A dizzying rush went straight to her brain. He was right about one thing. They had the weekend and the clock was ticking. She’d made the deal, and she’d stick to it.
“Right.”
Linc pulled her into his arms and rested his forehead against hers. His hand stroked the back of her neck, and his voice was a mere whisper.
“It’s you who deserves to be loved.” His back straightened as he released her. Pushing away from the couch, he stood. “We should get going pretty soon. First, I’m going up in the attic. Are you going to pack up some of Charlie’s pictures and take them with you?”
“Yes. It won’t take me long.” The tender moment was over.
Samantha found an old box and filled it with most of Charlie’s photographs of her grandmother and his army days. She kept three out and then addressed the carton to herself.
Maybe she shouldn’t expect to find answers. Charlie had taken his reasons for not coming forward to the grave with him. What to do with the antique Ford? She didn’t think she could sell it, not with what it represented. Maybe her grandmother would want it. She carried the box into the living room and looked for Linc. The attic steps had been returned to their closed position and he wasn’t anywhere in the house. She found him leaning against his car, studying his feet. She stood for a moment, wondering where his thoughts had taken him. Was he with the woman he’d lost? He jumped when she walked out the door carrying the box, hurrying up the walk to take it from her.
“I’d have come inside and carried this for you,” he admonished her as he placed it in the trunk of his car.
“I know. It’s not that heavy.”
“We have a few hours before we need to be at The Cage. We can grab a bite to eat on the way back.”
“I am hungry. Then maybe you should take me back to my hotel. I’ll need to change clothes before work.” A chill emanated from him, it surrounded her. Something troubled him, but she wasn’t comfortable pushing him any further.
Linc sounded almost formal. “The post office is on the way back. I’ll take care of the package for you.” He parked on the shady side of the building and carried the box across the full length of the lot. His stride was long, his back straight, and his movements were fluid.
She loved to watch him walk. A ping of regret hit her at the thought of leaving and returning to Texas. But she’d have enough memories to last a lifetime. Talk about getting out of her box. Heck, she’d blown it to pieces, seen things, experienced things, and done things she’d never believed herself capable of doing.
Smiling to herself, she fished her cell out of her purse while waiting for Linc. Holding the three pictures in her hand, she dialed her grandmother’s cell. She really didn’t expect an answer, knowing Nana was concentrated on the poker tournament, so she left a message. She wanted to ask if Nana was coming back to California. Samantha was dying to share the pictures and the news about Charlie keeping the old car in person. Didn’t it prove he’d never stopped loving her grandmother? Maybe knowing about the old Ford would bring Nana comfort. Samantha put away her phone and waited for Linc’s return.
Linc walked around the corner, taking long strides across the parking lot. His expression had turned serious. Now what? They only had until Sunday night.
“What’s going on with you?”
“I’m sorry. I must be developing a conscience. I worry I’ve taken advantage of you when you were very vulnerable. Coming here to a new place, discovering your grandfather, and then waking up to the fact you’re a millionaire had to be overwhelming for you. It was enough to deal with. I don’t want to hurt you.”
She hadn’t expected him to apologize. “So you’re being gallant? I’m a grown woman with a mind of my own. Maybe I’m taking advantage of you.”
“Now that wouldn’t trouble me.” He smiled. “Okay. The gloves are off. Sunday night, I’ll drive you to the airport and see you when I see you.”
“Thank you.” She blew out a breath. “While I’m here, I’d like to keep looking for a reason Charlie was killed. What did he have that the murderer still needs?”
“Frankly, I don’t know where else to look. That’s a sad thing to hear coming from a Fed, but we’ve search everything twice.” Linc paused. “I’ll call in a few favors and get background checks on everybody Charlie knew or did business with.”
“You can do that?” The band around her chest relaxed now that Linc was back to normal. That he wanted to protect her heart was nice, but she still wanted this weekend.
