“If we go to the authorities, his only option will be to make certain we aren’t around to testify against him.”
“Jesus, Sam.” The fear in her eyes fed his own. “This is Ravenswood, not exactly a haven for Mafia hit men.”
She folded her arms over her chest. “Maybe not, but the principle still applies.” When she raised the mug of hot chocolate to her lips a moment later, it rattled against her teeth.
Standing, he took her hand and led her out of the kitchen and into the living room. Pushing her down on a big, tan couch, he settled beside her. When she leaned against his shoulder, he slid an arm behind her back and pulled her close. She was not a small woman, but she felt fragile in his embrace. Breakable.
“I’ve been thinking.”
She glanced up at him, and her lips curved. “Yeah? My brain took a leave of absence at eliminate the witness.”
“Funny, Sam.” His arm tightened a fraction around her waist. “Here’s the scenario I came up with. You and your friends keep quiet and stay away from the sheriff’s office. Hell, take out an ad in the newspaper—We’ll never tell.”
She choked and sputtered on a laugh. “Seriously?”
“The ad may be a little over the top, but I’m tempted.”
“I like it so far. My sense of self-preservation definitely approves, but I have a feeling you aren’t finished.”
“Not quite. You lay low and lull this hot headed maniac into a false sense of security. Meanwhile, I keep my ears open and pump Ken for information. I swear the man knows everything that happens in Ravenswood before anyone else. Once I have the victim’s name—”
“Wait just a minute.” She jerked forward, turned, and stared at him, brows knit. “I’m supposed to sit at home like some wimpy heroine in a B rated slasher movie while you play detective?”
He grinned, amused by the outrage in her voice. Sam was a lot of things—strong, independent, determined—definitely not wimpy. “That about sums it up.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Doing nothing may go against the grain, but think about it. Based on the speed of this guy’s response after we discovered the body, he must have a contact in town. He’ll know if you’re making inquiries.”
“I can be subtle.”
He ran a finger down the soft skin of her cheek. “Believe it or not, Sam, you stand out in a crowd.”
She snorted. “Don’t try to sweet talk me.”
“It’s the truth.”
She sighed. “I’m not an idiot. I won’t do anything to put myself or my friends in harm’s way, and that includes going to the authorities. Telling the sheriff seemed like the only option, but—”
“I agree. Your safety is what matters most, so we’ll wait to go the official route.”
“Patience has never been one of my stronger virtues, but…” She raised her voice when he opened his mouth to argue. “…I’ll work on it.”
Standing, he pulled her up beside him and touched her full bottom lip with a single finger. Her breath whispered across the tip. “Work hard. The thought of someone hurting you…” He bent and kissed her, his lips lingering. Reluctantly he pulled away. “Damn, I wish I didn’t have a full schedule today.”
She raised a brow. “Dogs can’t wait?”
“Not when they’re spoken for and the buyer expects a certain level of training.”
“Ah.”
He touched a strand of hair stuck to her jaw. “I don’t want to leave you here alone. Come with me.”
“Can’t. I want to make sure Juliette’s okay with our plan. I also have to call Darby.” She lowered her gaze. “I may stop by the firehouse and say hello to Ken afterward.”
“Sam—”
She held both palms out to stop his protest. “Ken and I are close. He’ll wonder what’s wrong if I avoid him.”
He pushed a hand through his hair and stared at her. “We’ve no idea who’s involved in this.”
Her back stiffened. “Not Ken.”
“No, but what if he mentions your curiosity about the body we found to the wrong person?” He squeezed her shoulders and felt a tiny tremor run through her.
“I won’t give him any reason to say a word. Promise.”
Ethan dropped one last kiss on her lips and walked through the door before he could change his mind and stay.
****
“Haven’t seen you since the body turned up.” Ken leaned back in his creaky, leather desk chair and twined his fingers behind his head. “Where’ve you been keeping yourself?”
