up in the morning.”
Olivia smiled as she hung up the phone, then turned over and closed her eyes. The sooner morning came, the sooner she would be out of this place, but her phone rang again before she’d fallen asleep.
