“Wait a minute, Collins.” Travers said, “I will walk you out.”
“No, Travers, don’t bother. Bethany may lean forward, and you would miss your show. Enjoy your dinner tonight. I am sure Bethany has dessert planned too.” She was gone. Why was I so hateful just now? He is in a relationship with her.
Shane could only stare at her retreating back, her parting remarks slapping his face. He was angry at himself for so blatantly ogling Bethany cleavage, and became angrier when he noticed Bethany deliberately buttoning her blouse with a smirky smile on her face.
“Well, that went better than I expected,” she gloated. “You can have a better view for dessert tonight, darling.”
“Damn you, Bethany,” Shane swore. “Why did you do that? We had no plans for the night, and Robbie hates me.”
“I know that Shane, but you knew I would have my revenge for your desertion of Friday night.” Bethany laughed. “Whoever said revenge is sweet, sure knew what they were talking about. What time will you be over tonight, darling?”
“I won’t be,” Travers growled pushing her to the side of the bench. “Get up and let me out,” he ordered. Bethany stood aside and Shane turned to leave but her next remark stopped him midstride.
“You don’t stand a chance against Carlos Alvarez you know, Shane. What woman would choose a small-town cop, even one as cute as you, over a man as handsome and rich as Carlos Alvarez?”
“What are you talking about?” he demanded.
“Well, you wouldn’t noticed being a man, but it was plain as day the other day that Carlos Alvarez has his eye on your sweet Lenore, and the man always get what he wants, if she is not already in his bed. Why he even has a picture of her on his phone,” came her malicious reply. “I must say, why a man like him wants a woman like her is beyond me. He will tire of her soon, I am sure, then maybe you can have his leftovers. In the meantime, you are always welcomed in my bed, darling Shane.”
Blind with fury, Shane rushed out to where he parked, next to Collins. She was gone. He pounded the hood of the truck causing a dent to appear. Damn. Damn. Damn. What an idiot I was. I could not even take my eyes off Bethany’s chest even with Collins at the table. Why did I stare at Bethany like a fool? Leni is the woman I want. There is no way he had a chance winning Leni’s heart now. If his crude admiration of Bethany’s breast was not bad enough, Bethany had sowed a seed of doubt in Leni’s mind about his and Bethany’s relationship, and Carlos Alvarez is in New York where Leni will return this weekend. Had she already given herself to Alvarez despite her remark about waiting for a man who gave her his heart? Had Carlos claimed the heart and body that Shane so desperately now wanted as his own? Why had he not realized his feelings for Leni Collins sooner? He rubbed his sore hand. Well, his hand might as well be as broken as his heart.
Lenore wasted no time walking away from the awkward situation with Bethany and Shane. Travers did not even realize Bethany was deliberately enticing her. Lenore had seen that oh so subtle loosing of the blouse buttons, and he could not keep his eyes off the woman. Why didn’t Travers just admit he care for Bethany, or at least admit he was in lust with her? Why do I care so much anyway? Travers’ only interest in me is as a friend, and if Bethany has her way that will change in the future. Pulling out of the parking in her aunt’s car, Lenore really wished she had her own car at this moment. She would like nothing better to start driving and not stop until her heart stopped hurting. A car of my own will top my must have list from now on, she told herself.
Instead, she went back to her father’s house, a house he would never return to. Plastering a smile on her face, she showed Aunt Maddy her purchases and feigned tiredness and the need for a nap. Aunt Maddy reminded her they were to have dinner with the Travers again tonight.
“I really feel the need for some alone time, Aunt Maddy. You and Uncle Carl go and give my apologies to Miss Jenny.” Lenore begged off.
“Are you feeling okay, sweetie? Did something happen today to upset you?” quizzed her concerned aunt.
“Of course not, Aunt Maddy. I am only tired and well, I miss Dad. I want to I stay home tonight and start reading his papers on Twin Maples. It will make him feel closer.”
