by Geri Foster
“You weren’t followed, were you?” David asked, checking out the front windows.
“No. I stayed vigilant,” Lincoln assured his brother-in-law.
I’ll have a deputy keep an eye out.” David rubbed the back of his neck. “You do know if that’s the killer, he’s been watching you two the whole time?”
“I assumed as much. That why she’s staying with me tonight.”
David pulled Amelia tighter against him. “I wouldn’t go back there tonight. Amelia can loan you something to sleep in. Tomorrow, you check out.”
“Yes,” Amelia agreed. “Don’t take any chances. If it was the killer, we all know how dangerous he is.”
“I wouldn’t go as far as to say he was the guy,” Lincoln clarified. “After all, our guy wants little girls. He just creeped Mia out and we’re not taking any chances.” He stood. “She’s at my house until this is settled.”
“Good idea,” David said. “Don’t mess around when a killer is on the loose. You might think he only wants little girls, but that doesn’t mean he won’t kill someone who’s a threat to him.”
* * *
Mia admitted to being a little concerned about sleeping in Lincoln’s home, but she wasn’t going to back to the hotel alone. Not after what she felt earlier.
She found his home very comfortable and neatly decorated. She suspected Amelia had something to do with that because there were clothes, shoes, and empty beer cans scattered around the house.
“I see you don’t have a cleaning lady.” Mia chuckled.
He grinned. “Not yet. Amelia gets on to me all the time about being such a slob, but I just haven’t had time to keep the place tidy. I’m almost sorry I bought this house. I might have been better off with a small apartment.”
She allowed her eyes to roam the house. “Well, it’s very nice. I can see what attracted you to it.”
“I often wonder why I bought a three-bedroom house when I have no intention of having a family. Those rooms are a waste of space, but I liked everything else about the house, so I bought it.”
She tilted her head. “And I’ll be using one of those rooms tonight, so it isn’t being wasted.”
“Yeah,” Lincoln said with a sadness in his voice that touched her heart. “But you aren’t here every night.”
His statement caught her off guard and she quickly glanced at him to gauge his meaning. “No.” She smiled nervously. “The hotel will suit me fine.”
He put his hands in his pockets because it appeared he didn’t know what to do with them. “Do you want anything before bed?”
“No, thank you. I’m fine.”
She hoped she was, anyway. Lincoln was a mega handsome man who easily caught the eye of every woman he came into contact with. However, he never seemed to notice. He seemed completely oblivious to the attention he drew. Instead, he concentrated on his job.
She’d had a minor crush on him when they were in grade school, but then, all the girls did. Those remarkable dimples were an instant turn on. And she remembered at the age of seven all the girl said his blue eyes were bedroom eyes, having absolutely no idea what that meant.
That’s why, the day Anita had been taken, Mia was so flattered Lincoln Hightower had asked her to join him for a Coke at the local drugstore. She forgot all about her sister. Mia just assumed she’d eventually get tired of waiting and walk home.
Obliviously, Anita had done just that, and it cost her life.
Now, as she dressed for bed, Mia wondered if she could fall asleep without thinking about Lincoln. It would make her feel better, but she knew the odds were against that. Besides, the FBI frowned on such behavior and she wasn’t about to jeopardize all she’d worked for.
Chapter 7
Lincoln removed his clothes and pulled back the covers of his bed that he’d slept in alone for a very long time. That night felt different. There was a female in the vicinity and his treacherous body seemed fully aware of it and reacted in a very uncomfortable way.
He threw the covers over him and let out a sigh. Glancing at the picture on his night stand of him and Marilyn, he experienced the normal heart stab. Then his mind moved to Mia in the next room.
He imagined her under his roof and it disturbed him in a strange and unusual way. He didn’t want a woman. He was still in love with Marilyn and he always would be. How could he even think of being unfaithful to the one woman he loved with every fiber of his being?
To even think of another female felt like an act of betrayal.
He rolled over, punching his pillow, and refused to imagine Mia in his spare bed, barely dressed, eyes droopy from sleep. Yes, Amelia had lent her a gown to sleep in, but knowing his sister, since she married David, he’d bet it didn’t amount to much.
Still, what she slept in was of no concern to him and he refused to give it another thought. Yet, in his mind, he remembered the feel of a woman’s warm body snuggled against him. The delicate scent of her as she moved closer. The feel of her fingertips doing magical things on his chest, and the softness of her breath in his ear as desire swam through her body.
Yes, he remembered all that, but it was his wife, not Mia, who evoked those memories. So, why did her just being in the same house with him suddenly make him so damn uncomfortable? They’d worked together for three days and he’d barely noticed she was around before until then.
Well, that was kind of a lie, but it was nothing like what he experienced knowing she was in his house. He wanted to throw off the covers and join her in the other room. Feel the weight of her body on his and familiarize himself with her touch.
But, as a co-worker and a friend, he couldn’t and wouldn’t do that. Not for anything. Besides, Austin would tear him a new one if he got caught having an affair with Mia.
Affair! He sat up so quickly he got dizzy. Where did that come from?
