Wallflowers:Three of a Kind

by CP Smith

  Devin tried to hold his face passive, but hearing what Calla had said caused him to grunt to cover a laugh. When that didn’t work, he rolled his teeth between his lips to keep from smiling. Strawn caught his reaction and his own lips twitched. After a pregnant pause, both men chuckled, and the air that had been wired tight with accusation finally lifted.

  “You’re her neighbor, not her man,” Strawn stated. “You wanna start at the beginnin?”

  “I’m both,” Devin replied. “She just doesn’t know she’s mine yet.”

  Strawn crossed his arms, his legs spread wide for effect.

  “Would you say she’s worth perjurin’ yourself for?”

  “You’ve seen her,” Devin stated. “In a world where women are plastic, pretendin’ to be somethin’ they’re not, and have personalities that change with the breeze, would you let anyone or anything come between you and a woman like Calla Lily Armstrong? . . . Christ, the heebie-jeebies?”

  “So you’re freely admittin’ you’d say or do anything you had to for Ms. Armstrong.”

  “What I’ll admit is that a woman like that would be worth lyin’, stealin’, or killin’ for, but I didn’t. I was still in Atlanta packin’ up my apartment on Tuesday. Call my landlord if you have any doubts.” When Strawn started to speak, Devin decided to halt any thoughts the detective had about trying to pin the murder on Calla. “And for the record, if you’re thinkin’ of pinnin’ this on Calla, you’re way off track. She’s not capable of stabbin’ a man with anything but her sharp tongue.”

  Strawn raised his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. “All right, let’s say for the record that’s true. If you’re convinced she couldn’t be involved, do you have any information that might shed some light on this clusterfuck?”

  “Yeah.” Devin moved further away from the patrolmen gathered in the lobby, and Strawn followed. When they were more than an earshot away, Devin spoke. “Stutter laced the drinks of every man who participated in some golf club invitational.”

  Strawn raised his hand to interrupt. “For someone who just moved here, you know this how?”

  “I have it on good authority. I overheard a conversation between Calla and her Aunt Eunice.”

  “Eunice Armstrong? Daughter of Preston Armstrong? Christ, I didn’t make the connection when I interviewed her,” Strawn muttered.

  “If you say so,” Devin said. “I don’t know the man.”

  “Asshole. More money than God.”

  “Are there any other kind of rich people?”

  Strawn shook his head. “And you’re goin’ after his only grandchild,” he chuckled. “Heads up, you’ll have trouble from him, that I can guarantee. His blood’s so blue he looks like a Smurf, so I doubt he’ll welcome you with open arms.”

  “Duly noted, but if Calla’s the woman I think she is, her grandfather hasn’t told her what to do since she was a kid.”

  Done with the topic of Preston Armstrong, Strawn said, “Tell me about Stutter and this alleged spikin’ of drinks.”

  “Eunice told Calla that Stutter has a man at the club who spiked the drinks of the other players during the celebratory toast. That’s why he’s won the past few years. She also said that when his wife tossed his shit out the window, several of your prominent citizens were in attendance and fought over his clubs. If I were you, I’d ask myself how they knew his belongin’s were bein’ tossed at that very moment, and why they weren’t concerned he’d show up and put a stop to it.”

  Strawn gritted his teeth. “You wanna be more specific on the who?”

  “A judge, a senator, and the chief of police.”

  Strawn closed his eyes slowly, his jaw ticking as he absorbed the information, and mumbled, “Fuck,” under his breath.

  “That about sums it up,” Devin agreed.

  He had no idea if Maria killed Stutter in self-defense or by someone else, but he had no doubt Strawn would find out. He didn’t strike Devin as a man who did what he was told, but as a man who did what was right. Finding Maria alive was Devin’s job, and if Strawn shook the bushes for him, he’d get to the bottom of what she was hiding from quicker.

  Shoving his notepad into the back pocket of his jeans, Strawn stuck out his hand to Devin. “Bo Strawn.”

  Devin immediately took the man’s hand. “Devin Hawthorne. Am I free to go?”

  Strawn jerked his head toward the side door. “I saw Ms. Armstrong hightail it on foot headin’ north.”

