by Diane Bator
She gulped and stiffened. She was on a real date for the first time in months. Even more frightening was he knew Ray, who saw her every day. “What else did Ray tell you about me?”
When his gaze darted away, she wasn’t sure if he was thinking or making something up. She knew from experience people tended to look off into space when they concocted stories. Or plotted where to bury bodies.
“That I’m supposed to treat you like a princess and if I break your heart, he’ll write me out of his will.”
“I see. So there’s a financial incentive to this.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t really want his money.” He seemed to miss her point completely. “The worst case scenario is he wouldn’t leave me his car.”
“The beat up old Honda?”
“Hey, I love that old rust bucket.” Danny sounded defensive. “I want to fix it up and give it a new paint job, but he won’t let me.”
“That’s not exactly a good thing to advertise on a first date, you know.”
“That’s funny.” He grinned. “People say you can dig in your heels with the best of them. I hear Ray had a problem with the colors you picked.”
“We have a deal. My building. My colors.” She folded her arms across her chest.
Danny laughed. “I agree.”
“You do?”
“I’d better. You look like you’ll punch me if I don’t.”
Katie covered her face with her hands in embarrassment and her shoulders sagged. “Are you sure we can sit through a meal together?”
“We’ll be separated by a table, right? We should be okay. Unless you don’t think it’s worth the risk.”
She examined him from head to toe. Danny had long, strong legs, narrow hips and broad shoulders that screamed he worked out religiously.
The light breeze tousled his dark hair and he tugged the neck of his leather jacket a little closer. Was he nervous? “You know, if I were made of chocolate, I would’ve melted all over the sidewalk by now.”
She tilted her head. “It’s not that hot out.”
“I meant from the once over you just gave me. Maybe we better sit at separate tables so we don’t light the place on fire.”
With a grimace, Katie brushed past him to the restaurant door and then turned so suddenly he collided with her. His breath warmed her forehead and her breath caught in her throat. “Are you always so rude?”
“Actually, no.”
She ignored the fluttering in her stomach. “So it’s just me you toy with like this? Scary.”
“It would seem so. Do you find me scary?”
Katie turned and grasped the door handle, not wanting to say something she might regret later. The door flew open and smacked her in the face. She backed into Danny, who got tangled in her flowing skirt. They crumpled to the sidewalk in a heap with Katie practically in Danny’s lap.
“What the hell are you doing with my wife?” A large man stood over them.
She sat on the concrete and blinked away the stars that emanated from the pain in her nose. When her vision cleared, she glared at her assailant. “Oh for crying out loud, Mitch, I’m not your wife.”
Mitch Davidson squinted, teetering dangerously for a two-hundred-and-fifty-pound man. His beer-scented breath blasted her as he examined her. “Honey Pie?”
“No, Mitch. It’s Katie from the bookstore.” Her voice was muffled by the hand she held to her throbbing nose. She guessed he’d inhaled a few too many drinks at Happy Hour and hoped a taxi waited nearby. She pushed him away while Danny helped her up.
“You could be my wife.” He belched.
“No, I couldn’t. She apparently puts up with you. I’d…” She wanted to add something violent but glanced at her date and hesitated. She wasn’t that person anymore.
Danny folded his arms across his chest. “Is there a problem?”
“Lately, every time Mitch goes on a bender, he runs into me and thinks I’m his wife. At first it was kind of funny. Now it’s getting old.”
“I take it you two look alike?”
“From what I hear? Absolutely not.” She scowled and pointed Mitch in the direction of a taxi. With any luck he’d forget where his car was until tomorrow.
Mitch wove along the sidewalk, his hands flailing through the air, talking animatedly to no one in particular.
“Scary.” Danny steered her into the restaurant and remained quiet until after they were seated. “Do you have this magnetic personality that draws loonies your way or can you just not play nice with other people?”
“Would that include you?”
“Touché. I had that coming.” He shrugged off his jacket. “Great weather, huh?”