“Sure. I’ve made some friends along the way. A couple agents who live in Dallas will help me out. I ran into Rafe Sirilli and Colton Weir when I was undercover in Texas.” Linc ran his finger down his scar. “My souvenir from your great state.”
“You can’t blame the state for that.”
“I don’t.” He smiled. “Why don’t you pick up some clothes and stay with me till Sunday?”
“I shouldn’t check out. My grandmother may return. She kept the adjoining room next to mine.”
“Your place it is. I need to run by The Cage and pick through some of the invoices. Get an idea of who Charlie had been doing business with.”
“Are you going to add the employees to your check list?”
“Now that you mention it. Yeah.” He started the car. “Let’s get out of here. We can find a more comfortable place to talk than this car.”
“While you’re making the list, maybe I’ll stay at the hotel. I need to do my hair and get ready for tonight.”
Samantha watched the route carefully as Linc drove. Sooner or later she’d have to rent a car and couldn’t rely on him forever. A pang of regret hit her just thinking that he could be gone by the time she returned. He drove to the entrance of the hotel and stopped.
“Call me when you’re ready.”
Samantha leaned over and kissed him. “I keep trying to reach my grandmother. If she’s not coming, I’ll pack an overnight bag.”
“You just made my day.” He reached across her, retrieved a pair of sunglasses. She immediately missed the sparkle of those sea blue eyes.
****
Leo’s perfect day ended abruptly. He’d just killed the engine when Linc drove into The Cage’s parking lot. Leo got out of his car, plastered a smile on his face, and waited. “Hey. I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“I have a project. You’re early, too.” Linc said.
“Yeah, Dave or Hector usually put a list of stock they need ordered on my desk, but I couldn’t find one. I decided to look again.” It had in fact, given Leo the perfect excuse to search again.
“We were shorthanded. I’ll bet neither one of them thought to do a quick inventory.” Linc unlocked the door and they went inside.
Leo raised his eyebrows, hoping to look surprised. “Somebody out sick?”
“Sylvia was a no show.”
“Anybody call and check on her?”
“Damn. No and we should have.”
“Want me to?”
“No. I’ll do it.” Linc removed two bottles of water from the cooler and passed one to Leo. “You missed last night’s announcement. Dave is taking over as manager.”
“Interesting turn of events. He’ll do a good job, but I thought you wanted that spot.”
“Not permanently. I’m going back to work in a few weeks.”
“Good for you.” Leo was genuinely happy about the news. “I thought that smile you’ve been wearing was because of the new owner. Maybe I was wrong.”
“Not altogether.” Linc fished his cell out of his pocket. “I’d better call Sylvia.”
“I’m going to take a quick inventory for the guys. I’ll make sure they don’t run out of anything tonight.” Leo hustled to the kitchen.
Linc returning to work was going to make life so much easier. With any luck, he’d be assigned to a case in Alaska. Leo opened the pantry and came face-to-face with one of Sylvia’s aprons. She wouldn’t need it any longer, but he left it hanging on the rack, being careful not to dist
urb it. He concentrated on jotting down the items the chefs hated to run out of.
Footsteps behind him drew his attention. He turned to find Linc watching him. “Are you heading out?”
“Not yet.” Linc held a legal pad in his hand. “Just wanted to see if you need help.”
“No thanks. I’m almost finished.” Leo started to return to his inventory, but curiosity got the best of him. “What did Sylvia have to say?”
“She didn’t answer. I left a voice mail.” Linc turned and walked back down the hall.
Leo finished his list, called the local market, and asked that the delivery arrive after two o’clock. He used that information as an excuse to see what Linc was doing in Charlie’s office. “I couldn’t get delivery right away, but Dave will be here when it arrives. That’s the best time I could do.”
“Not a problem. Thanks for doubling back.”
“That’s my job.” Curiosity ate at Leo as he left the building. Why was Linc going through files and making a list?
