Tart of Darkness

by Denise Swanson

  “Within the last month.” Bliss paced in front of Dani. “You know, bulimia isn’t only about the fear of gaining weight. It’s feeling in control and soothing you in stressful situations. Something was worrying her. I think it was the notes she was receiving, but she wouldn’t show them to me. She always threw them away and refused to discuss them.” Bliss shrugged. “She almost seemed to feel guilty about something, which was bizarre. Regina never felt ashamed about anything.”

  “But you knew she was binging again?” Dani looked up into Bliss’s eyes.

  “Yeah.” Bliss rubbed her temples. “She always made me go buy the junk food.”

  Well, heck! Dani was really hoping that Vance was Regina’s killer, but Bliss was shoving herself higher and higher onto the suspect list.

  It was time to ask the hard question about the nude photo of Bliss that Regina had sent out, but Dani wasn’t sure how to bring it up. She’d decided the only way was just to say it when her luck ran out and the door banged open. Evidently, the speeches were over and the women who had been holding it for the length of the dinner were all now rushing toward relief.

  When Bliss spotted the other team girlfriends and boosters’ wives pouring into the bathroom, she turned to Dani and said, “Thanks for staying with me, but I better get back. Vance is going to be furious at me for being in here so long. He hates it when I’m gone.” Then as she began to push her way through the crowd to leave, she asked, “Is it okay if I come by sometime and we can talk some more?”

  “Definitely!” Dani shouted as Bliss quickly disappeared into the mob. And although she doubted the girl could hear her, she yelled, “Vance left the dining room right after you did.”

  As Dani made her way to the bathroom exit, she silently repeated everything she’d learn from Bliss. She needed to get all the information down on paper before she forgot something important.

  Digging her cell out of her pants pocket, she checked to see if there was any word from Spencer. It had vibrated a couple of times while she’d been occupied with Bliss, but she hadn’t wanted to interrupt the flow of their conversation to look at her phone.

  There were two texts from Ivy. One that said desserts have been served and the second stated Tippi, Starr, and I are cleaning up. Spencer’s message was even shorter: following suspect.

  Curious as to where Vance had headed, Dani replied: Where are you?

  There was no immediate response, so she continued on to the kitchen.

  The party was breaking up, and as she walked through the dining room, several alumni complimented the meal and asked for her contact information. Glad she kept a stack of business cards in the sleeve pocket of her chef coat, Dani happily chatted about the food as she handed them out. Word of mouth was always the best advertising for a small company.

  Once she’d finished promoting her services as a personal chef and caterer, Dani was pleased to discover that her workers had done the dishes and were packing up. Dani gave the kitchen a final wipe down, then helped the girls stow the equipment.

  The four of them pushed the loaded carts into the service elevator and when they reached the hallway at the ground floor, Dani dug her keys from her pocket. As she held the plastic fob, it dawned on her that Spencer had never told her where he parked her van.

  Shit! He still hadn’t responded to her last text, so hoping he’d answer his phone, she tried calling. When it went directly to voicemail, she cursed herself for not asking where he’d parked. Another reason not to allow Spencer into her life—help from men never turned out to be the good thing she thought it would be at the time.

  Explaining the problem to the girls, Dani left Ivy guarding their gear while she, Tippi, and Starr each took one of the Union’s three parking lots. As Dani walked down row after row, she berated herself for her stupidity.

  The lots were well lighted and Dani could clearly see each bird dropping, blob of chewing gum, and piece of litter on the black asphalt. But the infrequent hum of a car passing on the street behind her emphasized the area’s isolation, and uneasiness quickened her steps.

  Worried about the girls, Dani grabbed her phone out of her pocket and blew out a sigh of relief when a text from Tippi popped up on the screen. She had found the van and gave directions to its current location.

  Chuckling, Dani knew she was getting old because she now considered finding her van in the parking lot as getting lucky for the night.

  Because the girls had done such a great job at the football dinner and to compensate them for having to search for the van, Dani offered to treat them to ice cream at Izzy’s Ice Cream Factory, a Normalton institution.

