Right when she got into the hallway, the buzzer rang in the outer office. Before she could get out there, Dade charged ahead of her. She met him at the door. “I’ll get that, Dade.” She swung open the door.
Tyler walked in. The two men stood face to face, neither looking pleased to see the other.
“Tyler, I don’t believe you’ve met my partner. Tyler Jensen, this is Dade Donovan.”
The two men shook hands, but not very cordially. She wished Dade wouldn’t behave like a spoiled brat. He shouldn’t let his anger get the best of him. If they’d been alone, she’d have given him a piece of her mind, but not in front of her date. As it was, Tyler already had a low opinion of her partner.
No one said a word. Julie jumped in to fill the gap. “Tyler and I are going over to the Monroe Place Theater tonight after dinner.”
“I’m sure that holds more appeal than finishing up your work here,” Dade said, turning sharply and heading back to his office.
Julie bit her lip, watching him disappear down the hallway.
“Your partner is a sourpuss. How do you put up with him?” Tyler said.
“He’s not always like that. This is one of his bad days.”
Wait until she got hold of Dade. He was going to get it.
Chapter Nineteen
Dade paced his condo. Seven o’clock. By now Julie had to be enjoying dinner with the mystery writer. He should never have let his anger get the best of him. Sure, he was mad at Julie for leaving the firm, but he still cared about her. He’d never forgive himself if anything happened to her.
The man was trouble. Sexual attraction oozed from his pores. If he put the make on Julie, could she handle it or would she fall for his lines?
Dade punched his fist into his hand. “Damn, I should have stopped her.”
At the thought of Julie lying beneath Jensen, black rage filled him. She was his, not the mystery writer’s.
“I don’t believe it. This can’t be happening.”
He wanted to deny it, but the facts stared him in the face. Somewhere along the line his protective urge had evolved into something else. He’d caught an inkling of the shift when he’d gone crazy over Julie’s dizzy spells, but dummy that he was, he still hadn’t put it all together. Julie had been always around and he’d taken her for granted. She was a part of him, yet he’d never realized how much. Now he knew. He loved her, but not as a sister or friend.
He wanted her as a lover and wife.
Almost blindly he groped for the edge of the couch. He took a deep breath, trying to assimilate his newly found knowledge. It was no use. Now he was even more aggravated.
He rose and paced again.
It did no good to tell himself that Julie had a brain. She wasn’t the impulsive type. She sure as hell wouldn’t go to bed with anyone on the second date. Or would she?
Julie also had a temper. He’d seen the fire flash in her eyes. There was no telling what she’d do when provoked and he’d given her good reason to be.
* * *
From the moment Tyler picked her up at the office, things seem to go wrong. Instead of enjoying herself, Julie kept dwelling on Dade and his rude behavior.
She couldn’t fault the restaurant, perfect in its Mediterranean decor and obsequious waiters.
Tyler’s eyes seemed to caress her. “You look lovely. I’ve wasted valuable time inhabiting the world of make believe, when I should have been enjoying your company. My mistake.”
His excuse for not calling her, veiled as it was in a compliment, struck her as false. He could have been writing, as he inferred, or he could have been spending every free moment with his assistant, the sexy Simone, or any number of his fans. Instead of feeling jealous at the thought, she found herself curious.
Why wasn’t the evening going as she’d hoped? When the stir fried chicken dish was placed in front of her, she immediately lost her appetite. Something was wrong with this picture. She’d force herself to eat since Dr. Crane had warned her not to neglect her diet. She still suffered from occasional dizzy spells and it would take months for them to disappear.
She tried a sample. The food was tasty. Why was she so edgy? Tyler exerted the utmost charm, doing his best to carry the conversation.
“How is your new book coming along,” she finally asked him.
“I’m hitting road blocks or, might I say, writer’s block.”
“You can’t be serious. You actually suffer from writer’s block? I thought you’d made that up at the workshop so we’d feel better.”
