by Meryl Sawyer
He hadn’t even been that excited when they’d met Dr. Dietz’s plane. Everyone else had been very impressed with the German doctor, but Matt had seemed much quieter than usual—almost preoccupied.
“Let’s turn out some of these lights and get some rest.”
She began snapping off lights in the kitchen, then in the foyer. She checked “message central” to see if Bubbles had left a note. Nothing. There were no messages on the answering machine either. The only lights in their wing of the house was in Bubbles’s room, but she wasn’t there.
Then she realized Matt hadn’t followed her. She returned to the kitchen and saw him standing just outside on the terrace, holding Jiggs. He was talking to the little dog, and even though she couldn’t hear him, she knew what he was saying.
He could be tough sometimes, but he had a soft spot. He was going to be a fabulous father. Not that he’d asked her to marry him, but she was certain he would.
“Matt.” She walked up and he turned to her, the odd expression still on his face. “Let’s get some rest.”
He put Jiggs down and the little dog scampered off toward the water. “I don’t want to sleep. I—”
“You’re ba–a–ack!” Bubbles called from the kitchen. She flounced out to them, saying, “You’re not going to believe this. There was, like, a terrible accident.”
“How terrible could it be?” Matt asked. “You’re smiling.”
“That’s because I just met the most awesome guy. He’s down at the cottages where they’re taking everyone’s statement.” She ran her tongue over her lower lip suggestively, and the stud caught the light. “Dexxter Foxx is dead.”
“What?” Matt’s voice echoed hers.
“He fell off the rooftop deck and broke his neck. Irene called 911 right away, but it was too late. He was dead the minute he hit the ground.”
Dexxter dead. It didn’t seem possible; her mind had trouble absorbing the facts. An oddly primitive warning sounded in her brain. Something wasn’t right.
She stole a glance at Matt. The minute their eyes met, she knew he was thinking the same thing. There were certain people in the world who deserved to die, but they were never the ones who had fatal accidents.
“Why were the police interviewing you?” Matt was using his reporter’s voice now, emotionless, yet asking probing questions.
“I saw Dexx and Irene just before sunset. They were, like, cruisin’ and drinking champagne. Later, at dark, I noticed Jiggs swimming—”
“Jiggs was swimming?” She couldn’t help but interrupt. “He never barked until Bingo’s accident, and now he’s swimming. Weird.”
“He keeps looking for Bingo,” Matt said. “It makes him brave.”
“Like I was sayin’, I spotted Jiggs towing this life jacket to shore. That’s when I saw Dexx and Irene driving by. I was, like, the last person to see him alive—except for Irene, of course.”
“Were there any witnesses?” Matt asked.
Bubbles shook her head. “Irene said they’d come home after finishing three bottles of, like, this outrageously expensive champagne. They went up to the rooftop deck to watch the lights of Key West. Dexx began to drink scotch. Irene thought he was drinking too much and went down to get some food. That’s when she heard the crash. Dexx landed—splat—on the front lawn.”
Matt grabbed her arm. “Let’s go into town. It’s too depressing around here.” He led her off the terrace toward the dock.
“What about me?”
“Stay right here, Bubbles,” Matt said over his shoulder. “That cute guy might come by.”
“What’s happening?” she whispered to Matt.
They were in the launch, casting off before he answered. “I’m not buying Irene’s story. Let’s talk to the FBI. They bugged the place. They’ll know the truth.”
“I agree, but does it matter? Dead is dead. I don’t have to be Shelly any longer.” She thought a moment, realizing she didn’t feel like Amy either. So much had happened. The Beast was gone, but she wasn’t positive who had taken her place.
“Let’s wait until we speak with the FBI.”
They used the public telephone at Sunset Pier. After a dozen rings, they began to be concerned, then Scott Phillips answered.
“What in hell’s going on over there?” Matt asked without introducing himself.
“Jensen, you weren’t supposed to take Amy away without telling us.”
“Just a quick trip to Miami. We meant to call you from the airport, but things got hectic,” she explained. “Do you know about Dexxter?”
“Yeah, we heard. I guess it saved the taxpayers a lot of money.”
“You’re closing your investigation? I can be Amy Conroy again?”
“Not so fast. We may have a case against Irene. I won’t know for a few days.”
“What about Dexxter’s death?” Matt asked. “I suspect she killed him.”
“We’re going to review the disks and let the police know if we’ve got anything.”
“You weren’t listening when it happened?”
“No. Didn’t you hear? The Pier House received a bomb threat and the whole place was evacuated. We just got back to the room. It’ll take some time to review the disks. First we’re going over to the house to see if the scene is consistent with Irene Hanson’s story.”
“Yeah, the local police don’t get many murders. They may have overlooked something,” Matt told him. “We’ll call you first thing in the morning—like five o’clock—to see if there’s a problem.”
“Hey, that’s early.”
She broke in and explained Matt had to be at the clinic by six.
“All right, call me. I should have an answer.”
Even though Amy Conroy seemed to have become a stranger, she wanted the FBI to give her back her real identity. When she met Matt’s sister, she needed to explain that she was not the woman who had threatened to kill her.
