Jonah shrugged.
Derek cringed. Jonah had been caught in an obvious lie. What the hell would happen to him if Jonah got his stupid self arrested?
Agent Wayburn wandered over to the desk while Agent Jackson kept Jonah effectively pinned to the sofa.
"We just talked to her. She said you told her you and Derek were friends," Jackson said.
Jonah nodded.
Agent Wayburn pointed at Belinda's driver's license pinned to the bulletin board above the desk. "What's this?"
"My friend dropped it when she was here earlier."
"Your friend?" Agent Jackson said accusingly. "Like Derek Devoe was your friend, non-friend?"
Jonah squeezed out from the trap at the sofa, squirming by Jackson, and moved to the desk. "I put it there so I could remember to give it back to her."
Agent Jackson strolled closer to the kitchen and came face-to-face with Derek. Derek held still, as if any movement by him could be detected. Apparently the special agent didn't have the third eye because he had no reaction staring into the eyes of a ghost.
"Are you alone here?" Agent Jackson asked.
"Uhumm." Jonah began chewing the fingernails on his right hand.
Agent Wayburn poked through the items on the desk. When Wayburn touched Derek's class ring, Jonah chewed so hard at his nails, Derek was afraid he'd draw blood.
"You were also acquainted with the other Slicer victims," Jackson said.
"Uhumm." Jonah spit out a nail.
"Tell 'em everybody pretty much knows everybody in this town," Derek shouted, making Jonah jump a foot. Christ. He was only making Jonah's body language worse. Who'da thought that was possible?
"I see you're interested in serial killers," Wayburn said as he examined the articles on the bulletin board.
"My parents were murdered by one," Jonah pointed out.
"As far as we can tell you're in the clear on that one," Wayburn picked up the ornament glowing with Derek's spirit. "But as far as the recent murders..."
"I haven't done anything wrong," Jonah said in a strong voice and grabbed the witch ball out of Wayburn's hands. "I want you both out of my house."
Derek wanted to yell bravo. The guy was finally standing up to these dick cops.
"We'll go," Jackson said, starting for the door. "For now."
Once the two GBI agents left, Derek fully emerged from the kitchen. "Man, it looks like you're a suspect. Still not going to help find out who killed me?"
"Uggggh," Jonah groaned and dropped down to sit on the sofa. "You were at a party right before you were killed. Do you remember anything about it?"
"I remember dancing and drinking." A flash of hazy memory consisted of a white guy passed out in a wing back chair as Derek held a blonde girl, slow dancing. His dance partner pulled back and smiled at him. "Jessica Bundy. I was dancing with Jessica. She might be able to tell us something."
Jonah was already shaking his head. Damn, the dude still didn't want to help?
"She can't tell us anything," Jonah insisted. "Because she's dead."
"Damn." Derek dropped down into a sitting position on the sofa beside Jonah. "How?"
"Freak car accident."
"What do we do now?" Derek asked.
"I'll tell you what we don't do," said Jonah. "We don't tell my grandma anything about this. I don't want to worry her."
Grandma floated in from the bedroom, followed by Sir Fluffybottom. "Did someone mention my name?"
* * * * *
Waiting outside the diner for Belinda's shift to end rather than going inside and facing Kerilynn's scrutiny had seemed like a good idea, but as the seconds clicked away into minutes, Jonah’s mouth got dryer and his palms moist.
He adjusted the backpack across his shoulder, rubbed his hands on his jeans and then searched the pocket for a roll of breath mints.
Derek popped in at his side. "Just stay cool, man,"
Jonah grunted and then popped a mint in his mouth. "Maybe we should just go. I could call her from the cottage and say I'm sick."
"Don't wuss out." Derek continued, "I been on lots of dates and the ladies never complained. I'll get you through this."
"Thanks," Jonah said, but he doubted even someone as smooth as Derek could stop him from making a fool of himself with Belinda.
"You do know how to kiss, right?" Derek asked.
"Aghhhhh." Jonah sucked harder on the mint and rolled his eyes heavenward.
"Is that a yes?"
"No."
Belinda emerged from the alley, wearing a sleeveless, yellow cotton sundress with an enticingly short skirt. "No to what? You don't like my dress?"