His eyebrows knit together. His lips tightened. She’d hit a nerve.
“It’s the truth. I find it a chore to force the ideas and the words out when they don’t want to, but I’ve got a deadline.”
Tyler’s admission made him seem more human, yet the look on his face and in his eyes was ruthless, almost like a glimpse into a dark soul, a villain in one of his books. She sensed this man would go to any length to get what he wanted. God help the person who stood in his way. Goose bumps broke out on her arm.
“Are you cold,” he asked.
His perception was disconcerting. Ignoring her unease, Julie switched the subject to the first thing she could think of, because it had been on her mind most of the day. She told him of her run-in with Barabat, the surprise videotape and her disappointment over her client’s betrayal.
“I can’t believe I misjudged Watson so thoroughly. The man seemed so sincere.”
“That’s one of your flaws, my dear Julie. You tend to look for the good in people where none exists. You’re a champion of lost causes. Look how you’re attracted to me.”
She glanced quickly across the table, and was met by a bland expression. What went on behind that mask?
“You’re a successful man and a force to be reckoned with. I hardly consider you a lost cause.”
“If you only knew.” He pushed back his plate. “Enough about me. What about you? Are you writing?”
He’d hit a nerve. She wanted to write, but emergencies kept springing up to divert her attention. The split with Dade was taking longer than she’d intended. Julie sighed. “I wish I could. Dade’s accident plus all those tests I had to take really set us back. Business won’t wait for us to catch up. Everyone wants us.”
“Get out. Don’t let it bury you.”
“It’s not that easy. I do have obligations.”
“Oh, yes, to your partner.”
The way he emphasized partner made it sound like a dirty word. That wasn’t fair to Dade.
“Yes, to my partner. Dade and I go back a long way. We grew up together. I could never leave him high and dry. I’ll work it out somehow.”
“Don’t be a fool. Your first duty is to yourself. Leave before it’s too late. He’ll get along.”
She shot a killing glare at Tyler. “You don’t understand. I’m not that kind of person.” Her voice was rising, but she couldn’t help it.
“You’ve got to see reason. He’s not your family, just your partner. He’s using you. You’re his moneymaker and he doesn’t want the manna to end. If he cared what was best for you, he’d let you out.”
How dare he infer that Dade didn’t count. How dare he tell her how to run her life. It didn’t matter that she’d already decided to follow his suggestion. This was her decision, not Tyler’s. Famous or not, the man was overstepping. She’d handle her business her own way.
“I believe I’m a better judge of what’s best for me than you.”
Three women at the adjacent table, distracted by Julie and Tyler’s raised voices, turned in their direction, then took a second look. Excited whispers alerted Julie as to what was happening. Someone had recognized Tyler and was spreading the word.
An auburn haired woman in a tan business suit appeared before them at the table, holding out a small piece of paper.
“Mr. Jensen, I do love your books. May I have your autograph?”
From the woman’s appearance, she had to be a professional, yet her face lit
up like a school girl’s with a crush on a football player.
Tyler’s eyes glinted from suppressed fury. He turned from the woman and beckoned to the waiter. “I will not be bothered while I eat,” he said in a clipped voice.
The man nodded and politely gestured to the woman to leave. Her face turned red. She crumpled the paper, threw it on the floor and stomped it with her heel. “You son of a bitch,” she whispered.
With stiff legs she marched back to her table. Like a swarm of hornets circling for the kill, voices buzzed around them. Soon everyone would know what had happened. Julie felt like crawling under the table.
“I don’t have to take this. Let’s get out of here,” Tyler said.
He threw some bills on the table, darted to Julie’s chair and pulled it out. She barely had time to pick up her purse before she was steered by the elbow out of the restaurant.
“Get the car,” Tyler barked at the valet.
Almost immediately, the Jaguar appeared at the front curb. Before Julie could fasten her seatbelt, Tyler had swerved out of the parking space and headed toward the theater.
