Mark sighed. He never should’ve asked to ride along. “You make it sound like I’m ancient. I’m only thirty-two, and I didn’t lie to Nicole.”
“Sounded like it to me.”
“Will you let it go?”
“Can’t.” He shifted and looked Mark in the eye. “Look, I don’t care how you pick up on women, but don’t lie about your qualifications to do it.”
Mark ground his teeth. Keeping his past quiet wasn’t worth this. “I said I didn’t lie to her. I’m a detective in Portland. I’ve been on the force for ten years.”
A slow grin spread across Spencer’s face. “Now that wasn’t so hard was it?”
“Huh?”
Spencer opened the door. “I already knew about Portland. But I wanted you to tell me. Sorry about having to use the woman to get you to confess.”
“You baited me!” He reached for the door then hesitated. “So you don’t believe Nicole is guilty?”
“It crossed my mind for about a second. But she doesn’t fit the profile. She hasn’t been here long enough to be our suspect.”
Mark’s shoulders relaxed, and a slow grin worked its way across his face as he shook his head. Part of him wanted to laugh, while another part of him wanted to give the guy a piece of his mind.
“Sorry about your partner by the way. I saw your file opened on the Chief’s desk. I know I shouldn’t have read it but couldn’t help myself.”
Mark’s grin faded. He hopped out and crossed his arms. “You knew this whole time?” Annoyance mingled with anger toward the Chief. The man should’ve been more careful with his private information. “Who else knows?”
“Only me. I made sure to close the file.” He cleared his throat. “Figured you wouldn’t be able to resist this case. I hadn’t counted on needing the help of your friend to get you involved though.” He moved toward the station.
Mark ran around the car and followed. “Was this some kind of set up?”
“In a way. I thought you’d be an asset.”
Mark shook his head, barely able to believe what he was hearing. He didn’t know whether he should respect this guy for his ability to get to the truth or should be annoyed with him for being nosy and coercive. “So all this time you’ve been manipulating me to do exactly what you wanted.”
“Pretty much.” Spencer chuckled. “You had me worried. I was beginning to think you were going to turn in your badge at the end of the summer, but there’s hope for you.” He tossed the words over his shoulder. “I want your report on my desk within the hour. I think we’re close. They messed up this time by hitting an occupied house.”
“Yeah. Either that or they’re getting braver.” What if they started burglarizing houses regardless of occupancy? Mark sat at his assigned computer and got busy. Why had Nicole’s house been hit when it was surrounded by vacant houses? His head jerked up. Why hadn’t he thought to check that? Had they been robbed also?
Chapter Eight
From her driveway, Nicole made a quick call to Connor, then tossed her suitcase into the car and peeled out of the street. No way would she stay there another night. Her only regret was leaving all the books she hadn’t had time to read—plus there was still the good book clue she hadn’t figured out. But it couldn’t be helped. Grams wouldn’t want her in danger.
She carefully navigated the road leading to the rental company. Maybe this was a sign that she should go home. She followed the curve of the road and then slammed on her brakes. A deer stood in the middle of the street. Lazily moving its gaze from her car, it meandered toward the side of the road edged by pine trees. Deer in Sunriver acted as if they lived in a zoo with no cares.
When Bambi had safely made it into the trees, Nicole pressed on the gas. What had the thieves been after? Mark and the other officer seemed unfazed by the whole thing. Probably been-there-done-that so many times a few missing TV’s were no big deal. Well, it was to her.
She pulled up to the property management company and parked. Squaring her shoulders, she got out then marched inside. A man stood behind the counter in the sparsely furnished room. She rested her elbows on the counter. “Hi, I’d like to change houses.”
“Is there a problem with the one you’re renting?”
“Yes!” Her voice trembled. “I called a little while ago about a break in. I can’t stay there anymore.” She shivered.
The man ran his finger around the inside of his collar, and his face reddened. “Excuse me one minute please.” He darted behind a cubicle wall.
Nicole heard whispering and walked toward the front plate glass window. Hopefully it wouldn’t take too long to sort this out.
“Miss Davis.” The man stood at the computer behind the counter and raised a brow. “I apologize for your experience.” He cleared his throat. “However, you are staying in the home as a guest of the owner.”
“What does that mean? I thought my Grandmother paid for the rent.” She didn’t know any homeowners in Sunriver. There had to be a mistake, unless Grams had a friend here.
“It means the owner is allowing you to stay for free this summer. If you’d like to switch houses I can arrange that, but there will be a rental fee.”
Nicole sighed and her shoulders slumped. No way could she afford to rent here all summer. “That won’t work. I’ll check out and go home.”
“But you can’t!” Wide eyed, he wrung his hands. “Please, Miss Davis. Give Sunriver another chance.”
“Not in that house. It’s not safe.”
“Begging your pardon, but any house can be burglarized. Besides, the chances of further trouble are slim. I’m sure you will be perfectly safe in the home provided you.”
“I’d prefer to check out.”
A woman stepped from behind the partition. She bit her lip and then seemed to make a decision. “Miss Davis, I was to only give this to you in case of an emergency, and I suppose this qualifies.” She handed Nicole a small white envelope.