  Walking into the shop, Dani inhaled the sweet, creamy aroma and her mouth watered. She hadn’t had anything to eat since the dessert bars she’d shared with Spencer and she was starving. Once they were all served and sitting at a table, Ivy licked her cone and said, “What did you find out from Bliss?”

  Dani realized that there was no way to keep her investigations secret from the girls. Especially after Ivy’s guess about her motive for inviting Laz to dinner and then admitting to the girls that she and Spencer planned to talk to Vince and Bliss.

  “Let me get a pen and paper and write it down before I forget.” Dani dug through her purse and found a dry cleaning receipt and a ballpoint advertising a local farmers market. “Let’s see, earlier this evening Vance lavaliered Bliss.”

  “Ah, that’s sweet,” Ivy cooed. “I know she’d been hoping he would.”

  “I’m not sure about sweet,” Dani said, then explained about Vance’s demand that Bliss get him into Regina’s house and his unusual sexual tastes.

  Making a face at the latter piece of information, Tippi waved Dani’s words away like a bad smell and asked, “Anything else?”

  “The pledge that Regina ripped off is named Gail.” Dani looked around the table and asked, “Do any of you know a Gail from Alpha Beta Delta?”

  They all said no, and Starr commented, “That could be a sorority nickname. A lot of times, they pick a name that only the sisters use. Did you ask if it was her real one?”

  Dani shook her head. “At the time, I was trying to keep the conversation casual and not let Bliss know I was interrogating her.”

  “We can ask around,” Tippi offered. “My cousin’s in a sorority and the Greek system is pretty small at NU, so even though they aren’t in the same house, she might know a girl called Gail.”

  “Be careful,” Dani warned. “Don’t tell her the real reason you want to know.”

  “Don’t worry.” Tippi ate a spoonful of hot fudge sauce. “I’ll come up with something.”

  “You found out quite a bit about Vance and the pledge,” Starr said. “Anything about Bliss?”

  “Sadly, yes.” Dani popped a maraschino cherry in her mouth. “She knew Regina was bulimic and had keys to her house.”

  “Shoot!” Ivy scowled. “I like Bliss. I don’t want it to be her.”

  “Me either.” As Dani talked, she jotted notes down on her list. Now she folded the paper and asked, “Ready to go?”

  It was almost ten thirty when Dani and the girls rolled the loaded carts up the ramp at the mansion’s rear entrance. Dani unlocked the door, flipped on the lights, and froze. Her kitchen had been trashed. Food was splattered everywhere and broken glass littered the floor.

  Realizing that whoever vandalized the place could still be there, she shouted, “Everyone get in the van.”

  Once they were inside the locked vehicle she shivered, cold sweat trickling down her sides. Wishing she hadn’t traded her chef coat for a T-shirt, she dug out her cell but hesitated. Did she really want to involve the police? Not only was she reluctant to come under their scrutiny again, but she was also afraid that her intruder might be one of them—namely, Mikeloff.

  Deciding to try Spencer one more time, she dialed his number. It rang twice and when he answer
ed on the third ring, she had to fight back tears in order to speak.

  Finally, she cleared the lump from her throat and said, “This is Dani. The girls and I just got home and we’re sitting in my locked van. Someone broke into the house and wrecked it. Can you come over?”

  “Drive away now.” Spencer’s tone was clipped. “I’ll meet you a couple blocks south of your place. I’ll be there in ten.”

  Chapter 20

  When Spencer disconnected from Dani, it felt as if he’d just been punched in the gut. He knew she and the girls were safe, but his knee-jerk reaction to the idea of someone having the gall to break into Dani’s home and ransack it was to track down the asshat and put him in the hospital. Evidently, refusing to acknowledge his feelings for Dani and keeping a certain emotional distance between them was turning out to be a lot tougher than he’d imagined.

