Carter: All part of the plan, baby. Now I definitely have a reason to see you tomorrow.
Diana smiled broadly as she made her way to the living room and turned on the television. She felt downright giddy, and a little guilty. A tiny part of her felt like she was being dishonest to Donnie, while the logical part knew he wouldn’t want her to be miserable for the rest of her life. Once they figured out if there was anything foul surrounding Donnie’s death, she could put it all to rest and get on with life. Having Carter to work on it with was definitely an added perk. Carter’s kisses had her all stirred up; it was going to be awhile before she could sleep.
***
As predicted, it was well past midnight before Diana finally passed out. She kept thinking about Donnie going into that house, thinking a child was hurt, and someone he knew and trusted had set him up. When she finally did slip into an aggravated sleep, dark shadows infiltrated her dreams, making the rest she got fitful at best. Jackson texted to say he would be gone most of the day, so she settled into doing a little cleaning and organizing. Being Saturday, it meant she was working that night. Hopefully Carter would come by during the day, so they could avoid the inevitable conversation about why she was not available on Saturday nights.
The phone rang at about noon. She jumped up and grabbed it with a breathless, “Hello?”
“You running a marathon today or what?” Cyndi Mills greeted her with a chuckle.
“Or what. You know I don’t run anywhere.”
“What’s got you all out of breath then, my friend? Wait. Are you alone? You are alone, aren’t you?”
“If I weren’t, do you really think I would have answered the phone?”
“No, I guess not. I suppose that’s what I need to talk to you about, anyway.”
“What?” Diana asked.
“Jason says the guys are saying you’ve been spending a lot of time with Carter Ryan.”
“How would the guys know how much time I’ve been spending with him?”
“Come on, Di, you know guys talk. The precinct is like a big high school locker room. Everyone’s gotta compare sizes and conquests.”
“What the hell, Cyndi? I’m not a conquest.”
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”
“What exactly did you mean then?”
“Well—”
“Look, I told you we met at the cemetery. He’s nice, and he checks in on me. Not for nothing, but most of the guys have forgotten Jackson and I even exist. Not that I need anyone to worry, but it would be nice if some of those guys my husband spent so much time with still cared a little. I let them have the best part of my husband for twenty years.” She fought back the tears, but they were stubborn and began to pour down her face.
“Diana, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“Look, was there a reason for this call?”
“I wanted to let you know that Jason says he’s got a bit of a reputation for being a play boy. The ladies like him, you know?”
“Not all reputations are based in fact. People say Jason is an end-of-the-world-obsessed freak, but that doesn’t make it true, now does it?”
“Harsh, Di.”
She sighed. “I know. I’m just already so conflicted about everything. You know I loved Donnie, every second of every day, but I sort of like the way Carter makes me feel. Okay, I like it a lot. It’s like I have woken up from some deep sleep. If he is such a bad guy, why didn’t you say anything the other night when I told you all about him? Y’all gushed about how hot he is, but no one said anything about his habits.”
“I didn’t know. Jason just mentioned it last night. I guess Carter put himself out of service for a half an hour or so, and one of the guys saw his cruiser parked at your house.”
“He stopped in to see if I was better from the car accident. Remember how I almost died earlier this week?”
“You’ve gotten a little dramatic in your old age, haven’t you?”
“They are making tuna cans out of what’s left of my car as we speak, and you think I am dramatic. Geez, I thought you were my friend.”
Cyndi exhaled deeply. “I am your friend, Di. And, as your friend, I can’t stand to watch your heart break again.”
“I’d say you’re putting the cart before the horse, Cyn. There is nothing going on between us at the moment. Carter is a nice guy, who liked and respected Donnie.”
“I’m sorry, Diana. I didn’t mean to upset you. I just thought you would want to know what the guys are saying.”
“I appreciate you having my best interests at heart, but I am fine. Really, I am.” What she really wanted to do was tell Cyndi why she and Carter were spending time together, but she didn’t want word to get around that Carter suspected one of his police brothers of being dirty.
“Okay. If you say so, then I will believe you. I don’t suppose you feel like having lunch together today?”
“Not today. I’ve got plans—with Jackson.” She hated lying, but it seemed the right thing to do, given the conversation they had just had.
“Jackson? Right.” Cyndi so didn’t believe her. “Well, if you need anything, you know where to find me.”
“I know, Cyndi. Thank you. You’re a good friend.”
“Take care of yourself, Di.”
Cyndi disconnected the call, and Diana dropped her phone back into her pocket. It was already twelve thirty, and there had been no word from Carter.
“Stop sitting around and waiting for him to call. Go do something.” Something that would help them figure out what had really happened to Donnie. She grabbed her jacket and her car keys, and headed out the door.
Twenty minutes later, she sat in Donnie’s old, beat-up car that he used to take undercover, and looked at the abandoned, boarded up house where her husband had made his last call as a Virginia Beach police officer. When she had gone there with Carter, she hadn’t had the time to really look at the place, to absorb the enormity of what had happened to her husband within those very walls. She pictured him, all business with his gun drawn and his game face on, running into that house to rescue the young and the weak, without any consideration for his own personal safety. That was how Donnie was. He believed his calling was to be the voice for those who had none, and if he thought someone was in trouble, he wouldn’t think twice about doing what needed to be done. She always knew that would be his downfall, and she had been right.