"No.... I mean yes," Jonah forced out.
"Compliment her," Derek urged. "Chicks love that."
Jonah searched his mind for something to say. He focused on Belinda's mouth. "You have pretty teeth."
“Dumbass!" Derek groaned. "Smile, not teeth."
"Smile," Jonah corrected. "A pretty smile."
"Thank you." Belinda chuckled, grabbed his hand and tugged him forward. "Let's go before Rocco tries to get me to work another shift."
As they walked hand-in-hand down the sidewalk, old Mrs. Cranston paused in sweeping the sidewalk outside her gift shop and stared at them, goggle-eyed. Jonah didn't blame her; he felt goggle-eyed. His entire body simmered as if he were bacon in a fry pan.
Jonah laughed.
Belinda glanced sideways at him. "What's funny?"
He inclined his head toward Mrs. Cranston. "We're shocking the natives."
"Good," Belinda said with a satisfied smile. "What movie are we seeing?"
Ambrosia only had one theater and it specialized in Classics. "The Concord's showing Titanic."
Not his favorite film. And he didn't know how he would get through the love scene without squirming completely out of his seat, but still the imposed silence of a film seemed like a better choice than trying to carry on a conversation.
"Ugh," Belinda said. "Let’s not go see that. I always have to rewrite the end in my head."
"Huh?"
"In my version Rose pulled Jack up onto the iceberg with her. There was totally enough room for him too."
"It was a piece of wood, not an iceberg, and the wood wasn’t stable enough. Jack didn't want to risk...to risk…” Jonah stammered out.
"I don't care," Belinda interrupted. "I wouldn't let my man die if I had a chance to save him. That's just not love."
"I'm with her," Derek said. "What kinda romance is it when the dude ends up frozen from the waist down?"
By that time they'd reached the front of the theater.
"I'd rather come back and see that one," Belinda said, pointing to the poster advertising Casablanca starting the next week. "Of course in my version there's a sequel where Rick and Ilsa get together after Rick wins WWII."
Derek laughed. "She's so funny."
Jonah smirked. Belinda enchanted him. He wanted this afternoon to never end. But if they weren't going to the movie, then what?
Seeming to read his mind, Derek said, "Suggest the Sugar Shack."
Jonah nodded. "How about an ice cream?"
"Good idea," Belinda said enthusiastically.
Rhonda Sue, at the counter, almost swallowed her chewing gum when Jonah ordered for both himself and Belinda.
"You two together?" Rhonda Sue asked.
"Yes," Jonah said.
Rhonda Sue came back with "Really?"
"You rude much?" Belinda responded. "Yes. Really."
They took their cones and headed toward the park, Belinda remarking she wanted to enjoy the outdoors for as long as she could before going back to work.
"I'm just gonna hang back. You're doin' okay on your own," Derek said. "Besides, it's not so fun when I can't taste the ice cream."
Jonah gave a surreptitious nod as Belinda took a lick at the top scoop.
At the park, Belinda strolled over to an empty bench near the fountain with the marble egret and plopped down. Jonah sat at the
end but couldn't suppress a pleased smile when she slid closer to him on the bench.
"So. You're a chocolate guy." Belinda pointed at his cone.
"Can't beat a classic," Jonah quipped back, then pointed to her cone. "So. You're a pistachio girl."
"I like to take chances."
Jonah heard Derek snicker from behind the bushes.
The two of them sat, casting intermittent smiles at each other between long licks on their cones. The sun seemed extra shiny and the ice cream extra sweet today.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve hung out,” Belinda said. “Tell me something about you that I don’t already know.”
“Oh my God,” Derek said, rising to hover over the bushes. “Where to begin? How about all the ghosts he has—”
“Would you knock it off?” Jonah burst out.
Belinda jerked back. “What?”
“Not you,” he hurried to say. “There’s a…a…fly bothering me.”
Belinda smiled. “Okay. So something about you?”
“Not much to tell.” Jonah stared into his cone as he grumbled the reply.
“What about your grandparents? What were they like?”
Jonah thought a moment before answering. “My grandmother is—was—bubbly and outgoing, and my grandfather was just the opposite. He hardly ever spoke more than two words together.”