****
Leo and Sam had done a good job of organizing the ransacked offices. Charlie’s area looked nothing like it used to. Folders had been neatly filed, labeled, and placed alphabetically in a file cabinet that had never before fulfilled its purpose until now.
Linc could almost hear Charlie grumbling.
First he made a list of vendor’s names and then made a separate one for employees. When he finished, he dropped the pen on the pad and studied his work. He hadn’t found a single bill or receipt that had been disputed. Certainly nothing that looked like a business relationship gone wrong. Regardless, he had to look at anything that might have triggered Charlie’s murder. On the way out, he called Sylvia again, hoping she hadn’t taken another job. He left a second message, locked up, and drove home.
His list of things to accomplish seemed to grow every day. The urgency to wrap everything up spread through his nervous system like small electric shocks. There couldn’t be anything standing in his way when the doctor released him.
He locked up and drove home. Even as he started up the steps, Sam filled his mind. He walked through his condo, into the kitchen where she’d rinsed and dried her cup. Stopped on his way to the bathroom and studied the sheets, which were in complete disarray from their lovemaking. He was hard as a rock by the time he stripped and stepped under the water. A smile crept across his face. He’d never get in that shower again without thinking about Sam.
Those few short hours with her had been intense. Maybe too intense. Taking a few hours away from each other today had been a good idea. Things were moving too fast. They both needed time to cool down.
CHAPTER 14
Samantha was enjoying the quiet and solitude of her room. It gave her the needed time to analyze the past few days. She’d been running on nerves and emotion from seven in the morning to past midnight, ever since she arrived in California. Coupled with last night in Linc’s arms, it was no wonder her head had come unscrewed. Too much had happened too soon. She couldn’t lose sight of why she’d come here. Exhausted, she stretched out across the bed and stared at the ceiling.
The room phone jarred her from her thoughts. She rolled over and grabbed the receiver. “Hello.”
“Your message sounded troubled. What’s going on?”
Her grandmother’s voice reminded her of picnics and playing hopscotch on the driveway. Long ago times, filled with good memories.
Samantha could hardly contain her excitement as she told Nana about the antique car, the pictures, and how the two young people stared in each other’s eyes. Samantha hoped the fact that Charlie had kept his Ruthie’s memory alive would sooth old hurt feelings.
“Samantha, darling. Stop right now and listen to me. You’re romanticizing about something that happened many years ago. You’re chasing shadows, looking for answers you’ll never find. I know he loved me, and maybe he had a reason for not coming forward, but I can’t and won’t spend the rest of my time here on earth asking unanswerable questions. I can close my eyes, and the day those pictures were taken comes back to me in vivid color.”
“Nan, you should see the car. It looks brand new.”
“That’s nice, but don’t keep that car because of me.”
Samantha was stunned. She didn’t know what she’d expected to hear. For some inexplicable reason, she started crying.
“I want to know the real reason you’re falling apart.” Her grandmother had always been intuitive. “Don’t give me that crap it’s all about a long lost grandfather. Tell me the truth. What brought this melancholy mentality on today?”
For a second, she remembered Nana holding her after the first attempt at riding a bicycle had failed. They had always been able to talk.
“I forgot to pack my morals, left my principles in Texas, broke all my rules of behavior.”
“Is that what’s wrong with you? It’s Linc, isn’t it? You took my advice.” The lilt in her grandmother’s voice told Samantha there’d be no judgment passed on her behavior.
“If you mean, did I have sex with him, yes I did. We’re spending the weekend together.”
“And that’s a bad thing, how?”
“He…I…” Samantha scrambled for answers. “I thought it wouldn’t mean anything, but I was wrong.”
“Oh, sweetheart. You think it meant nothing to Linc?”
“I don’t know. He asked me to stay with him until Sunday night.”
“What happens Sunday night?”
“I’m going home.”
“Samantha, you don’t have to do a damn thing you don’t want to. You found a man who touched your heart. Tell me why you’re leaving.”