Now she sat in front of the place where it had all come to a head, and she had no idea what she was doing there. Aside from the boarded up windows and the ‘No Trespassing’ signs, the house looked like a nice place for a family to live—the kind of place she and Donnie might have raised their family in. She caught sight of Lookie Louie strolling down the sidewalk, chewing on a long piece of hay grass and whistling. At least he was doing his job and hanging around. He must want that pizza pretty bad.
Pulling away from the curb, she headed back home. Carter’s truck was parked out front by the curb when she got there.
“Hey, I tried to call, and when you didn’t answer I got worried, so I drove over.” He greeted her as she climbed out of the old car. “Where’d you get this heap?”
“Donnie kept it in the garage. Used it for undercover drug stings.”
“Nice.” Carter nodded approval as he circled the vehicle. “I need to get me something like this when I make detective.”
“Do you want to be a detective?” She rubbed her hands against the chilly air and started up the walk toward the house.
“I’ve always loved patrol, but lately I have gotten a real nose for investigation. Thinking of putting in a promotion request.”
She put the key in the lock and opened the door. “Well, if things go well, talk to me. I have an old junker I’d be willing to sell cheap.”
They entered the house, and Diana immediately locked the door and set the alarm. She pulled her phone from her pocket and glanced at the screen. “Oops, missed call from Carter Ryan. Sorry ‘bout that.�
� She hung up her jacket and headed to the kitchen for her usual in-from-the-cold cup of tea. “I’m having tea, do you want some?”
He grinned. “As long as you’re the one making it, I will drink tea all day long.”
She swatted at him. “You’re so corny.”
“I know. I had a good night’s sleep.”
“I’m glad one of us did.” She set the tea pot on the stove to heat, pulled out two cups, and dropped a tea bag in each one before sitting on a stool next to Carter. He reached up and touched her cheek with his palm.
“You didn’t sleep well last night?”
She shook her head. “Too many nightmares. Happens every so often since Donnie’s been gone.”
“I’m sorry. If I weren’t working last night, I would have stayed on the sofa if you wanted me to.”
If—no, when—you stay over, Carter Ryan, you will not be sleeping on the sofa!
She remembered Cyndi’s call earlier in the day. “That reminds me—have you been talking about me or us at work?”
“I don’t talk to anyone about my personal life. Why?”
“I heard that the guys are having a field day discussing how much time we spend together.”
“The guys talk about everything, even things they know nothing about. Who told you this?”
“A friend called this morning to give me a heads up. She said someone saw your police car in my driveway last night.” The tea kettle whistled, so she got up and poured the water.
“Yeah. I know. I told him to let it lie. I am sorry you had to get that call if it upset you, but I am not embarrassed for people to know I like spending time with you.”
She couldn’t help but smile at that. “I’m not either. I know you wanted to keep our little nosing around a secret for now.”
“Maybe the best way to keep it secret is to let them assume something else. In fact, let’s make them wonder. How about dinner and a movie tonight?”
“Like a date?”
“Yes, like a date.” She liked the way his cheeks turned pink when he was embarrassed. It made him look a little vulnerable, but in a good way. The kind of way that gave her hope for a future. She was about to say yes when she remembered the day. She worked on Saturday nights.
“I would absolutely love to, Carter, but I can’t tonight.”
Disappointment replaced the hope in his eyes. “Okay.”
She hated to do it, but if there was any hope for them to explore whatever was going on between them, Carter needed to know the truth now about her Saturday nights. She couldn’t keep that secret again.
“I can’t because I have to work tonight.”
He looked confused. “I didn’t realize you had a job.”
“I have had it for many years. I only work on Saturday nights.”
“Well, can you call out just this once? I really wanted to take you out, and I don’t have another day off until next week. I’m covering a shift tomorrow.”
“I can’t exactly call out.”
“Why not? Everyone does it.”
This was dragging out way too long. She needed to say what needed saying and face the consequences. “Carter, I can’t call out because I don’t actually go in to work. I work from home as a 900 operator.”
Chapter Eleven
“Phone sex? You’ve got to be kidding me!” Carter jumped up off the stool and started pacing the kitchen. “There’s no way. I can’t believe for a second that Massey was okay with his perfect wife getting horny men off on the telephone!”
“Actually, he didn’t know.” This was going about as well as she had expected.
“He didn’t know?”
She shook her head. “Not until the end, anyway. He walked in on me finishing up my shift the night he di—his last night alive.”
“How long, Diana? How long have you been a sex worker?”
“Oh, come on, Carter. I would hardly call me a sex worker. It’s not like I’m a prostitute.”
“Let’s see—people pay you for sex. Sounds like a prostitute to me.” The pink in his cheeks, which had been sweet a moment earlier, had morphed into an angry red. “You were married to a cop! How did you live with yourself?”
