by Emma Ames
She hesitated for a moment. She had trouble with confrontation and little experience with men. She smiled politely. “Sure. Call me.”
He leaned in and kissed her. “Goodnight.”
“Thanks again for coming.” As he drove away, relief washed over her.
Rayann stepped up to the porch. “Scale of one to ten, how was the kiss?”
“A four at best.”
Bubba peeked around her. “He didn’t French ya, did he?”
“No, Bubba. He didn’t. That would have been gross.”
“We’re going down to the baseball field. They’re having a firework’s show in honor of the team winning the championship. Why don’t you and Gracie come with us? She’d love it,” Rayann said.
Tizzy considered the invitation. What else did she have to do other than going home and kick herself for wanting Ridge so much? “Sure. That sounds like fun. She’s spending the night out here, so I’ll ask Momma and Daddy if they want to come.”
The thought of being alone caused Tizzy’s chest to ache. Lately, solitude was not her friend. It left her mind free to fantasize about her neighbor. Maybe if she stayed up late, she’d be too exhausted to obsess about the things she’d like to do to him. And the list was long.
A while later, at the baseball field, Tizzy spread three quilts on the ground. She and Gracie lay in the middle, with her mom and dad on one side, and Bubba and Rayann on the other. Stars in the clear sky suspended above them like shiny Christmas ornaments. Tizzy and Gracie softly sang Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.
“Hey, cutie-patootie, can I sit with you?”
Tizzy jerked upright. Gracie reached for him and giggled. “Momma, Trooper Cooper called me cutie-patootie.”
Tizzy swallowed hard. “I know. He’s a silly boy.”
“You don’t mind if I join you?”
Her face pinched. “No. Make yourself comfortable.”
“You don’t sound too convincing. Are you sure it’s okay? I can go somewhere—” His voice trailed off.
She scowled and leaned in close so Gracie wouldn’t hear. “How can I ask you to leave, when Gracie wants you here? You’re getting good at making me the bad guy, and I don’t like it. First with the kitten and now this. Don’t think I’m not onto you, because I am.”
He laid back on the quilt and said nothing. She wanted to slap the smug smile off his handsome face.
Massive balls burst in midair and sent multi-colored orbs toward the ground. Silver streaks cascaded out like a giant glittering octopus. Rapid shots of brilliant lights rose and shattered. The crowd joined in oohs and aahs with each blast.
When Ridge slipped his hand into hers, she let him hold it for a moment before she pulled away. He rolled up on his elbow. “Sooner or later, Margie Lou, you’ll have to talk to me. You can’t stay mad forever.”
“Stop calling me that.”
“Oh, come on. You like it. Admit it.”
“No, I don’t. And staying mad is easy because you keep doing things to upset me.” She told herself it was the truth. Who was she kidding? She might fool him, but she couldn’t deceive her heart.
“You do things, too, but I can’t stay angry with you no matter how hard I try.”
She pushed up on her hands. “What are you talking about? What have I done?”
“For starters, you haven’t been forthcoming with information about the case. Then you had your lawyer at the party.”
She clenched her teeth. “I told you he wasn’t there as my attorney.”
“I disliked him even more as your date.”
She tried to keep her emotions in check but didn’t have the strength left to fight with him anymore. Damn the azalea. Damn the kitten. Damn the cutesy rhyming names. Damn the way he looked in a swimsuit. She stood, gave Gracie a quick kiss, and turned to Pattiecake. “I’m leaving. I’ll call tomorrow before I come to get Gracie.”
“Oh. Well. I put the disposable cameras in your van. They’re in a bag with some other things. Are you okay?”
“Absolutely peachy. I’ve just lost my festive mood.”
Chapter Twenty-two
Tizzy had been in the house only a few minutes when Ridge pulled into the drive. A lump formed in the back of her throat at the thought of another argument. Simple solution. She wouldn’t answer the door.
Within seconds, he knocked. “Let me in, Tizzy. This has gone on long enough. You and I need to talk.”
She tried to speak, but couldn’t make a sound. Her breath came in gasps as tears streamed from the corners of her eyes.
