And that quickly she was thinking about that kiss again. He might regret doing it, but that didn’t change what it had been. Not for her, anyway. Maybe it simply hadn’t been that hot, that consuming for him. Maybe he kissed women all the time. Maybe he kissed one particular woman all the time.
No. He would never have kissed you if there was a permanent partner in his life. That’s not the kind of man he is.
And she was more certain of that than she’d been of anything in her chaotic, ridiculous life lately.
CHAPTER 24
“You’ve got two choices,” Brady said, sounding more grim than he’d meant to. He was pacing again, now that they were back inside. It had started to rain, accelerating the melt, and they’d managed to get back in before they—or the dog—got too wet.
“Only two?” Ashley said rather dryly.
He turned back to look at her. Smiling despite the problem they were chewing on. Because more and more sparks of humor and wit were breaking through, and he liked seeing it.
“Two that lead to all the rest,” he elaborated.
“Naturally.” She sighed. “Go ahead.”
“Either Andler knew or didn’t know. About the meds.”
She nodded slowly. “If he didn’t, he’s incompetent. But if he did… I don’t know what that means.”
“We need to know what he did give you before we can guess at that.”
“And how do we do that?” Ashley asked. “There must be hundreds of plain, big, white, oval pills out there.”
“We need a sample,” Hayley said. “We have people who can figure out what’s in them.”
“Of course you do.” Ashley gave the other woman a smile. “Have I mentioned how glad I am you’re all on my side? Even if…nothing changes, it’s a wonderful feeling.”
Her gaze flicked to Brady. Only for an instant, but it was enough to make his pulse jump. And suddenly he was remembering that kiss that never should have happened.
I’m not sorry it did.
Her words echoed in his head, and it took an effort to rein in a body that was suggesting rather hotly that he pursue that.
“I could go back home and get them,” Ashley said.
“No!” Brady snapped, so sharply she drew back slightly. He reined in the sudden bolt of alarm that had shot through him. “I just mean you shouldn’t risk it until we know exactly what’s going on.”
“Risk?”
It was Hayley who said gently, “Ashley, you’re a wanted felon in the eyes of any law enforcement except Brady.”
She paled. She turned a shocked gaze on him. “I didn’t look at it that way. I didn’t think about what would have happened if someone else had found me. Some other deputy who…wouldn’t listen. Or believe.”
“That’s not important now. What is is how do we…”
His voice trailed off as something occurred to him. She started to speak but stopped when he held up a hand, his brow furrowed as he thought. Then he focused on her again. “Where are your pills?”
“In my bathroom, in the medicine cabinet. Bottom shelf. It’s the only thing on that shelf.”
“Prescription bottle?”
She nodded. “Labeled as…the real thing.”
“That key you had on you…it’s the house key?”
“Yes. I didn’t want to leave the house unlocked.”
Something tugged at him deep inside. And without thinking about it, he reached out and cupped her face in his hands. He heard her suck in a breath at the touch, felt the sudden heat rising in himself at the feel of her soft, smooth skin beneath his fingers. Ignored it for the more important thing at this moment. “Even then, you were thinking that clearly. Remember that, Ashley.”
Her eyes widened slightly, as if she hadn’t realized that. It was one of the harder things he’d done in these last four days, but he broke the contact. He turned to look at Quinn, trying to think of how to explain the idea that had come to him.
“It might work,” Quinn said before he could speak. “But maybe you should let us do it. Nobody would recognize us.”
Brady didn’t question how the man had guessed. “And therefore would likely call you in as a burglar,” he pointed out. “Besides, what if someone’s there? Her mother, even?”
“What are you talking about doing?” Ashley said, staring at them both.
He turned back to her. “I’m going to go get those meds.”
She stared at him. “You’re going to break into the house?”
“No, because you’re going to give me that key.”
“But what if my mother is there, like you said?”
“Then I’m there officially. Looking for signs you might have snuck back to the house for something, since you took nothing with you. Nobody else knows I have any connection other than prior contact. Which I could play as enough to explain why I’m…interested.”
“But she needs to know I’m all right,” Ashley said. “I know she has to be half out of her mind with worry.”
He hesitated then. Glanced at Quinn, who nodded, then said, “And once her relief fades, if she finds out Brady has known where you are all along and let her worry, her first instinct will likely be to hang him out to dry.”
“And,” Hayley added, “given her connection to the sheriff, it’s likely she could make life very ugly for him if she’s upset enough.”
“But if I begged her not to, she’d call it off—”
“That’s not a bell you can unring,” Brady said flatly.
Ashley looked away for a moment, then got to her feet and hurried out of the room. Brady watched her go, wondering if this was simply too much for her, if he just should have snagged the key somehow and done it. He saw Quinn say something softly to Hayley, who nodded and took out her phone and walked toward the kitchen, apparently to make a call. But then Ashley was back. And she held the ring with the house-shaped fob and the single key.
“She put them on that so I’d remember what it was for,” Ashley said with a grimace when she saw him looking at the little silver decoration. “She told me I was confused enough to forget.”
That suspicion he’d developed stirred anew, but Brady kept it to himself for the moment. He took the key. “Thanks. And for trusting me.”
