by Diane Bator
He narrowed his eyes. “You don’t know? Didn’t you create this character?”
Lucy squirmed. “Characters have a way of taking on lives of their own.”
Clancy sipped his beer then nodded as though he understood. “So, does she eventually find out what happened to him?”
“Yeah, but I’m not there yet.”
“Ah, still in the planning stages.” Clancy sipped his drink. “So who killed him?”
Her book was half written yet the killer remained elusive, even to her. “I can’t believe you’re asking that.”
He laughed. “Why wouldn’t I? If I’m gonna be killed off in a book, I wanna know how and who-dunnit. That way if you get really mad, I’ll know what to watch out for.”
“I never said the story was based on anyone I know. It’s fiction.” She was offended he’d even suggest the notion until images of the women she’d suspected Roger of killing flashed through her mind. After all Roger had put her through lately, he was one person she could easily picture as a villain. “I’d never kill off anyone I knew.”
“You just said you had a date with a dead guy.” He shrugged. “He’s not dead until you kill him in your book, right?”
“Technically.” She bit her lip, glad he wasn’t privy to the turmoil inside her head. “What are you getting at?”
“So how are you going to kill me?”
“Do you mean right now or in the book?” Lucy wasn’t sure how long she could keep a straight face, but knew she gave herself away when he sat back with a grin and took a long pull of his beer. “I guess you think you’re safe for now, huh?”
“I dunno. You still haven’t told me how you’re going to get me.”
She looked across the yard at the bright explosions of color in the flowerbed and tried not to answer too fast. She didn’t want to look as though she’d given his demise serious thought. Between Clancy’s noisy truck and his annoying attitude, she’d thought about it long and hard. Her notes for a second book were proof. “I’m not sure. I’d probably set a bomb to go off when you opened the hood of your truck.”
He shivered. “You scare me, Lu, that’s cold. Where would someone as sweet as you learn to make a bomb anyway?”
“The Internet’s a wonderful thing.” She raised her wine glass.
“I see. Then I won’t keep you from you research. Although I wouldn’t mind reading your book when you’re done. Maybe help out with some technical details.”
“Really? Maybe.” Doubt crept over her again. What about Clancy made her hold back? The lust? Fear of the unknown? The hurt Roger had dragged her through? She wasn’t ready to rush into anything with anyone.
“Sorry to eat and run, but I should go. I have to call my mom and dad. We’re hoping Mom can come home soon.” He stood up and reached out a hand. “Thanks for lunch, Lucy. I had fun.”
“Date number two.” When she took his hand, he pulled her to her feet. Clancy’s smile nearly made her knees buckle as he pulled her against him so close his heart beat against her chest. Her brain told her to run into the house and lock the door behind her, but her body ached to feel his lips on hers.
When he lowered his head and his warm lips touched hers, her traitorous body refused to shove him away. She became as soft and mushy as warm vanilla icing and melted against him. He wrapped his strong arms around her, their hearts thumping in unison, making her feel alive. Desirable.
“I’m sorry, Lucy. This is a really bad idea.” Clancy breathed then backed away, closing his eyes as though taking a mental picture. He turned and walked out of her backyard, closing the gate behind him.
Alone in the backyard, Lucy was left breathless and vibrating from head-to-toe. She poured the last ounce of wine into her glass, her hands shaking. After she’d cleaned up the lunch dishes and locked every door, she returned to her computer.
Clancy was a detective. A handsome hunk of private eye, she’d almost fallen for and let kiss her in the backyard for that brief moment she stopped thinking. She pulled out a file folder she’d shoved a bunch of pictures and articles into earlier then took another sip of wine. How was she supposed to get any work done when all she could think about were Clancy’s arms around her and his lips pressed to hers?
Lucy sighed and swallowed the rest of her wine. That wasn’t all she could think about. She set everything aside and went to take a long, cold shower.