“I know you’re there. Talk to me. Say something. Anything.”
Emotions flooded over her, every nerve exploded, resurrecting passion dormant too long.
“If you can honestly tell me you don’t feel anything for me, and nothing is happening between us. I’ll go. I’ll leave you alone if that’s what you want.”
Silence as solid as the door hung between them.
Finally, he spoke again. “I understand. I won’t bother you anymore.”
Tizzy’s head spun. From the moment she met Ridge, a battle between desire and fear raged inside her. She wanted him, but she was afraid she’d give him her heart, and he’d leave with it. Or, she’d fall in love, and he wouldn’t love her back—or love her enough.
As soon as the case ended, he’d be gone. Dallas wasn’t that far, but long-distance relationships never lasted. She couldn’t ask him to give up his career, not that he would, but Brownsboro was her home. Gracie’s home. She couldn’t give that up either. But could she let him walk away? Out of her life forever?
“Wait.” Her voice hitched. She leaned her head against the door and pushed the words out in gasps. “I think about you a hundred times a day. When you’re close, I forget how to breathe. I lie awake at night and wonder how sweet your mouth would taste if I kissed you.”
Silence.
“Ridge? Are you still there?”
“Open the door, Tizzy. Before I rip it off its hinges.”
She clicked the lock. He stepped inside, swept her into his arms, and covered her mouth with his. Hard at first, then softly. Blood pulsed through her and with that one deep, wet, lingering kiss, the battle was over. Fear was gone. Desire kicked its butt.
She didn’t want to think anymore. She didn’t want to be reasonable or logical or a good girl. She wanted to be wild and wicked.
She gazed into his molten eyes. The pupils were fixed on hers. “Please don’t break my heart.”
“I won’t. I swear it.”
He held her, kissed her soft, slow, and deep, and when their mouths parted, he rimmed her lips with his tongue, making a full circle. She’d never been kissed like that, and it caused every thought in her brain to vaporize. To hell with world hunger—lost souls—getting her tires rotated.
The next morning, Tizzy woke with a smile on her face. She eased out of bed and into the bathroom. When she finished her shower, she toweled off, slipped on a silky robe, and strolled into the kitchen. She grabbed a bowl from the cabinet, poured in cereal, and piled on whipped cream. The sack on the counter caught her attention. She peered at the cameras from the party, and the tee-shirt Ridge wore when he arrived. She set the dish down, lifted the shirt, and pressed it to her nose.
From behind, he slid his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. “Are you sniffing my clothes?”
Heart pounding, she spun to face him and shoved the shirt hard against him. “It smells like a woman. I am such an idiot! When something seems too good to be true, it usually is. That’s what you were. Perfect beyond belief. I should have known.”
She was stupid to think a man like him would be unattached. He’d probably had a woman in Dallas all along. Tizzy wanted to cry, but she had no one to blame but herself.
Ridge pitched the shirt onto the table and crossed his arms over his chest. “Are you done?”
Her stomach knotted. She braced herself. He’d played her for a fool, and the sad part was, she’d not even put up
a fight. Tears pooled in her eyes. “Yes, I’m done. You can leave now.”
He grasped her shoulders and squared them to his. “Look at me. It isn’t what you think. She lives in the same apartment complex as I do. I hadn’t seen her since I started this case. Yesterday when I was leaving, she showed up. She kissed me. Hugged me. She was interested. I wasn’t. I told her I’d met someone.”
Tizzy’s mouth had gone dry. She struggled to get the words out. “Do you love her?”
“No. You’re not listening. It wasn’t serious. I never led her to believe it would be. From the minute you curled those sassy lips around the words, Trooper Cooper, you’re all I’ve thought about. I’ve tried to ignore the attraction, but today, when I saw you with that Jared guy, I couldn’t fight it anymore. Even if it puts my job in jeopardy.”
“I can’t be the reason for that.”
“What are you saying? You want to forget last night and go back to being friends?”
She drew a deep breath and bit her bottom lip. It was the last thing she wanted, but if being together caused him to lose the career he loved, their relationship wouldn’t survive anyway. “No. But you’re risking a lot if we continue to see each other.”
