Emily nodded in agreement and smiled widely, hoping it didn't look completely fake.
"Let's get you to class then, you'll have about ten minutes to prepare before the first bell. Come along then."
She followed Margie out of the office and through the winding halls of the school to a small classroom with three windows that let in the bright morning sun. She inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of the classroom and feeling a bittersweet twinge in her chest. Margie left a few seconds later and promised to meet up with her for lunch.
Emily walked over to the biggest window next to the teacher's desk and looked outside. The teacher's parking was very close and she could see Conall in his big silver truck with the window open and his arm hanging out. His head was resting back against the headrest and he was talking on the phone. She felt awful that he would be out there probably dying of boredom until the school day ended and promised herself to find some time to go out and chat with him.
They had started telling each other stories about growing up while they devoured the Chinese food she ordered for them the other day and she about died from laughing so hard. His childhood had been filled with silliness while hers was spent praying that her parents remembered to at least stock up on some groceries for her and Rayce so she could feed him. She'd tried to avoid talking about her childhood, but he pressed and when she told him about her parents, she wished they had never started talking in the first place.
"How old were you when they died?" he asked gently.
"Eighteen. Thank God. It was still a fight to get custody of Rayce, but at least I didn't have to worry about going into the system myself."
"And Rayce? How did he take it?"
"He was glad he got to stay with me, but losing my parents had been harder on him. Sure, he knew what they were like, but it was nothing compared to when he was a baby. They calmed down when he got older, but still… it wasn't enough."
They had sat in silence for a while before he asked another question unrelated to her family and it was as if the sadness of her childhood had never even entered the room. He was easy to talk to, but it was the way he was so sensitive to anything that made her uncomfortable that had her trusting him explicitly.
She turned back to the classroom and smiled. Despite the chaos that had been her life these last several months and the guilt she felt from being a deceitful player in this whole scheme, she felt a small sense of peace. Conall had given her that and talking about Aislinn with Margie made her feel like she actually had a family to brag about.
It was on that thought that she heard the first bell and a stream of students started pouring into the room.
Here we go.
***
"How was it?"
Emily looked up from studying the ground as she made her way to Conall and his truck. He was holding her door open and grinning, his blue eyes more intense in the sunlight.
She smiled and exhaled a long breath, "It was wonderful."
"Good."
She climbed into the truck and watched as he made his way around the hood to the driver's side. When he climbed in, she waited for him to start up the ignition and fiddle with the stereo. She noticed it was something he always did before taking off and once they were on the road, he didn't touch it again unless it was to mess with the volume. It was a simple thing, but she thought it was adorable.
He put the key in the ignition, but paused and turned to see her watching him. "Any problems with Margie?"
She shook her head, "Nope. Almost slipped about teaching in Denver, but it got easier after that."
"Good."
She waited again, but he didn't turn the key and when she looked back to his face, he wiggled his eyebrows at her teasingly and flashed his white teeth with a smile. "Any eighth grade boys fall in love with you?"
She narrowed her eyes for a moment before she answered with a teasing smile. "Not that I know of."
Conall shook his head and turned to face the windshield as he started the truck. "It'll happen."
Emily wasn't sure how to respond, but he started fiddling with the stereo before she had the chance and she got caught up in watching him. Once he found a station that wasn't playing commercials, he shifted the truck into reverse and backed out of the parking space without another word.
They drove for a few minutes and when she noticed that they were heading in the opposite direction of their apartment, she asked him where they were going.
"Got some files in from Captain Miller and need to print them out. Since we don't have a computer at the apartment, I need to stop by Dad's."
"Okay."
"Ash wants to do a dinner tomorrow night before her and Luke take off on vacation and before Dad leaves to Ireland."
"Okay."
"She was hoping you would help her."
Emily felt her cheeks flush with surprise. "Me?"
He nodded and kept his eyes on the road.
"Why?"
He shrugged and glanced at her sideways looking a little uneasy. "Girl stuff."
She smiled and the surprise turned into anticipation. She needed some girl time and helping Ash with the few last minute things before Liam's party had been refreshing. "Sounds good."
"So tell me about your classes."
Emily's smile widened. What could she say about her classes? "They were so great. The kids were sweet and it was just nice to be back in a classroom."
"Any troublemakers?"
"Not at all. They were almost better than the students I had back in Denver, but that may be because I'm just substituting."
Conall nodded as he listened. "What were you teaching?"
"Geography."
He frowned, "Sounds boring."
"It's not bad. I'm used to teaching English, of course, so it was a little bit of a challenge to do something different, but I like a challenge."
"Did Margie say how often you'll be able to work?"
Emily tried not to bounce in her seat with excitement. "She said a few days a week, but that I would be high on the list to call."
He turned away from the road to throw her a knowing grin, "Good to hear. Will you know about a schedule ahead of time, though?"
