Power

by Debra Webb

  But how did she walk away from what her instincts were screaming at her? If the Chandlers wanted her insight, that meant full access to the house, to any and all information available.

  As appealing as the idea was, how could she even think about doing this without telling Dan?

  Why was it that someone always dragged her into a thorny patch? Did she have dissident stamped on her forehead? It had never been her intent to go up against the rules. Events played out the way they played out and she ended up looking like the troublemaker.

  Her fingers tightened on the steering wheel.

  But, God, she wanted to find the answers that Darcy Chandler deserved. If she was murdered, her killer was out there getting away with it.

  “Not your case, Jess.” The right thing to do was to call Dan and turn the information over to him. He and Black could sort it out.

  Her cell vibrated. Jess jumped, hoped it wasn’t Dan. The man had always been able to sense when something was up with her. She snatched the cell off the console and checked the screen. Another local number she didn’t recognize. Did everyone in town have her number? She almost didn’t answer. But the curiosity that had always gotten her into trouble would not be suppressed.

  “Harris.”

  “Jess, this is Andrea.”

  A new worry elbowed its way past all the others. “Andrea, is everything all right?”

  “I need to talk to you.” Her voice sounded muffled as if she were using her hand to prevent someone from overhearing her conversation. “It’s really important.”

  Dan had mentioned that Andrea was having problems. Maybe she needed to talk to someone who wasn’t her gorgeous mom or her doting stepfather, the chief of police. Jess had asked her to call if she remembered anything from the day Chandler died.

  “Okay.” Jess powered the window back up and reached for her seat belt. “Where and when would you like to meet?”

  “Can we meet now? At your place? I don’t want anyone… to know about this.”

  Wow. Okay. “Now as in right now?”

  “Please, Jess, I really need to show this to someone.”

  “All right.” Jess gave her the directions. “I’ll see you in a few. If you get there before me, stay in the car and keep the doors locked.”

  Jess was perfectly happy with her accommodations but it wasn’t exactly the kind of place a young girl should be hanging out alone, even in broad daylight.

  The thought gave Jess pause. Just a basic human reaction. Not a motherly instinct. She didn’t have any of those.

  The drive to the Howard Johnson’s way, way on the other side of town far from Chez Fonfon, took about twenty minutes in the thin after-lunch traffic. Jess kept fighting the impulse to call Dan the entire drive. Would he be angry that she had agreed to meet privately with Andrea? Why would his own mother share Chandler family secrets with Jess and not Dan?

  She feared the motive wasn’t as cut-and-dried or as pure as Katherine wanted it to appear. If Jess blew this case wide open in the press, she would face the fallout. It was a mother’s nature to want to protect her children but this was ridiculous. Dan was the chief of police. He had an obligation to pursue truth and justice.

  If Jess had ever experienced a single doubt as to what Katherine’s true feelings toward her were, she had none now.

  As much as Jess wanted to believe this request was about her skill as an investigator, she didn’t trust Katherine’s motives one little bit.

  Jess felt confident that Katherine was not so happy to have her back in Birmingham, enticing her son toward the tawdry and forbidden. Maybe this was her way of killing two birds with one stone: protecting her son from the necessary battle that the Chandler case was stacking up to be and giving Jess a firm push toward the city limits.

  “Better folks have tried,” Jess muttered.

  Andrea and her sassy little convertible were waiting when Jess chugged into the parking lot. As soon as Annette and Brandon had Andrea home again after her kidnapping, the little economical Ford Fusion she’d driven had been history and a BMW 128i convertible had taken its place.

  Jess removed her sunglasses and gave Andrea a big smile as she rounded the hood of her ancient Audi. “You been to dance rehearsal today?” A gym bag hung over Andrea’s shoulder. The idea surprised Jess since their teacher was still on a slab at the coroner’s office.

  The stilted nod gave away the degree of Andrea’s uneasiness. “Ms. Dorothy has taken over classes for now. She believes it’s important to maintain some sense of normalcy for the girls. She said it’s what Ms. Darcy would want. Today she cut the afternoon session short.”

