An Officer and a Maverick

by Teresa Southwick

  The baby touched his nose, made a funny face after brushing his small palm over the slight stubble on Russ’s jaw then studied his hand while flexing his fingers. The big man patiently waited while the little guy scratched the leather collar of his jacket and slapped at his shoulder. He seemed to know when Carter was bored and gently set him on his feet, protectively holding him until he was steady.

  “You’re good with kids,” Paige observed.

  Lani’s heart melted a little more. “You’re a man of many unexpected talents.”

  “Kids are easy,” he answered. “It’s adults who get complicated.”

  She couldn’t argue with that. “I’m still on introduction detail. Where are Caleb and Mallory?”

  “They took Lily outside. She’s playing soccer this year and wanted to practice her ball skills,” Paige explained.

  “Okay.” She looked at Russ. “This is the last one, I promise. But again I say brace yourself. Lily is really something. Very precocious. There’s just no way to prepare for her.”

  He didn’t look the least bit intimidated, which was impressive. “Lead on.”

  They walked out the French door leading to the backyard and a brick-lined patio. There was an expanse of grass and a gazebo in the far corner of the enclosed area. Her brother Caleb, his wife, Mallory, and their nine-year-old daughter, Lily, were standing on the grass, kicking the black-and-white ball back and forth.

  “Hi, Aunt Lani,” the little girl said. “Grandma told us your boyfriend was coming over. Is that him?”

  “This is Russ.” She wasn’t quite sure how to address the boyfriend comment.

  “I’m Mallory,” her auburn-haired sister-in-law said. “And this is our daughter, Lily. Sweetie, your grandma said that Aunt Lani’s friend was going to be here.”

  The adorable black-haired, almond-eyed child had been adopted by Mallory’s sister and her husband. After they died in a car accident, her aunt took on guardianship. She and Caleb had finalized the adoption after they were married.

  The little girl lived up to her billing as precocious. “He’s her friend and he’s a boy. Doesn’t that make him her boyfriend?”

  That was a literal assessment, and Lani was trying to figure out how to address the personal nuances of what her niece had said.

  Her brother, bless him, stuck out his hand and said, “I’m Caleb.”

  “Nice to meet you.”

  “You’re a policeman,” Lily commented.

  “Yes. A detective.”

  “Do you arrest bad people?” she wanted to know.

  “If they’re caught breaking the law.”

  “Do you put them in jail?”

  Russ looked at her, and the expression in his eyes said he was thinking about that night they’d spent together in the cell. Lani didn’t think she was a bad person, but what she’d done was filed under wrong thing, right reason.

  Russ met the little girl’s gaze. “Sometimes.”

  “How come not all the time?” the little interrogator wanted to know.

  “Okay, Lily,” her mother said. “You’re going to make Russ’s ears tired.”

  The child looked up with a puzzled expression on her pretty face. “Ears don’t get tired.”

  “Trust me,” Mal said, “they do.”

  Lily shrugged. “I’m going inside to see baby Carter.”

  “And I’m going to see if your grandmother needs any help getting dinner on the table,” her mother said.

  Caleb picked up the ball. “Nice to meet you, Russ. I hope my daughter’s questions didn’t bother you.”

  “Not at all,” he said. “But it wouldn’t surprise me to see her become an investigator someday.”

  Her brother grinned. “No kidding.”

  The rest of the evening went just as smoothly as the introductions. Russ got along with everyone, including the children. He seemed to fit in really well, and Lani realized a part of her wished he hadn’t. She’d been anticipating a reason to cross him off as incompatible with her family, which would definitely be a relationship deal breaker.

  She was looking for a flaw in him because her feelings were growing deeper, but she had no clue how he really felt. He gave her a kiss here, a compliment there. Saying she was special. What did that mean? And why did he refuse to open up about himself?

  But she knew one thing for sure. Until the spiked punch mystery was solved, she wouldn’t know whether he was just seeing her because of the investigation. If so, he would disappear when it was over, and she needed to know one way or the other.

  It was time to speed things up on the case. That meant chatting up Brad Crawford even if Russ didn’t like the idea.

  Chapter Eleven

  When opportunity taps you on the shoulder, you don’t just walk away. Not when it was important to Russ’s investigation. The day after Lani decided it was time to go for broke and talk to Brad Crawford opportunity presented itself and she wasn’t going to miss it.

  Oddly enough, her chance came on Monday, traditionally the least busy day of the week at the Ace in the Hole. She’d just finished her shift when the guy in question came in. Of all the gin joints in all the world, Brad had to walk into hers, right? Except gin joints in Rust Creek Falls were limited.

  She said hello to him because they had a passing acquaintance, and he said hello back. It was now or never, so she asked him if he’d like to have a beer with her. When she said she was buying, he agreed.

  After texting Russ to let him know about this lucky break and a vow to fill him in later about what she learned, she grabbed a couple of longnecks and joined Brad in a quiet corner booth. Her cell phone buzzed before she could sit down across from him, but she ignored it.

  She held up her bottle. “What should we drink to?”

  “Why do we have to drink to anything?”