Katie burst into laughter as the waitress brought menus. “Sorry but you have to face it. If you’re related to Ray, it’s in the gene pool.”
“I take it you’ve met some of my relatives.”
“Ray and Nate brought them in to critique the store when it opened. Hannah…”
“My sister? What about her?”
“Nothing.” Katie sat back, surprised by the defensiveness in his voice. “I didn’t know she was your sister. Hannah was the only sweet one of the bunch. She brought the silk plant that’s in the window and gushed about the new colors. She’s come in to browse several times.”
Danny reddened and looked away. “I suppose your family’s a lot more normal.”
Her family wasn’t a safe topic. She ignored the question and pretended to study the menu she knew by heart. She’d sampled everything on the menu at least once since moving to town.
“Katie?”
She looked into his hypnotizing eyes. What was she supposed to say? Technically, she hadn’t dated anyone but Maddox in years.
Their waitress returned with two glasses of water and turned to Danny. “I know you from somewhere, don’t I? You’re Danny Walker. Ray’s nephew. I heard you moved to Newville and became a cop or something.”
“A what?” Katie gasped.
“A cop. He went to school with one of my brothers.” She glanced at Katie and winced. “Sorry. I’m intruding. I’ll be back in a few minutes to take your orders.”
Katie’s heart fluttered, leaving her breathless. “Are you a cop?”
“Would it make a difference?”
“No.” Yes. “You are, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” He placed his napkin on his lap. “I’m also a lousy poker player.”
“Ray said you’re a good mechanic, but he never told me you were a cop. That must be an interesting profession.”
“It has its moments.” Danny toyed with his napkin. “Are you okay? You look kind of pale.”
“Good work, Officer.” What were the odds a fugitive would end up on a date with a police officer? That thought made Katie nauseous and her mind work overtime. She was fascinated yet scared silly. The familiarity from the salon overwhelmed her again. This close up she was sure he was, at the very least, related to the man in Maddox’s office at DMR. His name was Wild, not Walker, but names were easy to change and fake.
So were faces.
A chill seized her. She squinted and tried to picture him with a blond wig and thick beard. Her suspicions grew more alarming. More real. “Sorry. I have a headache. It’s been a long day between all the stock arriving and the whole cat thing.”
He nodded. “It’s probably from when Mitch whacked you in the face with the door. Or from dealing with a dead cat and a blood-stained counter.”
“Yeah. I’m sure that’s it.” More likely, it was from the panic that welled up and threatened to drown her if she didn’t get away from him. If he already suspected her, leaving would make her look guilty. If she stayed, however, she increased the odds of saying something stupid or incriminating.
Her hands shook. She needed to find out what she could. “Well, I’m clearly at a disadvantage here since Ray’s already told you all about me. Why don’t you tell me about you?”
Danny winced. “I hate this part. It’s like skiing downhill
naked.”
“I’ve never tried that.”
“Truthfully, me neither, but it sounds frightening.” He sat back. “Let’s see. I’m a police officer. I’m single. Kids give me hives and I’m allergic to books with no pictures.”
She fingered her cutlery, aware he watched every move she made. “Did you always want to be a cop?”
“My hero when I was growing up was Inspector Clouseau from The Pink Panther movies, which probably says a lot right there. I like the job but it can be frustrating.” He hesitated. “I’m on a case right now that has me banging my head on the walls.”
“What’s it about?” Katie only asked to be polite.
“That’s confidential.”
An uneasy silence fell over them.
“Of course. Sorry.” Her entire life was a major confidentiality issue. Her stomach was being spun in a washing machine. She wanted a glass of wine so badly she could taste it, but drinking with Danny wasn’t an option. There was too much to lose. Too much she might say. She stood up. “Look, this was…I need to go. I’m really not feeling well.”
“Was it something I said?” He threw a bill on the table and followed her out. “That I won’t tell you about my case?”