"Most likely," she shrugged. "Margie said that a lot of the teachers don't really call in sick so it will be more of a planned thing."
"Good."
She bit her lip and watched him drive. He was acting normal, but there was something about him that was making her feel more tingly than usual. The tension was there in the truck, but it didn't stress her out like it had before. "I gave her your phone number. I wasn't sure if that was okay."
"Of course it is. It's the only number to reach you at right now. We'll go today and get you one, but it can only be used to contact work or someone in my family. I'll program the numbers in."
She nodded in agreement and suddenly wished she hadn't said anything about it at all because it reminded her of another lie she was getting so good at telling. After Ash asked about whether or not she had spoken with her brother, she hadn't really thought the need to lie about it again would come up. She already had a phone, but no one knew about it and no one ever could. It made her feel sick to think it was just another thing she was keeping from him. When the marshals discussed her relocation, she worried that in all the chaos, they would find it and her only connection to her brother would be lost. She knew she needed to use it soon, especially after what happened before coming to California, she made a promise after all, but she wanted to wait a little longer. She wanted to feel this peace for just a little while.
"Um, there isn't anyone back home that you might feel like calling is there?"
She tensed. Oh God, did he already know? She swore she was careful and never took the phone out of her bag. She barely even thought about it until today.
"What do you mean?"
He kept his eyes on the road and she noticed his fingers tightening around the steering wheel. "Before I get you the phone, I need to make sure you aren't going
to use it for anything that might put you at risk. I trust you, but I have to follow the rules."
He trusted her.
He trusted her.
She was a terrible person.
"Is there a man that you may be tempted to call?"
"A man?" Was he talking about Rayce? Did he suspect that she had contacted him during her last location?
"Shit. You're going to make me say it aren't you?"
"Umm…"
"Do you have a boyfriend back in Denver?" he asked quickly, as if he was ripping off a band aid.
She was silent for a few seconds as her heart beat went back to normal. He didn't know. He couldn't know. She was just being paranoid. Plus, it was cute how he was looking at anything but her, even when the silence stretched on a little longer.
"No. No boyfriend. No one to call."
"Really?"
"Really."
"How?" he asked incredulously, frowning at the road stretched out in front of them.
"What do you mean 'how'? It's easy, I just don't."
"I got that, but I don't understand how that's possible. I mean… look at you."
She smiled and studied her hands that were twisting in her lap. "I do every day, but I still don't have a boyfriend. Unless you count as one."
He chuckled, "I'm talking real life so no, I don't count."
That hurt. She knew it was ridiculous, but she couldn't stop it from hurting. What she would give to be able to tell people that Conall Brannock was her actual boyfriend. Sure, he was majorly quiet and only spoke when necessary, but he was smart, loyal, and protective. He was honest and kind. He didn't need to speak to tell her he respected her, he showed her. The man was everything a woman could want.
An honest woman.
Not her.
"What about you, Conall?"
"What about me?" he asked and took the turn that would lead to his father's subdivision.
"You don't have a girlfriend waiting for you back in Denver?"
He didn't reply right away and she wished she could take it back. She really didn't want to know if he did. It would only hurt more. She could just imagine the type of girl that would have a hold on this man. Flawlessly beautiful, tall and slender, smart and sophisticated. Her family wouldn't just be a damaged memory, they would make a man like him feel welcome and safe. They would probably grovel at his feet for God's sake.
"No. I haven't had a girlfriend for a long time now. Didn't you hear Ash when she told you I was a man-whore?"
She had heard Ash, but she couldn't make herself truly believe it. "I did. Are you?"
He sighed and made another turn before he answered honestly and she knew without a doubt it was honest. He had never lied to her and she wished she could say the same.
"I used to be. Had a bad experience and didn't want to settle down. A lot of people can vouch for that. But it's no longer appealing to me. It was just a way to pass the time without feeling alone."
She considered his answer as they sat in a pleasant silence the rest of the drive to his father's house. She could tell that it wasn't something he really wanted to talk about, but he had given her a little which was more than she expected. Everyone kept saying they were surprised that he was getting serious with someone, even if it wasn't all real. That woman at the party had implied that he often got bored and moved on, but she couldn't see him doing that. Gus? Definitely. Conall? Not so much and she was pleased to hear that even if he had been that way before, he wasn't any longer. It shouldn't please her, but it did.
It certainly explained how he described Officer Sheen's lifestyle when they first met.
Unfulfilling.
When they pulled into the driveway, she went for the door but his hand on her knee stopped her.
"Let me get it," he objected before immediately removing his hand and leaving her stunned. He didn't touch her often, but when he did, it was like a bolt of lightning firing repeatedly from her brain to the spot he was in contact with, and when he wasn't touching her anymore, she could still feel the tingling warmth.
He came around to her side and opened the door. Her head was so jumbled that she started to get out before removing her seat belt and was pulled back in. Her cheeks flushed and she fumbled to release the belt.
