No, that's not right. Think, damn it, think. You've already hilled Jamie. Your baby is safe. He can't hurt her. You made him pay.
But what about him? What about him?
Who? an inner voice asked.
"You know who!" she cried. "Yes, of course. I'll kill him first. And then I'll kill Jazzy. It's her fault. It's all her fault. If it hadn't been for her, he wouldn't have left me.
She wouldn't let him go. It's her fault that he was so mean to me,that he didn’t love me.
Was that her name-Jazzy? It doesn't sound right. That's what he called her.
Of course it's her. Jasmine Talbot. He loved her. Never me. Never me.
She would kill him first. And anyone else who got in her way. And then she would kill that horrible woman who had taken everything away from her. Kill them together. Do it at the same time. Let him hear her scream. Make her watch him die.
Jazzy hadn't pressed Caleb to tell her why he'd disappeared yesterday morning, why he'd run away from Cherokee Pointe-from her. They'd made love at his cabin after Genny left.Wild, crazy, animalistic monkey-fucking. And it had been good. Hell, it had been great. But it had been different than when they'd made love the night before, when Caleb had been both passionate and tender. There had been no tenderness in their lovemaking yesterday afternoon. She had felt that he'd been trying to brand her as his property, to consume her completely, to prove something either to himself or to her. Maybe to both of them. And she knew that Jamie was the reason.
She had heard the doubt and fear in Caleb's voice when he'd asked, "How do you feel about Jamie Upton? And I want the truth."
Damn! Would she never be totally free of Jamie? Here she was accused of Jamie's murder-despite suspicion falling on Laura Willis now, the DA hadn't dropped the charges against her-and when she'd finally found a man she thought she could love, Jamie's ghost stood between them.
How could she convince Caleb that he had no reason to be jealous of Jamie? How could she prove to him that he was the only man she wanted?
After they'd spent the afternoon in bed together yesterday, Caleb had driven her into town and she'd show ered and changed clothes before coming to work here at Jasmine's. She had thought things were okay between them, that whatever had been wrong with Caleb, they had worked it out in bed. But last night when she'd thought he would go home with her after they left Jazzy's Joint, he'd surprised her and said good night at the door.
"I need some time to think," he'd told her. "I've already called Sally and she's on her way. I'll wait in the car until she gets here.
"Caleb, what's wrong?"
He'd kissed her, but hadn't answered her question before he walked away, down the stairs and to his car. She'd wanted to go after him, to demand some answers. Instead she'd gone inside her apartment and had herself a good cry.
She hadn't seen him all day today. If he needed time, she'd give him time. Her days of running after a man, begging for his love, were long gone. She'd made a fool of herself over Jamie Upton when they were teenagers. Once he realized how much she loved him, he'd walked all over her. But she would never let another man do that to her. Not even Caleb. If he didn't want her, if he'd decided he couldn't handle his stupid jealousy of a man she didn't love anymore, then so be it The phone on Jazzy's desk rang. Without thinking she lifted the receiver, then thought, What if it's Caleb?
''Jasmine's," she said. ''This is Jazzy Talbot. How may I help you?"
''You're a bad woman. You deserve to die." The voice over the phone sounded strange. Muffled.
"Who is this?"
''Someone who is going to make sure you pay for your sins."
''Look, whoever the hell you are, get a life, will you? And don't bother me again."
Jazzy slammed down the receiver. When she saw her hand trembling, she balled it into a firm fist and pounded her fist on the desktop. Pain radiated from her hand to her wrist and tingled up to her elbow.
It's just some nutcase, she told herself. There's no need to get all torn up about a silly phone call. But it wasn't silly. It was threatening. The person had said that he-or she-' was going to make Jazzy pay for her sins.
She jerked the phone into her still unsteady hand, then punched in the numbers hurriedly. As she waited for him to answer, she made herself breathe in and out slowly, hoping to calm her nerves.
"Sheriff Butler," Jacob said when he answered his phone.
''Jacob, it's Jazzy. I-er-I just got a crank call. At least I think it was a crank."
"Okay. Tell me about it." '’The voice sounded muffled, maybe disguised.I don't know."
"Man or woman?"
"I couldn't tell."
"What did this person say?"
"He said-or maybe it was a woman-that I was bad, that I deserved to die and that he-or she-was going to make sure I was punished for my sins."
Jacob was silent for what seemed like forever, then he said, "I want to put a tap on your phones."