  “We don’t,” she said.

  Hopefully, that wasn’t a sign that he was going to be difficult. Brad was about as tall as Russ and too handsome for his own good. He had brown hair, green eyes and was really built, as in broad shoulders, wide chest and muscular legs inside those worn jeans.

  He was six years older than Lani and she hadn’t gone to school with him but had heard talk. And like every unattached woman in town, she was aware of his story and his reputation. He’d been über popular in high school and had never been without a girlfriend. It was common knowledge that he was in no hurry to settle down, so it had been a big surprise when he married Janie Delane seven years ago.

  They divorced three years later because, rumor had it, she was fed up with him only wanting someone to cook, clean and do laundry. Apparently, she’d told him he should have just hired a housekeeper. That would have been cheaper and easier for both of them.

  “I was just trying to start a conversation,” Lani said. Her cell phone buzzed again, and she ignored it again. “How’ve you been?”

  “Since when?” He leaned back in the booth and sipped his beer.

  “I don’t know. How about today?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Anything new with you?” she asked.

  “Like what?”

  Wow, he was being difficult. “Are you seeing anyone? Is there anyone special in your life?”

  “Are you offering?” His smile was charming but didn’t hide the slightest bit of wariness in his eyes. “I heard you and that Kalispell detective hooked up.”

  Though in the current colloquial definition of that phrase, Brad heard right, she didn’t consider the two of them a romantic item. But since they’d been acting that way for the sake of this investigation, the rumor needed to be addressed for purposes of this conversation.

  “Russ and I are friends. Kind of.” She thought for a moment. “We’re just having fun.”

  “Let’s drink
to that.” Brad held up his beer bottle. “To having fun. Nothing complicated. And no demands.”

  “To that.” Lani touched the neck of her bottle to his and tried to be enthusiastic, but wasn’t sure she pulled it off. He was one cynical son of a gun. If she had to guess, the edge of bitterness he conveyed probably had something to do with his divorce. Then she realized he’d bobbed and weaved and avoided answering her question.

  “How about you?” she asked. “Hooked up with anyone?”

  “Hooked up? Yeah.” He toyed with the bottle on the table between them. “Serious about? No way.”

  “You sound determined about that.”

  “Because I am. Like I said—all fun, all the time. No strings. No drama.”

  Lani didn’t know if that was a warning or an invitation. She wasn’t the least bit interested, though. Even if she was attracted to his charm and good looks, that lone-wolf-Lothario thing he had going on was a total turnoff. Although it occurred to her that Russ was something of a loner, too, and that man turned her on just by walking in the door. Go figure.

  She didn’t have to be attracted to Brad to get information out of him and would play any game he wanted in order to do just that.

  “Okay, so personally you’re not tied down and have no intentions of ever committing. But professionally it seems you’re doing all right.”

  “Oh?” His green eyes narrowed on her.

  “Yeah. I heard about that poker game on the Fourth of July. The word is that you did pretty well.”

  “You mean because I took Old Man Sullivan’s ranch.” It wasn’t a question.

  “That’s what I mean,” she said, trying to assess his emotions. Angry? Guilty? Ashamed? She couldn’t decide.

  “Have you ever played cards, Lani? I mean for real money?”

  “No,” she admitted.

  “That’s what I thought.” He took a long swallow of beer. “Rule number one—never wager anything you can’t afford to lose.”

  “Even so...it’s the man’s home,” Lani pointed out.

  He met her gaze squarely. “I can’t help it if I’m a more skilled player. I couldn’t swear to it, but it’s as if the old man wanted to lose.”

  “Too bad we can’t ask him. He’s disappeared,” she said. “No one has heard from him for a while.”

  Brad shrugged. Lani wasn’t sure what she’d expected, although a written confession from Brad that he’d slipped a mickey to the whole town so that he could win at poker would have been awfully tidy. Most people would have been ambivalent about winning and taking a man’s property. But this guy didn’t show any sign of letting his conscience get in the way of raking in his poker winnings.

  She’d never actually believed he was the perpetrator. After all, despite the feud between the Crawfords and the Traubs that was so old, no one could clearly remember how it started, he was part of a nice family. They were upstanding citizens and, as far as she knew, had never been in trouble with the law.

  But every barrel had a bad apple, and it could be that she was looking right at him, Lani thought. Maybe it was time to mention how everyone got drunk that night and gauge his reaction.

  “Isn’t it crazy what happened after the wedding? How so many people you’d never expect got drunk and began behaving out of character?” Including herself, she thought, hoping he wouldn’t point that out.

  “Wasn’t your boyfriend hired to find out who spiked that punch?” It was hard to tell whether his tone leaned more toward suspicion or curiosity.

  “The sheriff thought his skill as a detective would come in handy, since his own investigation wasn’t getting anywhere. People are squirrelly. Worried that there could be a repeat of what happened. Or even worse. Did you have any of the punch?”

  “Yeah.”

  She wanted to ask if he’d had enough to get drunk but didn’t want to come off as an interrogator even though she was. “Doesn’t it creep you out that someone put something in that punch and most of the town ended up acting weird? What if someone had gotten hurt because of it?”

