Every Move She Makes

by Jannine Gallant

  “Thanks, Curt. Good luck with your project.” Kane clicked his phone off, drove back to the sheriff’s office and headed through to Walker’s inner sanctum. “Anything new?”

  “I just got the report back from DMV. None of our suspects drives an older pickup, at least not one registered in their name.”

  “Damn. That would have made it too easy.”

  Stan Walker rubbed his bald head. “Nothing’s ever easy. I’ve got Pete nosing around to see if any of our suspects has a friend or relative with a truck that matches your description. I’ll let you know if he turns up anything.”

  “Thanks.” Kane leaned forward. “I finally reached Curt Dawson. I’m meeting him tomorrow at noon.”

  “Good. You’ll let me know how Rachel’s lunch with Olmstead goes? He’s our most likely suspect. Living three blocks away, it wouldn’t be much of a chore for him to keep tabs on her, though I don’t know why he’d drive to her house to do it.”

  “Maybe just as a precaution, in case something went wrong?”

  “He wouldn’t want to lead you straight back to his home if he had to make a hasty exit.”

  Kane nodded. “Exactly. Any word on the fingerprints the investigators pulled off Rachel’s porch?”

  “The partial on the sill wasn’t enough for a match. They’re still sorting through some of the others, but it isn’t looking good.”

  “Christ, you’d think we could catch a break. This little shit isn’t a professional. He should have left some evidence behind.”

  “It’s a pisser.” Sheriff Walker relaxed back in his chair. “Still, he’s bound to screw up.”

  “Let’s hope it’s sooner rather than later.”

  * * * *

  “That dress is a knockout!” Chandra admired Rachel from all sides. “One look at you should wring a confession from this guy.”

  “That’s what I’m hoping.” Rachel smoothed the silky fabric of her sundress.

  “You weren’t wearing that this morning.” Tim whistled. “Chandra’s right. You’re definitely hot.”

  Rachel glanced down at the plunging neckline. “Is it too much?”

  “No way.”

  Tim snorted. “If Kane lets you sit in the same room with the suspect. I bet your gorgeous cop friend is the reason you didn’t put that little number on this morning.”

  “You’re right about that.” Rachel grinned. “He has a protective streak, but I don’t mind taking a few risks if it will end this nightmare sooner.”

  Chandra gave Rachel a high-five. “You go, girl. I’d love to see this guy’s face when he gets a look at you.”

  “I can’t wait to see Kane’s.” Tim rubbed his hands together. “Let’s head on over. It’s almost noon now.”

  It was a short walk to Palm Gardens. Rachel was quiet as she held tightly to Tim’s arm.

  “Nervous?”

  “A little. I don’t believe Dennis Olmstead is my stalker, but I can’t imagine any of the others are either. This seems like a bad dream, and I keep waiting to wake up.”

  They stopped in front of the Mexican restaurant, and Tim squeezed her hand. “If Olmstead’s the one, you’ll flush him out. You’re a fighter, Rachel. Go get him.”

  She nodded. “Piece of cake. I was an actress for crying out loud. I can do this.”

  “Of course you can. I’ll be waiting to hear all the details.”

  “Thanks, Tim. Well, here goes.” With a deep breath, she pushed open the gaily-decorated wood door.

  The inside was an attractive mish-mash of bright reds and yellows with colorful piñatas hanging from the ceiling. Forcing a sunny smile, Rachel crossed to the table where Dennis waited. His hand shook as he pulled out her chair.

  “You look amazing.”

  “Thank you.”

  When a cocktail waitress appeared, Rachel ordered a margarita. Dennis followed suit. His hazel eyes glazed over when he sneaked a peek at her deep cleavage.

  At a table in the rear of the restaurant, Kane held a newspaper in front of him. A plate of untouched nachos sat on the table. His brows lowered as well as his mouth when he met her gaze. One fist crumpled the paper. Rachel forced herself to focus on what Dennis was saying.

  “You know I had nothing to do with the attack on you in Tahoe, don’t you? I would never hurt you.”

