Stunned, I leaned over to dig my fingers into Buddha’s fur around his neck, something akin to a baby grabbing the corner of his blankie. He angled his head to look up at me, and I gleaned comfort from his wide, smiling mouth and melted-chocolate eyes. ‘So, you’re saying it’s not out of the realm of possibility that … you may have killed her … accidentally?’ I was speechless. Both Hope and I had brushed this possibility aside from the beginning. I still couldn’t believe it.
Ira nodded once, dropping his head again.
Hope placed her glass on the coffee table with a loud clink and flew off the couch, landing in his lap. ‘Oh, Ira.’ Hope grabbed his chin and made him look at her. ‘Why didn’t you tell me? You’ve had to have been worried sick!’
‘I was. I am.’ He took her hands in his and pressed them against his face. ‘I didn’t want to worry you.’
‘So this is why you’ve been avoiding me?’ Hope let her head fall on to his shoulder.
I placed my own glass on the coffee table, my free hand still resting on Buddha. ‘But, Ira, you know that’s not what happened, right? I mean, if that’s all it was – just an accident – then somebody would’ve had no reason to kill Robert. Someone killed him to keep us from finding out why Celeste died.’
‘Yes.’ Ira sighed, kissing the top of Hope’s head. ‘Of course, you’re right. I’ve just been so wrapped up in guilt. Just going over and over her procedure in my head to see if there was any way I could have … I haven’t been thinking straight.’ He let a brief smile flitter over his lips as he looked into his wife’s eyes. ‘I haven’t handled this well at all. Forgive me?’
‘Nothing to forgive,’ she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck.
And that was my cue to leave. They had a lot to talk about. ‘Come on, Buddha. Our work here is done.’ Now, to figure out who did kill Celeste Green.
TWENTY-THREE
By the time I reached Devon’s bungalow, my head was pounding and my legs were so heavy it felt like someone had replaced my flesh and bone with cement. Petey greeted Buddha and me at the door like we’d been gone for months, which actually it felt like we had been. Then the scent of fresh garlic hit me and nothing mattered but my stomach.
‘’Ello,’ Devon said, coming to greet us.
‘That smells just a little amazing,’ I said after he planted a kiss on my lips.
‘That is fresh garden vegetables over spaghetti squash. Don’t think I haven’t noticed your affinity for all things vegetable.’ He closed the door behind me and grabbed my hand. ‘Come on. You look exhausted.’
‘Who are you?’ I laughed as he pulled me out the sliding doors to the table already set for two, complete with lit candles. I noticed the hot tub was also bubbling away.
‘I’ll feed the dogs, stay right here.’
Where would I go? I should move back to the suite at the Pampered Pup. I was healed enough and working again. It was time, but I didn’t want this fairy tale to end. Letting my head fall back to gaze at the span of sky dripping with stars, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude and peace. There was nowhere I’d rather be right now. And that thought caused fear to bubble up, slinging me back to reality. This couldn’t last and when Devon left, he would take my heart with him. No, I couldn’t let that happen … again.
Devon returned with two steaming plates. He set them down and then tilted my chin up with his index finger. ‘What’s wrong?’
Why did he have to be so observant? Attentive? Gorgeous? And a great cook? It was maddening. Before I could stop it, a tear slipped down my cheek. I wiped it away.
‘Just a long day.’ Think of something, Elle, or he’s going to keep pressing for a real answer. ‘I stopped by and saw Hope and Ira. Hope looked terrible. I’m really worried about her.’
Devon kissed the top of my head, accepting my answer. ‘I know. She means a lot to you.’ Sighing, he moved to his chair. ‘I have some good news and some bad news.’
Twirling the soft spaghetti squash on my fork, I said, ‘Let’s have the bad news first.’
‘I talked with Salma today.’
I studied his expression. Why did he always talk to Detective Vargas and not the lead detective on the case? And why did he call her Salma? Had they gotten that close? He looked tired, too. ‘And?’
‘She said the jewelry appraisals were not recovered at the crime scene.’
I sank back into the chair. ‘That is really bad news.’
He held up his hand. ‘Now the good news. Because you remembered the business name, A Cut Above, they’re going to get a warrant and get a copy of the appraisal given to Celeste.’