  Devin clapped Strawn on the shoulder in thanks then headed for the door and his bike. When he exited, Nate was waiting for him, anger shadowing his features, his hands curled into fists.

  “Talk to me,” Devin said as he approached.

  “Carmella heard about the body on the radio. Seein’ as they clean here, she put two and two together and panicked, thinkin’ it was Maria. She called me, and I spent the last ten minutes reassurin’ her that you’d find her daughter.”

  “That’s a big promise to make.”

  His face hardened. “You remember that stolen test?” Nate asked. “You didn’t stop until you had that kid dead to rights. You’re part bloodhound, my friend. I figure if Maria’s still alive, you’ll find her, and that’s what I promised her mother.”

  Devin’s head pounded harder with the added pressure, but he nodded.

  “Did you find out if they cleaned for Stutter?”

  “They don’t. But when I told Carmella it might be Stutter who was dead, she said she’d seen him at one of her other customers’ homes and they looked to be arguin’.”

  “Did she give you the name of the client?”

  “Yeah. Fang Ken Yoo. The last place Maria worked.”

  “Fang Ken Yoo? Jesus, what a name.”

  Nate cracked a smile for the first time since he’d arrived. “Puts a whole new spin on “what the fuck were her parents thinkin’ naming her that.’”

  “At least the dots are connectin’,” Devin replied.

  “What’s your next move?”

  “Coffee. I have a feelin’ it’s gonna be a long night.”

  “You gonna stake out Yoo?”

  “As soon as you give me the keys to your truck.”

  Nate grinned and pulled the keys from his front pocket, tossing them to Devin.

  “Been a while since I rode a bike,” Nate said, eyeing Devin’s Harley.

  “You put so much as a scratch on her, we’ll have problems,” Devin warned, tossing his own keys to Nate.

  “Wouldn’t dream of it,” Nate answered then swung a leg over the bike. After he donned the helmet left behind by Calla, he started the Harley and shouted, “Keep in touch,” over the roar of the engine, speeding off down the street as Devin watched.

  Devin turned and looked at Nate’s black Ford F-150. At least he’d be comfortable while he kept tabs on Yoo for the night.

  As he headed for the truck, he caught a glimpse of blonde hair the color of Calla’s. As much as he wanted to hunt her down that very instant, he’d have to wait until tomorrow to take her pulse.

  ✿✿✿

  My phone buzzed in my back pocket as I made my way home. I’d taken an alternate route back from Poe, hoping to avoid Devin for as long as possible so I could gather my nerves to face him, but it wasn’t working. A knot had formed in my stomach after his reaction to my kiss, and it hadn’t eased in the twenty minutes it had taken me to make my way back toward my apartment, further emphasizing my earlier belief that a man like Devin would be hard to get over.

  If I was this upset after one unbelievably hot kiss, one he clearly didn’t want, how would I have reacted if we’d entered into a relationship and he left?

  “Fat chance of that happenin’, so problem solved,” I mumbled as I pulled out my phone.

  The display said Poppy calling, so I swiped Answer and put the phone to my ear.

  “Hello.”

  “Did you find out who the dead body was?”

  I’d stopped at an intersection as I answered, but I paused and looked back,
because I could hear a bike roaring down the street. Not ready to deal with Devin yet, I turned and ducked inside a souvenir shop. The rider passed by a moment later, but it wasn’t Devin. Though he looked familiar.

  “Cali?” Poppy called out.

  “Sorry, I was crossin’ the street,” I answered as I watched the biker turn left onto Broughton Street.

  Was that Devin’s friend, Nate?

  “Are you home already?”

  I tried to pull up the man’s face from the night before and remembered eyes like the night, so brown they looked black, but his face wasn’t coming to me.

  “Almost. I’m getting’ ready to cross Broughton, so I’ll be there in about five minutes,” I answered without thinking.

  “Wait, are you walkin’ home? Why aren’t you with Devin?”

  Shit!

  Rider forgotten, I hesitated before answering. I wasn’t about to tell her I’d taken her advice only to be shot down. She and Sienna would bug me for details, and I just wanted to forget about the whole embarrassing episode.