"Why? What good would that do? He didn't talk more than a minute, if that."
"If this person calls again, you can try to keep him on the phone long enough for a trace."
"You don't think it was a crank call, do you?"
"Could have been," Jacob said. "But it just might have been Jamie's murderer."
"Oh, my God!" Jazzy's mind wrapped itself around the thought that Jamie's killer had called to threaten her. 'Then it was a woman. And she said… she'd make me pay for my sins."
"Where's Caleb?’’Jacob asked.
"Caleb? Over at Jazzy's Joint." 'Where are you?"
"At Jasmine's, in my office."
"Go over to Jazzy's Joint and tell Caleb about the phone call. Do it now. And make sure he keeps watch over you. I don't want you alone from here on out. Not even alone in either of your offices."
"You think it really was her and that she-"
"Let's not take any chances. Okay?"
Jazzy nodded, then realized she hadn't spoken. 'Yeah, okay."
When she hung up, she sat there for a couple of minutes and let the realization sink in. If her caller was Jamie's killer…
She had to tell Caleb. Jacob had told her to make sure Caleb kept watch over her. But with the tension between Caleb and her right now, could she go to him? Did she have the right to expect him to stand by her side?
No time like the present to find out, she told herself.
Caleb felt her presence the minute she entered the bar. God knew it wasn't that he could smell her perfume in this smoky jungle. Too much smoke, liquor, and human sweat to ever distinguish one distinct odor, he couldn't see her from where he was standing, but more than one set of male eyes focused in a particular direction-straight at the most gorgeous woman in the world. Jazzy Talbot. His Jazzy.
Yeah, that was right-his Jazzy. Damn Jamie Upton to hell. Caleb chuckled to himself. That was just about where Jamie was right now-burning in hell. Or maybe because he'd suffered through torment before he died, the good Lord had taken pity on him. Who knew? Who cared? He sure di
dn't. But one thing he did know, one thing that did matter to him was not allowing Jamie's ghost to come between Jazzy and him. He'd never been the kind of guy who gave up when he wanted something bad enough. And he had never wanted anything more than he wanted Jazzy's love.
When he turned around, their gazes met across the room and he felt as if he'd been hit in the head with sledgehammer. If this wasn't love-honest-to-goodness, forever-after love-he sure as hell didn't know what else it could be. He held her gaze, silently beckoning her to him. She took several tentative steps, then paused. Was she waiting to see if he'd meet her halfway? Knowing Jazzy as he did, he figured that's why she'd stopped. Okay, no problem. He'd do his part. Caleb walked toward her, then waited when about ten feet separated them.
She smiled and, heaven help him, he wanted to run to her, grab her and… tonight he wouldn't say goodbye at her door the way he'd done last night. He'd needed time to think, time to clear his head. And being near Jazzy made that impossible. All he had to do was look at her and he wanted her.
Be honest, McCord, a part of you wanted to punish her for daring to whisper another man's name in her sleep. Yeah, okay, so that was part of it. But who had he really punished? Jazzy, maybe. But he'd punished himself, too. There was no place on earth he wanted to be except with her.
She moved toward him slowly. He headed in her direction, one easy, unhurried step at a time. They came together in the middle of the bar, between the dance floor and the tables scattered throughout the room. From the jukebox, Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias crooned about all the girls they'd loved before. Beer bottles and frosty glasses clinked. Pool balls clanged together. The din of hushed voices blended with rowdy laughter.
Caleb and Jazzy stayed focused on each other, not breaking eye contact for even a millisecond. She smiled at him again. He grinned at her.
"Want to dance?" he asked, desperately needing to take her into his arms.
She nodded.
He held out his hand. When she placed her hand in his, he walked her across the bar to the dance floor and eased her into his arms. They moved to the music, a couple of inches separating their bodies.
"I Missed you last night," she said.
"Yeah, I Missed you, too."
"Do we need to talk about it?" she asked.
"Probably." He pulled her closer, aligning her body to his. "But not tonight."
"No, not tonight."
She seemed to melt into him, all soft femininity and womanly heat He brushed his chin against her temple and thought he'd lose it when she sighed. This was where she belonged, in his arms. They were right for each other, and he figured she knew that fact as well as he did.
One song ended and another began, this one a loud, bawdy melody not meant for slow dancing. Caleb kept his arm around her and whispered in her ear. "Want to sit this one out?"