After a bracing shower, she’d changed into shorts and a tank top then walked barefoot across the backyard. She had to do something to keep her hands busy before she hyperventilated. The garden offered a temporary escape. She pulled her gardening tools out of the bench on the deck and started pulling weeds. In the far corner of the yard near the fence, something seemed out of place. Although she hadn’t done any digging in the yard lately, a patch of dried out dirt lay overturned as though someone had dug up the spot recently.
Lucy’s heart leaped into her throat as she recalled the dark figure she’d seen in Mitch’s backyard. She walked toward the corner, glancing around for any signs of wildlife. Skunks might dig for grubs, but they certainly didn’t fill in the holes they left behind. Her pulse raced as knelt on the grass at the edge of the flower bed and reached out a hand.
“Oh good. Lucy, you’re home.” Mitch’s wife April stood on her back porch.
She jumped. “Wow. April. You scared me.”
April Davidson, overweight and sweating so badly her shirt was drenched, pushed her short hair back over her ear. “Sorry to bother you, but could you give me a hand? I need help moving some plants around my backyard. I promise it won’t take long.”
The offer was better than being alone with writer’s block, chronic lust, and a case of borderline insanity. “Sure, I need a break anyway. My eyes are crossed and my brain hurts.”
Lucy grabbed her gardening tools and strolled around the fence to her neighbor’s yard where holes dotted the earth waiting to swallow the roots of plants that quivered in nearby pots. A couple of Japanese maple trees, a half dozen grasses and shrubs, and a couple of lilies.
“My mom can’t take care of herself like she used to.” Sweat already decorated April’s forehead. “She’s moving in with us next month and I want to make the yard a place we can all sit and relax.”
“Aren’t I the lucky one.” Mitch groaned and jabbed his shovel into the earth near the deck. “Once she moves in, I’ll get to live with two nagging women.”
Lucy wiped her hands on her shorts. “Those maples would look great along the corner of the fence in the bigger holes. You could sit under them for shade in a year or two. I know someone from the school who had some lilac trees to get rid of. I could give her a call.”
April beamed. “I knew you’d be the right person to talk to. You’re such a smart lady.”
So smart she never saw Roger for what he really was until it was too late. She brushed the thought aside and helped April drop the remaining plants into yawning holes. On the upside, maybe there was a future for her in landscape. In the far corner of the yard, she found a spot similar to the one she’d found in her yard where someone had dug a hole then refilled it. Her breath came in shallow gulps.
“Ready for a break, ladies?” Mitch stumbled over to sit on the deck and sat back with a frosty beer. He opened two bottles.
Lucy turned away from the patch of rough dirt and frowned. Had Mitch and April buried something or had someone hidden something on their property? The figure she saw in the dark of night, perhaps.
April blew out a tired breath. “Yes, I’ll have wine instead.”
While Lucy didn’t like beer, the sight of the wet bottles made her swoon. She wiped her gritty arm across her forehead in need of a drink for a multitude of reasons. She raised her bottle and studied the label. “I can’t remember the last time I drank beer.”
“I can and I’ll never touch the stuff again.” April moaned. “Hey, didn’t you guys have a pool up earlier this summer? What happened to it?”
“I don’t know.” She to
ok a sip then shrugged. “It was fine when we went to bed one night. The next morning there was had a big hole in the side and was flat.”
Mitch raised his thick eyebrows. “That’s weird. You sure Roger didn’t pop it? He did want an in-ground pool and hated the blue one.”
“Roger was already gone when I bought it. The kids aren’t impressed. They’ve had to make due with a sheet of plastic as a waterslide all summer.” The beer made Lucy’s brain bubble. “When did you talk to Roger last?”
“A couple weeks ago.” Mitch shifted in his seat and glanced away.
Lucy nodded. The kids must have told Roger about the pool.
“Do you guys want anything?” April stood up with one hand on her lower back and shuffled toward the patio door.
“Sciatica acting up again?” Mitch asked. “I’ll to talk to Clancy about using the hot tub.”
“They have a hot tub?” Faint alarm bells clanged in the reaches of Lucy’s mind.
“Sure. Take a look. Weren’t you ever in their backyard?” Mitch asked. “Mel had Roger over a couple times. I guess I assumed you would’ve gone too.”
