ON DEAN'S WATCH

by Linda Winstead Jones

  "Reva?" Andrews asked, ignoring Dean's order. "I can stay if you need me to. I'd be happy to walk you home."

  She shook her head and sat in the chair by the window. "Thanks, but I need to do this alone."

  Reluctantly the sheriff left the room. Dean slammed the door shut behind him. When he turned back around, Reva was lifting the old photograph of herself from the table.

  "Don't…" Dean began. Too late.

  Reva stared at the old picture of herself for a long moment. "I was so afraid you'd find out about my past, and you knew all along." Her voice was thin, weak. Dean took a step toward her, but she waved him back. "Stay away from me," she ordered as she studied the old photo. Finally she held it up, facing Dean. "If this is the woman you came to Somerset to find, you are out of luck. She was gullible, easily manipulated, needy. She died the day Cooper was born."

  "Reva, I'm so sorry."

  "Like hell you are. What exactly did you expect to find here? I haven't had anything to do with the people I knew in my other life since long before Cooper was born. You're wasting your time." She blinked once, stiffened her spine and stared at him, her eyes widening as if something had just occurred to her.

  "Honey—"

  "Don't call me honey," she demanded.

  She was right; it wasn't his place to call Reva honey. To sit on her sofa and laugh with her child. To sleep with her or sit with her at church, to reach for that rare peace she'd given him for a while. It was over, and he had to get back to business. Now. No more excuses.

  "Eddie Pinchon escaped from prison two and a half weeks ago. Alan and I came here because we knew there was a possibility…"

  Dean didn't get a chance to finish, because Reva turned white as a sheet and then jumped and ran. She threw the door open, rushed out of the room and down the stairs. Dean grabbed his bag and followed her, easily catching up with her as she flew out the front door of the Fister house.

  "Slow down."

  "I left Cooper home alone," Reva said as she ran. "I have to get him out of bed. We have to get out of town tonight. Eddie can't find us. He was never supposed to get out of jail!"

  She was near panic, so he didn't even try to stop her. He stayed right beside her, his pace matching hers as they ran toward home. Her home, not his. His home was a cold apartment in a big city and he dreaded going back there. And he would go back. Soon. Alone.

  "I can protect you," he said as Reva vaulted onto her front porch.

  "Sure." She swung open the front door. "You've done such a fine job of protecting me so far."

  She ran down the hall to Cooper's bedroom, held her breath as she stepped into the dark room. Seeing her son there, safe and still sleeping, she swayed on her feet. When Dean tried to steady her, she pushed his hands away.

  Retreating into the hallway, she closed her eyes and leaned against the wall. After a long moment she sank slowly to the floor, as if she could no longer bear to stand.

  "Were you laughing at me the whole time?" she whispered.

  "No," Dean said, dropping to his haunches. He wanted to reach out and touch Reva, but he knew she'd only push him away again. "Never."

  She looked him dead in the eye, more accusing and wounded than anyone he'd ever seen. And he'd done it. He'd been the one to do this to her. Nothing he could ever do would make up for this kind of pain.

  "So what was it? You got bored waiting for something to happen and decided to see if you could turn me on to pass the time?"

  "No," he said quickly. "Dammit, Reva—"

  "Don't talk to me like I'm the one who's done something wrong here." Her eyes met his. "Yes, I have secrets. I'm not perfect. But I never lied to you about who I am. Never."

  "I wanted to tell you," he said, "a hundred times. I almost did."

  "What stopped you?"

  "Knowing that when you found out, you'd look at me the way you're looking at me now."

  Reva covered her face with her hands. "I don't have time for this. I can't stay here."

  "Maybe Eddie won't try to find you," Dean said in a soothing voice. "So far, he hasn't—"

  "He'll come here," Reva said. "Sooner or later, he'll come here."

  "Do you think someone will tell him about Cooper? Who knows about him? Is there anyone you can think of who would…"

  He stopped speaking when Reva stood and stepped past him. She went to a linen closet in the hallway, opened it and tossed a neat stack of towels onto the floor. A wooden shelf was removed, and when that was done she loosened a panel at the back of the closet and pulled out a duffel bag.