Matt put his arm around Shelly and used his free hand to guide the boat toward the pier at Half Moon Bay. He cocked his wrist, checking the time. After midnight.
He had to report to the hospital at six for pre-op lab work. By the time that was finished, Emily would have arrived. He could talk to her and the others before surgery.
These next few hours might be all he had left of this life. At least he was with the woman he loved. If only he could be sure she was safe. She couldn’t scream, and she still didn’t have full use of her right hand.
“What’s the matter?”
When she looked up at him like that with those big blue eyes, it was hard not to get choked up. Dying didn’t seem fair, but then, he reminded himself that life was never fair.
“When I was working the crime beat, the cops used to say they had a ‘hinky’ feeling. That’s me. Dexxter’s death doesn’t feel right.” He couldn’t tell her what was really bothering him. The risky surgery had him worried.
“Irene was so in love with Dexx. It’s hard to imagine her killing him.”
“I don’t agree. She’s one of those women that you don’t cross. If Dexx made her angry enough … Who knows?”
He drove the boat up to the pier and secured the lines around the cleats. It was breezy tonight. The last thing he needed was for the boat to chaff through a line and float out across the Gulf of Mexico.
“Oh, my gosh! Bubbles was right. There’s Jiggs. He’s swimming out to something. I can’t believe how he’s changed. He’s barking and swimming.”
Matt peered at the dark water near the mangroves. Bingo used to stalk birds in the shallow water there, but Jiggs was out a lot farther than the cat went. “Looks like Jiggs is after a piece of wood or something.”
“I guess he keeps hoping to find Bingo,” she said as they climbed out of the boat.
“Here, Jiggs,” he called softly. “Here, boy.”
The dog gave up on the piece of wood bobbing in the sea and paddled his way toward the shore. The little mutt had a lot more guts than Matt had originally thought. They waited
for him at the water’s edge. Jiggs hopped out of the surf and greeted them by shaking hard and spraying them with water.
“Come on, Jiggs. Follow us. We’re going for a walk in the moonlight.”
“Matt, shouldn’t you get some rest?”
“Nope.” He still had his arm around her, and he gave her a little hug. “I won’t be able to sleep.”
They strolled down the beach, Jiggs trotting along behind. Matt had a thousand things he wanted to say, but couldn’t find the words. They reached the far end of the beach, where the mangroves began. Jiggs darted into the dense bushes.
“Jiggs, don’t do that. You’ll get lost.” She looked up at him for help.
“What can I say? The dog has a screw loose.”
In silence they walked back the way they’d come. The lights were all off in the house, and the timer had turned off the yard lights as well. The only light came from the sliver of moon.
“Let’s sit on the grass and count the stars … or something.”
“Oh, Matt, don’t tell me that you’ve got sex on your mind.”
“Hey, it’s been twenty-four hours. That’s a record for us.”
They stretched out on the dichondra, her head resting on his chest. The balmy air closed in softly around them, bringing with it the sweet scent of the tropics. Overhead the stars winked at them as if sharing the intimacy of the moment. Matt couldn’t help wishing he could freeze time.
She turned her head toward him. “I love you so much.”
“You’re the best thing that ever happened to me,” he responded, emotion choking his voice.
He kissed her, because if he didn’t, he might break down. Before he had time to catch his breath, her tongue slipped into his mouth. Swift and sure desire welled up inside him the way it always did when their lips met. She pressed her body to his, rubbing herself against him.
“Hey, if you’re not careful, you’re going to lose your amateur status.”
“I was just a helpless virgin until you waltzed into my life.”
She took charge, kissing him and showing him all that she had learned. Within a minute she had wiggled out of her clothes and had his pants unzipped.
“I get to be on top this time,” she informed him.
He didn’t mind. It wasn’t the first time they’d made love this way. It was fun to watch her. She tugged off his pants and underwear.
“So much for foreplay,” he teased.
“Why waste time?”
True, time was something he didn’t have to waste, but he would have enjoyed a more leisurely pace. He could see that she needed something different. She mounted him, impaling herself on him with a moan of delight.
She closed her eyes and threw her head back, obviously enjoying the sensation. Her breasts swayed slightly, the nipples jutting outward. He stored the memory, cataloguing the arch of her throat, the softness of her skin, her wild hair streaming down her back.
Every detail went into his memory bank.
Then she began to move, rocking back and forth with excruciating slowness. He let her take her time and find her own tempo. She increased the pace, then kicked into high gear.
His pulse skyrocketed, and he could feel himself close to going over the edge. A shudder ripped through his body just as she pitched forward and collapsed on his chest, panting.
“How was that?” she asked a little later.
“You were on warp speed.”
“I hurried. The way I figure it, you’re good for about two more rounds before it’s time to shower and get ready.”
He chuckled, holding her on his chest. That was just about how he saw it, too. But first he needed to talk to her seriously.
He waited until their bodies relaxed and naturally pulled apart. Rolling onto one side, he faced her, supporting his head with a bent arm.
“Tomorrow it’s going to be crazy,” he began. “They’ll be prepping me and my sister will be here as well as Trevor and Clive. I won’t be able to talk to you privately.”
