“Thereby establishing an alibi.” He leaned back against the chair and slouched lower, his knee brushing against hers.
“He’s using my parents this time.” Anger hit her hard as she explained everything her mother told her. “They’ll vouch for him just like the people near his cabin will and once again, no one will believe me when I say he’s behind all this.”
Eddie leaned closer, dark locks of hair slipped over his forehead. “Look at me. They will believe you this time. With the surveillance cameras we’ve installed, we’ll get all the evidence we need to nail the bastard.”
“I know.”
“Do you mind if I explain your situation to Ken?”
Amy cringed. “Why?”
“He’s a P.I. and he has people working for him who can fly to Charlottesville and tail Nolan. This way, we’ll know exactly where he is and what he’s up to.”
“Did Ken and the others ask why you’re training me or why you needed the punching bag and mats?”
“No. My family tends to support each other and ask questions later.”
If only her family was like that. “How much is—”
“Don’t.” He got up, his expression serious. “If you ask how much all this is costing me, I will throw you into the lake.”
Amy snorted and followed him. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Try me.”
She grabbed his hand with both of hers and gave him a radiant smile. If she went in, he would too. “How much is this going to cost me?”
He laughed, his grip tightening. “Nothing.”
“I mean it, Eddie. I hate to be indebted to anyone.”
“I know.” He stopped walking and studied her, then he lifted his free hand and tucked her hair behind her ear. Amy sucked in a breath then she stopped breathing all together when he ran the tips of his fingers down the side of her face. “How about we sit down and figure out how much you owe me after Nolan is behind bars?”
“Okay, and you’d better not be saying that to placate me either.”
He chuckled. “Come on. Let’s talk to the guys. I’ll tell them the bare minimum, which is about all I know anyway.” She rolled her eyes at the dig. “They’re not bad once you get to know them.”
“Even Chase?” she teased.
He glanced toward the lake. Chase was still out there on the boat. “Yeah, even him.”
Inside the house, the guys were still tweaking the cameras and the audio system. Eddie waited until she sat then perched himself on the arm of her chair and said, “We, Amy and I, need your help, Lambert.”
“Anything,” Ken said.
“We need someone tailed in Charlottesville, Virginia. A guy by the name of Nolan Reither.”
Ken frowned. “Who is he?”
“A sick bastard who gets off terrorizing women and children,” Eddie said.
He had the attention of the three men, and they all glanced at her as though they knew Nolan had something to do with her.
“He’s also my ex-husband,” Amy explained. “He’s been stalking me.”
Silence filled the room. Her face warmed.
“Where can we find this son of a bitch?” Vince asked.
“No, Knight,” Eddie said. “Amy wants him behind bars. That means doing everything by the book.”
“You’re suspended,” Ron cut in. “Any evidence you find on this guy will be inadmissible in court.”
“I know, but I’m working with the local P.D. Whatever I find, I plan to pass to them. But right now, I can’t be in Virginia and be here at the same time. He has people working for him here.”
Another silence followed. Once again, Amy cringed.
“Rod can do it.” Ken gave Amy a lop-sided grin. “Rod is one of my best investigators. He’s like a chameleon. With the right disguise, he can blend anywhere and be anyone. Just a second.” He pulled out his cell phone and punched in a number, then brought the phone to his ear. After a few seconds, he grinned. “Hey, did you finish the Kendrick job? Good. Are you working on anything right now? Really? Then it’s a good thing I have a job for you. It’s an out of town surveillance gig. Charlottesville, Virginia.” Ken paused and grinned at something the other man said. “We’ll talk about that later. It’s for a week,” he made eye contact with Eddie and added, “or two. Do you think you can leave tonight?” He paused, then added, “Okay. Great.” Ken terminated the call and grinned. “It’s done. Do you need someone else here to help out?”
“No. Between the surveillance cameras and the two of us,” he glanced at Amy, “we have it covered.”
Amy was sorry to see them leave. Her thanks were heartfelt as she hugged each of them. Chase, who returned the boat just before the seaplane arrived to take them back, reminded her of his offer. She couldn’t see herself working anywhere as a chef until Nolan and this mess was behind her.
“I’ll call you,” she said then walked back to the house. Eddie stayed on the dock to say his goodbyes and watched the seaplane take off.
***
Eddie and Amy sparred again in the evening, but his head wasn’t in the game. He took the boat out to clear his mind. He still felt like a heel for accusing Amy of flirting with Vince and telling her he wanted nothing from her before kissing her like she was his lifeline. The woman pushed his buttons every time she opened her mouth. He had to come up with a way to deal with her or go crazy.
Leaving while her ex was still a threat was out of the question. Ignoring her wasn’t a good idea either. He’d tried it and hated it. He liked hearing her voice, the catch in her breath before she laughed, the way she wasn’t afraid to stand up to him or laugh at him.
“You’re going to be okay once you stop fighting it, bro,” were Chase’s last words before he hopped on the plane. Eddie now knew the attention his cousin had paid Amy hadn’t been serious.
“It’s going to be fun watching him crash and burn,” Ron had added, smirking.