  Spencer was as furious with himself as he was with the punk who vandalized the mansion. How did he manage to forget every damn bit of his determination where Dani was concerned? It was a freaking miracle that he’d been able to regain his cool so quickly and tell her to meet him, rather than flooring the gas pedal of his truck and charging toward the scene of the crime. Wouldn’t that have helped Spencer maintain the facade of just friends?

  The whole situation with Mikeloff and the murder was eating away at his self-control. He was frustrated as hell that he couldn’t protect Dani from the dickwad detective. It was bad enough he’d had to put her in danger by including her in a murder investigation, but the thought of some prick breaking into Dani’s home and terrorizing her was almost too much to take.

  He just had to make sure that he wasn’t by himself with Dani. As long as they were in public or the girls were around, he’d be okay. He would keep things in the friendship zone with her if it killed him.

  With his headlights slicing through the darkness, Spencer drove along the shadowy roads toward Dani’s street. He forced aside all thoughts of her and concentrated on the matter at hand. Someone had violated her home and he needed to find out that person’s identity. Nothing was more important than keeping her and the girls safe.

  Was it possible that he’d been wrong about Regina’s murderer and there was some serial predator out there obsessed with bumping off college girls?

  No. Spencer didn’t buy the crazed-killer theory. It was much more likely that one of three people broke into the mansion. And his first guess was Mikeloff. He wouldn’t put it past the renegade detective to conduct an illegal search in hopes of finding something incriminating.

  Second on Spencer’s hit parade was Dani’s jerkoff ex-boyfriend. Dr. Dumbass was a little too interested in the book he wanted back for it to be just a matter of fulfilling his mother’s promise to a cousin. Which reminded Spencer that he still needed to get the title and do some research.

  And the final possibility, the worst one, was that whoever murdered Regina had heard that Dani was investigating and smashed up her place as a warning for her to back down. If that was the case, they needed to make a list of who she’d contacted and what had been said.

  Depending on when the home invasion had taken place, Vance and Bliss could have alibis. They both had been in Spencer’s presence or Dani’s from six to nine o’clock.

  Spencer had followed the football player when he’d left the dinner and gone to a local bar. As King had pounded down bottle after bottle of beer, Spencer had studied the hulking young man. Something was eating at the kid. Whether it was a guilty conscience from murdering Regina Bourne or a different matter completely, King wasn’t a happy camper.

  The guy had still been drinking when Dani called a few minutes ago. Fortunately, Spencer knew that the bar’s manager had a taxi company on speed dial and the football player wouldn’t be allowed to drive.

  While Spencer had no jurisdiction away from campus, he’d made it a point to meet all the employees of the local watering holes. As head of university security, he felt responsible for the students no matter where they sought after-school entertainment.

  Pulling behind Dani’s parked vehicle, Spencer jumped out of his truck. Just as he made it to the van, Dani swung open her door and hopped out. Her eyes were red and her breathing was ragged, and Spencer’s chest clenched as if a giant fist were squeezing his rib cage. It was all he could do not to take her in his arms.

  With a hitch in her voice, Dani said, “Thank you for coming. I was so scared and I was afraid to call the police. I didn’t know what to do.”

  Spencer’s stomach knotted, but he kept his face expressionless and said, “That’s understandable.”

  Although he hated it, he had to agree with Dani that calling the cops was probably not their best option. It would be too easy for Mikeloff to hijack the case and make any evidence against him disappear.

  “But if I don’t report it, my insurance company probably won’t cover the damage.” Dani’s chin trembled. “Either way, I’m screwed.”

  “We’ll figure something out.” Spencer realized he’d taken her hand and was running his thumb across the soft skin of her palm. Dropping her hand as if it burned him, he said, “I’ll go see what’s been damaged and take pictures, then once we have it documented, if you want to make an insurance claim, we’ll call the police. It’s possible the repairs won’t be much more than your deductible.”

  “I don’t want you to go inside alone. It could be dangerous.” She frowned. “What if the criminal is still there and shoots you?”

  Spencer watched as Dani’s plump lips pursed into an adorable pink rosebud of concern and forgot she’d asked him a question.