  The black bag was faded, dusty and heavy. She tossed it to the floor so that it landed halfway between his feet and hers. "Open it," she said hoarsely. "Go ahead, Deputy Sinclair. Do your job."

  Dean's heart stopped. He knew what was in that bag. He wanted to be wrong, but one look at Reva's face and he knew he wasn't. He dropped to his haunches again and unzipped the bag to find exactly what he'd expected. Hundred-dollar bills, neatly bound and stacked one atop the other.

  "It's all there," Reva whispered. "Every penny. It's the reason you're here, isn't it? You came for the money, and I was just—"

  "No. I didn't know anything about the money until last night. Where did it come from?"

  Reva shook her head. "I'm not sure. When I heard Eddie had followed that guy all the way to Florida and killed him and been arrested, I took off. It was my chance to get away. To escape. The money was in the trunk. I didn't find it for days, and when I did … I couldn't spend it and I didn't know how to get rid of it without calling attention to myself. It's dirty money," she whispered. "I don't know where it came from, but I know that much. Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars worth of dirty money."

  Dean glanced up.

  "Don't look at me like that! What was I supposed to do—turn it in? I was pregnant, scared and doing my best to hide until the furor died down. For all I knew, Eddie would manage to get off and he'd be back on the streets. Burn it? I almost did a couple of times." Reva ran agitated fingers through her hair. "I would've changed my name, but I didn't know how. My social security number, my driver's license—I needed them. I'm sure Eddie had friends who knew exactly what to do, but I was running away from that life." She shuddered bone deep. "If Eddie knows about Cooper, he might come here for him. He might come for me, I don't know. It's been a long time, and we didn't exactly part on friendly terms. But I have his money, and as soon as he figures out where it is, he'll be here. If I'm lucky, he'll just take the cash and leave." She went pale again, swayed on her feet. "My luck has been really crappy lately."

  * * *

  Dean took charge. He did it so well Reva had a feeling he took charge often.

  He wouldn't allow her to bolt. There were plans to be made, he said, before she could leave town. They woke Cooper just long enough to move him to the car. Reva packed a suitcase for him while Dean carried the sleeping child to her car and buckled him in.

  Tewanda had agreed to keep Cooper with her for a few days without knowing why. Without even asking. She was the best of friends, and Reva would hate to leave her behind most of all. More than the restaurant, more than her other friends and the home she'd made for herself and Cooper here in Somerset.

  She needed cash in order to run, and no matter how scared she was, she couldn't make herself take any of Eddie's drug money. She'd rather risk spending one more night in her home than take so much as a dollar.

  Besides, she was scared to take any. Maybe, if she was very lucky, Eddie would be satisfied to have his money back and he'd get out of her life once and for all. But if anything was missing, he'd take it out on her. He'd kill her in a heartbeat, without a second thought, she was certain.

  After Cooper was safely tucked in a Hardy bed, Dean drove her home in silence. He would never be a handyman. He would never be content to live in a place like Somerset. Why did that knowledge sting after everything she'd learned about him and the way he'd used her?

  "Pack a bag," he said as they stepped
from the car and headed for the front door.

  "I'll do it in the morning before the bank opens," she said, reaching for her key so she could unlock the door. Worrying about Eddie had forced her to start locking her door again, even when she knew she'd only be gone a few minutes. When she walked into the parlor where the lights still burned, she held her breath, almost expecting to see Eddie pop up out of nowhere.

  All was quiet, and eventually she breathed again.

  "You're not spending the night here," Dean insisted. "You're going to sleep across the street at Miss Evelyn's."

  "I can't—"

  "It's a little late to be worried about what people will say, Reva," Dean snapped. "You need a good night's sleep, and you're not going to get it here."

  They were alone, the truth was out, and in a matter of hours she'd leave Somerset and never see Dean again. Unless he decided to track her down and arrest her for keeping the money all these years. Reva didn't know what law she'd broken in hiding the money, but she knew Dean would see that mistake as a crime that needed to be punished. What would happen to Cooper if Dean insisted on throwing her in jail?