  She hoped her smile appeared genuine. “I want to believe you, Dennis. I really do.” She took a sip of her recently delivered margarita. “Up at Granite Lake I got the feeling you had a little crush on me. The fact I spent some time with Kane wouldn’t have made you lash out, would it?”

  “Of course not!” He shook his head in vehement denial as the server approached to take their lunch order. Halfway through the verbal list of specials, he interrupted. “I’ll have a couple of tacos, beef please.”

  “And for the lady?” The young man’s teeth gleamed white beneath his dark moustache.

  “A chicken burrito.” Rachel handed him the menu.

  “Let me know if there’s anything else you want, anything at all.” His warm gaze settled on her face after a quick glance down. “More salsa?”

  “We’re fine.” Dennis scowled but refrained from commenting until the man walked away. “Young punk, ogling you like that. He can’t be a day over eighteen.”

  “See what I mean. If you get angry over a waiter smiling at me, I wonder what you’d do if you saw Kane...kiss me.”

  The anger slid from his face, replaced by confusion. “Nothing. I wouldn’t do anything.” He reached across the table to lay his hand over hers. “Sure I’d be thrilled if you dumped Kane and agreed to date me, but I wouldn’t hurt you if you didn’t. I’m not crazy. You have to believe me.”

  “I think I do. Let’s not spoil our meal talking about it anymore. How’s Rex? Do you spend a lot of time with him in the summer?”

  “He’s great. I get him three nights a week, which isn’t enough in my opinion. I don’t fight with my ex about it, though. I don’t want to hurt Rex.”

  “You’re a good father. Was Rex with you last night?”

  “No, I have him on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, but I’ll get him for a week in August. I planned a trip to Disneyland. We’re both pretty excited about going.” He described the vacation in detail, not stopping until the server delivered their food.

  “Rex will love it.” Rachel took a bite of her burrito. “What do you do in the evenings when you don’t have your son?”

  “I watch a lot of movies.” His cheeks turned pink, and he glanced away to scoop lettuce back into his taco. “How about you?”

  “I play games with my girls and read when I have a chance. I like movies, too. In fact, I watched one last night.”

  Dennis’s expression didn’t change. “What do you do during the day?”

  “The bookstore keeps me pretty busy. I like to garden and run.”

  “I’m not much of a runner, but I’m a hiking enthusiast. I really enjoyed myself up at Granite Lake.”

  “The girls and I had a great time.”

  “Maybe we could hike together.”

  “That might not be such a good idea. I’m still seeing Kane.”

  Anger flashed in his eyes, but his tone was mild. “You just met the guy. Your relationship can’t be all that serious. I want you to give me a chance.”

  Maybe if I give him a little encouragement, he’ll slip up. “I’ll think about it.”

  His smile was full of hope. “That’s all I ask.”

  They finished their lunch, and Rachel declined another drink. “You go ahead.”

  “I’d better not. Alcohol goes straight to my head.”

  He reached across the table to stroke her hand. Gritting her teeth, Rachel didn’t pull away.

  “This has been great. I know if we spent more time together, we’d find we have a lot in common.”

  “We both like the outdoors. Do you garden, Dennis? I’d like to put in a little vegetable garden beh
ind my house, but I need better soil. I don’t suppose you have a pickup I could borrow to haul some dirt?”

  “No, I drive a small hatchback.” His eyes brightened. “My neighbor has a truck. He might let me borrow it to help you.”

  “Really?”

  “Sure. He just got it. It’s one of those huge ones with more power than anyone could possibly need. We’re friends, so I don’t think he’d mind loaning it to me.”

  “Maybe you could ask him about it and let me know.”

  “I’ll do that.”

  Dennis insisted on paying the bill then came around the table to pull out Rachel’s chair. As he hovered close, she forced herself to remember the stalker’s arms around her in the woods. Dennis was the right height.

  “Thank you for lunch.”

  “It was my pleasure. Can I give you a ride to the bookstore, or are you going home?”

  “I’m going back to work, but I’d rather walk. It’s a beautiful day.”