“Did they love each other?”
“Oh yeah. Totally. But my grandfather could never say the word love. He’d always just say nifty instead.”
“Like, ‘I nifty you?’”
“No. Just…you’re nifty.”
Belinda laughed and then took a long lick on her cone. “That’s cute.”
Jonah stared at Belinda's tongue as it took a preemptive swipe to prevent a drip. As she swallowed, her eyes went to his mouth.
Derek popped up from the bush and shouted, "Make a move. She wants you to kiss her."
Not likely, Jonah thought. Trying not to choke, he took another mouthful of ice cream.
"How about a taste of the chocolate?" Belinda asked.
See, he wanted to say to Derek. She just wants the ice cream.
Nodding, Jonah offered his cone. Belinda leaned forward. But instead of the cone, she pressed her mouth to his. Pistachio merged with chocolate as her lips moved on his. Confusion and then pleasure of almost brain-freeze-intensity zapped him.
"Come on," Derek shouted from his bush. "Don't just take. Give a little too."
Easy. He wanted to devour her. The hard part would be not scaring her off.
Jonah dropped his cone, placed his palms against her cheeks as he returned Belinda's kiss, meeting movement for movement.
The clock tower sounded and Belinda jumped back, ending the kiss.
"Uh oh," she said, placing two fingers against her lips. "It's getting so late."
"And you have to work tonight." Jonah tried not to show his disappointment.
"Let's continue our date tomorrow night at seven." Belinda put a hand on his arm and gave it a squeeze. "Come by my house. I'll cook you dinner."
Jonah grinned. “Okay, Bunny.”
“No.” Belinda shoved a hand against his chest. “Not that stupid nickname.”
After popping up behind Belinda, Derek pointed toward the street. "Shit. Here comes the po-po."
The two agents who'd questioned Jonah earlier strode toward them from a blue sedan parked at the curb.
"Belinda Cruz?" Special Agent Frank Jackson called out.
"Who's that?" Belinda whispered, tossing her cone into a nearby waste can."
"They're GBI," Jonah muttered.
"How do you know?" Belinda asked.
He just shrugged as he reluctantly stood beside her.
The agents reached them. Jackson held out his ID as Wayburn pinned Jonah with a glare.
"We need to ask you some questions in the Slicer investigation, Miss Cruz," Jackson said.
"I have to get back to work. Besides, I don't know anything."
"You'd be surprised what you know," Wayburn said never taking his eyes off Jonah.
"We'll drive you to the diner, so you aren’t late,” Jackson offered.
The next thing Jonah knew, Belinda was hustled off to the blue sedan with an agent on either side of her.
Derek appeared beside him. "That sucks. Kinda takes the fun out of your first kiss."
Chapter Five
The next morning practically the entire town turned out for Jessica Bundy's funeral. Most were just looky-loos who wanted to be in on a "social event." A few actually dabbed a tear. Only one seemed grief stricken: Jessica's father and town mayor, Cecil Bundy. He stood perched beside the grave, almost as if he wanted to jump in with his daughter. He didn't cry, but his face had the ravaged lines of a man drained. With his wife—Jessica’s mother—long dead, the poor man had no one now.
As usual, Jonah waited to the side at a respectful distance, underneath a tree with shovel in hand.
He spotted Belinda and Kerilynn among the mourners. Belinda seemed to sense his gaze, because she glanced over her shoulder. She gave a wan smile and turned back to the proceedings.
Continuing to scan the crowd, Jonah's eyes found Special Agent Frank Jackson lurking near the entrance gate. When the two caught eyes, the agent gave a sly smile and Jonah jerked his gaze away.
The pastor, the tall, charismatic head of the local evangelical congregation, began to read the Lord's Prayer as most of the attendees recited the words along with him.
As one mourner popped a stick of gum in her mouth and dropped the wrapper on the ground, Jonah shook his head. With all the littering and trampling of plants this crowd was doing, the clean-up would eat into the murder investigation time he'd planned.
Derek appeared on the other side of the tree but twisted around to come face-to-face with Jonah. "This is just depressing. Was my funeral this bad?"