She rose from her chair with a half-empty beer bottle clutched in one hand. Several trees blocked most of the Davidson’s yard from view, but the rim of a hot tub was visible on the deck near the house. If she told her kids, they’d plead to go visit every night of the week.
April brought out two more cold beers and the bottle of wine. When she disappeared again, she returned with the remains of a two layer chocolate cake and three forks.
“Maybe you should come with us.” Mitch shrugged. “Put on a little bikini and soak with us. Who knows what could happen?”
Lucy had a good idea of what he thought could happen, which was the biggest reason for her not to join them. “No thanks, I need to shower, drop off some resumes, and write.”
“Bah.” Mitch waved her off. “Stay. Relax. We’ll go hang out at Clancy’s later. You need to have a little fun in your life.”
“Maybe.” The cold brew went down so well after the physical labor, Lucy drank three bottles and polished off her share of the cake. “I’d better go before I can’t turn on my computer, let alone write anything. I still have deadlines to meet.” April patted her hand. “You still have lots of time. I agree with Mitch. Come over to Clancy’s with us so we can all get to know you better.”
“Yeah.” Mitch picked up the phone and called Clancy. “Hey, can we pop over to use the hot tub later? Yeah, April’s back is acting up. She and Lucy worked their butts off in the backyard today.”
Lucy’s mind wandered. Roger had sweet talked her into their first date by sweeping her off her feet with flowers, gifts, and trips. He’d conned her from the start and she’d been gullible and naive. The perfect alibi all along.
She kicked the table leg as she pushed back her chair. Her throat tightened as she gathered her tools. “I’ll call my friend about those trees. She should be home. I’ll let you know later. Thanks for the cake and beer. I have to run.”
Lucy darted across both yards so fast she lost a flip-flop in the grass near her gate. Her foot landed on a shard of glass she and Clancy had missed. Injured, overwhelmed, and missing her kids, she collapsed onto the grass and let the tears fall.
Chapter 15 ~ Danny
Danny spotted Lucy emerge from Mitch’s gate with a bucket full of gardening tools then fall onto her hands and knees on the front lawn. Tempted as he was to make sure she was okay, he needed to remain anonymous for a little longer. He pulled a u-turn up the street and parked around the corner where he could still see her.
Had she and Mitch had tied one on and spent the afternoon in his bedroom? That thought vanished when April came out the gate and looked around then wandered back into her back yard.
He started to roll down his window, but his cell phone rang. One glance at the screen made his stomach sink. Ray Colter.
“Where have you been? I haven’t seen you in days.” His great-uncle sounded peeved.
“Don’t be so dramatic.” Danny grinned. “I just saw you at dinner last Sunday.”
He snorted. “Well, then I must’ve been hallucinating because I thought it was just me and Katie at Hannah’s the other night. She said you and Leo were busy with work.”
Danny groaned. Sunday was when he’d sat in his car waiting for Roger to show up. Two days ago. “She was right. I was busy.”
“You’re on a case, aren’t you?” Ray didn’t sound surprised. “Despite the fact your shrink told you to take it easy and get a hobby? I’ve heard rumors you have a case here in town.”
“Yes.” Danny knew exactly what was coming next.
“Can I help?” Ray asked. “I did a ton of surveillance in my day. I can keep an eye on people like it’s nobody’s business.”
Danny stiffened. “How do you know I’m doing surveillance?”
“I’ve had three people call asking why my hunk of junk car was parked on Bishop Street lately. At first, I joked I had a new girlfriend then they asked why you’re spying on their neighbor.” Ray was nearly eighty and sharper than aged cheddar. “So, who are you spying on?”
Danny shouldn’t have bothered trying to do undercover work in his hometown. Leo and Clancy could have done the legwork without anyone noticing. “Nobody, Ray.”
“Come pick me up so I can help. We can spy on your nobody together.”
Clancy pulled into his driveway and got out with a bag of groceries. He glanced at Lucy crawling around on the grass, then shot a worried look at Danny and set the bag back into his car.