Did he realize what he’d done or didn’t he care? She had to find out. “You were rude. You could have signed that autograph. It would have meant a lot to the woman.”
Tyler, with eyes fastened on the road, bit out, “And who are you to talk? You’ll never have occasion to choose between nicety and privacy. Huddled safely in your stifling cocoon, afraid to break free of your mindless rut, you’ll never be asked for an autograph. I’ve made it. I have the right to choose what I do.”
How dare he talk down to her. “You conceited snob. If I do make a name for myself, I’ll always have time to be considerate. I’ll never let anyone down.”
“Ah, again the naive innocent. You have a lot to learn.”
“Maybe about writing, but not how to treat people. Take me home. I’m not going anywhere with you.”
At last he was showing his true colors. Deep down, he didn’t consider her or anyone else his equal. Thank God she’d learned now before she’d done something she would have regretted. His eyes blazed. He looked ready to reach over and slap her, yet he swerved onto the expressway. She pressed her lips tight, refusing to speak.
He finally turned off at Arlingdale Road. She’d soon be home, away from the megalomaniac beside her. She could hardly wait.
Tyler pulled up in front of her brick ranch. He turned off the ignition and faced her. “I see you’re upset. Let me rephrase what I said. Make no mistake, you are talented. Unfortunately, if you don’t do anything about it, your potential will be wasted. No one can do the job for you. You have to want it badly enough to do it yourself.”
The damage was done. He’d torn her apart, then had had the temerity to believe a few sweet words could fix everything.
“Don’t try to butter me up. The bottom line is you were mean tonight. It wouldn’t have taken much effort to share a small part of yourself by signing that autograph. It would have meant a lot to that woman. Instead, you humiliated her. Then you insulted me and acted like I don’t have a brain in my body.”
“You don’t get it, Julie. Fans are like feeding piranhas. They can pick you dry. They have to be controlled.”
“No, they’re human beings,” she said quietly.
He grasped her by the shoulders and turned her to him. “You’re serious, aren’t you? You actually care about a stranger you’ll never meet again. You don’t know her. She’s nothing to you or me.”
The streetlight shone across Tyler’s face. Mesmerized, Julie stared into his blank eyes. They looked void of compassion. Either he didn’t care or didn’t have a clue about what he’d done. She didn’t know this man and didn’t want to.
“You don’t get it and I don’t think you ever will.” She shrugged away from his hold. “I’ve got a long day ahead of me tomorrow. Goodnight.”
The man was insufferable. Julie swung open the car door and raced up the path to her house.
Once inside, with heart pounding, she leaned against the doorframe. Tyler was correct in one respect. She must have been naive to think there was more to him than what lay on the surface. She’d had no business going out with him in the first place. She should have known better than to give in to her curiosity and ego.
The car motor purred outside. Tyler was waiting, probably thinking she’d run out and beg his forgiveness. Not a chance.
The hum persisted. If he wasn’t leaving, would he force his way in? He’d seemed angry enough to do anything. She spun around and checked to make sure the deadbolts were secure. Yes, thank goodness. It would be awfully hard for him to get past them.
The Jaguar continued to idle for at least half an hour. He was playing mind games with her. She wouldn’t give him the dignity of a response.
Finally, the motor sped up and roared away. Thank God he was gone. Breathing a sigh of relief, Julie plopped onto the nearby arm chair. She sat in the quiet darkness letting distaste and disappointment wash over her.
Her eyes, which had been purposely closed before her date, now were wide open. Instead of seeing Tyler Jensen as the jerk he really was, she’d made excuses for him. Dangerous and different, he’d lured her away from her everyday life. King of his craft, he’d epitomized a standard she yearned to achieve.
Julie sighed. If only he’d been different. The two of them could have been so wonderful together.
“If only he were a better man, like Dade,” she voiced aloud.