  "Why didn't you tell me the truth from the start?" she asked softly. "If I'd known that Eddie had escaped from prison, I could have gotten Cooper to a safe place sooner, I could have made arrangements to get some cash and be out of town within a matter of hours. Instead, you…" She couldn't say it.

  "When I came here I didn't know you. For all I knew, you were still involved with Eddie."

  She gave a harsh laugh. It caught in her throat and threatened to choke her.

  "I couldn't afford to tell you why I was here. And by the time I knew you weren't involved, it was too late. I had too much to lose by telling you the truth."

  Reva managed to regain her composure. "Is seduction while on stakeout a normal investigative procedure for you, Deputy Sinclair?"

  "No," he answered sharply.

  "Gee, how did I get so lucky?" She swept past him, heading for her bedroom. Tears stung her eyes, and she didn't want him to see. "I'm not going anywhere, least of all to your place. I'll take my chances with Eddie. He's dangerous, but at least you can see him coming. Eddie would stab me in the heart without a second thought. You apparently prefer to go for the back. I sure as hell never saw you coming."

  "You're going to Miss Evelyn's," Dean insisted as he followed her down the hallway.

  "I'm not going anywhere with you," she replied.

  "No, you're not." He stopped in the bedroom doorway.

  Just last night, it had seemed as if he belonged here, as if he could spend a lifetime in her bed. Now he didn't even cross the threshold.

  "No, you're not going anywhere with me," he said in a calmer voice. "I'm staying here."

  * * *

  Chapter 16

  « ^ »

  Dean sat in the dark of Reva's quiet parlor for a long time after he got her settled in across the street. He doubted she'd get much sleep tonight, but if she did sleep, at least she wouldn't have to worry about waking up to find Eddie standing beside her bed.

  If not for the money, he could have hoped they'd never have to worry about Eddie. Pinchon would stay there in North Carolina and eventually he'd be caught. He couldn't hide forever; it was a miracle he hadn't been captured yet. The marshals on duty had come close a few times, but Eddie always managed to get away.

  If—when Eddie came to Somerset, he wouldn't be so lucky. Not on Dean's watch.

  The cottage was too quiet without Cooper's incessant chatter and Reva's laughter. He'd always thought this cottage enchanted, somehow. Warmer than other, more ordinary houses. Blessed. But the place was dead without them, just a house and a collection of mismatched furniture. It was the people who lived in this cottage that made it special.

  Dean was nothing if not practical. Reva would never forgive him, and he couldn't blame her. They'd never had a future, so why did that knowledge eat at his gut?

  Reva shouldn't have to leave her home, and Cooper shouldn't have to leave his school and his friends. Once Eddie was back in prison where he belonged, they could come back here and pretend that nothing had happened.

  Sounded like a good plan. Why didn't be believe it would work?

  * * *

  Reva tried not to look at Dean as they walked toward town, their pace slow and easy as they strolled in the shade of the trees that lined the street. They both needed to go to the bank this morning, and he didn't want to leave her alone. She wasn't going to argue with him about that. Not until she knew exactly where Eddie was.

  There was also the matter of the person or persons who had broken into the restaurant on at least two occasions. Dean said he could clear that matter up quickly.

  He looked like hell. "Did you sleep?" she asked.

  "No."

  She shouldn't care if he slept or not. He was a liar and a fraud. He'd made love to her pretending to be… No, he had told her all along that he was in law enforcement; he just hadn't told her why he'd come to Somerset. She wanted to hate his guts.

  She didn't. "Get some sleep this afternoon," she suggested, "after Cooper and I leave town."

  Dean sighed. Oh, she did not like that sigh. "About leaving town…"

  "You're not going to order me to stay here, are you?" she snapped.

  "No," he said quickly. "I'm not issuing orders this morning. But I thought about your situation a lot last night, tried to take each option and play it out to the best- and worst-case scenario."

  No wonder he hadn't slept.

  "I think it might be a good idea if you stay in Somerset."