  “The show must go on, I guess.” Jess motioned for Andrea to follow. “Let’s get out of this heat.”

  She led the way through a side gate that required her keycard but the scanner was broken, so it stayed open. Another of those things Dan liked to point out. Her room faced the pool—the only perk to living here. The downside was that at this time of the day the sun heated the concrete and turned the area into a shadeless sauna.

  Some of the regulars who appeared to live here full-time lounged by the pool. At least two of the five were hookers. They were all friendly and not inclined to get into anyone else’s business. Neighbors like that were difficult to find in any neighborhood.

  A quick swipe of her keycard and Jess slipped into the cool darkness of her room. She flipped on a light. “You want a Pepsi or water?” A dorm-size fridge had turned out to be a necessity. That and a small microwave.

  “No, thank you.”

  Jess dropped her bag by the table that served as her desk and pulled out a chair. “Have a seat and tell me what’s on your mind.”

  “I want you to see this video clip from one of last year’s competitions.” Andrea sat in the only other chair, her gym bag in her lap. She dug through it and produced a portable DVD player. Jess cleared a place for her to set it up.

  Focused on getting the DVD set to play, Andrea explained, “I was watching some of them when I was looking for good clips to make a tribute DVD for Ms. Darcy and I spotted this.” She turned it more fully toward Jess. “Okay, so watch for the couple at stage left.”

  For three or four minutes all Jess saw was the girls onstage. Most of them appeared to be the same Alabama Belles on the team this year. Wherever they were, there was a large crowd. The cameraman panned back, widening the view onstage as the girls spread out.

  “Right there.” Andrea tapped the screen.

  A man and a woman were barely in the picture, but it was obvious from their body language that they were arguing vehemently. Some of their movements slipped out of the camera’s view from time to time. The man was Alexander Mayakovsky. The woman… Jess wasn’t so sure. She squinted and leaned closer to the small screen. The woman glanced toward the dancers onstage and Jess got a good look at her face then. Corrine Dresher. Katrina’s mother. Jess studied the scene until the cameraman zoomed in on the dance team and the couple was no longer in the picture.

  Jess started to ask Andrea if she recalled what the argument was about, but she hesitated as she considered the faces of the girls onstage. “Where’s Katrina? Was she not in this dance?”

  “Katrina was an alternate last year. It was her first year at the studio. She only moved up to a permanent spot on the team this year.”

  “Do you know what Corrine and Alexander were arguing about?”

  Andrea shook her head. “I know Ms. Dresher complained a lot back then about Katrina being an alternate.” Andrea shrugged. “But all the mothers complain when their daughters don’t get what they think they should.”

  “There wasn’t room on the team for Katrina?” Jess needed to understand the dynamics of how this worked. She hadn’t had dance lessons as a kid. Or any other kind of lessons for that matter. She was lucky to have had a roof over her head and food in her belly.

  “There wasn’t a place for her, but…” Andrea seemed reluctant to say the rest.

  “You can tell me whate
ver you feel, Andrea. This is just between the two of us. I don’t have to pass along your personal feelings.”

  “Katrina really sucks,” she blurted. “I don’t know why they didn’t find someone besides Katrina. If they win anything this upcoming dance season, it’ll be a miracle. I think Ms. Darcy and Mr. Alex argued a lot about that.”

  And if Corrine Dresher knew about the difference of opinion, that would make her no fan of Darcy Chandler’s.

  “If she’s not very good”—Jess opted not to go with sucked—“then why would she be allowed on one of the top teams in the South?” According to Jess’s minimal research, the Alabama Belles were among the most celebrated teams in the nation and were quickly becoming tops in international competitions as well.

  “Mr. Alex insisted. Ms. Darcy was not happy. She said Katrina could rehearse with the team until they found a suitable replacement. But she did not want her competing. Ms. Dresher was mad. She always went straight to Mr. Alex even though Ms. Darcy told her a couple of times that it was her studio and her decision.”