  Now what?

  LIE!!

  “I, um. He was tied up with the police, so I walked home,” I replied, stumbling over the lie as I walked back outside.

  There was dead air for a moment.

  “He let you walk home?”

  “Um, yes,” I answered, but even I didn’t believe it. I couldn’t lie worth a damn.

  More dead air.

  “All right, spill.”

  “About what?” I played dumb, but I knew she wouldn’t buy it. Even I knew that Devin, interested in me or not, wouldn’t have let me walk home after finding a dead body.

  “What happened? Why’d you leave?” she asked on a sigh.

  “Nothin’. I just needed to get out of there. Devin had to stay and talk to police, and I needed air. I’m worried about Maria, and I didn’t want to see the body brought up from the basement, so I left. Simple as that.”

  “Okaaaaay.” She dragged out the word, and I could tell she wasn’t buying it.

  “Where are you?” I asked to change the subject.

  “We’re at Jacobs’ Ladder. Why don’t you come join us?”

  “Oh. Well, I’m headin’ to,” I looked around the street for a plausible destination. “Blends. For coffee and a muffin.”

  There was no way I was gonna meet up with them at Jacobs’ Ladder. Devin would no doubt head there when he was finished with the police to debrief his friend. But I didn’t want to head home either. The closer I got to my apartment, the faster my heart raced. I knew he’d show up there eventually and confront me for taking off.

  Jesus. I’d essentially turned into a big fat scaredy-cat all because of a man. Maybe I should rethink the whole notion of love?

  “After what we’ve been through, I would think tequila was the order of the day.”

  She wasn’t wrong.

  “I didn’t get any caffeine this mornin’, and I need to refuel,” I hedged. “Besides, I still have a hangover.”

  I could tell she’d covered the phone and was talking to Sienna, so I waited, hoping they would come to me.

  “We’ll be there in ten,” she finally said, so I did a U-turn and headed for Blends.

  Thank you, God, for small miracles.

  “See you soon,” I responded and swiped my phone off.

  As I entered Blends, I saw a circular for area apartments and grabbed one on a whim. I’d considered moving in the past to get out from underneath my family, but now, after making a ninny out of myself with Devin, would be the perfect time to stretch my wings. I knew I’d be miserable watching Devin take women into his apartment, hearing his gravelly voice chuckle as he entertained someone like Bridget Donavan.

  I’m an idiot. I should have never listened to Poppy.

  I berated myself as I flipped through the listings of cute, homey apartments.

  Pausing on a listing for a one-bedroom at Eight Thousand Waters Street, my mind drifted to Maria. If she had killed the man in the basement, she must have feared for her life. The Maria I knew wouldn’t hurt a fly.

  Slamming the circular shut, I headed to the counter and ordered a café mocha. I wasn’t lying when I said I needed caffeine. I was also starving, so I eyed the muffins and grabbed a lemon poppy seed. I’d drown my sorrow in coffee and bakery delights, then I’d focus on how we could help poor Maria.

  I’d no more taken a sip of the rich hickory coffee with just the right amount of chocolate, when the girls walked in and made a beeline for my table. Their mouths were set in hard lines, their brows drawn low as they bore down on me.

  They were ready for answers I didn’t want to give.

  Dammit. I really have to learn how to lie.

  Sienna dropped her purse on the table, then her hands went to her hips as she glared down at me. “If this Wallflower thing is gonna work, we have to be completely honest with each other.”

  I looked at Poppy, and she’d crossed her arms in agreement, jerking her head slightly at Sienna in a what she said action.

  Argh. Why had I thought it would be great to have friends?

  “Sit,” I finally said—resigned to my fate—and pulled out a chair for each of them.

  Then I took a sip of coffee to stall.

  Poppy began tapping her fingers on the table, her nails clipping the wood in a rat-a-tat-tat. “Any time would be good,” she stated.

  Blowing air from my lungs in a whoosh, sending strands of my hair off my forehead, I nodded and began.

  “I kissed Devin, and he didn’t like it.”

  Sienna snorted. “I doubt that.”