  “It’s...unsettling,” he allowed.

  “Not to mention a crime,” she said.

  “After all this time and from what I hear not a single clue, does your boyfriend really think he can find out who did it?”

  Was there a deliberate challenge in those words? Could it be he was toying with her because he was responsible for getting everyone drunk? Or just messing with her because he was mad at the world? Now was the time to ask.

  As she was formulating the question, some part of her mind registered the fact that the bar’s screen door had just opened and closed, admitting a customer even though it was getting pretty late.

  “I wouldn’t call Russ my boyfriend,” Lani started. “We’re just—”

  At that exact moment Detective Russ Campbell walked up to the booth and leaned down for a quick kiss. “Hi, babe. Got here as quick as I could.”

  Lani slid over to make room because he was obviously planning to sit down beside her. It took her a few moments to form a coherent response because her brain was short-circuited from the sizzle of that unexpected kiss.

  “You made good time.”

  “Helps when you’re the law.” Brad eyed the newcomer skeptically.

  “I don’t think we’ve met. Russ Campbell,” he said, holding his hand out across the table.

  The other man shook it. “Brad Crawford. Nice to meet you, Detective.”

  Russ stared at him, and even though she could only see his profile, Lani noticed tension in his jaw and felt the hostility. Then he looked at her and she also felt the heat of his irritation and disapproval. “So, what were you two talking about?”

  “Oh, you know,” she said. “This and that. It was no big deal.”

  “Yeah,” Brad agreed. “Small talk. Like who spiked the punch after the wedding.”

  “Did you come up with any suspects?” Russ asked, his eyes narrowing on her.

  “No. I guess Brad and I still can’t believe that someone who is our friend and possibly a neighbor would do something like that.” She looked at the man sitting across from them.

  “I was just telling Lani that it seems unlikely you’ll find the perp, since so much time has gone by.”

  “Not if that person slips up and tries it again,” Russ said. “We’re ready for that.”

  “Okay, then.” Brad pressed his lips together and nodded. “I’ve got to get going. A lot to do tomorrow on the ranch.”

  “And the land you won in the poker game gives you even more responsibility,” Lani said.

  “Yeah.” Brad slid out of the booth and looked at each of them. “Thanks for the beer, Lani. See you around, Detective.”

  Then he walked straight to that noisy, rusty Ace in the Hole screen door, opened it and headed out into the night. Lani and Russ sat side by side, alone and still no closer to finding out who had gotten the whole town drunk.

  It was several moments before Russ said anything and when he did, she wished he hadn’t.

  “What the hell were you thinking, Lani?”

  “I was thinking a lot of things. You might want to be more specific.”

  “Confronting Brad Crawford by yourself. Is that specific enough for you?” he demanded.

  She shifted on the booth seat, and her shoulder brushed against his. It wasn’t clear if the sparks she felt were her attraction or his irritation. If she’d been straight across from him, she would have made a point of direct eye contact, so she was pretty glad they were side by side. That way she didn’t have to see the expression on his face confirming that he couldn’t stand the sight of her.

  “I was thinking that the investigation was stalled, and Brad Crawford won a ranch in a poker game. That’s strong motive.” She glanced at his profile and saw the muscle jerk in hi
s jaw. “And you forgot to say thank you.”

  “What the hell for? Putting yourself in a potentially dangerous situation?” He didn’t sound angry as much as concerned for her safety. “You promised to talk to me first.”

  “Brad came in just as I was getting off work, and I took that as a sign.”

  “Of what? That you should play detective?” He gave her a sideways look. “There are any number of ways that a solo interrogation could have gone south if he’s the guy we’re looking for.”

  “This is a public place. I thought about that.”

  “Public but practically empty.” He glanced around. “Whoever is tending bar went in the back for something. That would give a suspect the perfect opportunity to overpower you.”

  “I’d scream for help. It’s not like this place is a deserted alley,” she scoffed.

  “What if he had a weapon and told you not to make a sound?”

  “Oh.” She hadn’t thought about that.

  “Yeah. Oh.”

  “But he didn’t do anything,” she pointed out. “I’m fine.”

  “Because I got here in time to stop you from—”

  She waited but he didn’t finish the statement. “To stop me from what?”

  “Never mind.”

  Now it was her turn to be irritated. The way he shut down like that was really starting to bug her. If he wanted a fight, she’d be happy to oblige and maybe clear the air. But he wouldn’t fight fair. Or at all. “If there’s nothing else, I’d like to go home now.”

  She waited for him to slide out of the booth and let her leave, but he didn’t budge. And he was too big for her to push him out of her way.

  “Please move so I can get out of here.”

  “Tell me what Brad said.”

  “You’re welcome.” His grunt made her smile. “He said a lot of things and for the record, he seems like kind of an arrogant jerk. I asked him how he could take away someone’s land and home and he said Sullivan was asking for it.”

  “How?”

  “By wagering something he couldn’t afford to lose and not being a very good poker player.” She shrugged. “That sounds a lot like motive to me.”