Aunt Maddy conceded at last. Lenore exchanged her white blouse for a faded tee shirt she found in her old bedroom and threw herself across the bed and sobbed until falling asleep. She must have been as tired as she made Aunt Maddy believed, for the sunset was fading into darkness when Lenore finally awoke to the sound of her cell phone ringing. Miss Jenny.
“Lenore, dear, I was about to send Shane over to check on you. This is the third time I called,” Jenny Travers informed her.
“I am sorry, Miss Jenny. I guess I was more tired than I knew. I have just woken up,” Lenore admitted sheepishly. “Please, don’t bother Shane. I don’t need to screw up another date night with him and Bethany.”
“Shane is here, Lenore, not with Bethany. Have you forgotten that he always has dinner here on Tuesday night? He is here now.”
“I had forgotten this was Tuesday.” Had Bethany lied, or forgotten the day herself?
“Well, now that you are awake, come on over for dinner.” Jenny encouraged. “We are just sitting down to eat.”
“Thank you, Miss Jenny, but I really just want to stay here and feel sorry for myself. I plan on taking a hot shower and curling up in bed with some of Dad’s papers.”
“I understand, dear. If you change your mind, you know the way.”
Jenny Travers had barely time to hand up the phone before, Lenore’s phone chirped a new text arrived. She knew it would be Travers, he had sent one earlier soon after they parted today. Lenore had ignored. Reading it now, her anger and pain flared again.
Bethany lied about dinner tonight. Did she lie about you and Carlos Alvarez too?
Another text had followed a few minutes later.
Collins, why does Alvarez have your picture on his phone?
My picture on his phone? And, what did Bethany tell him about me and Alvarez. There is nothing to tell. Lenore read his most recent text.
We need to talk.
CWOT. Idk what she said but you will believe what you want.
She entrapped me today, admitted it.
SEP. Next time she bares her chest get a room. Your drooling was embarrassing.
Jealous?
U WISH. You put your boots under any bed you want.
I will do just that. Bethany stills wants them under her bed and me in it.
IK. Got the message, loud and clear from both of you today.
She turned off her phone and headed for the shower. How did a lunch date between old friends turn into a tit for tat jealous adolescent text conversation? They had not even acted like this in high school when Travers was going steady with Bethany Allan. When did things change? Things changed when Bethany Collins came back on the scene, and Lenore found herself falling in love with her old frenemy. But Shane could not hide his attraction to the Bethany even after all fourteen years.
Chapter 21
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Shane awoke with a headache from hell which only worsened when he remembered the reason. He had managed to sit through dinner last night with his parents, Aunt Maddy and Uncle Carl, but he seethed inside the entire meal. Angry at Bethany. Angry at Leni. Angry at himself. He barely tasted his food. After dinner and the departure of their guests, his father insisted on having a father-son conversation. That only served to make Shane feel more of a fool than he previously felt.
“Son, what is going on with you and Lenore?” his father interrogated in his best court room voice.
“Nothing, Dad. We had lunch together today. She went home, tired I suppose.”
“Shane, I have known the both of you for thirty-two years, neither of you are fooling me. Lenore would not have stayed home tonight if she wasn’t upset. She would never hurt your mother that way. And you, have fumed all evening. You act like a volcano about to erupt. Now what gives?”
<
br /> “Sorry Dad, maybe I am tired too. I’ll apologize to Mom and get out of here.” Shane stood, ready to leave. “We can talk tomorrow about this case.”
“No, you don’t, son.” Jim Travers’ booming voiced halted Shane in his tracks. “That girl has lost her father, Shane. She hurts enough. Whatever is going on, you need to straighten it out before she goes back to New York Friday. You may never get another chance.”
Shane plopped back down in his chair, his head hanging down in despair. “Dad, I have been an ass and now I stand to lose Leni for good. You know what is funny, I took Collins for granted. She is Collins, my friend, and will always be. But now, I think I love her, Dad. Not as just a friend, but a woman. I want to spend the rest of my life with her, and it is too late. I am too late.” Shane moaned.
“What happened, son?” Gone was the Attorney Travers, replacing him a father watching his son in pain.