“I think you have that backward.”
Hayley came back before he could answer, a relief since he didn’t know what to say. “The mayor’s office says she’s out, they don’t know where or when she might be back. They explained she’s had a family crisis.”
Ashley winced at that. Brady said briskly, “So she could be home or somewhere else.”
Quinn nodded. “If you have the option of getting in and out unseen, I recommend you leave everything else as it is. Just grab a pill out of the bottle and leave it.”
He nodded. Hayley got up and went quickly to the kitchen, coming back with a small zip-seal baggie, which she handed to him.
“Once you’ve got it,” Quinn went on, “we’ll get it to our guy and find out just what we’re dealing with.”
Brady thought about asking just how they would do that, but he decided it didn’t matter just now. Besides, why would he doubt that the people who apparently had the likes of Gavin de Marco on speed dial could do anything they said they could?
“And Quinn will be in the area,” Hayley said. “We’ll give you a Foxworth phone, which has a walkie-talkie function, so we can all be in direct, live contact, just in case.”
Brady frowned. That would leave Hayley here alone with Ashley.
“I’m trusting you,” Ashley said softly.
He looked at her. Realized what she meant, that she was trusting him, so he should trust her in turn. And she had a point. He was in this now—he’d already violated everything he believed in, so what was a little thing like leaving a wanted felon in the custody of a civilian? Although he
had a feeling Hayley Foxworth could more than take care of herself. In fact, he knew it, now that he thought about it, because there was no way in hell Quinn would leave his wife in a situation she couldn’t handle.
“All right,” he said softly. He glanced at his watch. It was late afternoon, and Lieutenant Becker would be off duty soon. “I should call my lieutenant back. See if there are any new developments that might affect this…idea.”
Quinn nodded. “Speaker, if you don’t mind?”
Brady nodded. “Save time.” He pulled out his phone and made the call.
“Crenshaw? About time.”
“Sorry,” he said. “I’ve been…in the mountains.” Not exactly a lie.
“I figured when I had somebody go by your place and you weren’t there.” So he’d been right not to go home. Brady saw Quinn raise a brow as if to say “Good call.” Becker went on. “Seriously, though, sorry to bother you on vacation. Although why you’d take one in the dead of winter is beyond me.”
“Just crazy, I guess.” Definitely not a lie. “So what’s the status?”
“Suspect is still missing. Couple of sighting reports, but nothing that panned out.”
He glanced at Ashley, at her worried expression. “How’s the victim?” he asked.
“Physically, she’s on the mend. But she’s worried sick about her daughter. Fought us on going with the higher charge.”
“Does she have any idea where—” he had to stop himself from saying Ashley “—she might have gone?”
“A couple, but they all turned up negative. I just thought since you’re the only one on the department who’s had recent contact with her, and with your…experience with Liz, you might have picked up on something.”
He’d forgotten Becker had known Liz. Had warned him about her, in fact. He hastened to head that off before his pitiful romantic past got broadcast to the room. “Not that I can think of right now. I’m going to head into town in a bit—maybe that’ll jog something loose.”
“Anything,” Becker said, sounding very harassed. “The mayor can be a pain in the—”
“I’ll bet.” He said it quickly; it might be true, but Ashley didn’t need to hear it. Not now, with everything else she had to deal with.
He looked at Quinn as he ended the call. “A go?”
“Your call,” Quinn said.
Brady nodded. “I’ll go change. Better in uniform, I think. That’ll be expected.”
Quinn nodded, then looked at Ashley. “Can you draw him a layout of the house, where to look?”
She nodded quickly. “Of course.”
Brady had turned to go when Quinn spoke again. “I know how this feels, Brady.”
He looked back. Saw the understanding in the other man’s face. And he guessed Foxworth did know, in a very personal way, what it felt like to go against all your training, all your beliefs.
“The only thing I can tell you,” Quinn said quietly, “is that injustice feels worse.”
“Good enough,” he said. And went to suit up.
CHAPTER 25
“He’s a very special man,” Ashley said to Hayley as the other woman watched her husband from where they were sitting at the kitchen counter. She caught herself before reaching for yet another of the delicious cookies Hayley had baked.
“He is. And,” Hayley added, with a rather pointed look at Ashley, “so is Brady Crenshaw.”
“I know.” The words came out barely above a whisper. “I don’t know why he decided to help me. I don’t know why any of you did.”
“Because of those things we believe in and stand for,” Hayley said. “We may not get the results we’d like to see for you, but what we will get is you being treated fairly.”
She said it with such solid confidence Ashley shook her head in wonder. It had all seemed insurmountable to her such a short time ago, but now…she dared to hope. And then, although she hadn’t wanted to, she asked aloud, “I wonder who Liz is. Or was.”
Hayley gave her a steady look. “Do you really want to know?”
Ashley blinked. “You mean…you do?”
“Told you Ty was the best.”
“You…investigated Brady?”
“I wouldn’t say it went that far, but Quinn always likes to know who he’s dealing with.”
“Oh.”
“And Brady is exactly the kind of man Foxworth looks for. The best kind.”