My heart fluttered with hope. ‘How long will that take?’
‘A few days.’
‘OK.’ I nodded slowly. ‘OK. That’s something. At least they’re willing to look somewhere besides at Ira.’ I slid a forkful of the dinner into my mouth and the flavor burst on my tongue: fresh tomatoes, garlic, onion, peppers. An involuntary moan escaped me.
Devon chuckled. ‘I’ll take that as a compliment.’
I shook my head, enjoying the way the moonlight animated his eyes and accentuated the planes of his cheekbones. ‘You are a dangerous man, Devon Burke.’
‘You’ve got your own weapons, Elle.’ His tone was teasing, but even by moonlight I could see his eyes were dead serious.
I knew that look. Time to change the subject. ‘So, did Detective Vargas give you any other ideas about what they found at the crime scene?’
‘No, she wasn’t feeling very generous. She was furious that you were hurt after she warned you to stay away from the investigation.’ His brow rose as he pointed his fork at me. ‘And I don’t blame her.’
Swallowing and patting my mouth with the napkin, I nodded. ‘I know. I screwed up. Won’t happen again.’
Devon shook his head. ‘I’ll believe that when I see it.’
I ignored his anger. ‘So, nothing useful?’
‘They do know it was Botox used to kill Robert. Probably just a few minutes before you arrived.’
I felt guilt flare up, hot and stifling. ‘If I would’ve just been on time. It was storming so badly, I could barely see to drive.’
‘Hey—’ Devon reached across the table and slid his hand over mine – ‘Robert’s death was not your fault, and I won’t allow you to take any blame. There’s a killer out there, Elle. That’s who’s to blame. You were lucky to come out of the whole thing alive yourself,’ he growled. Sighing, he pulled his hand back, and we ate in silence.
The dogs strolled outside, licking their jowls and sniffing around the table for any handouts. ‘Go lay down, Buddha.’ I pointed to the ground. With a big, silly grin he obeyed, plopping belly-first on to the pavers. Petey turned some circles and lay beside him.
‘He’s very obedient. Maybe you could give me some pointers for Petey.’
‘Well, we worked hard on that, didn’t we, big guy?’ I smiled fondly over at Buddha. His ear twitched. ‘The first time I saw him, he was almost my new hood ornament.’ I shook my head. I could still remember the screeching tires, his terrified eyes in my headlights. ‘He had darted across the road in front of me one night about five years ago, then ran two blocks to hide under a rusted car up on blocks on the side of a house. I followed him to see if he had a collar or tags, because you know … that’s what a sane girl does in a bad neighborhood.’ I cringed, thinking about how that decision could have altered my life. That particular street was the location of a gang shooting death two weeks before, which I didn’t know until much later. ‘I think it was just the adrenalin because normally I would not be walking around that part of the neighborhood after dark. Anyway, I had shined my cell phone light under the car and could see his eyes glowing. I tried to coax him out but he wasn’t budging. He didn’t growl at me, though, so I decided to come back the next morning with food and see if he was still there.’ I shook my head. ‘I got a little obsessed with rescuing him. It took two weeks of bringing him food and leaving it before he would come close en
ough to let me touch him. He was a mess. Skin and bones, half his fur missing. Once he trusted me, though, I got him in the car and straight to the vet.
‘He had all the lovely stuff living on the streets gives a dog: mange, malnutrition, parasites. But luckily he was heartworm negative and such a sweet little guy once I earned his trust. I don’t know. There was just something about his eyes. I was smitten. And I think I needed him as much as he needed me.’ I chuckled. ‘Of course the poor thing had no idea how to be a pet, wasn’t even potty trained, though the vet estimated him to be around a year old. Which just gave my mom fits. I had to convince her every day to let him stay. I spent a lot of my time checking out dog training books from the library and watching training videos online. In fact that was pretty much my life, temp jobs, training Buddha and yoga.’ I paused to take a bite and see if I was boring Devon. His patient smile encouraged me to go on.