He wasn’t having an affair, ever. His mind was just playing tricks on him, nothing else. It couldn’t be anything else. Policies prevented that from happening and they both loved their jobs.
He finally, after several hours, managed to fall into a troubled sleep, only for his phone alarm to go off way too early. He let out a groan and rolled over.
However, as he laid there in bed, he heard the shower in the spare bathroom running and he imagined Mia standing naked underneath, letting the warm water roll off her body in little rivulets.
Lincoln made his way to his own bathroom, but he’d bet he kept the water temperature a lot colder than hers. He had to cool off if they planned to work together. They had a killer to find.
Drying off, he slipped on his pants and a shirt before walking out to turn on the coffee pot. He stopped in his tracks when he smelled the coffee already brewing.
“I hope you don’t mind,” she said from behind him. “I thought we might have time for a cup before leaving for work.”
“Thanks,” he muttered as he turned, squeezed past her then made his way back to his bedroom to finish dressing. Lincoln felt relieved they’d gone back last night and checked her out of the Wayward Inn. She’d get settled at the Hampton Inn later and he wouldn’t have to worry about a stranger paying her a visit, or her being under his roof.
The more he thought about it, the more he became convinced she may have been overly sensitive about the guy in the elevator. After all, they’d been doing nothing but looking at dead bodies and talking to the MEs for days.
Tying his tie, he walked into the kitchen to find a cup already poured for him, and her standing at the French door, looking out at his backyard.
“It sure could use some attention, couldn’t it?” he remarked, knowing the answer. “I’m just not a yard person.”
She turned and glanced at him. “What kind of person are you, Lincoln? You don’t like to pick up after yourself. You admitted you hate cooking, and you don’t like yard work. What are your hobbies?”
He grinned. “Catching bad guys. Isn’t that what we’re good at?”
“Yes, but I’m also into other
things that help me get through the evenings. I’m a member of a book club. A couple of us girls play Bridge. I run. I shop on Saturdays with my girlfriends.” She smiled warmly. “The list is long.”
He could think of one thing that might’ve helped him get through the night before, but he wouldn’t dare mention it. Not to anyone. He was the man still in love with his dead wife. That was the safest place to be.
He walked toward the door, cup still in his hand. “You ready to go to work?”
“You don’t seem in a good mood today, Lincoln. Didn’t you sleep well?”
“Slept great, I just want to get busy on this case. Today is another day and there could be another victim. We can’t solve a murder sitting around drinking coffee.”
She followed him, and when he got into the car, she moved to her own vehicle.
“There’s no need for both of us to drive,” he called out. “You’re welcome to ride with me.”
“No. I’m going to the motel tonight, so I’ll need my things. You go on. I’ll catch up with you at the office. I have to stop at the ATM.”
Lincoln pulled out of his driveway, glancing back at her then heading for work. His head was a mess of thoughts he’d never experienced before. How was he ever going to get through all this? And why the sudden fascination with his co-worker?
Maybe he’d just been too long without a woman. A man had needs, and he planned to try to rectify that with a visit to Frankie’s Bar later. Several local girls hung out there, and they weren’t that particular about who they went home with.
That was exactly what he needed.
* * *
Mia had no idea why Lincoln woke in such a foul mood, but she refused to spend time worrying about it. Maybe he didn’t want another woman invading the sanctuary of his dead wife. Lots of men were like that.
She ran through the ATM then noticed a van with the word plumber written across the side. She punched her car phone and Lincoln answered, almost tearing her head off. “What?”
“Hey, watch the tone, buster. I didn’t do anything to be spoken to like that.” She knew her words were harsh, but she refused to be the cat that got kicked.
“Sorry.” He sounded annoyed. “What do you want?”
“There’s a van over here parked outside Fred’s Donuts. It has the word plumber written on the side. You think it’s our guy?”
“I don’t know, but don’t get out of the car. Just observe until I get there. Don’t confront him alone.”
“Lincoln, in case no one’s told you, I’m a big girl and I can take care of myself. You just worry about getting here.”
She called Lucas next, just so he’d know what was going on in his town. Getting out of the car, she instinctively felt for her gun in her holster. She checked the area and made sure all civilians were out of the way before she ran across the street and flattened her back again the side of the building.
Weapon out, she eased around the corner and saw the owner of the shop talking to a big guy on the other side of the counter. She couldn’t understand what they were saying, but they weren’t arguing.
She shoved open the door with her foot and a bell softly rang. Moving quickly, she said, “Stay right where you are. Put your hands where I can see them and don’t move.”
Both men’s hands shot up as Lincoln came in, weapon drawn. “Who owns that van outside?”
A man turned. He had a thick mustache, a gap between his front teeth, and a barrel chest. His clothes were those of a man who made his living doing manual labor and he didn’t seem to want to tangle with either one of them.
Lucas came in and walked over to the man. “That your van?”
“Yes, sir. It is.”
“Are you a plumber?”
“Yes. I normally work out of Denton, but lately I’ve taken two calls here.” He nodded to Fred. “His grease line is clogged, and I’ve been working on it all morning.”
“Come with me,” Lucas said. “We just have a few questions.”
