Second Time's the Charm

by Knight, Vanessa

  Apparently, her kind. Whatever that was.

  She might be woman, but she sure wasn’t roaring. Nope. A-roaring she was not.

  She dialed the number for the motor club before she lost the cell phone signal, and headed to the garage to wait for the technician. She could practically hear the disgusted sighs from the ghosts of the women’s-libbers. It might not have been her proudest moment, but hiding in the garage with theoretical ghosts beat confronting an actual Adam any day.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Good morning, Mr. Byrnes,” Julie said from her desk behind the counter. She got to her feet and brushed the sides of her wide-legged black pants, then pulled at the sleeves of her flared black jacket.

  “How many times do I have to tell you, after all that we’ve been through, I think it’s appropriate for you to call me Dale. Well, maybe not appropriate but reasonable.”

  “I suppose so,” she said as embarrassment crawled over her pale skin. She picked up a stack of notes lying on her desk and walked them over to Dale. “I have a few messages for you. Ben Mooring called a few times. Is everything okay?”

  “Yes. Everything is fine. You know how persistent he can be,” he said, discomfort oozing from his tone.

  Of course she knew how persistent he could be. She’d spent the night with those hands showing her body how persistent he could be. All night. Heat pooled in her cheeks. Did she just think about Ben’s wickedly awesome hands in front of Dale? Now that was definitely inappropriate.

  Dale flipped through the notes in his hand, either ignoring or not noticing the rosy glow she no doubt was splattered across her face. “Thanks. Did Accounting send down a file for me?”

  “Yes, I put it on your desk.” She watched two people exit the elevator and walk toward her desk.

  “Good afternoon,” she said.

  “Ms. Connolly. I am Detective Washington and this is Detective Perretti. We’re with the Chicago Police Department. We need a few minutes of your time today.” Detective Washington showed her CPD star.

  Julie’s smile wavered and her breath stuttered in her chest. The last thing she needed were cops snooping around.

  “What is this concerning?” Dale turned around, his voice stern, almost protective.

  “We’re investigating the break-in at Allison Southby’s condo. Dale Byrnes, right?” Detective Washington nodded at Dale.

  “Yes, I am. You can’t possibly think that Julie had anything to do with that?” he snipped.

  “We just have a few questions,” Detective Washington assured him. “Speaking of which, we need to set up a time to talk with you as well.”

  “Call me anytime.” Dale handed her a card. “However, I have to say I’m uncomfortable with you coming here, without warning, bothering my employees during the middle of the day. I would think she deserves the respect of an appointment.”

  Detective Perretti’s posture stiffened, and Detective Washington glared through squinted eyes. Julie need to diffuse the situation. Dale was on the verge of doing more harm than good. What’s worse than two cops snooping around? Two pissed-off cops snooping around.

  “Dale, it’s okay. They’re just doing their job,” Julie reassured him with a comforting hand on his arm. “We can get a little privacy if we go into the south conference room.”

  She escorted the detectives to the empty conference room. Detective Washington took the seat at the head of the white and black marble-topped table. The other detective walked to the corner of the room, where a ficus tree basked in the sun streaming from the floor to ceiling windows.

  “May I get you both something to drink?” “No, thank you,” they said in unison.

  “I’m just going to grab a glass of water, if that’s okay?” She forced a smile. “Sure,” Detective Washington answered, and pulled out a pen and notebook.

  Julie walked to the other side of the room, to the small kitchenette. She got herself a glass and stuck it under the faucet, twisting on the water. A steady stream filled her cup as she closed her eyes and inhaled. She needed to control the pitter- patter of her heart. If those cop shows she watched had taught her anything, it was that guilty people always let their body and emotions get them in trouble.

  She shut off the water and went back to sit across from the officers. “Are you aware there was a break-in at the Braelind Towers penthouse?” Julie nodded her head and tried to hide her fear. What did they know?

  “There didn’t appear to be a forced entry, so it had to be someone with the pass code and a key. Who would have that type of information for the condo?”

  “Um, I’m assuming Allison, and we have a set of keys here at the office.” “Who has access to the set here?”

  “Well, I lock it in a drawer for safekeeping, but anyone could get in there if they wanted to. It’s an easy lock to pick.”

  “Why were you at Allison Southby’s condo the night of the break-in? And before you deny anything, we saw the security tapes from that night.”

  Julie looked around. “I just stopped by to pick up some of my clothes. I lived at the condo for about a year.”

  “When did you live in the condo?” The detective’s pen flew over the page. Julie hadn’t said all that much, so what could she possibly be writing in that little book of hers?

  “Last year. I just recently moved out.”

  “That’s rather unusual for a boss to allow an employee to live in their home. He was still using the condo, correct?”

  “Sometimes. I’m sure you’ve seen the place. It’s huge. Cody and I didn’t take up much space. We had the room closest to the kitchen.” “Cody is your son.”

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  “Both you and your son stayed at the condo?” Washington asked. Julie nodded. “What was the nature of your relationship with Herb Byrnes?”