“Oh.”
“Please read it before you do anything hasty.”
Nicole nodded and ambled back to her car.
“Dear Nicole, if you are reading this, then I’ve failed. Please reconsider staying. Planning this adventure for you gave me such joy, and I believe if you stick it out you will understand the importance of spending the summer in a place meant for fun and adventure. Please give an old woman one last request and stay.
I happen to know the owner very well, and she requested that you allow an interior designer to update the master bedroom and en suite. The owner trusts your judgment and wants you to make it the way you would want it.
Love, Grams
P.S. Have you found a good book on the bookshelf yet? Open it and enjoy.”
There it was again. If she left the house, it would be impossible to finish the game. She owed it to Grams to finish, but what kind of person allowed a stranger to redecorate their rental? This was nuts! Her grandmother had done some crazy things before, but this topped everything.
The woman from the management company came outside and waved at her. “Miss Davis, I have something else for you.” She approached Nicole’s car and handed her a business card. “This is the company you are supposed to contact about the makeover. The owner has set a pre-paid budget.”
Nicole took the card. “Belafonte and Son’s Construction and Design.” She looked at the woman. “You do realize this is crazy?”
She chuckled. “It is unusual, but enjoy it. An opportunity like this one is once in a lifetime.”
“No kidding. So this is all legit? There isn’t a hidden cameraman somewhere waiting to tell me I’ve been tricked?”
“I assure you. This is all on the up and up. Enjoy yourself and try to forget about what happened.”
“Easy for you to say. You don’t have a knot on the back of your head from the creep who broke into my rental.” She sighed. “Okay. I’ll stay, but I want new locks installed.”
“Actually, maintenance is working on that as we speak.” She handed he
r a new key. “If you will give them a couple of hours your place will be right as new by the time you return.”
“Really?”
She nodded and grinned wide before turning toward the building.
“Thank you,” Nicole called out as she set the letter on the passenger seat. “Grams, you have no idea what you’re asking me to do.” What about the burglars? What if they came back? Even though the chances of them returning weren’t good, it still made her nervous. And the ache in the back of her head was a constant reminder of what they were capable of.
She closed her eyes, remembering the happy times her family had here when she was a young child before everything changed. Being in Sunriver felt right—at least until this afternoon. If she could get that feeling back, then this was where she wanted to be. She headed to the village since her rental was being worked on. She probably should’ve gone to the river, but Connor would only bombard her with questions she wasn’t up to answering.
She needed to call the design company too. At least she had the book she’d purchased earlier and could lose herself in the story. Reading for pleasure had not been a priority for a very long time. In fact, taking time for any kind of pleasure had taken a backseat to life over the past several years. Between caring for Grams, finishing her Master’s degree, and her first year of teaching, fun had become obsolete.
Nicole parked then snatched up her purse and book and tucked the business card inside to use as a bookmark. She got out, went into Brewed Awakenings, and purchased an iced coffee. Now where to sit? Outside was far more tempting. She found an open table and sat. The business card poked out the top of the book.
“This had better not be a joke,” she murmured as she pressed in the phone number.
“Belafonte and Son’s Construction and Design. This is Bailey.”
“Hi. My name is Nicole Davis. I was given your business card and told to call about a master bedroom and bath job.”
“It’s nice to finally put a voice with the name. We’ve been expecting your call. Would it work for you if Mrs. Belafonte and I come over to your home tomorrow to see the space?”
Nicole let out the breath she’d been holding. In spite of everything, she’d been half-afraid this was a horrible joke. “Tomorrow will be fine.” They set a time and Nicole stuffed her phone into her purse. A tingle of excitement zipped through her in spite of everything.
She pulled out the thriller she’d heard great things about and tuned out the world around her. With care, she flipped to the first page while teetering on the edge of excitement in anticipation of the story. There was nothing like getting lost in a world of fiction.
Before long, she leaned back and stretched her legs forward, barely aware of the activity around her as tourists and locals strolled through the village. She reached for her coffee and was again reminded how much she liked this place. The book held her captive, and she flipped page after page.
“This is a surprise.”
Nicole startled and looked up. “Hi, Mark.” She moved her legs. “Want to sit?” He was out of uniform. Must’ve had a short day. She glanced at her watch and did a double take. She looked to her right. Long shadows shaded the plaza, and the air had cooled.
“Have you been here all afternoon?” He eased down into the chair beside her and crossed his ankle over his knee.
“Apparently.” Where had the time gone? No wonder her back and tailbone hurt.
He shifted to face her. “I saw Connor out at the river.”
“How was he? I hope he wasn’t upset with me.”
“He seemed as happy as any boy would be when the fish aren’t biting.” He shot her a grin. “He asked about you.”
“Yeah. I probably should’ve kept my promise to him. It would have been a lot more comfortable sitting on the bank of the river, but I knew he’d have questions, and honestly I couldn’t deal with that today.”
He nodded. “I don’t think he’ll bother you too much. I told him as much as I could and that seemed like enough. He said if I saw you to tell you thanks.”
“For what?”
