by Alexa Verde
Should she feel flattered or offended?
She chose neither as she followed Ross. Since Karli’s death, he hadn’t aged well, either. An obvious hair transplant did nothing to hide the fact that his blond hair was thinning, and as if to compensate for the hair loss, he’d grown a wispy ginger mustache and beard. Broken veins on his nose and chin suggested he’d become a heavy drinker. Probably, he had been headed for a bar.
So different from the handsome guy Karli had fallen in love with.
After a few steps, she exchanged glances with Colt. “I’ll have to take off the handcuffs,” she mouthed.
He nodded. She doubted Ross would try running again.
Inside, his mansion held a combination of shiny modern technology and blingy faux-luxe furnishings that screamed “Look at me!” She plunked herself on the oversized red velvet sofa without waiting for an invitation. After all, she wouldn’t get one.
Colt claimed an armchair nearby.
His movements unsteady, Ross poured himself a glass of whiskey. Considering the extensive range of liquor bottles lining the mirrored wall above his bar, why would he need to go out to drink?
“I need this.” After taking a large sip, Ross sank onto the other end of the couch as far as he could get away from her. He’d better not drive anywhere after this.
She studied him. “I know we had some unpleasant conversations after Karli’s death. But that’s not enough for you to take off like this. What happened?”
“You tried to pin Karli’s murder on me. I knew you’d try to pin this one on me, too.” Ross still whined the words, though now he lounged back as if feeling more confident at home.
She winced, hoping that didn’t mean what she thought it did. “This one?”
“There was a murder in the northern part of Austin,” Colt said slowly. “A young woman was stabbed to death. A bouquet of daisies was left on her body.”
No, no, no. She’d been terrified that might happen. Somebody taunting her with her past was one thing. A new murder was totally different. Mirabella’s rib cage constricted. The poor girl and her family!
“Colt, when did you know?” Her brows lowered, and her hands formed fists. She couldn’t quite keep an accusatory note from her voice.
A better question would be, Why didn’t he tell her? A vise squeezed her heart. So this was how it felt when people she cared about kept secrets. Had Colt felt like this about her secrets? Did he still feel like this?
No time to think about her marriage, when another innocent girl had been murdered.
Colt’s lips quirked to the side, and he spread his hands. “I saw it online on my phone right before you parked at Scarlett’s house. I didn’t want to worry you yet.”
So the reason he’d paled hadn’t been because of her driving.
Now, it was even more imperative to find who was behind the warnings to her and how they were connected to last night’s murder. She closed her eyes, reluctant to see the truth, then opened them slowly. Urgency for the answers pulsed through her.
How she wished she still had Brett’s resources at her fingertips.
“Did they give any details on the news?” She didn’t look at either Colt or Ross. Whoever answered first was fine with her.
Liquid sloshing into the glass was her answer from Ross.
“Only that she was stabbed multiple times and that daisies were found on her.” Colt rubbed his face. Possibly, he’d come to the same conclusion she had. She’d be the killer’s next target.
Maybe, she’d been his intended victim last night, but she’d evaded him.
She filed the information away. Thankfully, she still had some resources and had recovered part of the network that worked so well for her before she’d vanished.
She leaned forward. “Did they say what time she was killed?”
Colt lifted a shoulder. “Sometime yesterday evening, but they didn’t give a specific time.”
She returned her attention to Ross, who gulped down the rest of the amber liquid in his glass. The strong scent of alcohol soured the room. “Just out of curiosity, where did you spend the night?”
“I don’t see how it’s any business of yours.” Ross placed the glass on the table with a thump.
“Be nice to the lady.” Colt stood and took a step forward.
“Something tells me you don’t have an alibi.” Watching Ross closely, she caught his tell. A quick widening of his eyes.
“I was here. I had a few drinks, then went to bed and slept peacefully.” Ross growled in a very nonpeaceful manner. “And why would I need an alibi? I have no connection to the murdered girl.”