Conall chuckled and waited patiently. "You need practice, beautiful."
She was too embarrassed to reply and too stunned by the endearment. He thinks I'm beautiful? He smiled down at her, that panty dropping smile that made her want to look down and check to see that hers were still on. By the time she finally got out of the car, she was bright red. Sighing, she stepped beside him and kept her head down.
"Hey, don't be embarrassed," he said softly and placed his hand on her lower back as they walked up to the porch. "It's just me."
Yeah, that was the problem.
***
Conall
Something wasn't right.
The files that Captain Miller had sent me were anything but helpful, but the circumstances behind Emily's testimony were just too coincidental.
I went over her statement once more, then went over the statements of everyone who was questioned. Seemed that Emily was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
That was happening to a lot of people lately.
Stanton Ripley did most of the marketing for the chain of hotels that Lucien had developed. The man may be a criminal, but he sure did know his business. He could give up crime and be set for life, never lifting a finger. His little brother was good at what he did and made it a point to travel to each of the hotels and present new marketing plans and new mission statements frequently. The hotel staff loved him and he was described as one of the nicest, happiest guys they ever had the pleasure of working with. The statement, "I never thought he would be capable of such a thing," was repeated more often than I liked.
According to witnesses, he had finished a meeting earlier than what was expected and headed up to his room for the night. I read through the rest of the statements from the staff and they all said the next thing they knew, the police arrived.
The cop who had been killed, Officer Greg Daniels, was with Stanton during the meeting and left with him after the meeting. It was said that the two had apparently been friends and Daniels always went everywhere with him whenever Stanton was in Denver. Almost like a bodyguard.
Strange.
Then again, Daniels had taken the week off when Ripley arrived in Denver. Maybe he was playing bodyguard for him. Stanton hadn't been willing to say anything about the relationship other than they were just friends.
I shook my head and rubbed the heels of my hands against my eyes. I had no reason to be doing this. The case was going to trial and this had already been analyzed a hundred times over. But something that Emily said earlier was on repeat in my head. "No boyfriend. No one to call."
I could imagine her brother wasn't really worth calling, so that was a given. It was the boyfriend thing and the impossibility of her having no one to even be tempted to call. I remember watching her watch Jules walking into that hotel getting ready for a one night stand and asking herself what that would be like. I couldn't imagine her ever having casual sex like Jules did.
The statement I'd read a hundred times over proved me wrong.
I picked it up once more and read over the part explaining why she was at the hotel.
"I had just been meeting with a friend."
When the officer had asked her to explain, he described her as answering anxiously and a little embarrassed.
"It was a casual thing with a man I had just met earlier that night."
She had been asked to explain again.
"It was for sex. A one night stand. Is that enough detail for you?"
Her statement went on to explain how she saw Ripley leaving the room in a hurry and speaking frantically on his cell phone. He didn't see her and crashed through the stairwell door like he couldn't get out of there fast enough. The door to his room was still cracked open and she went to c
lose it for him, but something was in the way. That's when she saw the body lying on the floor and Officer Daniel's hand stopping the door from shutting all the way. Several staff had seen him exit the building, but they didn't ask questions.
Ripley's prints were all over the gun and there were no other witnesses who saw anyone else leave the room.
Her story had checked out. The man she had been meeting with was Trent Marks who had made a late reservation for just one night. He had given a similar statement about meeting up with Emily.
I threw the file on the desk and leaned back in my father's desk chair. I had locked myself in his office so I could go over everything in detail without Emily being aware, or being a distraction. Ash was keeping her busy with plans for dinner, but no matter how hard I tried not to be, I was out there with her.
I couldn't take my mind off of her and after reading about her meeting up with some stranger, the burning in my gut had spread. I kept telling myself it was because it was all so cut and clean. All so coincidental. I'm a cop, I don't really believe in coincidences.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket and called Luke. He would know what to say to straighten things out in my head… or at least get me to snap out of it.
"Shade."
"Do you seriously answer that way to everyone who calls you?"
He sighed into the phone and ignored my question, "What do you need, Con?"
Rolling my eyes to the ceiling, I decided to focus on what needed to be discussed. "I'm going over the files for the Ripley case and I'm having a hell of a time keeping my head."
He was silent, waiting for me to continue and when I did, he listened like I knew he would.
"Something doesn't add up. I mean, the guy is a saint. The only thing he has against him is being related to Lucien Ripley, who by the way is a frickin' genius. Did you know this guy makes millions by just sitting on his ass and letting his hotels run by themselves?"
"Stay on topic, Con."
"Right. Anyway, I don't see how all of a sudden a guy like Stanton Ripley, who everyone claims is the greatest guy on the planet, can just shoot a cop. Especially if said cop was his friend. Not one person said they noticed anything abnormal between the two of them."
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