“He said you’d know.”
She shrugged. “I have no idea. I bought him an ice cream cone earlier. Maybe that was it.”
“Maybe, but I think it had more to do with you taking an interest in spending time with him. I could tell he appreciated it.”
His words eased her mind. “Thanks. Sarah is really concerned about him, and I wanted to do something to help. I wish it’d been more, but I guess the summer has just started, so there’s time.”
“There is at that. Where did they move you to?”
She rolled her eyes. “Nowhere. Can you believe the owner is gifting the place to me? I’d have to pay rent for another house or go home. A letter from Grams convinced me to stay. Plus, I had an interesting project drop in my lap.” She told him about the room makeover.
“That’s different. I’m glad you’ll have something to distract you. I know what happened today really shook you up.” He paused, looking at her, his brown eyes probing. “How’re you doing?”
“Fine.” She shifted, avoiding his gaze. She liked Mark, but he unnerved her at times. Like he could read her mind or something.
“Really? Most people don’t sit in the village for half a day to read a book. You sure there’s nothing you want to talk about?”
She sighed and set the novel aside. “I’m afraid to go back to the house.” There. She’d said it. Truth was, when the woman at the property management office told her not to go back for a couple of hours it was a relief. Although staying away the entire afternoon had not been the plan.
He nodded. “I thought as much. I could check the place out before you go inside.”
She blinked and nodded quickly. “Yes. I’d like that very much. How about I grab a couple of steaks from the grocery store and make us dinner? Unless you’re a vegetarian. Then I could whip up eggplant parmesan or whatever you’d like.” Oh please say you’ll stay. She did not want to be alone in that house.
“Sounds great. I’m a steak kind of man. I’d actually stopped in the village on my way home from work to pick up groceries then noticed you on my way out.” He held up a cloth shopping bag. “I can meet you at your place in say--thirty minutes. Will that give you enough time to shop?”
“Sounds about right.” She bit her bottom lip. Could she stretch her shopping, so she didn’t beat him to the house?
“All right then. Wait for me in the driveway.” He strode toward the parking lot without looking back.
Nicole stood and tucked the book inside her purse before heading across the patio and inside the grocery store. The store was a mass of bodies and carts. She pushed a small cart along an aisle, tossing things in that she needed, then headed to the meat section and picked out two T-bone steaks. She wheeled her way through the throng of people to the produce section where fresh vegetables in various colors tempted her—she loved veggies. Salad and baked potatoes—sudden hunger made her mouth water at the thought. Ice cream finished off the list. Loaded with several bags she trudged to her car. Warm air whooshed out and smacked her in the face as she slid in.
She’d invited Mark for dinner. She already regretted the invitation. She wasn’t exactly the greatest hostess. Her ex-boyfriend had made it abundantly clear he thought her inept in the relationship department. But Mark was only being nice—there was nothing between them, so no need to stress in that area.
A short time later, she pulled to a stop in her driveway and rested her hands on the steering wheel as she stared at the house. Tingles zipped through her body as her heart raced. She wiped her damp palms on her shorts. Could she really go inside after what had happened?
The house looked peaceful with no sign of the break in. It was funny how things could appear normal, when reality was so different. Glancing at her watch, then the rearview mirror, she scanned the street. Mark would be here any minute. Maybe it’d be okay to go inside. Sooner or later she’d need to be able to come and go on
her own. There wouldn’t always be a knight in shining armor to protect her. Besides it was still warm enough out that the ice cream would turn to soup if she waited out here too much longer. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I can do this.” If she was going to continue living here, she had to be brave and face her fear head on. A sound coming from the deck made her jump.
Mark snagged the cell phone off the kitchen counter on the third ring. “Hey, Spencer.” He scooped dog food into Sadie’s bowl and set it on the kitchen floor.
“Glad I caught you. I might have a lead in the case. You want to meet me at the station?”
Mark rubbed the back of his neck. He was due at Nicole’s in ten minutes. “Okay, but it’ll have to be quick. Can you fill me in now?”
“Nope. This you gotta see.”
With her food dish now empty, Sadie stood at the back door waiting to be let out. Mark slid the door open and she bounded off the deck. He’d meet up with her in front. He grabbed his keys and hustled to his car with the phone still pressed to his ear. “I can stop, but I’m in a hurry, so it’ll have to be quick.” In reality, he didn’t have any time to spare. Hopefully this would be worth the delay.
Sadie rounded the corner to the house and hopped into the car when he opened the door. The station was out of his way, but if this would help put the people who hurt Nicole behind bars then a few extra minutes were worth it.
“What’s the rush?”
Mark explained his plans for the evening.
Spencer chuckled. “Man you sure don’t waste time.”
“Let it go. It’s not what you think. She’s scared, and I’m trying to help her feel better.”
“You do that for all the victims in the cases you work?”
“No.” He’d connected with Nicole outside the case and considered them friends or at the very least acquaintances.
“You have a smart phone?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay. I’ll send you what I have. That way you won’t have to come here. Let me know what you think.”
A Love to Treasure (Sunriver Dreams Book 1) Page 6