  “What do you mean?” Julie didn’t understand the question. What type of relationship did she think she had with the man? He was like a father to her. He was everything she wished her father would be. That’s probably why she fell so hard for Dale. She fell in love with the kindness both men had for those around them. Wait. She fell in love with Dale, not Herb. Was that what she meant?

  “Well, he was in the city away from his wife…” the detective started.

  Herb was old enough to be her father. He was a best friend to her father, for goodness sake.

  “…he was staying in the same home. You were there, alone. You’re a woman. He was a man. Things happen.”

  “What are you implying? I was his secretary, nothing more,” she yelled as tears streamed down her face. The thought that anything could happen between her and Herb… She couldn’t even think that way. Disgusting. Oh, so wrong. She put her face in her hands, and then glanced up to find Detective Perretti standing over her, tissue in hand.

  “Thank you,” she mumbled, and dabbed the tears from her eyes.

  “Why did you move into the condo? What happened to your previous residence?”

  “I j-just...” she stuttered. “I just needed my own space. I was tired of living with my father.”

  “In Lincoln Park, right? That’s a pretty upscale neighborhood. Why would you leave?”

  “I thought it was time to leave home and spread my wings.” “Yet you came back. Why?”

  Julie stared straight ahead, wondering what to confide. She didn’t think the truth would make her look responsible, but you never knew with police officers. They could manipulate anything you say until you looked guilty. Just like lawyers. She shifted her attention between the officers, trying to form her thoughts into a cohesive sentence.

  * * *

  Detective Shay Washington studied Julie, who twisted in her chair, contemplating her next statement. The answers, thus far, had been flying fast and furious. Now, all of the sudden, she needed time to think. That was never a good sign. As Shay waited for the probable lie to spill from Julie's lips, the door whipped open and a man stormed into the room. Suit, tie, attitude—great. His glare appeared to be
aimed at everyone in the room as he took the chair next to Julie.

  “What are you doing here?” Julie asked. Shay could see a definite shift in Julie’s demeanor, her shoulders slumping against the chair.

  “Dale had the good sense to call me.” He spun toward the detectives. “What is this about? Why didn’t you contact me? My own daughter doesn’t have the sense to wait for counsel.”

  “They just had a few questions…” She trembled. “Are you arresting her?” His left eye twitched.

  “Not yet. She’s been very cooperative. I take it you’re Mr. Connolly.” The man nodded, and Shay surveyed the pair of them. Interesting father/ daughter dynamic.

  “They have me on tape entering the condo the night of the reported break-in,” Julie said.

  “So you entered the condo. That doesn’t mean anything. It’s circumstantial at best,” he scoffed.

  “We are just trying to establish a timeline to determine what happened,” Shay assured him, and attempted a different line of questioning. “Julie, you went to the condo to pick up your clothes. Was the home ransacked at that point?”

  “I’m not sure. I went straight to my bedroom, grabbed the last of my items and left.” Julie couldn’t seem to look Shay in the eyes.

  “So when we get the fingerprint evidence back, we won’t find your fingerprints anywhere else in the condo?” Joe asked.

  “That’s ridiculous. She lived there for about a year. Of course she was in other rooms throughout the house. How do we know that it was ransacked after Mr. Byrnes’ death? Perhaps he did it himself.”

  Shay had thought of that angle herself, but she wasn’t about to verbalize it. That would just give them a reason to deflect all the officers’ questions. Just like he was doing, dammit. “Julie, before the night of the break-in, when was the last time you were in the condo?”

  “About two weeks ago.”

  “Was anything out of place at that time?”

  “It might have been, I don’t remember.” Tears formed in her eyes. “Are we about done? My daughter is exhausted.”

  “Almost. Julie, where were you the day of Herb Byrnes’s death?”

  “I thought Herb’s death was accidental? Are you saying my daughter could cause a man to have a heart attack?”

  “I’m not saying anything like that, Mr. Connolly. This is standard procedure for a high-profile death where the family has requested an investigation.”

  “I don’t mind answering,” Julie put in, not looking at her father. “My son had a field trip to the Morton Arboretum. I was with the children until four o’clock. Then I brought Cody to the sitter and went out to dinner with a friend. I didn’t get home until after eleven.” “

  Wow. That must be some friend to be out that late. What is the friend’s name?” Shay asked.

  “J-just a friend I know,” she stammered.

  “Well, I’ll need to contact this friend to validate your alibi. So I will need their name.”

  Julie sighed and shifted a glance from Shay to her father.

  “Oh for God’s sake, she was with Allison that night. They were shopping at the mall by our house,” Edward growled.

  A brief flinch glided across Julie’s face when Edward spoke. Shay had worked with enough perps to know a lie when she saw one, especially since they had received Allison’s alibi early in the investigation. She was at some lawyer awards dinner, at Navy Pier, with her sister. It’s doubtful she left the dinner to go shopping in the suburbs.

  “So, Julie, when I call Allison, she’ll corroborate your story? She’ll tell me about the wonderful evening you two spent shopping in the suburbs the night of Herb’s death.”

  “Well.” Julie stared at her hands on the table. Her shoulders slumped further as she continued. “I wasn’t out with Allison. I was out with my boyfriend.”

  Shay waited a moment for a name. When it was obvious she wasn’t going to continue she asked, “And his name is…?”