Eddie could still hear their laughter. Was he fighting a losing battle with Amy? There was something about her that touched him deep to his core and no matter what he did, the feeling refused to go away. Maybe it had something to do with her present predicament. He was often at his best, or worst, depending how one looked at it, when he was on a case. It often consumed him, leaving little room for anything else. Maybe once he had Nolan behind bars, the need to protect Amy and never let her out of his sight would go away. Or maybe he should sleep with her and get her out of his system.
Even as the thought crossed his mind, he knew it was idiotic. If he needed to get laid, he knew who to call. An image of Clarissa flashed in his head. Long legs, model-slim, blonde hair perfectly cut and styled, intelligent brown…no, hazel eyes. He was sure they were hazel.
He killed the engine and pulled out his cell phone from its holder and speed dialed her number. What had Amy called Clarissa? A booty call. Eddie chuckled.
“Yes?” Clarissa’s melodic voice drifted over the line.
Eddie waited for the rush of heat that usually accompanied the sound of her voice or thoughts of her, but it didn’t come, confirming his fears. He was no longer excited by other women. First Lauren, now his regular sex partner. Maybe seeing her would do the trick.
“Who is this?” she asked sharply.
“It’s me.” They’d been seeing each other for nine months and she still hadn’t added his number to her list of contacts.
“Eddie? What a surprise! Are you back?”
“No. I’m still in Sandpoint. Do you want to come and join me?”
There was silence then a dry chuckle. “Sweetie, I don’t do backcountry. Second, I have work. I thought we had an understanding.”
Clarissa was a stickler for rules. They hooked up on Fridays and that was it. She was ambitious without apologizing for it and had a lusty sexual appetite that matched his, but at times she could be so cut and dry. Like the way she didn’t like to be touched after sex. He never minded. Once he’d satisfied them both, he often wanted to leave anyway.
Did Amy like to cuddle after sex? Images of her naked astride him flashed in his head, causing blood to rush to his groin. She was so small he’d fear crushing her, yet her womanly curves said she’d fit perfectly in his arms.
“What’s going on, Eddie?” Clarissa asked, shuttering his fantasies.
Yeah, what did he want? “I thought I’d call and see how you are doing.”
“That’s sweet. I miss you too, baby, but I’ll see you in two weeks. We’ll make up for the time you’ve been away.” Her voice became low and husky when she added, “I’ve picked up a few outfits you are going to love.”
The promise of decadence in her voice was real because she loved roleplaying, but he felt no excitement at the thought of seeing her. The realization that it was time for him to move on hit him.
“I think we need to talk when I get back, Clarissa.”
There was silence. “About?”
“I’d rather we talk when I get back.”
“Just spit it out, Eddie,” she said sharply then she sighed and continued calmly. “Listen, I’ve noticed lack of excitement on your part the last few times we were together, so if you want to end things, just say it. I don’t like prolonged goodbyes.”
Eddie grimaced at her directness. It was tinged with anger. “Yes. I think our association has run its course. I meant to discuss it with you when I got home, but if you feel the same way...”
“I do.” Her voice was calmer. There no regret or pain, and the anger was gone. “We had fun, didn’t we?”
“Yes, we did.”
“Then that’s all that matters. If you change your mind, call me.”
It wasn’t going to happen. “I’ll do that.”
“Goodbye, Eddie.” The line went dead.
He slipped his phone back in its holder and sat back to stare at the sunset with unseeing eyes. He just ended a nine month relationship with a phone call. Instead of feeling bad, he felt free, as though a burden had been removed from his shoulders.
Smiling, he restarted the engine and headed toward the house and…Amy.
He’d gone too far and it was getting dark by the time he propelled the boat toward its canopy. Raelynn, in a life jacket, came running to the dock. Amy stayed by the patio steps, watching. Something clasped Eddie’s chest, making it hard to breathe as he watched them. A man could get used to this kind of welcome.
“Where are your brothers?” Raelynn asked as soon as he stepped on the dock.
He scooped her up. “My brothers?”
“The four big men,” she clarified.
Eddie chuckled. “Does that mean I’m small?”
She giggled. “No. Where did they go?”
“Home,” he said. “They only stopped by for a brief visit.”
“Will they come again?”
“No, sweetheart, but maybe you can visit them.” He realized his mistake when his eyes met Amy’s. There was a flash of irritation in her blue eyes. He ignored it and continued to smile for the sake of the child.
But he wasn’t smiling later when Amy set up the table for one and told him primly that dinner was served. “If there anything else you’d like with your meal, let me know.”
Eddie stared at her in confusion. “Where are you eating?”
“The bedroom. Raelynn and I are having a picnic.”
She’d outdone herself, but the food tasted like sawdust. He missed her and Raelynn. Determined not to show it, Eddie ate alone.
The next morning, he came back from a run and found her and Raelynn dancing and cooking. They had their breakfast in the kitchen and served his on the patio. He realized what she was doing and it annoyed him. She wanted to use her position as the housekeeper as a barrier? Fine. He’d see how long she lasted.
Wednesday was Farmers Market day. He accompanied her and Raelynn and thoroughly enjoyed watching her shop. She took shopping for the right vegetables and fruit seriously. But the fun went out of the trip when they stopped for something to eat and vendor assumed they were a family.