“I wish I knew.” Samantha closed her eyes to think. “Because all my things are there?”
“Hire somebody to pack up your things and ship them to you.”
“There are things to donate, toss out, and treasures I want to keep. The porcelain carrousel horses you gave me for my birthdays, things like that. Besides, I didn’t say I wanted to live out here.”
“Then keep your apartment in Dallas, but stay where you are until you’re sure about what you want to do.”
Her grandmother was right. The Cage was Samantha’s responsibility now. “How are the cards treating you and Jules?”
“Oh, he went home shortly after we arrived. Said he had pressing business.”
“Are you coming back here?”
“Not just yet. I made it through the first round.”
“My grandmother, the card shark.”
“Right. Here’s what I want you to do, buy a new outfit for tonight’s meeting. Go to the boutique at the hotel and bill it to my room. Have your hair done, celebrate being a wealthy woman.”
“The boutique’s a great idea. I love you.”
“Back at you,” Nana said with a laugh. “Remember that having a healthy libido is nothing to be ashamed of. Get over this guilt or whatever is troubling you. Enjoy life.”
“I will.”
Samantha took a quick shower, dressed in easy to remove clothes and went downstairs to the boutique. With every fiber of her being, she wanted to slide on the sexiest outfit she could find, but that would but that was too obvious. She settled for a full-skirted, yellow halter top sundress with a fitted bodice. She thanked the sales clerk and hurried back to her room.
Soon the counter in her bathroom was littered with makeup, a flat iron, and hairspray. With the patience and expertise of a Hollywood makeup artist, she applied her war paint. She straightened her hair and pulled it up away from her face, securing it with clips. The humidity coming off the Pacific would end the long smooth lines of her hairstyle soon, but she’d go in the restaurant looking good.
She decided against waiting for Linc. She called for a cab and headed for The Cage with a confident smile on her face. He was on the patio chatting with Dave when she arrived.
Hector met her at the door. “Miss Samantha, you’re early too. Looks like everybody wanted an early start.”
�
��I want to help.” She handed her small suitcase to him. “Will you put this in the back?”
“Of course.” Hector nodded. “It will be just inside the kitchen.”
“Thank you.” She gave him a modified curtsy. “I’m going to work the front door, but if you need help, I’ll be there. How’s the afternoon gone?”
“Day’s been peaceful. Linc and Dave have been going over duties.”
“I’m glad.” Patting Hector on the arm, she walked deeper into the restaurant.
As if he sensed her presence, Linc turned his head. He said something to Dave and then came inside.
“Don’t fuss at me for not calling you. I wanted to surprise you.” She loved the gleam in his eyes.
“I came to say wow but that just isn’t a big enough word. You’re stunning. Did you do all that for me? I hope.”
“For myself and you.” She couldn’t suppress a smile. “Actually, Nana insisted.”
“That is one smart woman.” He cupped Samantha’s cheek, leaned down and then kissed her. “You don’t mind me showing affection in public, do you?”
“Not that kind.” She could have sworn the room had started spinning. Looking into his gaze, she was confident that staying had been a good idea. Later, she’d tell him she was considering remaining in California at least for a while. “You were bringing Dave up to speed?”
“He knows almost everything. He and Maggie have been here longer than I have. I figured a slow transition would be best.” Linc’s eyebrows went up. “If that’s alright with you.”
“You know it is. Did you get the list of Charlie’s contacts?”
“Yeah. I didn’t find anything that looked remotely interesting, but I’ll get background and intel on them.”
A dark thought crossed her mind. “Do you think Charlie took a good look into his employees work records before hiring them?”
“I doubt it. Most of them are like me, friends first, employees later.” Linc tilted his head and a furrow formed between his eyebrows. “It’s an interesting thought. I hope to hell it doesn’t turn out to be one of us, but I’ll put them on top of the list.”
“Maybe it’s a dead end.”
Till The Dead Speak (Killer Affections Book 2) Page 13