Shane told him, holding nothing back. His recent fling with Bethany and her reaction to Lenore’s distressed call. His pain at finding the grave and fear it could be Professor Collins. The way Alvarez looked at Collins the morning they went to pick up the house key. The revelation that Luis Alvarez had tried to force himself upon Collins. The argument they had about her working at Club Nocturno, and his mean remarks about her enjoying the men touching her under pretext of putting tips in her bra. His feelings last night standing with Collins under the grape arbor as they watched and waited for Charlie. His pride about the way she responded to Casey Scott’s fears of being responsible for Leni’s father’s death. And lastly, their lunch today, interrupted by Bethany Allan and the disastrous outcome. Shane’s face burnt with humiliation when he confessed his actions to his father.
Bill Travers could hear and see his son’s anguish, but he could not hold back a chuckle.
“You think this funny?” Shane quivered with indignation.
“I don’t think your situation is funny, Shane,” Bill assured him. “What is so funny is you are both acting like adolescents instead of grown-ups. All this texting back and forth instead of confronting the issue face to face.”
“She won’t answer her phone. You think I should just barge in the house and yank her out of bed?” he provoked. “She would shoot me at this point, and I don’t blame her.”
“Tomorrow is soon enough, Shane.” Bill cautioned. “Just talk to her before she goes home Friday.”
Later, after promising his father he would do what he could to patch things up with his friend, Shane went home and drowned his sorrows in Jim Beam and Coke, something he rarely did. Now, here it is six o’clock in the morning, he has a hangover as well as a broken heart, and still has a murder to investigate. A hot shower, four cups of coffee, and a drive to work with his truck windows down and the cool morning breeze blowing in his face, Shane was still hungover, his heart still hurt, but at least he was ready to get back to work on the murder investigation. First order of business, another meeting with both Agent Scotts.
“Travers, you look like crap. Rough night?” Detective Dant greeted his co-worker. “The little blond keeping you up too late?”
“Shut up Dant.” Travers grumbled. “Is the chief in yet?”
“He and the two FBI agents are waiting for you in his office. I think they may have an identity on the two fire victims.” Dant informed him.
“That was quick. Their DNA must have been on file in the FBIs data base.” Travers mused. “Thanks, Dant.”
“No problem, Travers. Anytime you want to offload that little blond you’re seeing, let me know,” Dant taunted.
“You should show more respect for women.” Travers spat.
Thankfully, Chief Preston made no mention of Shane’s hangdog, hungover look. David Scott gave him a knowing look. Shane glared back at the agent and got down to business.
“Dant says you have an identity on the two fire victims. That is quick even for the FBI’s lab.”
“DNA is not back yet, Travers,” David Scott explained. “Casey and Charlie both met with a forensic artist yesterday. The descriptions are a match to two men in the data base, already.”
Shane glanced at Doug Preston, “Did Julie come in for this job?”
“No, Shane. Julie couldn’t work us in yesterday,” Preston huffed. “I had to borrow an artist from LMPD. Andrews won’t like the bill.”
“Well, you can’t blame her, not with Andrews highhanded treatment of her.” Shane quipped and turned to Scott. “Who are these men?”
“Two brothers, Larry and Mitch Canner,” David Scott updated. “Larry has been in and out of trouble with the law for years, mostly drugs; he was currently on parole. His parole officer said Canner never missed a call in or appointment and that his employer of the last eight years had nothing but praise for the man. He would have been off parole in six months.”
“Who is his employer?”
“Zach Felton. He runs a hedge fund company out of Cincinnati. The Alvarez brothers are two of his clients. Mitch Canner is Larry’s younger brother by ten years. He served time in a county jail a time or two for possession. He came into Felton’s fold a few years ago to help with the thoroughbreds Felton keeps at Maple Bluff. Mitch knew horse flash, but his lust for a pretty face and body kept him in trouble.”
“Is he the one who tried to rape you, Ms. Scott?” Shane asked.
“No. Larry the older brother is the one who attacked me and probably the one who killed Brad. Charlie says Mitch was Mr. Collins attacker.”