He gathered her into his arms and held her close. “It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
Chapter Twenty-three
For the next two days, Ridge forced the results of the autopsy report to the back of his mind, but now he had to face the facts. He walked into the dining room, picked up a marker, and stepped to the crime board. Under Tizzy’s name, he wrote insulin overdose/volunteers at the clinic.
To take the spotlight off her, he needed to get busy and connect someone else to the drug. First stop: The bank. When he arrived, the receptionist told him Carl Weston and Leah Trammell were sharing an early lunch in the conference room. He sent word he wanted to speak to each of them privately.
Leah emerged first and invited him into her office. “How can I help you today, Officer Cooper?”
“I have a few things I want to clear up about your statement. During our initial meeting, you lied about Carl having an affair when in fact, he’s having one with you.”
Leah settled back in her chair. “I didn’t lie. I said he couldn’t have an affair without Marlene knowing.”
“You’re saying you and Carl had her blessing?”
“Yes.” Leah leaned forward, clasped her hands, her demeanor confident, and her voice steady. “And I should explain one more thing. The reason Carl had no idea Marlene didn’t come home that night was that he was with me.”
Ridge mirrored her body language and added steel to his voice. “Tell me, does Carl know about Kyle Richmond?”
From her reaction, the question caught her off guard, and that’s what he wanted. Something to bring her down a notch or two. He couldn’t help but think of how she and Richmond were alike. Cocky.
“What about Kyle?”
“Marlene was having an affair with him.”
She gasped. “Really?”
“I’m assuming your answer is ‘no.’ He didn’t, did he?” Now Ridge felt cocky. He wanted to enjoy the moment, so he paused before continuing. “They’d been carrying on for years. Perhaps Carl found out and didn’t approve. With her out of the way, he’d get the bank, the insurance money, and you. Do you still say you were together all night?”
She laced her fingers so tightly, her knuckles turned white. Clearly, she hated Marlene. He’d be willing to bet Leah was already picking out her wedding dress and booking the honeymoon.
“It wouldn’t have mattered to Carl if Marlene had been sleeping with every man in Texas. My statement stands.”
“What time did he get to your house?”
“Between eight-thirty and nine and didn’t leave until around seven the next morning.”
“I hope Carl will corroborate your story. The two of you stand to gain the most from her death.” Ridge locked his gaze on her. “As long as Marlene was alive, you’d always be the other woman. Just his secretary, unless she was out of the picture.”
Leah’s rosy cheeks faded. Ridge continued his attack. “With her gone, you’d have smooth sailing. You’d wait a little while. You’d already been waiting for years. Once enough time passed, you and Carl would marry. You’d move up the ladder and into the big house. Sounds like motive.”
“Think what you want. Carl will confirm we spent the night together. So it seems he and I both have alibis. Do you have any other questions?”
“One more. Are you, or anyone in your family, diabetic?”
Leah swallowed hard and darted her eyes away for a moment. “No. Why do you ask?”
“Marlene died from an overdose of insulin, so whoever killed her had access to the drug.”
Leah’s hot pink lips spread into a wicked grin. “I can think of one person with plenty of access. Tizzy volunteers at the clinic. You should ask her about that, don’t you think?”
Ignoring the question, Ridge stuck his notepad in his shirt pocket. “Don’t leave town.”
On the outside, he remained calm, but inside he was popping champagne and shooting off fireworks. He had a feeling about Leah Trammell, and it wasn’t good.
Carl was on the phone but motioned for Ridge to come in and take a seat. He ended the call and greeted him. “How’s the investigation going? I hope you have good news for me—like an arrest.”
“I don’t. But I’m making progress. I’ll be as direct as I can. I know you’re having an affair with Leah. Did you know about Marlene and Kyle Richmond?”
Carl shouldered back in his chair. “Yes, I did. My wife—how can I put this? Let’s just say it took a lot to make her happy.”
Ridge read something in his hesitation. “Sounds like you had first-hand knowledge. I thought the two of you were married in name only.”