“No.” Katie kept a brisk pace to Hilda’s house. “It’s just been too long.”
“Since you dated?” Danny walked beside her the entire way. His step never faltered. He already seemed to know where they were going. “Me too. Work keeps me busy. The last time I had a date, I made a total fool of myself. I dropped her off at home then she went and filed a restraining order so she never had to see me again.”
Was he the man who’d followed her the previous night? Katie managed a small smile and shivered so hard she couldn’t swallow. “I don’t believe that. You must have done something pretty nasty.”
“Yeah. I dropped her off and kissed her good night then met her husband when he opened the door.” Danny stopped and studied Hilda’s brick century home. “Nice place. I love the old beveled glass windows. I’ve been looking for a place like this. I’m tired of the city. After a while, the noise and chaos starts to get to me.”
“I just rent a room and help Hilda cook and clean.” Too much information. She needed to stop talking.
“What about tonight?” Danny genuinely seemed concerned.
She caught her breath in admiration. “Laura brought her dinner from Canelli’s Bistro.”
“What about you? You didn’t eat. We could still salvage this date, you know.” Danny waved at Hilda, whose nose pressed up to the window pane, creating little pools of steamy glass.
Hilda waggled her weathered little fingers at him then disappeared. A few seconds later, she opened the front door and yelled loud enough for the neighborhood to hear. “Is this your new boyfriend? Laura said you had a hot stud taking you to dinner tonight. He’s cute. I’m Hilda Clayton.”
Katie was so mortified she couldn’t speak.
Danny climbed the stairs and reached out a hand. “Mrs. Clayton, it’s a pleasure. I’m Danny Walker.”
The soothing scent of lavender swirled around her while she slid a thin hand into his. She giggled when he kissed it like a gentleman. “Don’t be silly. Call me Hilda. You’re not Ally Walker’s grandson, are you? The one who was a police officer in New Mexico for a while? Bet that would’ve been quite an experience, roaming around the desert chasing bad guys. Where are you working these days?”
Katie’s breath caught in her throat and made her cough.
Danny looked a bit embarrassed as he glanced over his shoulder. “I’m in Newville now. Grandma misses everyone at bingo. She’ll be back from Florida by the end of the month. I’m sure she’ll call you.”
“I used to get a ride from Mrs. Morrison, but she died this spring of some heart thing, the poor dear. It’s such a shame. She was only seventy-eight. It seems everyone I know is dropping like flies.” She leaned toward him. “I thought a younger roommate might be a great companion, but Katie acts older than me. At least I remember how to have fun. All she does is work and sleep.”
“That sounds a lot like me lately.”
“Oh really? Well, do you know she hasn’t had one date since she’s moved here? Not until you came along, you handsome boy.” Hilda pinched his cheek and disappeared inside.
Katie gnawed on the inside of her cheek and studied him. “Good night.”
“Already? It’s still early. I thought we could sit and talk for a while.”
“I have a lot to do tomorrow. I need to get some sleep.”
He sighed. “I’m sorry. I should’ve been more upfront about the cop thing. I didn’t want to scare you.”
“Scare me? How? Don’t most people find it comforting to know they’re being escorted by a man with a gun?” Most people who aren’t wanted fugitives, anyway.
He shrugged. “Some people don’t like cops.”
“Some people don’t like secrets.” She was a hypocrite but needed an excuse to escape. “Good night, Danny Walker, if that really is your name.”
“Yeah, it is.” Danny met her gaze. “Is Katie Mullins yours?”
Her heart thudded in her throat and nearly gagged her. She stared at him, hoping to make him realize it was a ridiculous question. “Good night, Danny.”
“This is stupid.” He stood on the top step and bowed his head. “Look, Katie, I know we got off to a bad start. Can we try again sometime?”
She needed to find out more about him before they could ever be alone together again and there were only two people who could tell her what she needed to know. Ray and Hannah. At this point, she wasn’t so sure she wanted to know.