  “Well?”

  He forced himself to focus. “I’m sure the perp is long gone,” Spencer assured her. “If he wasn’t before you got home, he sure is now.”

  “I still don’t like it.” Dani’s jaw firmed. “I’m going with you.” When he started to object, she added, “Or I’ll just call 911 and take my chances that Detective Mikeloff isn’t assigned to my case.” She nodded to herself. “That’s probably best.”

  “No!” Spencer barked, then said more softly, “Let’s go take a look first.”

  “Okay.” Dani glanced over her shoulder into the van’s interior, where Ivy, Tippi, and Starr were avidly listening to Spencer and Dani’s conversation. She pointed a finger at them and said, “You girls stay here with the doors locked. We’ll be right back.”

  “Be careful,” Ivy called as Dani followed Spencer to his truck.

  The short ride to the mansion was silent, but as Spencer backed the pickup into Dani’s driveway, he said, “This is how we’re doing this. You will stay behind me at all times. You will immediately comply with my commands. And you will not touch anything.”

  “Yes, sir.” Dani saluted, slid out of the truck, and narrowed her eyes. “But only because you’re the one with the gun and the training. Otherwise, as I told you, I’ve been taking care of myself for years and have done a damn good job of it.” Gesturing to the front entrance, she said, “I see how the guy got in. The front door’s ajar. I didn’t notice it before.”

  “Who has a key?”

  “Just the girls and me.” Dani’s cheeks reddened. “But I keep one hidden in a specially designed stone next to the steps.”

  “As soon as we finish here,” Spencer said, “you need to call a locksmith and have a double dead bolt installed on all the doors. And no more hiding keys outside. Everyone and their grandmother know about those fake rocks.”

  “Back off. I will entertain suggestions, but ordering me around isn’t going to fly.” Dani put her hands on her hips. “You’re right about the lock, but I’ll call tomorrow. I’m not paying after-hours prices.”

  “I’ll contact my friend. He’ll come first thing in the morning, before his regular shift.” Spencer put his hands on his hips too. “And I’m sleeping here tonight.”

  “Fine.” Dani’s smile was mocking. “B
ut the sofa isn’t very comfortable.”

  “You don’t have a guest room ready?” Spencer lifted an eyebrow.

  “Not yet.” Dani’s pretty amber eyes twinkled. “But maybe you can talk Ivy into bunking with Tippi, who has twin beds in her room and you can have your niece’s suite.”

  “I suppose that’s one solution. I mean if you aren’t willing to share,” Spencer drawled, then shook his head. He really had to stop flirting with Dani. “Now that we’ve figured out the sleeping arrangements, let’s get this show on the road.”

  Before they could take a step, a loud howl ripped through the quiet. Spencer’s scalp prickled and he froze.

  Giggling, Dani patted his shoulder and said, “That’s Petunia, my neighbor’s dog. She thinks she’s a wolf.”

  Spencer chuckled, then gestured for Dani to get behind him. When she moved into position, he cautiously stepped into the foyer, paused, and listened for any sign of an intruder. The only sound was the ticking of the old grandfather clock in the parlor.

  As they went from room to room taking pictures, it became clear that the place had been searched more than it had been vandalized. Downstairs, shelves were emptied onto the floor and cushions were sliced, with their stuffing bleeding out of the gaping wounds.

  On the second floor, in the girls’ rooms, drawers were open and the contents thrown aside. The closet rods had been stripped of hangers with the clothes flung helter-skelter on the ground. As a final hurrah, the mattresses and box springs had been shoved off the bedframes.

  With the two remaining suites empty and not yet remodeled, the only evidence the intruder had been inside the room were the footprints on the dusty hardwood.

  Dani’s quarters were a mess, just as the girls’ had been, and Spencer sensed more than heard her small sigh. He gazed at the disorder and knew she had to be having a rough time dealing with the invasion of her personal space, but she didn’t break down. Glancing at her, he saw her straighten her spine and paste a stoic look on her pretty face.