“Whoa! Hold on there, buddy. I don’t do anything illegal, and I am not doing anything wrong. I simply make a bunch of money for telling guys what they want to hear. No different from regular life, except these guys appreciate it enough that they are willing to pay me to hear it.”
She was starting to get angry at Carter’s judgment of her, but she took a deep breath, reminding herself that he had a little baggage on the topic.
Carter caught sight of the burn phone he had left behind the night before and snatched it up. “You know what? This was a mistake. I can’t play this game of yours. If I find anything out about Donnie, I’ll let you know; otherwise, I’m out of here. Have a nice life Diana.”
She didn’t follow him as he stomped his way to the door. When he set the alarm off, she punched in the code on the kitchen keypad as he slammed the door shut behind him.
“Well, that didn’t go so great.”
“Hey, Mom, you home?” Jackson called. “Why was Mr. Cop Man—I mean, Officer Ryan—so pissed?”
“In here, Jackson,” she called from the kitchen.
“Hi, Mom.” He kissed her on the cheek and headed to the refrigerator. “What happened with what’s his name?”
“Oh, nothing. He just didn’t like something I had to say. He’ll get over it.” Maybe.
“Well, I hope it doesn’t take him long. He seems like a nice guy.”
“Aren’t you singing a different tune today?”
“I know. I’m sorry about the other day. I had a little time to think, and I was wrong. Everyone deserves to be happy, even you.” He grinned and ducked as she swatted him with the dish towel.
“Someone had a good night.”
“I did. I met someone at the game last night.”
“Did she talk some sense into you? I like her already.”
“Mom!”
“I’m glad you had a good night, honey. Any plans for today?”
“I might have a date tonight with the girl I met.”
“That’s wonderful. Does this date have a name?”
“Amanda. She’s smart and funny.”
“And cute? I’m sure she’s cute.”
“I’m not discussing girls with you, Mom.” Jackson started stacking cold cuts on bread. “I’m hungry.”
“This is news to me?”
“Ha ha.” He picked up a sandwich in one hand and started eating it while constructing a second one with his free hand.
“I’m going to go upstairs and take a quick nap. I didn’t sleep too well last night. Let me know when you are leaving if I am not up yet, okay?”
“Sure thing, Mom.”
“I love you, son.”
“Love you too.”
***
Four hours later, Diana woke up from her “quick” nap. In the kitchen, she found a note from Jackson.
Dear Mom,
I tried to wake you, but you must have been delirious with sleep since you called me Carter. I will be home by two. Have a good night.
Jackson
Oh, crap. She called Jackson Carter. She didn’t remember dreaming, but she was so tired, who knew?
It was after six. She had nearly three hours to fill before work, so she fixed a bowl of tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich and retired to the living room to watch television for a while.
Her office phone rang promptly at nine.
“Misty Dawn. What’s your pleasure, baby?”
“Misty Dawn? Is it really you?”
“Leo?”
“It is you! Where you been, Misty Dawn?”
“Aww…Leo, I missed you too.” Funny, she really did. “How did you find out I was back?”
“An ad on the website. All I had to do was call in and see if it was really you, and not some imposter.”
She laughed. “No impost
er here, Leo. You up for the usual?”
“Nah. I discovered I like those pictures online a whole lot. I was just checking to see if it is really you.”
“So, I’ve been replaced by the World Wide Web, huh?”
“I thought I was on my own, Misty. You know there was no one but you since my wife passed on.”
Poor Leo still thought they had a relationship. She considered telling him the truth, but decided against it. The man was lonely, something she really understood. What would it hurt for him to believe he and Misty Dawn had been in a relationship? Not a single thing.
“I know, Leo. I’ve missed you, but you sound happy. Take good care of yourself, okay?”
“Sure thing Misty Dawn. And I’m sorry about whatever happened to make you stay away for so long.”
“What makes you think something happened?”
“You never would have left without telling me unless something bad had happened.”
Truer words had never been spoken. Leo was a wise man.
“I’m sorry, and yes, something terrible did happen. But I am feeling much better about it now.”
“Well, I’m gonna sign off here in a minute, Misty Dawn, but I might check in on you from time to time, if you’re okay with that.”
“I’m definitely okay with it. Thank you, Leo.”
“Goodbye, Misty Dawn.”
“Goodbye, Leo.”
After Leo hung up, she sat and stared at the phone in her hand. Saying goodbye to him was a bit like saying goodbye to that part of her life. A new beginning. If only Carter hadn’t run out on her like that, maybe he could have been part of the next chapter of her life.
The rest of her shift was uneventful, and at five minutes to one she was about to sign off, when the phone rang again. She had nothing to do the rest of the night, so she grabbed the receiver.
“Helllooo…this is Misty Dawn speaking. What’s your pleasure, sugar?”
“Stop poking around. You aren’t going to find anything.” The voice was barely a whisper, but the threat came through loud and clear.
In the Shadow of the Shield (Secret Lives Series Book 2) Page 11