  Julie again looked at her father. She worried her hands and whispered, “Ben Mooring.”

  Edward showed no outward emotion, but anger flickered through his eyes, a temporary thunder darkening his stare.

  “How about you, Mr. Connolly? Where were you the day of Herb’s death?”

  “I was working all day, and then I was with my friend, Bettina Wilcox.” He looked at Shay and sighed. “This line of questioning is absurd. If you’re looking for someone who had an axe to grind with Herb, try his son.” “Why do you say that?”

  Edwards’s tone softened. “Herb was my best friend. He mentioned that Dale asked him for a hundred thousand dollars for gambling debts, or some such nonsense. Herb told him no. He felt torn because he wanted to give him the money, but he was afraid Dale would never learn if he continually bailed him out.

  “It was such a hard decision for Herb. I would hate to think that it might have cost him his life.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Allison walked down the hall to her office, perplexed. Her car was fixed, but the mechanic concluded that her tire was punctured from unnatural causes. Unnatural causes? The slash was too large to be a simple nail and too perfect to be from roadside debris. The final conclusion was that it was an act of willful vandalism. If it wasn’t for all the drama of late, she might not have believed that willful vandalism could happen outside of the Hollywood silver screen. But now, nothing was outside the realm of possibility.

  She sat in her office chair and leaned back, her eyes closing in defeat. What had become of her life? Things had gotten so crazy. Burglaries and car vandalism? These were not part of a normal person’s daily life. When had her life veered so far off course?

  She stood up and went to stare out the window. She normally loved the view from her office. Watching people from high atop her perch allowed her to step back and enjoy the hum of the city.

  Today, however, she saw right through the city, not really seeing anything. Her mind was too cluttered with misdemeanors and corporate espionage to notice anything else. The only common denominator in all of this was her.

  Were these things directed at her? Why?

  She was a no one. And now that she wasn’t taking over Byrnes and Company, there was no reason for someone to come after her at all. It just didn’t make any sense.

  Allison jumped when the phone on her desk sang its piercing jingle. She looked at the caller ID. Brook’s number popped across the little screen.

  She ignored the phone and returned to the view from the window, making a mental note to call her sister later. From the short conversation they’d had over the weekend, Brook had spent the entire two days in bed with some lawyer from her firm. And although Allison would love to hear about her sister’s latest conquest, now was not the time. She needed to sort out everything that was happening around her.

  Who would come after her? Why? Were they after her or was this all a coincidence? What could they be after, if not her? The questions came fast and furious, each one unanswerable on their own. She was missing some important piece of information. If she had any clue where to begin to find it, she would.

  Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud, “Ahem.”

  She whipped around to find Adam leaning against the doorframe. Her breath faltered—in disappointment. Yeah, right. Disappointment. She couldn’t even fool herself on that one.

  Her eyes stared, unblinking, at Adam’s crossed arms. The muscles bulged through his blue cotton dress shirt. She remembered those muscles, those arms that held her tight while he delighted all of her senses. Just the thought of that night made her mouth run drier than ice at a rock concert.

  Adam smirked. “My eyes are up here.”

  Shit. He’d caught her gawking again. What was wrong with her eyes that they wouldn’t stop caressing his body? Bad eyes! Obviously, they were insubordinate. She hadn’t moved her eyes or her thoughts from his arms, chest, or thighs. She really liked looking him up and down and back again. Her cheeks blazed from embarrassment and need.

  She ya
nked her lecherous eyes down to her desk. She’d had this meeting all planned out, all morning to prepare how this encounter would go. But now that they stood in the same room, she was lost. Lost in those nimble fingers—clever mouth—Enough!

  Focus. She had a plan. Focus. How was she handling Adam? Oh, yeah. Deflect. If they had work to talk about, they couldn’t talk about the other night. She knew it was a mistake, but she had no desire to hear how he thought it was a mistake.

  “I actually wanted to talk to you. We have a problem. Ben Mooring has somehow gotten ahold of our customer’s jewelry designs. He’s going all over town attempting to steal our customers by underbidding us. Unfortunately, he’s gotten to a few of them already. Beaker Industries and Statler have moved their business to Ben. These two were small accounts, but we need to make sure we don’t lose anymore.”

  “So there might be a leak?” Adam’s eyes darkened in concern. He didn’t seem to like what the situation implied, either. The Byrnes’ employees were like a family. To think that any one of them would give information to Ben was heartbreaking.

  “Yes.” She sighed.

  “Well, we should be on the lookout. No one is to be trusted until we figure out where this starts.”

  “I agree.” She went and sat in her chair. Adam stared at her, his eyes burrowing through to her soul. She focused on her desk and rearranged the papers and folders, anything to keep her eyes off of him.

  “Nice job distracting me from the real problem.” He smirked. “The real problem? I didn’t know there was another problem.”

  “Yeah, you seemed to be enjoying the view.” He was still smirking as he shut the office door. She couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Somehow she felt like an innocent maiden, trapped in the room with the big bad wolf. The only difference, she wanted him to eat her—ugh. That was bad. Way to ruin a lovely children’s story.