“You're direct, so I’ll return the favor. I didn’t love my wife. I love Leah. But when Marlene wanted something, she could be convincing.”
Ridge studied Carl’s body language as he shifted in his seat, picked up a pen and doodled.
“She’d meet Kyle every month in Dallas. But sometimes, she—we—.” He lowered his voice. “You get the picture. That’s for your ears only. Understand?” Carl put the pen down, adjusted his tie, and shifted his shoulders again. “Leah doesn’t know, and I don’t want her to.”
“That you slept with your wife?”
“C’mon now, Cooper, you’ve never been guilty of a casual encounter? You might not even like the person much, but you still did it. What I’m trying to say is, it wasn’t torture. Did I feel guilty about it? Sure, but then again, Marlene was my wife.”
“Do you want to stick with your original statement about being home the night of the murder?”
Carl shook his head. “No. I lied about that. I was with Leah.”
“Was it your idea or hers to lie?”
“We—Leah and I hoped you would solve this thing before we had to admit to an affair. But admitting it would have put more suspicion on us, and since she and I knew we had nothing to do with Marlene’s death, we kept quiet until push came to shove. No need for you to waste time investigating us when we’re innocent.”
“You didn’t answer my question. Your idea or hers?”
“I—she—we—I don’t remember. We both agreed.”
“What time did you go to her house?”
“Around eight-thirty to nine o’clock and didn’t leave until seven the next morning.”
Ridge rubbed the back of his neck to smooth the hairs. Carl used almost the exact same words as Leah as if scripted. When suspects furnished phony alibis for each other, they were prone to give identical statements. He needed to plant doubt.
“Is anyone in your family diabetic?”
“No. Why?”
“What about Leah’s?”
Carl averted his eyes. “Her father was, I think. But he died a few months ago. What does that have to do with anything?”
“Marlene died from an o
verdose of insulin. And it’s odd, Leah denied having any access to the drug.”
“That’s probably because she doesn’t, now that her dad is gone.”
Ridge closed his notebook, stood, and walked away. When he reached the door, he stopped and faced Carl again. “Oh, one more thing. Are you absolutely sure Leah had no idea you were sleeping with Marlene?”
He hesitated. Stared into space. “I don’t think there’s any possible way. No one did, except for Marlene and me.” He drew his brows tight. “No. Absolutely not.”
Ridge wasn’t sure who Carl was trying to convince, him, or himself. No need to press the matter. Ridge had given Carl enough to think about. “Thanks.”
Ridge strolled back into the lobby and fell in line at one of the teller windows. He’d use the lame excuse of needing change when what he really wanted was to see if Carl made a beeline for Leah. Within a minute, Carl flew out of his office and rushed into hers.
Back in his car, Ridge googled the shelf life of insulin. Unopened, one to three years, depending on the brand. He removed his notebook and checked what Carl had said about the time of death for Leah’s father. A few months ago.
Ridge added one more piece to the puzzle. Leah had access to insulin—and lied about it. That, along with the doubt he’d planted in Carl’s mind about Leah knowing he was sleeping with Marlene, might be enough for him to recant his alibi.
Today had been a good day.
Chapter Twenty-four
Tizzy’s body floated up, then down. Dense black fog surrounded her, and a light in the distance compelled her to come closer. She struggled to move, but the mist held her back, suspended, hovering in place. Where was she? She scanned the surroundings. Something swooped overhead. A raven. A shadow moved toward her. She focused on the shape—oh, no.
She pitched forward from the dream. Her scream, caught in the back of her throat, sounded more like a cat trying to cough up a hairball. She clamped her hands over her ears.
Ridge came to life and grabbed his gun. “What’s wrong?”
She brought her knees to her chest, fell back on the bed in a fetal position, and stared at the clock. Two a.m. “Bad dream.” She tried to ignore Marlene’s ghostly image, gaunt, and hollow-eyed. No luck. The apparition had loomed over her and repeated, “Whore, whore, whore.” A jumble of voices joined in. They whispered, then roared like a freight train picking up speed. “Ranger, ranger, whore, ranger, whore.”