“I didn’t do anything wrong. I just came here because my boss sent me.” The man didn’t act guilty or suspicious. Just a little annoyed.
Lucas took him by the arm. “This won’t take long. We just need to clear up a few things.”
At Lucas’s office with Mia, Lincoln, and David, Mr. Webber didn’t seem very harmful. But none of them were convinced he was on the up and up yet, either. He had a van and that needed to be looked into. Lucas had sent several deputies out to see what they could find.
“Where do you live, Mr. Webber?”
“Off Coventry Street, near the textile place in Denton.”
“You married?” Lincoln asked. “Have a family?”
“I have a daughter in college in Austin, and a son due to graduate high school next year.” If this man was a murderer, he was a cool-headed one.
“What about your wife?” David asked, pressing his palms on the table. “Been married long?”
“Only most of my life.” Mr. Webber looked forlorn. “Mary and I married out of high school. We’ve been together ever since. I can’t say it’s been the best time of my life, but we do okay.”
The deputies came in and talked to Lucas privately. When he came back into the room, he took a seat and faced Mr. Webber. “There isn’t anything suspicious in your van. But you do know we’re looking for a man who’s been kidnapping young girls.”
“I heard about that and it’s really scary.” His eyes widened. “I hope you don’t think I’m that guy? I’d never hurt anyone. You can ask the preacher of my church. I’m a God-fearing man who practices what the minister preaches.”
“We ran your prints, Mr. Webber, and there isn’t anything pointing to you as our man. But we’d like you to submit to a DNA test. Just to clear you completely.”
“I’m more than glad to do that. I just want to get back to work.”
Mia sat in the corner watching the whole show. Mr. Webber wasn’t the murderer. Not if they didn’t find anything in the van, and she knew the deputies well enough to know how they operated. Also, Austin had sent two agents over to help. This way, nothing got missed.
She hated that they’d came to a dead end. She looked over to find Lincoln staring at her. She shrugged. “I’m sorry. I had to go with my gut.”
“You did the right thing,” he said grudgingly.
“Then why the hard stare?” She spread out her arms. “What did I do wrong?”
He stood and walked toward the door. “Nothing. Now let’s get to work. They can finish up here.”
Shaking her head, Mia got into her car and followed Lincoln’s vehicle. They pulled up at the same time and parked next to each other. As they walked into the building, Austin waited for them near the door.
“Good job, Alverez. While it didn’t turn up anything, one never knows. We can’t drop our guard.”
“Thanks,” she muttered then made her way to her desk. She turned her back on Lincoln and pulled out the pictures of the victim and studied them. If her partner was mad about something, she hoped he kept it to himself. She wasn’t in the mood for drama today.
Finally, he broke the silence. “Looks like Webber wasn’t our guy.”
“Like Austin said, we have to check out everyone.”
“Yeah, that’s good police work,” Lincoln said ungenerously.
Mia didn’t say anything else. She wasn’t in the mood for chit-chat, especially with him. She didn’t like men in bad moods. They always took everything personally and that bothered her. She wondered if he’d regretted asking her to spend the night. She’d told him no. He was the one who’d insisted.
Oh, damn. Men. Who could figure them out?
She reached into her purse and threw the nightgown Amelia had lent her at him. He instinctively snatched it out of the air before it hit him in the face. Glancing down at it, he asked, “What’s this?”
“Take it to Amelia and tell her thank you from me.”
He looked at it like she’d tossed a snake at him. “What am I suppo
sed to do with this until I leave work?”
“Stick it in a drawer. When you go to your car, put it in there.”
“Yeah, that’s all I need is to be caught driving around with a woman’s nightgown in my vehicle. That will sure bring out the hecklers.”
“Lincoln, I may have slept in it, but it’s your sister’s. What’s wrong with it being in your car?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know.”
She tightened her fists. “Then forget about it until you leave tonight.”
“So, you think I’m making too much out of it, huh?”
She shot to her feet. “Listen, last night you asked me to stay at your place because it wasn’t safe for me where I was at. I accepted, and this morning you wake up like I raped you in the middle of the night.”
He reared back, his mouth open in surprise. “I did not.”
“Then what’s this all about? I’m not trying to tarnish your wife’s memory and I damn sure don’t want you sexually. So stop acting like we committed a cardinal sin, for crying out loud.”
Lincoln’s face grew dark with anger. “You’re stepping way out of line, Alverez. I’m just disturbed about what’s going on in our community. It doesn’t have a damn thing to do with me or you.”
“Yeah, right.” She turned back to her desk just as her phone rang. It was a co-worker from Dallas. They were great friends who enjoyed grabbing a beer occasionally. “Sure, I’m up for that tonight,” she said. “Meet me at Frankie’s around seven.”
“Who was that?” Lincoln asked sarcastically. “Business or pleasure?”
“None of your business.” She got up and walked to the door. “I’m going to Denton to talk to the ME and see if she has anything.”
He stood. “Wait and I’ll go with you.”
“No,” she stated loud enough to get Debbie’s attention. “You stay here and be pissed off all day. It’s what you’re good at.”