"Worse," Jonah said. "Just concentrate on remembering something. You wanted to be here to try to jog your memory, didn’t you?"
Glancing beyond the ghost, Jonah saw Belinda staring at him over her shoulder, her brows furrowed in confusion and a frown on her face. Standing beside Belinda, Kerilynn glanced back to follow the gaze of her friend. When she saw him, Kerilynn scowled, leaned toward Belinda and whispered something.
"Great," Jonah muttered. "Now see what you've done."
"Shut up, idiot," Derek said. "You're making it worse. The GBI guy is staring at you."
* * * * *
Kerilynn leaned in and whispered in Belinda's ear. "I told you that boy was as strange as a June bug in a water glass.”
Belinda might have thought it was odd for Jonah to be talking to himself, but Kerilynn's comment still made her fume. "Shhh," Belinda hissed back.
Waving away her shush, Kerilynn continued. “No wonder the GBI wanted to talk to you about him.”
“I told you, they just asked a bunch of questions about when and where I’d seen him. They don’t have anything on him. He’s innocent,” Belinda insisted.
Kerilynn snorted. “He’s about as innocent as a five buck prostitute.”
Belinda determinedly directed her attention to the pastor.
"...Jessica Bundy was taken too soon. But God never tests us with more than we can stand and so our faith will sustain us through these trying times."
Several people murmured, "Praise Jesus."
"Does anyone wish to say a few words about Jessica?" the pastor asked.
Austin Lawrence raised his hand. When pastor waved him forward, Austin wound through the crowd, staggering a bit at the edge of the grave.
"Good God almighty. He's drunk," Kerilynn whispered.
Belinda had probably seen Austin a grand total of five times since she moved back to Ambrosia and he'd been drunk or hung over every time. But still it was a shock that he would attend a funeral in this condition.
"Jessica was amazing," Austin said, slurring the z. "Not only did she have one sexy rockin' womanly bod but she could party like a
dude. Just the night before she died—”
Somebody reached out and grabbed Austin. "Okay," he said as he sank back into the crowd. "That's it. Carry on."
Out of the corner of her eye, Belinda caught sight of a movement and she glanced over and saw Jonah intensely talking to a tree trunk.
* * * * *
A hazy memory flashed through Derek: Austin Lawrence swaying, bleary eyed, with the party crowd around them and the base of Flor Rida's Low throbbing in the background.
"Go for it, man," Austin said, nodding toward Jessica who sat on a nearby sofa. "I'm too wasted to move.
As fast as it came, the memory slipped away and Derek was back in the cemetery.
"He'll know something," Derek said to Jonah.
"What?" Jonah asked.
"Austin Lawrence was at the party the night I died. You gotta ask him about it."
Jonah shook his head. "Bad idea. Austin really doesn't like me, I mean, really doesn't like me."
Just then the funeral service ended with the shout of "Amen." As the people disbursed, Belinda turned and walked in their direction as Kerilynn watched, glaring.
Shit. Belinda eyed Jonah almost as suspiciously as her waitress friend.
"Uh oh. Your lady's coming this way," Derek warned. "Better shush it. You don't want to look cray cray."
"Ugh," Jonah groaned. "Too late."
Yeah, Derek thought. For Jonah, the crazy ship had not only sailed but it had returned after an around the world voyage.
"Hi," Belinda said, her gaze glancing around as if to see if someone was behind the tree and then she glanced back at Jonah quizzically.
"Oh...I...uh...I was talking to the plants and trees to help them grow. It's a caretaker thing," Jonah explained in answer to her unspoken question.
Belinda smiled and nodded. "I've heard that."
"Good save, buddy," Derek whispered.
"Listen," Belinda said with a frown. "I'm not going to be able to make dinner tonight."
Damn.
Jonah's devastation flowed out of him like a river running over its banks and then encompassed Derek. Derek had never shaken a woman in life, but this Belinda chick was testing his restraint in death. Didn't she know Jonah was fragile? How much it had cost him to be brave enough to ask her out in the first place? Jonah had almost buried himself with all of his dead friends and she just added another shovel full of dirt to the grave.
Caught Dead Page 6