Sam propped herself against the doorframe into his office and crossed her arms over her chest. “Juliette and I took a quick trip to San Francisco to see Darby.”
“Girls’ weekend?”
“Something like that.”
His lips curved beneath his moustache, and his brown eyes sparkled with humor. “Rumor has it, you’re dating Ethan Thorne.”
Sam rolled her eyes. “We’ve been out once, had a couple of conversations.”
He sat forward and planted his elbows on the scarred surface of the desk. “You could do worse. Ethan’s business has really taken off in the last few years.” His direct gaze met hers and held. “More importantly, he’s a good guy.”
“I don’t doubt it, but I think I’ll hold off picking out china patterns until after our second date.”
“Smart ass.” His smile stretched, and the moustache quivered. “Did you drop by for a reason or just because you missed me?”
“No reason.” She straightened and broke eye contact. “Did anything exciting happen while I was out of town?”
“Nope, they transferred the body you found down the mountain to a bigger lab. They’re working on identifying her now.”
“Her?”
“Our ME determined the victim was a female in her late teens or early twenties. They’ll run more tests to narrow it down, but it looks like she died around twenty years ago.”
Sam let out a breath. “Imagine, all those years…”
“Yeah, I’ve hiked by that spot dozens of times. I can’t help wondering what happened to her out in those woods.”
“Do you think the authorities will figure it out?”
“Once they identify her, the investigation will gear up. We’ll have to wait and see. There certainly won’t be much evidence after all this time.”
She nodded and changed the subject. “Is Lenore busy with plans for the fall festival?”
The chair creaked as he leaned back and scowled. “The woman spends all her time on the phone. Last night she told me she was busy, and I could make my own dinner if I was hungry.”
Sam grinned. “Poor baby. Did you starve?”
“Not likely,” he growled. “I can grill a steak with the best of them.”
“Maybe I’ll call Lenore and offer to help with preparations for the festival. I’m not going anywhere for a while.”
“Good.” Concern shone in his eyes. “You look a little ragged around the edges. Constantly on the go the way you are, it’ll wear you down if you aren’t careful.”
Her frazzled appearance had a lot more to do with a killer’s threats than job burnout. “Then you’ll be pleased to know I’m taking a break, at least for a month or two.”
“Good,” he repeated. “Call Lenore. Better yet, come to dinner.” He drummed his fingers on the desk and frowned. “Shoot, we have plans tonight, but tomorrow is open. Bring Ethan with you.”
She smiled. “I’d love to. Thanks, Ken.”
“Sam?”
Pausing on her way out the door, she glanced over her shoulder. “Yes?”
His eyes twinkled. “Lenore loves to shop. She’d be happy to help you pick out a china pattern.”
“Now who’s the smart ass? See you tomorrow.”
****
The phone rang, and rang again, its shrill peal jangling along her nerve endings. Sam reached out just before the machine picked up. “Hello.”
“I got your message.”
She dr
opped onto a chair and lifted the cup of tea steeping on the table. Grimacing at the heat, she set it back down. “Hey, Darby.”
“Hey, yourself. I talked to Juliette. Sounds like you had an eventful morning.”
Taking a cautious sip of the steaming liquid, she closed her eyes. “This guy is serious, Darb. If we don’t play nice, I’m afraid he’ll do more than threaten.”
“Then we’ll follow his rules. Simple.”
Sam ran a finger along the rim of the cup and frowned. “Ken thinks they’ll have an ID for the woman soon.”
Darby’s sigh came through the receiver. “After all these years, it’ll be good to put a name to the face. She deserves that.”
“Even better if we find the son of a bitch who killed her.”
“What?”
“We can’t tell the sheriff what we saw, but that doesn’t mean I won’t hunt for him myself. Discretely of course.”
Darby’s voice rose. “My God, Sam, you’re asking for trouble.”
“I’m not. Honest. And I won’t be alone playing detective. Ethan is pretty adamant I stay clear and let him do the majority of the legwork.” She stared at the steam rising from her mug. “He doesn’t want me to take any chances.”