  “We’ll be the judge of that,” Poppy stated. “Start at the beginnin’ and leave nothin’ out.”

  I proceeded to explain in detail the events that transpired, leaving nothing out, not even the part about them being right about my not feeling good enough for a man like Devin, and then waited as each one chewed on the information.

  “That doesn’t make sense,” Sienna mumbled. “I may not have dated recently, but that doesn’t mean I’m blind to men who find me desirable. And I’m tellin’ you, that Devin has that same look on his face when he looks at you.”

  “You must have misread him,” was Poppy’s only explanation.

  “How do you misread angry eyes, locked jaw, and a back to your face?”

  “Not easily,” Sienna mumbled, “I’ll give you that. Let me think about it.”

  My head fell back on my shoulders, and I raised my hands to run them through my hair. “I’m done thinkin’ about it,” I muttered. “His reaction shook me, which reinforced my belief he is not a man I should get involved with. Even if I did misread him, which I don’t think I did, my reaction was exactly what I was afraid of,” I said matter-of-factly. “No man should have that much power over any woman’s heart.”

  Sienna reached out and placed a hand on my arm. “I understand, more than you know.”

  I knew she did. She’d spent years pining for a man who didn’t return her feelings, and I sure as hell didn’t want to end up the same way.

  “Let’s talk about what we can do to help Maria instead,” I said, wanting more than anything to change the subject.

  Sienna shot Poppy a look. “How exactly do you think we can help her?” she asked cautiously.

  I’d been thinking about how to help Maria in between feeling miserable for myself and came to some conclusions.

  “Devin thinks she found somethin’ while cleanin’ and whoever is after her is one of her clients.”

  I paused to look between them both, unsure of what I was about to say.

  “And?” Poppy asked.

  Grabbing my coffee, I took a sip to stall again. Maria needed help, that much was certain, and Devin was only one man. No matter how good he was at his job, being new to Savannah, not knowing the ins and outs of the close-knit community, would be a hindrance. If Billy Ray was the dead man, then I had a better chance of ferreting out the truth with my family connections than he did.

  “
I think I should go to work for her mother and look around,” I finally mumbled.

  After a loaded pause, I peeked up to gauge their reaction. Sienna had leaned back and crossed her arms, staring at me like I’d grown a second head. “You can’t be serious,” she finally bit out. “A man is dead, and you want to run off playin’ Nancy Drew?”

  I sighed. “No. But how else can we find out what happened to her? I can’t sit idly by while her mother is worried sick. And if Billy Ray is involved, then others who run in the same circles as my grandparents might be as well. I know these people. I would know what to look for.”

  “I’ll help,” Poppy jumped in unexpectedly. “We can work together, keep an eye out for the other while one of us snoops. Sienna can cover for us at work, keep Alexandra and Jolene off the scent. She could tell them we’re workin’ from home since we’ve got the Unbridled Passion deadline loomin’ next month. They’d believe that excuse.”

  “You’re both nuts,” Sienna hissed, looking around the coffee shop to see if she was overheard, “and forgettin’ two things.”

  “What’s that?” I asked.

  She raised her hand and ticked off the points on her fingers. “One. Devin. He’ll no doubt see you and blow your cover, if he doesn’t kill you first. And two, you’re Calla Armstrong, heir to Preston Armstrong’s fortune. Maria probably cleaned for the who’s who of Savannah. You may not live in their world, but they sure as hell know who you are.”

  “Devin won’t care. I’ve already established that,” I pointed out.

  Sienna rolled her eyes. “I don’t care what you say, you’re wrong about Devin. He’ll care, trust me. In fact, I guarantee after the way he acted about you viewin’ the body, he’ll lose his mind if he finds out you’re puttin’ yourself in harm’s way.”

  “Oh, he’ll mind,” Poppy threw in, too, not willing to let go of the topic. “Even if it’s just about his neighbor nosin’ around where she doesn’t belong.”

  “I’ll cross that bridge if he finds out,” I stated, though I’d decided in recent minutes that I had no intention of ever speaking to the man again if I could help it. “Besides, he can’t nose around without bein’ questioned and we can. No one will think twice about the cleanin’ staff tidyin’ a desk.”