She nodded. He released his hold on her, but she didn't move away. She stayed close, her shoulder brushing his arm. "How about later tonight, after this place closes, we dance on upstairs to my place?"
He wanted to touch her again, but figured they'd already brought enough attention to themselves without him doing more to prove what a fool he was over Jazzy. 'There's nothing I'd like better."
Her broad smile said it all. Everything was going to be all right. Whatever lingering problems Jamie's memory might cause, they'd deal with them. Together.
Caleb slipped his arm around her waist and led her toward the bar where Lacy stood smiling as she watched them approach. "How about a Coke?" he asked.
"With lemon,"Jazzy said.
''Two Cokes," Caleb told Lacy. "One with lemon. One straight."
"Coming right up." Suddenly Lacy looked beyond them to someone or something on the far side of the room. "Well, I'm be damned. I never thought I'd see the likes of him in here."
"Who are-" Jazzy turned around to see who Lacy was talking about. "Big Jim Upton in Jazzy's Joint. If that man's here to cause trouble, I'll-"
"Let me handle it," Caleb said, his gut telling him that Big Jim was here to see him.
"I can fight this particular battle myself," Jazzy told him as she marched away from the bar.
Caleb grabbed her shoulder. "Wait up, honey. I don't think he's here to see you."
"Who else would he be here to see?"
"Me."
Jazzy eyed him curiously. "You? Why would-"
"Evening," Jim Upton said as he came up to Caleb and Jazzy.
Jazzy glowered at Jamie's grandfather. "What do you want?"
"I want to speak to Caleb," Jim said.
Jazzy looked at Jim, then at Caleb. "What's going on here?"
"Look, honey, I need to talk to Mr. Upton alone, if you don't mind?"
"Well, what if I do mind?" She fixed her gaze on Big Jim. "So who's going to tell me why you're really here? Why do you want to talk to Caleb?"
"Personal business," Jim told her.
She looked at Caleb. Tell me now or tell me later, but if we've got a snowball's chance in hell of making it, we can't keep any secrets from each other."
"I know, honey. And I swear, I'll tell you everything. Later."
"Okay." Jazzy nodded and started to walk away.
"Are you and Jazzy a couple now?" Big Jim asked.
"Yes," Caleb replied. "We are."
"Then why haven't you told her that you're my grandson?"
* * *
Chapter 27
Jazzy whirled around, her eyes huge with astonishment. "What the hell did you say?" She glared at Big Jim Upton.
Caleb rushed to her, grabbed her arm and said, "Let's not do this here." He scanned the room hurriedly. "This is private business. Personal."
She stared at Caleb. "Did you hear what he said?"
Damn, why hadn't he already told Jazzy? Why did she have to find out this way?
"Yeah, honey, I heard what he said, but before everybody here at Jazzy's Joint starts wondering what the hell's going on-"
Jazzy looked back at Jim. "You have some nerve coming in here, in my bar, and spouting off such stupid nonsense. I know you've been under a lot of stress since Jamie died and Miss Reba had a heart attack. But you don't have the right to go shooting off your mouth with some wild notion you've concocted about Caleb."
"I apologize," Jim said, his gaze fixed on Caleb. "Look, son, I didn't mean to cause a problem for you with.. • are you two really together? I mean is she… important to you?"
Jazzy tensed. Her eyes flashed green fire. Caleb tightened his hold on her arm. "May we use your office?"
"What?" She stared at him, a dumbfounded expression on her face.
"Let's go to your office-you, me, and Mr. Upton," Caleb said. "So we can finish this conversation without an audience."
"By all means. "Jazzy got right up in Jim's face. "Follow me, Mr. Upton." She emphasized the Mr. when she spoke.
When Jazzy sashayed off toward the back of the building, Caleb motioned for Big Jim to foll
ow her, which he did. Within a couple of minutes, the three of them were cocooned in Jazzy's small, cluttered office. Caleb closed the door, then glanced from his grandfather to the woman he loved. She was going to be mad as an old wet hen when he told her the truth. God damn it, why had he kept her in the dark about why he'd actually come to Cherokee Pointe in the first place?
"Start anywhere," Jazzy said as she sat down on the side of her desk and crossed her arms over her chest. "Start with Big Jim's crazy statement. Or start with who the hell you really are. Or even start with telling me you haven't been lying to me for months now."
The Last To Die Page 36