Mostly, she wanted to be left alone to think. If, by a long shot, Danny actually was Donovan Wild, Maddox and his cronies would find her soon. If he was a cop undercover at DMR, she had no idea where his allegiance lay.
Like Donovan Wild, Danny Walker was a wild card.
Back in her room, she reached into her purse and found one of the scraps of her former life she hadn’t bothered to get rid of, the business card for the Wild Blue Detective Agency. Wild must have stuck it in her purse at some point, but when? When were they alone together that night? She couldn’t remember.
She dialed the number, relieved to hear a raspy male voice announce the office was closed. The voice didn’t belong to Wild or Danny, which did nothing to make her feel at ease.
That meant there was yet another player in the game.
Chapter 21
Danny
Danny took a long walk around town to think before he got back on his motorcycle and drove back to Hannah and Nate’s. Katie Mullins was Paulina Chourney. He was positive now since she was too rattled to even sit through one meal with him. Oddly enough, she amused him.
Paulina had spent her days doing DMR business and her nights entertaining not only Maddox, but any man he told her to take good care of. She wore short skirts, g-strings and low-cut blouses. Maddox had even offered her to Danny—Donovan—several times, but he’d declined. He wasn’t into hookers.
Katie Mullins, while the same person physically, seemed to be her polar opposite. She’d erected a wall between her and everyone else. Although Danny was sure he’d caught the occasional glimpse of the real person, from time to time, he had no idea who she really was.
The others were inside the farmhouse, but he needed to be alone with his thoughts for a while longer. He sat outside on the picnic table beneath an old oak and pulled out his cell phone. He wanted to call Katie and make sure she was okay. Instead, he ended up hitting the first number on his speed dial. “Leo, I’ve found Paulina.”
“So you’ve said. What else is new?”
“We went on a date. Sort of.” Danny groaned.
There was silence from the other end of the phone. “When’s the wedding?”
“I might be in trouble.”
“You’re pregnant?”
He scoffed. “Did I wake you or are you acting like a jerk on purpose?”
Leo
chuckled. “Busted, but I’m not acting. What’s going on?”
He was falling for her. “I’m positive she’s a sober version of Paulina. We went out for dinner. She freaked out when she found out I’m a cop and left. I’m not sure what I should do next.”
“You’re asking me for advice? Bro, my track record with women isn’t that good. You’d be better off talking to a tree. Since you’ve asked, keep your distance and call in the big guns if it bothers you that much.”
“I don’t want to lead Maddox and his guys here. I need more time to get her on my side. I need to convince her to testify.” Danny was more concerned about his family and Katie than Paulina, which didn’t make sense since they were the same person.
“Okay, then strap her to the back of your bike and tell her you’re taking her out for dinner with her good friend Maddox.” When Danny remained silent, Leo snorted. “You asked me for help.”
“This isn’t helping.” He sighed.
“You’re getting too involved, Bro. You have to hand Maddox the girl before you’re a dead man or else you have to convince her to be a witness. Does that sum it up?”
“I know. I’ve never had a case like this one.” He rubbed his eyes.
“Have you heard from Bobby?”
Danny narrowed his eyes. “No, why?”
“He’s going to be in your neighborhood soon. The bosses are relocating him so you’ll have backup. He’s got another officer and are tracking down leads on the murder. We’ve crossed a couple names off your list.” He paused. “Did you always think she was cute?”
“Paulina? No. I always thought she was a two-bit slut who thought too much of herself. She’s changed since I last saw her.” Danny couldn’t shake the image of Katie out of his head. She’d been pretty rattled to learn he was a police officer. Another clue she was Paulina or at least had something to hide. “Who did you cross off the list?”
“Attitudes change when you’re trying to survive. I can tell you that firsthand.”
“I know. I’ll see if I can convince her to confess. If she’ll be a witness, I can put her in protective custody. The list, Leo. Who did you cross off?”