“I hope not.” He probably wasn’t lying. The amount of alcohol he’d already gulped down corroborated his story. She made an attempt to force her twisted lips into a smile. “I need you to arrange a meeting with Scarlett for us.”
“Right.” Ross snorted. “Why would I do that?”
“I could come up with a few reasons.” Colt stretched a little, which showcased his muscles. Not that she was staring, of course.
“Come on. Ask her to come here.” She infused her voice with polite notes. Okay, Ross shouldn’t be driving, and dragging him to Scarlett’s house wouldn’t be the best option. “She didn’t answer when I knocked on her door, and I don’t want to waste time on a stakeout.”
“Not my issue.” Ross sloshed whiskey in his glass, but at least, didn’t drink it this time.
“It would get us out of your hair. And I’ll be honest, I’m gearing up for a long lecture that you’re drinking entirely too much.” She gave Ross another smile, brighter this time. “You could call her and tell her you want to make up. I imagine you’ve done it so many times you have it down to a science by now.” She glanced at Colt. “No offense to scientists intended.”
“None taken.” He smiled at her.
Oh, that smile…
It had never stopped making her swoon. She looked away. Swooning and investigating were never a good combination.
Ask her how she knew.
“Insulting me isn’t a good way to make me cooperate.” Doubt in Ross’s voice suggested he was considering her request. And he put the glass on the table without drinking from it. She’d have to save her lecture for some other time.
Colt lifted the cell phone from the coffee table and handed it to Ross. “Now would be a good time. Before your speech becomes so slurred Scarlett can’t understand you.”
“What did I say about insulting me?” Despite his protest, Ross accepted his phone.
He swiped it, then pressed it to his ear. A few moments later, he said, “Scarlett, I miss you. How about we get back together?” He listened for some time, then said, “Okay. Bye.”
He disconnected and plunked the phone on the table. “Well, I tried. Now, would you leave me alone?” He reached for the glass.
“Not so fast.” Colt handed him the phone. “Try again.”
“Please,” Mirabella added.
“You’re not going to leave before I do, are you?” Ross groaned. “I could call the police. This is trespassing. I could sue you.”
Colt rolled his eyes. “Do you really want us to explain to the police why we’re here?”
And Ross snatched the phone. “Fine.” He called Scarlett again. This time he did it properly, bringing up all the good times they had and apologizing profusely.
Mirabella came close to high-fiving Colt, the way Corbin and Kitty often high-fived each other. She ached to call the twins again, but it would have to wait until they were done here. So strange that her love for the children overcame her with such force now and not when they’d been babies. She’d loved them then, yes, but in the beginning, they reminded her too much of her infertility, her husband humiliating her over it, and then ultimately betraying her.
Now her heart swelled any time she saw their smiles or even thought of them.
It was so much easier to appreciate something—or somebody—after losing them. After losing Colt and coming back to T
exas, she could see now how much he meant to her.
Was it too late to start over? She couldn’t ask him for a second chance. She’d hurt him too much, and if her life was in danger and something happened to her, she’d hurt him again. Her shoulders sagged. So many mistakes in her life. So many things she couldn’t forgive herself for.
“I’d love to see you. Could you stop by my place in, let’s say, half an hour? I have a gift for you.” Ross slumped back in his seat. “Can’t wait to see you, my love.”
He disconnected, then glared at them. “Happy now?”
“Ecstatic.” Colt nodded.
Ross placed the phone in the back pocket of his jeans—obviously not wanting to repeat his mistake by putting it on the coffee table—and snatched the whiskey glass.
Mirabella pried it out of his fingers, not too gently. “Oh no, you don’t. We want you to walk to open the door for Scarlett, not crawl to it.”
Ross groaned again. “I can’t deal with that woman sober!”
Mirabella held on to the glass. “Nope. Sorry.”
Ross looked at the whiskey with tenderness and gave out a long-suffering sigh. “You people have no pity.”