  “Not nearly as pretty as you.” His cheeks flushed, and his gaze moved from her neckline back to her face. “I’ll walk with you, if you don’t mind. I hate to see our afternoon together end.”

  Rachel nodded. Behind Dennis’s back, Kane stood and tossed a couple of bills on the table.

  Her companion kept up a rambling conversation on the short walk then bent to hug her when they stopped in front of the Book Nook. He smelled of aftershave—a little too much aftershave.

  Her assailant had smelled like sweat. If he’d worn aftershave, she hadn’t caught any hint of it.

  “I’ll let you know about using the truck as soon as I talk to my neighbor.”

  “Thank you. I’d better go.”

  “Bye, Rachel.”

  She pushed open the bookstore door, shut it and let out a breath.

  Chandra hurried around the end of the counter. “How did it go?”

  “Give me a second. Kane should be along shortly.”

  Three women approached from the rear of the store, each carrying a stack of books.

  “Shoot. I need to take care of these customers, but I want to hear every detail. Do you think Dennis Olmstead is the one?”

  “I’m not sure. Where’s Tim?”

  “He’s upstairs keeping an eye on things. We’ve been pretty busy.”

  Kane came in. Without a word, he strode straight past her. The office door hit the wall with a thud.

  Chandra’s eyes widened. “Someone’s not happy.”

  Rachel winced. “I’d better go calm him down.”

  “Good luck.”

  “Thanks. I think I’m going to need it.”

  Chapter 19

  “I can explain.”

  Kane’s gaze dropped to her exposed cleavage, but there was absolutely no hint of desire glowing in his eyes. He rubbed his temples. “This ought to be good.”

  “I thought if I gave Dennis a little...incentive, he might say something revealing.”

  “Honey, nothing would be as revealing as that dress. Jesus! Where did you get that thing?”

  Rachel perched on the edge of her desk and picked up a pen she twisted between her fingers. “It’s actually a designer original from when I was on the soap opera. Jordan Hale wore it all the time. The producers let me keep it after I quit. Since my stalker is so fixated on Jordan, I thought I could trip Dennis up if he was guilty.”

  “Did it work?”

  “He didn’t say anything about the dress, but he spent a lot of time looking at it.”

  “God, Rachel! He wasn’t looking at the dress. He was looking at what’s in it. So was every male in the restaurant!”

  Her cheeks heated. “The dress isn’t that revealing. Take a look at what women wear to the beach, for heaven’s sake.”

  “It shows enough to make a man want to see the rest of the package. I’m mad as hell and still turned on.”

  Rachel’s gaze dropped then flew up again. “That hardly counts. You’re easy.”

  He let out a deep breath. “You have a point. If I promise to quit yelling will you tell me what happened?”

  “Sure. Why don’t you have a seat and relax.” She pointed to the desk chair.

  Kane walked over and dropped into it. “It’s hard to relax when I want to forget about Olmstead and rip that dress off you.” Wincing, he shifted in the seat. “I’ll try to control myself. Tell me what your buddy had to say.”

  “He doesn’t own a pickup, but his neighbor does. He said the neighbor just got it, and he thinks he might be able to borrow it to help haul dirt for my new vegetable garden.”

  “Hot damn. It’s worth checking out. Maybe the guy bought a used truck.” Kane pulled out his cell, relayed the information to Sheriff Walker then dropped the phone on the desk. “He’s sending one of his deputies over to check it out. What else did you learn from good old Dennis?”

  “Actually, I felt kind of sorry for him. The way he looked at me made me feel like I was back in high school with the class nerd asking me to the prom. It was painful turning him down.”

  “I hope to God you did.”

  “I mentioned I was still seeing you, which definitely didn’t sit well with him. Still, he didn’t go after me with a butter knife.”

  “Our stalker may have a little more self-control. I wasn’t expecting him to confess.”

  “Maybe Dennis isn’t the stalker. I think he’s just a nice man who wants to date me. He can’t help it if he’s a geek.”

  “Do the kids still use that word?”

  “Probably not, but it fits Dennis.”