  Oh yes. That certainly put a different spin on the idea that Dresher was the last person to see Darcy Chandler alive. And that the kid who Darcy wanted off the team was the one to find her body was just flat-out suspicious.

  “What happened to the other dancer?” Jess asked. “The one Katrina replaced? Did she move away?”

  Andrea’s expression turned sad. “She was in an accident and died over the Christmas holidays. It was very sad. The team had just come back from the final international competition.”

  “What kind of accident?” Jess backtracked the DVD to watch the interchange between Alexander and Corrine again. Definitely some ugly chemistry there.

  “She was hit by a car,” Andrea explained. “It was—”

  Jess’s cell clanged. She’d taken it off vibrate after getting the call from Andrea. “Excuse me for just a sec.” She dug for her cell while Andrea paused the DVD.

  “Hey, Lori, what’s up?” Had she found something already? Jess couldn’t wait to tell her about the video.

  “Are you near a television?” Lori asked.

  Jess frowned. “What? Yes. I’m at my place.”

  “Turn it on,” Lori urged, her voice grim. “Channel Six.”

  “Hold on.” Jess hurried to the bedside table and grabbed the remote. It took a moment for the TV screen to flicker to life. Since local news was all she had time to watch, it was already set to Channel 6.

  Gina Coleman, the Magic City’s most celebrated reporter, looking as striking as ever, was sharing breaking news.

  “For those of you just tuning in, we have shocking news on the Darcy Chandler case. An insider at the Birmingham Police Department says that Ms. Chandler’s death will likely be ruled a homicide and her husband, internationally renounced dancer Alexander Mayakovsky, is the prime suspect of the investigation.”

  Oh damn. “When did this happen?”

  Jess didn’t realize she’d spoken aloud until Lori answered. “The news flash you just watched is the second one. The first aired about twenty minutes ago. Harper just called me.”

  Why hadn’t anyone called Jess?

  The beep indicating she had another call sounded in her ear. She checked the screen. Harper. “Lori, that’s Harper calling now.”

  “Brace yourself, Jess. According to Harper, the rumor is that you are the insider.”

  Me? Jess stared at the phone as the call ended and Harper’s voice came through the line.

  “Ma’am, you there?”

  “Yeah, Harper, I’m here.”

  “We have a problem. Chief Burnett is looking for you. He wants you in his office five minutes ago.”

  The events of the day whirled and attempted to coalesce in her brain. She hadn’t spoken to anyone about the Chandler case except Andrea, who now stood next to Jess staring at the television screen, and, well, Katherine Burnett maybe half an hour or so ago.

  The first aired about twenty minutes ago.

  Katherine had set her up.

  That was the only explanation. Suddenly it was almost like twenty-some years ago all over again with Katherine doing all within her power to make Jess look bad to Dan. Except this was about manipulating the BPD without making her son look bad and her son was going to be livid.

  Jess’s phone beeped again with an incoming call.

  Dan calling.

  11

  BPD, 3:00 p.m.

  “That’s all you have to say?” Dan asked the question once more despite knowing he would get the same answer.

  Good reporters never revealed their sources.

  Gina Coleman had listened to his demands quite calmly. She’d made no excuses when he’d asked to see her ASAP. Half an hour later the top celebrity in local news had arrived at his office. Dressed in a killer lavender dress and mile-high stilettos, she’d listened quietly and respectfully to his speech about the importance of preserving the integrity of an ongoing investigation.

  “I cannot divulge my source.” She shook her head, that lush mane of black hair bouncing around her slender shoulders.

  As anticipated, that was exactly what she’d said three times already.

  “You and Deputy Chief Harris have made quite a team.” If he hadn’t been so pissed off, he would have recognized the envy in that statement before he stupidly uttered it.

  The abrupt change in Gina’s expression made it worth the damage to his ego. “You think Jess Harris is my source?” She laughed. “Like I would take her word for anything after she used me to announce her fake resignation.”

  The move had been a brilliant one. Jess had wanted the Player to believe she was on her way out with the BPD. The ploy had worked. Obviously Gina was still unhappy that Jess had left her holding the bag, so to speak.