“Not when I’m trying to find a murderer, no.”
She opened a few files on her phone. Best to use the waiting time wisely.
A thought entered her mind. What if? No, that couldn’t be.
Could it?
Opening her contacts list, she pulled up the number for one of her acquaintances, a guy with excellent resources. She’d helped him many times in the past, so she didn’t doubt he’d come through for her if he could.
She typed in a text. I need your help with something. Then she entered the details.
His reply took a minute or two. On it.
Next, she needed any information she could get about the murdered girl. Match up the similarities with the previous murders, spot the differences. Find anything that could lead her to the murderer.
Please, Lord, please. Help me stop the killer. Before they kill again.
Chapter Sixteen
Mirabella went through a list of names in her mind. Policemen she’d helped solve tough cases. She chose the person most likely to help her, still working for the police department. One of the cases she’d helped with was the murder of his sister. She sent a quick text. While he couldn’t share many details of the ongoing investigation or their suspects, maybe he could give her something.
She found the replay of the cable TV news report on the internet and went through it several times.
Yes! She made a fist pump. She knew the reporter, and they’d crossed paths in the last year. Mirabella had helped her daughter when she’d mixed with the wrong crowd and came close to trouble with the law. While Aster and Mirabella hadn’t become friends, exactly, they’d remained on good terms. Aster had even given Mirabella a few pointers. Both professionals at what they did, they had strong mutual respect.
Mirabella was about to reach out to Aster when a text came through.
You might be interested in this. I did a report on the new victim of the Daisy Killer, and I know you have a history with the case. Meet up for lunch?
Mirabella’s fast fingers tapped her cell phone’s screen. Yes, please. Then she typed the name of a small Italian restaurant she and Aster had met at before.
The doorbell rang. Mirabella glanced at the wall clock. Only fifteen minutes, not half an hour. If this was Scarlett—and it had better be—either the promise of the gift worked, or she’d missed Ross for real.
As Mirabella followed Ross, who’d grown way chunkier in the past five years, she couldn’t figure out what the attraction was. But to each their own. Colt silently moved beside her.
He was so sweet to let her work while making sure Ross didn’t try to run or gulp down the bottle of whiskey. She preferred working solo, but maybe something could be said about working in tandem.
She simply enjoyed being around Colt. Since they’d been together more this past couple of days, it was like he suddenly knew when to help and when to give her space.
During their marriage, it had been the opposite. Upset over her working so much, he would withdraw into his lab research exactly when she’d cleaned up her schedule to spend more time with him and the twins. He’d never yelled at her, never even shown that he’d been angry, but she’d sensed the anger hiding in a slight frown or a hint of a curt response.
He’d pretended everything was fine when it was far from it.
Would they be able to make it work now when they were older—and God willing, wiser?
Only with His help, for sure. But she didn’t know how to ask Him. Cases were one thing. Asking God for relationship advice? A whole different matter.
No time to ponder. Ross opened the door, and Scarlett sashayed in. “Hello, doll. I knew you’d come to your senses sooner or later.”
She wore a low-fronted summer dress covered with scarlet poppies and matching scarlet shoes with heels higher than Mirabella had ever worn. To match her name, or Ross’s sofa? Elaborate layers of makeup with way too much bronzy contouring coated Scarlett’s skin. Apart from her hair, now bleached beach blonde instead of chestnut brown, she hadn’t changed much.
Then, eyes narrowing as she looked at Mirabella, Scarlett stopped in her tracks. “Whoa.” Her gaze moved to Colt and, finally, to Ross.
“You tricked me!” She charged at him and hit his chest with her fists.
Colt dragged her away from the man while she screamed, her arms and legs flailing in the air.
Ross spread his arms. “I told you. Can’t deal with this woman sober.”
“What did you say?” Scarlett’s voice emerged in a shriek as she struggled to get out of Colt’s grasp.