“Hmm.”
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing. I’m glad someone is looking out for you. You like this guy?”
“I do.” She looked up at the cobweb hanging from the cabinet over the refrigerator. How long had it been since she’d cleaned more than surface areas? How long since she’d been home long enough to have the time?
“Are you there, Sam?”
“Yeah.” She let out a breath. “I do like him, but I don’t want to get hurt. The way my life rolls, I’m only around long enough to get my emotions tangled up, and then—”
“So stay. You’ve been living like a freaking nomad since you graduated from college. Reality check—it’s been seven years. You’re allowed to spend more than a month at a time at home. You can’t save everyone, no matter how hard you try.”
Sam bit her lip. “Juliette said the same thing. So did Ken.”
“That’s because we love you. I remember when you used to be excited—couldn’t wait to fly halfway across the world. But lately you just seem tired.”
“Maybe it’s because we’re getting old.” She glanced down and grinned. “I’m sipping tea in flannel pajamas. I think that says it all.”
Darby snorted. “I don’t mean physically tired. You’re probably in better shape than you were ten years ago. But mentally, you’ve exhausted yourself. Take a break—a long one.”
“I can’t do nothing. I’d go crazy.”
“Volunteer with your local Search and Rescue. Find a new hobby. You have a creative mind. I’m sure you can come up with something.” She let out a short laugh. “I bet Ethan would be happy to keep you occupied.”
“Funny. Everyone’s a comedian lately.”
Darby sighed. “If I weren’t in the middle of a genealogy project, I’d come up there. Unfortunately, I’m committed here for a few more weeks with side trips to New York and Boston on the schedule.”
“Good. The farther you are from Ravenswood, the safer you’ll be. I wish I could convince Juliette to leave town, but she’s stubborn about not closing the ballet studio.”
“Pot, kettle, Sam.”
She choked on a swallow of tea, and it was several moments before she could speak. “I may be a teensy bit obstinate.”
“Just a little? You be careful, promise me.”
“Cautious is my middle name. I’ll talk to you again soon.”
She hung up the phone, drank the last of her tea, then glanced at the digital clock on the stove. Nearly eleven. She might as well go to bed. Putting her mug in the sink, she walked through the dark living room to her bedroom and flipped on the overhead light.
A single sheet of yellow tablet paper lay propped against the pillow on the bed. A message was written in bold, black marker.
I’m watching you.
Chapter Seven
Ethan accelerated up Sam’s driveway, jerked to a stop, jumped out of the pickup, and ran up the walkway. She opened the front door before he could knock.
“He’s long gone, Ethan. I told you I was fine.” The hand that pushed a strand of hair behind her ear displayed only the slightest tremor. “You didn’t have to come.”
“The hell I didn’t!” His own hands hadn’t stopped shaking since he’d answered her call. “I kept picturing this dirt bag hiding in your closet, just waiting for you to climb into bed.”
Her lips curved slightly as she shut the door behind them. “The closet was the first place I checked—right after I grabbed the fireplace poker. I don’t recall much about how he looked all those years ago, but I do remember he was big.”
Ethan stepped forward and framed her face in his palms. Fear lingered in the depths of the wide green eyes staring back at him.
“You scared the crap out of me.” Pulling her into his arms, he hugged her swift and hard before stepping away. “I want to check around outside.” He paused. “You didn’t leave the house after you found the note, did you?”
She shook her head. “You give me way too much credit for bravery—or stupidity.”
His thumb stroked across her cheek. “I’ll be right back.”
After retrieving a flashlight from his truck, he walked around the cottage, shining the light in the bushes and beneath the windows. Confident there was no one lurking nearby, he headed toward the main house. Frogs croaked in the ornamental pond at the foot of the garden, and the crushed shells of the path crunched beneath his feet. The windows were shuttered; alarms activated if the blinking red light over the door was any indication. He guessed no one had been near the place.