“Now, both men are dead. Convenient for someone, don’t you think?” Detective Travers postulated. “The stable hands screwed up, burnt down the old plantation house to eliminate the witnesses to their misdeeds and then die in a fire that same night.”
“My thoughts, exactly, Travers.” Special Agent Scott concurred. “As charred as one of the bodies is, the arson investigator thinks the initial fire started in the stall where that body was found. The ME agreed to expediate the autopsy on the two fire victims. We should hear results later today.”
“My bet is he will find no smoke damage in the lungs.” Shane suggested.
“I think you are right. Both men were dead when the fire started, I suspect.” Scott agreed. “Our informant inside Club Nocturno reports that the Alvarez brothers had a big row Monday morning when Carlos returned to New York.”
“Yeah? About this business?”
“That and your friend.”
“Collins? What about her?” Shane’s pulse slammed in to his neck at this news.
“Our confidential informant says the brothers argued initially last week when Carlos discovered Ms. Collins’ resignation and the role Luis played. Monday morning’s spat was worse. Luis, unaware of your friend’s trip to Kentucky, had his goons out searching for her. Carlos had warned his brother to keep away from her before. Monday, he threatened to kill Luis and any of his men who touched Ms. Collins. Apparently, Carlos and Luis have more than a passing interest in your friend.” David Scott studied the detective. Travers was simmering with rage, and something else Scott had not expected, dread.
“Are you saying that Collins and Carlos Alvarez are lovers?” Shane bellowed.
“No, Travers, they are not lovers. Carlos is interested in changing that situation, though. Our CI says the club owner has been subtly seducing Ms. Collins since he hired her. That is his way. Luis has more direct methods. Carlos sent out a warning to club employees and patrons that she is off limits.” Scott saw the tightening of Traver’s jaw, the clinching of his fists, and the pain and jealously in the man’s eyes. He is in love with the woman.
“What does your CI say about Collins’ reaction to this seduction?”
“Ms. Collins is too naïve for her own good, our source tells us. Your friend is unaware of Carlos’ attraction for her. The CI considers, a friend to Ms. Collins for three years, broached the subject of Alvarez with her. She says that your friend just laughed it off, saying the club owner just knows she is a damn good bartender, claims she is not his type.” Sco
tt grinned. “I will admit, Ms. Collins is not the type of woman either of the brothers generally associate with, but she is just as attractive as those women. The difference is your friend is a natural beauty, nothing store bought about her. Attractive and does not know it, therefore, fascinating to both brothers, her friend says.”
“That will be my Collins.” Shane smiled for the first time this morning. “So, Scott. I know you did not tell me this wealth of information just for the fun of watching how I reacted.”
“I understand Ms. Collins will be returning to New York in a few days.” Scott probed.
“She leaves Friday. I know where you are going with this and the answer is no.” Shane asserted. “Collins is not going back to work there.”
“Carlos Alvarez is protecting her in the club. She couldn’t ask for better protection.”
“You have an informant in place at the club. Why do you need Collins?” Shane demanded.
“She can get close to Alvarez and help us build a case against him.”
“You want her to play up to that man, or both men, and act as spy for you?” Travers roared. “HELL NO, Scott.”
“She is well-situated for the position and it will help us get to Luis, the man ultimately responsible for her father’s death.”
Shane’s gore rose. “Is that your plan on getting her to agree? Well, it won’t work. She categorically refused her old job back when Alvarez asked her to return. For Collins to waltz in the place and tell Alvarez she has changed her mind will make him suspicious, especially given the recent happenings here and knowing she is my friend.”
“That does put a different light on the situation.” Scott admitted.
“Damn right it does.” Shane barked. “Besides, Leni Collins has her standards and she would be insulted for you to even suggest she use her body and affection as a lure to garner information. Top that off with the fact that she is the worse liar ever, and you have a disaster. You have female agents unknow to the man. Send one of them in.”
“I am not suggesting she sleep with the man, just gain his trust.” David Scott countered.
A Tale of Two Lenores Page 15