  “You won’t get an argument from me. Anything else?”

  “He was home alone last night watching a movie—or so he says. I think he was hiding something. He acted weird when he mentioned it.”

  “Weird how?”

  Rachel shrugged. “I don’t know, sort of nervous or embarrassed. He wouldn’t meet my gaze.”

  “That’s interesting.” Kane stared at her with a thoughtful look. “If his neighbor owns a dark-colored pickup, it’ll be even more so. Is that all he had to say?”

  She nodded. “I’d better change. “Debra Hensley will drop Ivy off shortly.”

  Standing, he pulled Rachel into his arms. “You can change but not before I get at least one kiss while you’re wearing that dress.”

  She looped her arms around his neck. “Jordan Hale kissed a lot of men while wearing this dress.”

  “Has Rachel Carpenter?”

  Her hair swayed around her face as she shook her head. “Not a single one.”

  “Good.” He covered her mouth with his.

  She was breathless when he released her.

  “Go ahead and change. I’ll wait outside.”

  “Was that payback?”

  “For what?”

  “Getting you all hot and bothered before.”

  Kane grinned. “I like the idea, but it backfired. I’m going to have to cool off in the darkest corner of the bookstore.”

  She laughed. “Tell Chandra I’ll be out in a minute if she needs any help, and give her an update if she’s not busy.”

  “Will do.”

  Rachel changed into the walking shorts and short-sleeved blouse she’d been wearing earlier then took a moment to run a brush through her hair. Studying herself in the mirror on the back of the office door, she decided she looked about as seductive as an old slipper.

  Kane ought to be happy about that. Leaving the office, she headed toward the front of the shop where Kane stood talking to Chandra and Tim.

  The front door burst open with a jangle of bells as Ivy and her friend entered.

  “Mom, some man wanted me to get in his truck, but I didn’t do it.” Her daughter gulped for breath. “I ran away just like you taught me.” Her hand shook when she flipped her ponytail over her shoulder.

  “Oh, my God!” Rachel’s throat closed. She dropped to her knees in front of Ivy and pulled her into her arms for a long hug. “T
ell me what happened.”

  Debra Hensley shut the door and gave Rachel a trembling smile. “A man in a pickup approached the girls outside the library. We stopped on the way here to find a book for Melissa. While I was checking it out, the girls waited on the sidewalk. I could see them through the window. I swear they weren’t out of my sight for a minute.”

  “I’m sure they weren’t.” Rachel eased to her feet and laid a hand on the distraught woman’s arm.

  “This truck pulled up, and the man in it said he was supposed to drive me to the bookstore.” Ivy’s eyes were wide. “He said you were hurt, and I was supposed to come with him. But I didn’t know him, so I grabbed Melissa and ran back into the library. You aren’t hurt, are you?”

  “No, I’m not hurt. You did exactly the right thing.” She glanced at Kane who was already on the phone. “How long ago did this happen, Debra?”

  “Only a few minutes. I hurried the girls straight out to the car and called 9-1-1 while I was driving. Since it’s only a couple of blocks, I didn’t feel comfortable staying at the library with Ivy when you were so close. They’re sending someone.”

  “I have Sheriff Walker on the line.” Kane turned toward the two girls. “I need a description of the pickup.”

  “It was dark green.” Ivy’s eyes brightened. “One fender was grayish.”

  “Two doors or four?”

  “Two.” Both girls answered at the same time.

  “Did it look new or old?”

  “Old. There were dents on it and some rust.”

  “Do you know what kind of truck it was?”

  When the girls shrugged, he looked to Debra.

  “I couldn’t tell. I just saw the back end as it pulled away, and I’m afraid I didn’t see the license plate.”

  Kane relayed the information to the sheriff and hung up. “He’s putting the description out now and will be right over.” He squatted next to Ivy and Melissa. “I want you girls to tell me what this man looked like.”

  Ivy wrinkled her nose. “He just rolled the window down a little way, and it was kind of dark in the truck.”

  Melissa shook her head. “You couldn’t see through the windows at all.”

  “They were tinted?”