  She laughed in disbelief. "You're kidding!"

  "No. I've given this a lot of thought, Reva. Eddie is coming to Somerset, we both know that. What if he finds out as soon as he gets to town that you're not here? If he comes to the restaurant, I'll be there. But if he asks someone downtown or stops at a neighbor's house and I don't see him, and he finds out you're not here, he'll be right behind you."

  She shivered. Her bones went cold. She wanted to argue with Dean, but she knew he was right.

  "What do you suggest?"

  "Cooper stays with the Hardys, you sleep at Miss Evelyn's, and I stay at your house and wait for him to show up."

  The very idea of Dean squaring off with Eddie scared Reva more than she cared to admit. When she'd first gotten involved with Eddie, she hadn't known what he was like. She knew now.

  "I'm not sure that's a good idea."

  "Want to live your life looking over your shoulder?" he asked harshly.

  She didn't answer; didn't have to. Of course she didn't want to look over her shoulder for the rest of her life waiting for Eddie to catch up with her! "I'll think about it."

  "You do that. Disappearing in this day and age isn't all that easy," Dean said harshly. "You'd have to change your name and Cooper's. Maybe dye your hair if you really want to play it safe. The kid's too. And even then, you could never be sure Eddie wasn't right around the next corner."

  Reva shivered, imagining what hiding would mean to her life and her son's.

  Dean didn't head directly for the bank, but stopped at the bakery. Louella gave them her best glare as they approached the counter.

  Reva knew, after her short investigation last night, that it had been Louella who'd started the rumor about Dean sneaking into her window at night. Did that mean the woman had been breaking into the restaurant? It didn't make sense. Maybe she wasn't the original source of the rumor, in spite of what Reva had learned last night. She might have twisted the gossip to make it seem as if she'd seen Dean with her own eyes, when in truth it had been someone else who'd told her… So many possibilities. At the moment a prowler who never took anything was the least of Reva's problems!

  Very calmly Dean ordered a cup of coffee. When he asked Reva what she wanted, she shook her head. Miss Evelyn, who had been strangely unsurprised by the new sleeping arrangements, had fed her a hearty breakfast she'd barely been able to choke down.

  Dea
n paid for his coffee, and as Louella handed over his change, he calmly asked, "What were you looking for?"

  Her hand jerked, and coins scattered onto the floor and across the counter. "I … I have no idea what you're talking about." She knelt down to collect the coins from the floor on her side of the counter.

  "Sure you do," Dean said calmly. "You've been slipping into Reva's restaurant at night and looking for something. I just can't figure out what it is."

  "That's ridiculous," Louella said as she slapped the coins onto the counter. Her face had gone beet-red.

  Dean leaned against the counter. "I figure you slipped the lock on the kitchen door with what? An old credit card? That's an easy trick. After I changed the lock and that didn't work anymore, you had to climb through a window. Was it left unlocked or did you manage to slip that lock, too?" He took a long sip of his coffee. "Doesn't matter, I guess. It's breaking and entering either way."

  Instead of a red face, Louella now had a very pale complexion. "You can't prove—"

  "How else did you manage to see me?" Dean interrupted. "Even if you were walking late at night, you can't see the window I used from the sidewalk or the street."

  "So you admit it!" she said, pointing an accusing finger.

  "We're not talking about me right now," Dean said. He took another long drink of coffee. "As for proof, I think if I have the sheriff lift fingerprints off the ledge of that window, he'll find mine and yours. What do you think?"

  Louella pursed her lips. "I think I'm going to ask you to leave."

  "Not until you tell me what you were looking for," Dean said, not budging from the spot. "I didn't see any signs of maliciousness in the restaurant. Nothing was damaged, nothing was taken. You just rummaged around in the middle of the night, and I want two things. I want it to stop, and I want to know why. Otherwise, I will have to call the sheriff and make this an official visit."

  Louella seemed to grow smaller, and finally, for the first time, she laid her eyes on Reva. "All I wanted was the recipe for your fudge pie!"

  Dean almost snorted his coffee. "You were looking for a recipe?"