Ethan hurried back the way he’d come. At the door to Sam’s cottage, he wiped his feet on the mat and entered, then locked the door behind him. She stepped out of the kitchen to meet him.
“I’m heating water for tea.” Rubbing her arms through the sleeves of her blue fleece robe, she stared at him with worried eyes. “Did you find anything?”
“No footprints in the dirt beneath the windows or signs of forced entry. I wonder how he got in.”
She glanced away then crossed the tiled kitchen floor when the tea kettle whistled. “I may have left the door unlocked.”
He barely heard her mumbled words. Biting back a sharp comment, he forced out a slow breath. “Not very smart, considering.”
She glanced over her shoulder. “Your self-restraint is commendable. Would you like a cup of tea?”
“Sure, as long as it doesn’t taste like flowers or fruit.”
“Black. Got it.” She pulled a plain box from the back of the cupboard and a second covered in flowering vines from the front, poured boiling water into two mugs, and brought them to the table. “I shouldn’t have freaked out and called you.”
He dropped onto the second chair and placed his hand over hers. It was small and delicate, vulnerable. “I’m glad you did.”
She picked up the honey bear sitting on the table and squeezed a dollop into her tea. “You like beating the bushes for homicidal maniacs at midnight?”
“I can think of better ways to end the evening.”
Slow color crept up her neck and tinged her cheeks pink. He was pretty certain she was remembering the night they’d spent together. God knows, he’d tried to forget it for the last five years with little success. He’d meet a perfectly nice woman, go out with her a few times, and then wind up comparing her to Sam. Afterward, it was a downhill slide to nowhere. The only solution was to get Sam out of his system completely—or make her a permanent part of his life.
“The fact that you called means you trust me. You reached out to me. I like that.”
She sipped the tea, met his gaze briefly, and looked away. “I do trust you. We have a connection beyond a single night of sex. At least I hope we do.”
He set down his mug and stood. Roundi
ng the table, he pulled her up off the chair and tugged her against his chest. Circling her waist with his arms, he looked into her eyes. Trepidation mixed with a hint of desire.
“Are you going to ask me to stay?”
She leaned her forehead against his chin, and her breath whispered across his neck. The sweet scent of mangos teased his senses.
“I’ve been wondering that very thing since you walked through the door.”
He shifted uncomfortably, his jeans straining tight, and ached with wanting her. “And?”
“I think we both know you aren’t going anywhere.”
“I was certainly hoping.” His mouth slanted across hers, tasting the warm sweetness within as she opened to him. He cupped her face between his palms and, without breaking contact, backed her out of the kitchen and toward the open bedroom door. Stopping beside the bed, he hesitated.
“You’re sure? I don’t want to push you into something you aren’t ready for.”
She rubbed her fingertips over his jaw then touched his bottom lip. The gesture sent a bolt of desire straight to his groin. His breath hissed out, and he sucked the finger into his mouth.
Her eyes glazed, and she spoke in a breathless voice. “I’m sure.”
“Do you know how long I’ve wanted to do this?”
Her hands splayed across his back beneath his T-shirt, searing his skin like a brand.
“Since we saw each other in the fire station?”
“Try since you walked out over five years ago. You got to me, Sam.”
She pressed tighter against him. “You weren’t the only one affected by that night. Honestly, when I was in Africa or the Philippines or any of a half-dozen other places, homesick for a taste of the familiar, I’d think of you and the night we spent together.”
Pressure built in his chest, and he swallowed against a knot of emotion. “I don’t know what to say.”
She gave a little shrug then grinned. “Stupid thing to do. All it accomplished was to make me lonely and frustrated.”
Lifting her off her feet, he swung her around and dropped her on the bed, coming down beside her. “You make me laugh. It’s one of my favorite things about you—that and your amazing legs.”
We'll Never Tell (Secrets of Ravenswood) Page 6