Thankfully, Colt held on to her, or Mirabella couldn’t be sure about Ross’s safety.
“Why don’t we sit down and talk?” Colt’s placating tone just might penetrate the woman’s tantrum. “All we ask is fifteen minutes of your time.”
Scarlett wiggled back to stare at him. “Oh, I know you.” The shrill became a purr. “I saw you talking up your charity on TV. You’re a billionaire, right? Well, that suit didn’t do your muscles justice.”
“Um, thank you?” Colt’s jaw slightly slackened as if he didn’t know how to deal with this onslaught of sudden admiration, and Mirabella stifled a flare of jealousy. “I’m Colt.”
Oh, come on. He surely knew he was attractive, and it didn’t take her long to find out many women had made passes at him while she was out of the picture. When she’d been in the picture, too, if ever they attended one of Brett’s parties or a charity event. Maybe she should be grateful Colt loved his research so much that any time he hadn’t spent with the twins, he’d been busy in his lab.
“Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Colt. You can let me go now.” Back on the ground, Scarlett fluttered her false eyelashes thick with mascara at him, then narrowed her eyes at Mirabella. “Who is this?”
“Mr. Colt’s assistant.” Ross came up with an answer that satisfied Scarlett as she nodded, seeming to lose all interest in Mirabella, her focus on Colt. So, unlike Ross, Scarlett had forgotten meeting her after Karli’s murder?
Why this ridiculous jealousy? Mirabella was sure Colt hadn’t cheated on her while they’d been married. But then, her father hadn’t found out about his wife’s cheating until Mirabella was in her teens.
She pushed the thought aside and followed Colt and Scarlett into the living room. As Scarlett looked at Mirabella’s ex-husband with such drooling admiration, Mirabella struggled with an urge to grind her teeth.
Not that she could stake her claim on him. She’d given up that right when she chose to leave.
Colt sent her a glance as they sat down. So much warmth brightened his blue eyes, the tightness in her chest eased. Maybe she still mattered to him. And he… he still mattered to her. Mattered to her more than ever.
There would never be another man for her.
Ross splashed whiskey in the glass
as if figuring he’d waited long enough. Moments later, it disappeared down his throat.
“We have a couple of questions for you.” Colt moved a few inches away from Scarlett, who sat so close to him, another inch or two more, and she’d be on his lap.
Mirabella pursed her lips. He could’ve chosen an armchair.
Again, Scarlett fluttered those eyelashes Mirabella was sure were fake. As fake as those long scarlet fingernails that could’ve gouged Ross’s eyes if not for Colt. And fake as some other body parts she flaunted Colt’s direction, too. “Oh, honey, I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”
Colt cleared his throat and looked away.
Misery settled in Ross’s brown eyes. No fun seeing his former girlfriend blatantly flirt with another man. He eyed the row of bottles the way someone on a strict diet would look at a chocolate cake. “They want to know if you killed Karli.”
Mirabella nearly gasped, and any sympathy she’d felt for him vanished faster than his whiskey. That about summed it up, but blurting it out like that didn’t help their mission.
“Oh, so that’s what all this is about.” Scarlett visibly deflated. “That’s a stupid question. If I did, would I tell you? But then, my dear Ross, you were never too bright.”
“Hey!” Ross straightened up.
“Anyway, why would I kill Karli? I barely knew the woman.” Scarlett studied her long nails.
The cat was out of the bag, so she might as well say it. Mirabella shifted forward in her armchair. “Jealousy. You wanted him for yourself, and he was dating Karli. Or to make Ross rich with Karli’s life insurance in the hopes of marrying him soon.”
“I never knew about the life insurance.” Scarlett snorted. “Anyway, fat lot of good it did him. Even this house is remortgaged to the max. Jealousy? I mean look at him. I shouldn’t have wasted my time on him.”
“Is it like some kind of Insult Ross Day today I didn’t know about?” Ross finally made the choice from his ample collection and pulled down a bottle of brandy.