‘Anyway, I was having a life crisis. One day Hope and I were at the dog beach, and I was talking about how the office jobs were killing my soul and complaining about my mom giving me a hard time every time I left for a job, refusing to even take Buddha out to the bathroom. I was also telling her about how I was thinking of getting my yoga teaching certificate, since yoga was pretty much the only thing keeping me sane. Well, as I was talking, I had Buddha lying in front of me stretching out his legs like I did at home when he’d curl up on my mat with me. Suddenly Hope jumped up and started yelling, “Oh my God! It’s kismet! Oh my God!”.’ I laughed as I remembered her jumping around on the beach that day. ‘So, she is rambling about how the manager of Pampered Pup was just telling her she had this big studio space at the spa she was trying to find some use for. And she pulls out her phone and starts showing me these videos of women in yoga classes with their dogs. And she says, “Doga!” And I looked at her, completely dumbfounded and said, “That’s a thing?” And she plopped back down with a huge grin and said, “Yep. And you’re going to teach it at the Pampered Pup. It’s perfect. Buddha can come to work with you every day.” And the rest is history.’ I grinned at Buddha and then Devon. ‘So you see, he saved me just as much as I saved him.’
Devon glanced at Petey and smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes. ‘They tend to do that, don’t they?’
I waited a beat and then asked quietly, ‘Petey saved you, too?’
‘He did. When I first arrived here, I was a bit lost. My parents’ house was so empty and quiet. I wasn’t used to all the silence. Anyway, I was working on tracing their last week, where they had spent their time. My ma, she was a huge dog lover. Horses and dogs were her passion. I found out she’d volunteered at this shelter in Tampa a few days before she died. I wasn’t really expecting to find anything, I don’t think. It was more just about feeling a connection with her. Walkin’ in the places she walked in her final days.’ He cleared his throat. ‘So, they have these long rows of kennels, and I’m walkin’ down the aisles with the dogs barking, making a huge racket, really trying to get someone’s attention. Such a sad place. So, I suddenly stop at Petey’s cage because he was just lyin’ there, this huge grin on his face, his tail swishing back and forth. Just the happiest dog I’d ever seen, especially considering his incarceration. It was just so strange and really touched me.’ He shrugged. ‘I figured he could teach me a thing or two about being happy with the hand that life deals you. And I could give him a home. So, I did just that … brought him home.’ His expression lightened as he chuckled. ‘The big house was not so quiet after that.’
I laughed too. ‘I can imagine.’
We finished dinner and Devon took our plates to the kitchen. I picked up our glasses and followed him. He turned from the sink and rested his hands lightly on my hips. ‘Up for some hot tub time?’ Bending down, he pressed a soft kiss on my lips.
I pulled my head back and looked into his eyes. They were sparkling with mischief. He was clearly in a playful mood. ‘And by hot tub time, you mean …?’
His grip on my hips tightened and he pulled me flush against him. ‘Two adults sharing some really, really, really hot …’ His mouth came down on mine and made me suck in a breath. That only encouraged him to deepen the kiss. When we came up for air, my lips felt swollen and my head and heart were floating. ‘Water.’
Water, right. How was I going to say no? I had to. If I let this go to the next level, I was done for. There would be no escaping heartbreak.
He must have seen the struggle on my face because he backed off. ‘Come on.’ Taking my hand he led me to the guest room. ‘Put on your suit and meet me outside. It’ll be good for your sore muscles. And—’ he released my hand – ‘I’ll behave like a gentleman, I promise.’
The rejection was reflected in his demeanor, and it killed me that I was responsible for it. Especially because I wanted nothing more than to show him how much he already meant to me. I choked back the frustration and nodded.
As I changed, I tried to think logically about the situation. Was I wrong to avoid heartbreak? Would it be worth it just for a short time with Devon? It took me years to recover from my last heartbreak. No, obviously I was still screwed up from it. And the way I already felt about Devon, it would be a million times more painful.
Thank heavens Devon was already submerged in the steaming, bubbling water when I walked out. I don’t think I could have held my position if I had to see him half-naked. I tossed my towel to the side and slipped into the water beside him, cringing at first and then sighing with pleasure as the heat sunk into my bones. ‘Wow, that feels amazing.’