“No, we’re not. I’m his housekeeper.”
Eddie wanted to shake her.
Back at the lake house, he fired up his computer and read reports as he ate, chuckling when there was nothing amusing in the files Sly had sent him, until he caught her eye and waved her over. “Could I have more orange juice, please?”
She retrieved the bottle of orange juice and served him.
“Uh, salt and pepper would be nice too.” He waited until she was putting the two wooden containers beside him and added, “I forgot. I could use more paper towels.”
Her eyes flashed, but she went back and brought the wicker tray holding the paper towels. The fork slipped from his hand just when she arrived at the table. He picked it up and handed it to her.
Her hand clenched on the paper towel tray and for one brief moment, he was sure she would hit him on the head with it. She slowly put the towel holder down then went to get him a clean fork.
He had her running up and down, even heard her vow to bury him in an unmarked grave. He had to give it to her. She hung in there, sometimes muttering under her breath, other times biting her lower lip to stop herself from saying something. He pretended not to notice. He gave her until dinner tomorrow to give in, but he hadn’t factored in her stubbornness.
For two days, she refused to give up on her perfect housekeeper idea, impressing the hell out of him. Even when Raelynn carried her plate to the table and ate with him, Amy didn’t waver. Her smile cracked a few times, but his Amy had been replaced by a Stepford wife.
His investigation on both cases, the local robberies and Nolan, were moving along nicely.
“You forgot to mention he’s a cop,” Rod said the first time they spoke.
“Right now think of him as a suspect. I want to know where he is twenty-four seven, who he meets, his latest girlfriend or boyfriend, or if he wakes up in the middle of the night for a midnight snack. He doesn’t take a piss without you knowing.”
“Damn, Fitzgerald. What the hell did this man do?”
“He hurt someone I care about and her little girl.”
Rod cursed. “Then he deserves to go down. Twenty-four hours surveillance means I need a partner, but Lambert already figured that out. Hailey will be here tomorrow morning.”
Rod might be a chameleon and surveillance expert, but there was no security system Hailey couldn’t breach. The day after that phone call, they uploaded surveillance footage on a private server at their security firm’s website and Ken sent Eddie a password to access them. The videos kept coming, but Nolan hadn’t done anything worth getting excited about. As for Ken, Eddie owed him a gratitude that could never be repaid.
The local case proved to be much easier to solve. An idea popped in Eddie’s head as he read the police reports. Most of the homes robbed were time-share properties, which meant the occupants hadn’t been the target. He focused on the two companies managing the times-shares and found a link—they had acquired the homes quite recently.
First, he called Sally.
“No, we didn’t check the companies. Why would they rob their own homes?”
“I have theory I’m working on.”
“Call us if it leads to something. We found the landscape guy. He said he went drinking with friends and when he came out, his truck was gone. He even reported it missing.”
“I’m sure Nolan and his man ditched it somewhere. Keep me updated.” As soon as he hung up, he pulled out Lauren Holliday’s card and punched in numbers. “Lauren, Eddie here.”
“Is everything okay? I feel terrible that bastard came so close to the house and I didn’t know. Amy will never let me babysit for her again. She insisted it’s not my fault but I feel so terrible. If I were her, I would never…”
Eddie leaned back against his chair and watched Raelynn, Jimmy and Sam at their usual spot in the sand pit, temporarily tuning Amy’s friend out. The woman could talk a person’s ear off. Amy was on her computer inside the house but he knew she was keepi
ng an eye on Raelynn through the surveillance cameras. He admired her vigilance, but at the same time, he hated the fact that she had to be because of her bastard ex.
“Eddie!”
His attention shifted to the phone. “Still here.”
“I asked you if you’re sure you can catch Nolan.”
Eddie frowned. His goal was to have Nolan behind bars before he left Sandpoint. He’d given Amy and Raelynn his word. “I will.”
“Well then, what can I do for you? I’m sure you didn’t call to hear me rant. Although, when you catch him, I want to meet him just so I can spit in his face.”
Eddie chuckled. “I’ll see what I can do. I want to run a few things by you, Lauren. About your listings, you manage two of the houses that were robbed, right?”
“Right.”
“Did you always manage them?”
“No. We acquired them last year from the bank when a local company went belly up. You know how the economy has been really rough on real estate. Caldecott Vacation Rental wasn’t the only one to lose everything. Caldecott was sadder because the old man had been around for so long. He was a pioneer in this business and was grooming his son to take over. He took it hard and went back east somewhere with his wife.”
“And the son?”
“Val? I’ve seen him around town, but I’m not sure what he does anymore though I heard rumors he was starting over. You know, investing in properties again. What is this about?”
“Just something I’m looking into.”
“Oh no, you don’t Eddie Fitzgerald. You want to buy property, you do it through me.”
Eddie laughed. “I’m not thinking about buying anything, Lauren. Like you said, I’m a city guy. Just one more question then I’ll let you go. When you bought these two homes, did you change anything or keep everything the way they were. You know, furniture, locks.”
“They were well-maintained, so we didn’t change anything. The bank gave us the keys and we added them to our listings.”
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