She knew if she didn’t push, Hayley would leave it there. But she couldn’t seem to help herself. “And… Liz?”
“The woman he was engaged to, three years ago.”
“Oh.” She wasn’t surprised—there would have to be someone he was serious about. And what woman in her right mind wouldn’t be serious about a man like Brady?
In her right mind…
She nearly laughed out loud. Because being of right mind had nothing to do with being attracted—okay, beyond attracted—to Brady Crenshaw. She was living proof of that.
“It ended a couple of months before the wedding date. Any more than that is his to tell you, or not,” Hayley said. “Assuming you’re interested.”
Ashley sighed. “If there’s anything I’m sure of in all this, it’s that I have no business even thinking about him that way.”
Hayley gave her a rather amused smile. “I think it may be time to tell you about Cutter’s other talent.”
Ashley leaned down over the dog and kissed the top of his head. Cutter swiped his tongue over the tip of her nose, making her laugh. “I think his existing talents are quite enough.”
“Yes,” Hayley said with a wide smile. “But there is another one. With an equal track record.”
“Oh?”
“He’s a matchmaker. And a very successful one.”
Ashley blinked. “What?”
“Counting Quinn and me, he’s brought together, or brought back together, ten couples.”
“He…what? He brought you and Quinn together? I thought Quinn…kidnapped you.”
“He did. But the only reason I was there to be kidnapped was Cutter. He fell in love with Quinn at first sight and led me right into it.” Hayley grinned. “I, on the other hand, took more convincing.”
“I’ll bet,” Ashley said, thinking this was the craziest thing she’d heard yet.
“So far he’s brought together or reunited four of our clients with their perfect match. And two of our Foxworth guys, plus our friend Detective Dunbar. And my brother. Oh, and Gavin de Marco.”
Ashley knew she was gaping at the woman now. “Cutter brought them all together…how?”
“He has his ways.” Hayley smiled sweetly. “Has he nudged you into sitting next to Brady? Maybe herded Brady toward you?”
“I…” She looked back down at the dog, who looked up at her with those dark, amber-flecked eyes, eyes that suddenly seemed ancient and wise. “Yes.”
“I thought so.”
“Wait, are you saying he’s trying to matchmake us?”
“And he has a one hundred percent success rate.”
Ashley felt a little leaping sensation inside. Wishful thinking. She quashed it. “Believe me,” she said, “Brady deserves a lot better. Cutter should look elsewhere.”
“Did I mention he never gives up?”
Ashley shook her head as she shifted her gaze back to Hayley. “You know what a mess I am,” she said miserably. “Why would he wish me on a good man like Brady?”
“I know what a mess your life is right now,” Hayley corrected. “And that’s as far as I’ll go until we have some answers.”
And all Ashley could think was what a sad state of affairs her life was when that was a hope worth clinging to.
* * *
He would never make it as a burglar, Brady thought, because even with the key and permission of one of the residents, he didn’t like this
. He was more of an up-front, out-in-the-open kind of guy.
Of course, the fact that that resident was a fugitive and the other was the mayor of this place might have something to do with it. Which thought brought him back to what he’d seen when they had, at Quinn’s suggestion, stopped near city hall for Quinn to make a second call to see if the mayor had returned. They’d taken his marked SUV to further the story of this being official if necessary. He hadn’t ridden with a partner since his days as a trainee, but he couldn’t think of a better choice than Foxworth. The guy was the kind of man who would always have your back.
And in the moment when he’d been told she had just left again, Brady had looked up and seen the woman, exiting the front entrance. She had turned left at the bottom of the steps and proceeded down the street with obvious purpose. And she had looked, to Brady, not worried but angry.
But he’d said nothing. Nor had Quinn, even when he’d pulled the binoculars out of the unit’s equipment box and focused them on the woman striding down the sidewalk. What had begun as a hunch became a certainty when she turned at the two-story building halfway down the block and vanished inside.
His jaw had tightened as he lowered the binoculars. “The shrink’s office,” he had muttered to Quinn. Who had been not in the least surprised.
“At least we know she’s not at home,” he’d said mildly as Brady started the unit and they headed for the house. But Brady had guessed the man was pondering the likelihoods just as he was.
Ashley had told him the key would also work on the back door, and given that area was much more hidden from general view than the front, he and Quinn had agreed on that approach. The seven-foot wooden fence that surrounded the backyard wasn’t much of a challenge, and within seconds of clearing it, he was at the back door and blocked by the shape of the house from the neighbor’s line of sight. He slid the key into the dead-bolt lock and turned it. It was a little stiff, as if this door didn’t get used much, but with a little bit more oomph, it went.
He stepped inside quickly and shut the door behind him. He looked where Ashley had told him and saw the alarm panel. He felt a brief qualm as it flashed red at him; if this was where Ashley’s mind hit a new glitch, he was going to have some hefty explaining to do. But he quickly keyed in the pass code she’d given him—It’s the date she was first elected—and the lights turned green. Well, that figured. If there was a date that woman would be unlikely to forget, it was that of her rise to local power.
Harlequin Romantic Suspense December 2020 Box Set Page 64