Devon had his head resting against the tiled ledge. He rolled it toward me as I settled in beside him, letting my body sink in up to my shoulders. The steam rose around us. I noticed he was eyeing the stitches in my forehead. The swelling had receded but the skin around the stitches had turned an ugly shade of mustard yellow. I suddenly realized how comfortable I was around him. How did that happen in such a short amount of time? Some Irish magic, I bet.
‘So, you were leaning over Robert’s body, the killer opens the car door and whacks you with something hard enough to knock you out. When the door opened, do you remember seeing anything? Trousers maybe? Or shoes?’
I pursed my lips and tried to think. ‘No. Sorry. It was raining so hard, when the door flew open, I got pelted in the face so I closed my eyes.’
He went back to staring at the immense span of darkness and stars above us for a moment. Then, he suddenly turned back to me. ‘When you talked to Robert on the phone, was there anyone around you?’
I thought back to lunch when I took his call. ‘Yeah. I was at Café Belle with Beth Anne, Whitley, Violet and … Zebina. Oh, then Bonnie joined us with a guy named Jamie Boccelli. Apparently, he’s some fancy shmancy dog jewelry designer. A real pompous jerk.’ I stared at Devon. ‘Why, what are you thinking?’
‘I’m thinking someone might have overheard your conversation about meeting Robert.’
I narrowed my eyes. ‘Or the killer could have heard it on Robert’s end.’
‘True. Except one of our main suspects was with you.’
I ran my hand through the bubbles. Adjusting my position so my back was against the massaging jet stream, I thought about where everyone was when I took the call. ‘I did mention out loud where I was meeting him. But, while I can see Zebina killing Celeste, I can’t see her being Robert’s killer. I think she truly loved him.’
‘Probably loves not going to prison more, though. If she knew he had evidence of a motive for her killing Celeste, she could have offed him to protect herself.’
‘I don’t know.’ I bit my lip in concentration. ‘What would Celeste’s jewelry appraisals have to do with Zebina?’
Devon ran a hand through his wet hair, pushing it off his forehead. ‘That would be the million dollar question.’
We were both lost in our own thoughts for a bit. I was starting to feel sweat around my hairline and a bit light-headed when Devon’s leg brushed up against mine. We both turned and our eyes met.
&n
bsp; ‘Elle,’ Devon whispered, ‘you’re not your mother. And I’m not one of those men coming through the revolving door.’
His expression was so imploring and sincere. I opened my mouth and closed it again. Was it time to tell him about my extreme anxiety? I had worked hard to be comfortable leaving my safe zone and traveling to Moon Key every day. But to travel anywhere else? My heart was palpitating just thinking about it, and I wasn’t ready to confess being so weak to him. I didn’t want him to think less of me. The sincerity in his eyes almost made me blurt out a full confession, but I stopped halfway like the chicken I was.
‘Devon, I can’t do a “let’s just have fun together” kind of thing. And you once told me you knew it wasn’t fair to get into a relationship when you traveled so much.’
‘But—’
‘And,’ I cut him off, ‘you also told me Moon Key is temporary for you. You miss traveling. It’s in your blood.’ I tried to keep my tone soft. The last thing I wanted to do was sound resentful about who he was. I didn’t want him changing for anything. Especially me.
He opened his mouth to answer me when suddenly there was a loud noise out front. The dogs scrambled up and ran into the house, barking like crazy.
‘Stay here.’
My heart pounded as I watched him leap from the hot tub, slip on the wet tile pavers and slide through the opened glass doors. I climbed out of the hot tub after him and grabbed a towel, my heart racing. The dogs made a beeline for the front door. Devon had already found his gun and was twisting the lock. I was right behind him as he pulled the door open and scanned the area, gun at his side. Beyond the sound of the ocean, there was the sound of a car speeding away behind the house. Petey and Buddha scrambled through the door and out to the driveway. We followed them; Devon tense as a coiled spring and me with my heart knocking against my breastbone.
Devon quietly followed the dogs around the back of his Jeep. Then we both stopped and stared at the tiny pebbles of glass glittering in the moonlight beside my Beetle. Someone had smashed the driver’s side window. I groaned. Was this covered by insurance?
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