Danny sighed. “Give me a few more minutes, Uncle Ray. I’ll pick you up and we can go for coffee.”
“Sounds good. You can fill me in on the case then.” Besides Hannah, Ray was the one person he could never keep secrets from. “Maybe we can take a drive and you can show me what you’ve done to the house before you take me out for dinner. What time are you picking me up?”
A hum came from the seat next to Danny as Clancy turned on the voice recorder and walked over to see if Lucy needed help. Danny wanted to hang up so he could hear every word they said. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
Ray snorted. “You’d better be. Dinner tonight is meatloaf. Worst night of the week.”
Across the street, Lucy sat back on her heels and brushed hair out of her face. She crawled over and sat beside Clancy on her front step. She covered her face with both hands. “This really isn’t as bad as it seems. I must look like an idiot.”
Clancy patted her back. “I get it. You’re having a rough week.”
“How do you know what my week’s been like?” she asked. “You don’t know me. You don’t know anything about me.”
“I know you’re a good mom who’s not normally plastered at five o’clock in the afternoon.” Clancy rested his hand on her far shoulder.
“I’m not plastered. I’m researching ants for a new book.” She scowled then turned to face him. “Did you know if you pour molten aluminum down their hole, you not only get rid of them all, but you can make a cool sculpture?”
Danny couldn’t help but laugh Clancy’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped.
“Really?” Clancy sounded amused. “Where’d you see that?”
“The Internet. I’d really like to try it, but I don’t know where to find molten aluminum.” Lucy rose and stumbled into her house.
Clancy glanced toward Danny then waved for Danny to leave before he followed her inside. “She’s a mess. I’m going to get her out of the house for a while before she completely loses her mind. Maybe she’ll loosen up and start talking.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Danny hesitated, not ready to leave until he knew what Clancy was really up to. Less than ten minutes later, Clancy herded Lucy into his car.. Danny blew out a relieved breath and followed them to the corner. When Clancy signaled to go left, Danny went right. He needed to trust Clancy to do his job.
By the time Danny pulled in front of the seniors’ home, Ray stood on the curb tapping
his toe. He slid into the passenger seat and wedged his cane in between them. “You’re late.”
“Yeah. Sorry.” The curved cane handle dug into Danny’s arm.
His left eyebrow rose. “You have a fight with Katie?”
“No, I haven’t seen her today. Actually, we should stop in at the bookstore before we go to the house.”
Ray grabbed the gearshift before Danny could move the car. “Then what’s eating’ ya?”
“I’m worried about someone. No big deal, it’ll be fine.” He pulled out of the parking lot and drove down the street to Java Jo’s. Clancy’s car sat in front of the coffee shop. “Maybe we should go somewhere else.”
“Works for me. I’ve been craving a big fat donut. You wanna go to the bakery?” Ray asked. “All they’ve had for dessert at the home all week is vanilla pudding. I’ve got teeth and taste buds left, I want a good donut.”
His mouth watered at the thought. Daisy’s Bakery was an even better option even if the donuts weren’t as good as when Clancy’s mom was in the kitchen. “Sure.”
Armed with a half dozen donuts and two large coffees, Danny drove out to his house while Ray prattled on about life in the seniors' home. For an eighty year old, Ray had a busier social life than Danny these days.
The semi-renovated house hadn’t changed since a day or so earlier. No one had magically painted the trim or fixed the sagging rail on the porch. In short, the place still looked neglected.
Ray strolled around the tools and paint cans through the lower level. “Nice bookshelves. Nate build those?”
“Yeah. Katie and I painted.” He chuckled. “Leo held down the sawhorse.”
Ray’s laugh echoed through the empty house. “Leo’s good at a lot of things, but I don’t see carpentry in his future.”
Give him a computer, Leo could hack it. Give him an opponent, Leo could take him down. Give him a piece of wood and a hammer, Leo ran for the hills. He was like that with women and children too.
“You’re worried about Clancy, aren’t you?” Ray asked.