The words echoed off the walls and bounced back at her. With blinding clarity, the realization struck her. It wasn’t Tyler’s fault she didn’t like him. It was hers. All along, she’d been looking for an excuse to dump him. She’d thrown him up against an impossible standard which he could never achieve.
No matter what he did or said, he’d fail. He could never be Dade, a man with a truly good soul, whom she really loved. What was worse, she could never have Dade in that way. He loved her as his sister and nothing more.
She couldn’t give up her adopted family. They were all she had left. Because of that, when she left the law firm, she’d still run into Dade at family gatherings. In time, he’d probably marry a lovely woman. How could she bear seeing him look lovingly at his wife and children?
She was in a horrible situation and couldn’t get help. She certainly couldn’t ask Dade’s advice, as she usually did in important matters. Her other confidants, Avery and Marcia, were also off limits. By telling them, the secret would get out and sides would be drawn. From the fallout, Julie could lose the only family she had left.
From tonight on, she’d be treading a thin line, masking her true feelings from the people who knew her as well as she knew herself. How long would the facade last before they caught on?
Chapter Twenty
A full week passed during which Dade traveled downstate to try cases in Joliet and Springfield. Though somehow he’d hoped a miracle would happen and Julie would change her mind about leaving, the determined tilt to her chin told him otherwise.
She wanted out. His feelings on the issue didn’t matter.
As she sat across from him in his office going over the next week’s agenda, her mind seemed far away. She was probably mooning over Jensen. A stab of resentment filled him.
“By the way, how was your date with the great mystery writer? Did he live up to his killer reputation?” The words flew out of his mouth before he could stop them. He sounded petty and stifling, but he didn’t give a damn.
“Suffice it to say, I won’t be seeing him again.”
“Why, was he a groper?”
She avoided his eyes. “No, nothing like that. Let’s just say, I woke up. I decided I didn’t like what I saw.”
Dade raised his eyebrows. “Oh, and what was that?”
“Actually, it’s more what I didn’t see. The man’s missing something. It’s hard to explain.”
“He’s probably not a people person. He could be decent at heart.” Dade could kick himself. Why had he stuc
k up for the guy?
Julie shook her head. “I expected too much. It’s my fault, not his.” She averted her eyes and gathered up her folders. “Time to get ready. I’ve got an early case up at the Commission.”
Dade gave her an assessing look. Why was she being so evasive? Whatever had happened upset her more than she was letting on. Hell, she must really care for Jensen.
As Julie started to get up, Dade put his hand on her arm. “Julie, we may not see eye to eye, but remember, we’re family. If anything’s wrong, I’m here for you. You’re welcome to cry on my shoulder any time, day or night.”
“That won’t be necessary.” she said, her shaky smile belying her words. “I’ve got to get going. I’ll see you later.” She turned and almost fled from his office.
“Bye,” he said to the empty air.
He wasn’t in any position to dispense advice to Julie about Jensen anyway. If he tried, he might slip and say something that was better left unsaid.
He picked up the phone. Maybe reinforcements would help. “Avery, could you do me a favor?”
“Sure, bro’, but make it quick. I’ve got a story to cover. I don’t have scads of time.”
“I’m worried about that mystery writer. Something happened between him and Julie that she won’t tell me about. I don’t like the looks of the guy. Maybe you could talk to her.”
His words were greeted by a long, drawn-out sigh. “So, once again Big Brother focuses his beady eyes on poor little Julie. Ease up. If the guy’s right for her, it’ll work out. I figured it all out when my guy came along.”
Dade sighed. “You’re probably right. It was gutless of me to shove the job off on you.”
“Shove what off?”
“Never mind. Try to stay out of trouble, okay?”
On a regular basis, Avery, as a reporter for the Chicagoland Times, kept her ears tuned to the police scanner. When a story broke, she rushed right into the thick of it, no matter where, no matter how dangerous.
Killer Career Page 13