  “What you did last week,” he confessed, “contributed to saving at least two lives.” His was one of them. His side ached with the memory of the Player’s knife sliding deep and then twisting.

  “Glad I could be of service to the Birmingham PD by looking like a fool.” Gina stood. “I am glad you’re okay. Really. Even if you didn’t bother calling so I wouldn’t have to read it on my teleprompter.” She squared her shoulders, accentuating the way the dress molded to her body. “Nice to see you, Chief.”

  He stood but before he could pull together a proper way to smooth over the incident she executed an about-face and walked out of his office.

  Until about two weeks ago he and Gina had enjoyed a good relationship. A nice, mutually gratifying arrangement with no strings and no frustration.

  What the hell had happened?

  Jess.

  Every aspect of his life had been tilted out of control since her return to Birmingham.

  You needed her.

  Yeah. He had needed her. He’d called and she’d come. Then he’d made sure she had every imaginable reason to stay.

  A smart man would admit when he’d made a mistake. Dan chuckled under his breath. Maybe he just wasn’t a smart man. Because he simply couldn’t consider any aspect of Jess staying a mistake.

  Speak of the devil, she opened the door and walked in. There was no way Jess and Gina could have missed each other in the lobby. What he would give to have been a fly on the wall.

  “I don’t know what you said to Coleman”—Jess hitched her thumb toward the door—“but she’s not happy right now. She didn’t even say hello.”

  What he said to her? “Did you ponder the idea that maybe her attitude has something to do with your faux resignation last week?”

  An oh expression claimed Jess’s face; then she shrugged. “I guess some folks like holding grudges.”

  “Sit,” Dan directed.

  Her eyebrows shot up. “Excuse me?”

  “Please.” Jesus Christ. He really needed to get his frustration level under control. Personal feelings had no place in this office. “Have a seat.” He gestured to the chair Gina had vacated a couple minutes ago.

  Jess sat. The ivory skirt she wor
e slid up her thighs as she crossed her legs. She hadn’t mentioned having taken up running but he couldn’t remember her legs looking that amazing even back in high school.

  She cleared her throat.

  Dan snapped his gaze up to hers. Which didn’t help a whole hell of a lot since all that gorgeous, thick blond hair framing her face made him think of how it felt slipping over his skin when they made love.

  Resuming his own seat, he gave himself a quick mental kick in the ass. What the devil was wrong with him? He was mad as hell about this damned leak and yet he couldn’t keep his head on straight.

  “Whoever is responsible for this leak is jeopardizing the just and speedy closure of this case.”

  “Unless Ms. Coleman had getting even on her mind, she surely told you I had nothing to do with that. I’ve been a little busy with gangs and a missing young man.”

  “This leak has turned the entire investigation on its ear.” Dan intended to say his piece before letting her off the hook. “Chief Black is exploring every aspect of the Chandler case. He has found no evidence whatsoever to indicate Darcy’s death was anything other than a tragic accident. This sort of buzz in the news doesn’t help solve the case; it only hurts the family.”

  Jess folded her arms over her chest. “He’s ignoring the bruise on her leg? The one that could only have been made by the second-floor handrail as she was tossed over the side?”

  His distraction with her hair and those gorgeous legs vanished as his frustration amped back up. “Funny you mention that. Somehow my mother obtained knowledge of the ME’s preliminary examination of Chandler’s body. I can’t imagine how that happened. Though she might have mentioned having lunch with you.”

  Jess held up her hands. “Your mother invited me to lunch and I accepted. As weird as that sounds, you cannot possibly believe I shared sensitive information with her.” She scoffed or maybe coughed to prevent choking at the mere idea of sharing anything with his mother. “Whatever problems you’re having with the women in your life, Chief, have nothing to do with me.”

  He didn’t doubt her word but something was up where his mother was concerned. She’d asked about Jess and the case and suddenly there’s a leak. Chief Black had already warned him that the Chandler family was not happy with the way he was leaning but no one wanted a public scandal.