“I know.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I’m going to wish you luck now. Not that you need it, but I want to say it. Anyway, character determines fate. Your true character showed when you didn’t desert a helpless woman even though she had threatened your sister. Everything is going to be fine.”
“Probably,” he said, refusing to worry her by telling her what a long shot this surgery was. “Just in case, I want you to promise me something.”
“Don’t talk like this. You’re scaring me.”
“Honey, listen. No surgery is one hundred percent safe. If something should happen, I want you to promise me that you won’t waste a lot of time mourning me. You haven’t had much of a life. I want you to live and have fun.”
“Without you?”
“There are lots of great men out there.” Right now, he’d like to kill the man who would take his place. “Promise me that you’ll enjoy life. Let another man love you the way I love you. Don’t hold back, thinking of me and remembering what we had together. Let yourself love someone else.”
He trembled when she reached over and touched his face with her fingertips. Slowly her hand spread across his cheek, brushing the emerging whiskers. She moved closer, her lips hovering near his. The depth of love shining in her eyes staggered him with its intensity.
“Matt, without you, life won’t be worth living. From the first moment that I heard your voice, I loved you. Nothing. Not time or distance or even death will change the way I feel. Can’t you understand how special you are?”
He put his arms around her, his throat working hard to keep his emotions in check. “If anything does happen, just remember how much I love you. Death won’t change that. I’ll be with you in spirit always.”
Chapter 34
Even the gulls were still asleep when they moored Trevor’s launch at the Sunset Key pier next to Mallory Dock. She glanced at Matt and thought how healthy he looked. Freshly shaven, his hair still damp from his shower, he appeared to be so strong that nothing could bother him. Yet, last night he had been worried.
About her.
The depth of his love was amazing. They had known each other for such a short time, but in many ways, it seemed as if they’d been together forever. She couldn’t imagine life without him and didn’t want to think about it. Instead, she was looking forward to the future—their future.
“Let’s see what the FBI found out,” Matt told her as they walked up the gangway toward the pay phone.
“With luck, I can tell your sister the truth. I’ll be Amy Conroy again.”
They both shared the receiver as the phone rang. A very sleepy Scott Phillips answered, and Matt asked what he’d found out.
“We checked the rooftop deck. The only thing inconsistent with an accidental fall is that Dexxter dropped a glass full of scotch in the middle of the deck, not near the edge, where you’d expect.”
“Do you think Irene pushed him?” she asked.
“It’s a possibility. All it would have taken is a good shove.”
“Does the disk show them fighting?” Matt asked.
“Not what we can hear. We’re using an infinity system. Are you familiar with it?”
She had no idea what it was, but Matt said he knew how it worked.
“We’re picking up conversation on the deck, but it’s garbled. The next thing is a very frantic 911 call. We sent the garbled portion to Miami, where the field office has an enhancer. The results should be in this evening.”
“Do I still have to pretend to be Shelly?”
“Absolutely. We may be able to make a case against Irene. Hang in there. It won’t be long now. You’ll be our star witness. We need you.”
They hung up, then hailed a taxi to take them out to the Bel Aire Clinic.
“Explain the infinity system,” she said once they were settled in the backseat.
“It’s a sophisticated listening system that uses telephones. It records phone conversations, but it also picks up any conversat
ion in the area through the receiver. Apparently, there wasn’t a phone on the deck, so the nearest telephone, which must have been downstairs, recorded the conversation. That’s why it needs to be enhanced.”
“How do you know all this?”
“Being a reporter,” he said with a smile. “In the old days we would have hours of blank tape because recorders ran full-time. Now they use laser disks that are voice-activated. Conversation is sent along the phone lines to a monitoring station. That’s where the laser disks are.”
“Can’t people tell if they’re being tracked?”
“Sure. If you’re smart, you’d have a line checker that alerts you to the presence of an electronic listening device. I guess Dexxter wasn’t concerned about an FBI sting.”
“Things aren’t always what they seem,” she said. “Maybe something else went on up on that deck.”
“You’re right. I went with the Exposé team that covered Max Bassinger’s death.”
“I remember reading the Exposé article.” She couldn’t help being proud of all he’d accomplished, taking a nothing magazine and turning it into the nation’s finest newsmagazine. “A filthy-rich oilman dies while watching a famous actress make love to another man.”
“That’s the spin they tried to put on it,” Matt said with a frown. “Turned out that his death was linked to another case. Only the sheriff, Zach Coulter suspected the truth. After interviewing him, we dug deeper and came up with a sensational story.”*
“I’ll bet that’s what happens this time. There’s more behind Dexx’s fall.”
The car pulled up to the clinic’s front door. After paying the driver, they walked hand in hand into the flower filled lobby. Like the first time she was here, she was struck by the way the clinic’s lobby appeared to be the living room of a southern mansion.
“There must be a lot more money in face lifts than I thought,” Matt commented, his voice low.
“Wait until you see the patients’ rooms. They’re like hotel suites.”
The same stunningly beautiful receptionist greeted them. This time the woman looked her over as she gave directions to the waiting room. Then she turned her attention to Matt, telling him that they were waiting for him down the hall in the laboratory.
