For His Daughter

by Dani Sinclair

  Lee suddenly cursed. “He can’t be this far ahead of us. He must have gone the other way.”

  “He’ll have to go back to the motel eventually,” she reminded him. “We could go and wait for him.”

  He slowed the vehicle’s breakneck pace, much to her relief. “You’re pretty smart, you know that?”

  “Hmm,” she agreed noncommittally.

  “I’d like another look at the murder scene,” he muttered.

  “Another look?”

  Lee nodded. “This time, I’d like to get inside.”

  “It’ll be locked, but maybe we can convince Elizabeth to let us in.”

  “I wasn’t thinking of asking permission,” he told her.

  “Oh. Well, what about Barney’s apartment? Don’t you want to finish looking around there, too?”

  “You sure you’re up for it?”

  “Like you said, what choice do we have? I’m an accessory now.”

  “Kayla...I’m sure I can get that dropped.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’m not going to. Not right now. Right now I just want to prove that creep wrong.”

  “Which creep? The cop that was hassling your brother? What’s going on between them, anyhow?”

  “I’ve no idea, but I want to be there when we rub the real murderer under his nose.”

  “Vindictive, huh?”

  “Darn right.”

  “Feel like another hike?” Lee asked. “I’d rather not park in the lot. If we park up the road we can walk back if you’re up to it.”

  “Fine with me.”

  They drove past the motel.

  “Uh, Lee...that’s Elizabeth’s sports car parked next to the Montgomery County police car.”

  “I see it. Don’t worry.”

  “Sure. Okay.”

  Lee grinned. He surprised her by pulling into the Ruckles’ driveway.

  “What are you doing?”

  “If Elizabeth is down there, I thought we might go up and have a little chat with Jason.”

  “About what?”

  “About what he saw that night at the restaurant.”

  “Do you really think he can tell you anything?”

  “You never know until you ask.”

  Lee didn’t bother trying the front door. He walked around to the back as if he was expected. Elizabeth lay facedown on a chaise longue, totally nude, a full glass of Scotch on the table near her fingertips. She was reading a magazine this time, but she rolled over when she heard or sensed their presence.

  Without embarrassment, she sat up, reaching for a towel to wrap around her, but not before giving them both an eyeful of her perfectly tanned body.

  “I didn’t hear you ring the doorbell,” she said.

  “Probably because we didn’t,” Lee explained. “Nice tan.”

  She smiled warmly. Kayla wanted to toss both of them into the swimming pool.

  “Thank you. Would you care to join me?”

  “No,” Kayla said irritably. “Haven’t you heard sun is bad for you?”

  “We all have to die of something.” Elizabeth dismissed her with a flick of her hand and turned to Lee. “I see they haven’t arrested you yet. What can I do for you?”

  Lee pulled one of the chairs away from the table and sat down close enough to touch her. Did he want a closer view in case the towel slipped? Kayla wondered. Annoyed, she took a seat beneath the shade of the umbrella table.

  “Actually, I was hoping you could tell me what you saw that night at the restaurant,” Lee said.

  “Not much. I’m afraid I was a little indisposed that evening.”

  Drunk, was more like it, Kayla thought, but didn’t say anything as Elizabeth lifted her glass, took a long pull and waggled it in offer. “Want to join me?”

  “No thanks, we don’t have a lot of time right now. Did you see the fight Fay and I had?”

  “Everybody saw it. Fay was on. One of her better per...forman...ces,” Elizabeth enunciated clearly.

  Until that hesitation, Kayla hadn’t realized Elizabeth was already drunk.

  “Did you watch me leave?” Lee asked.

  “No. Not that you aren’t worth watching,” Elizabeth smiled invitingly. Was she coming on to Lee?

  “I’m afraid Jason was a little miffed with me that night. He insh...insis...ted we go straight home. That’s what I told the police, too. We went home.”

  “They asked you for an alibi?” Lee sounded amused, but Kayla sat up straighter.

  “We had to tell them what we did. That’s all.”

  “Was Fay making a play for Jason, too?” Lee asked. “She always did like to be the center of attention.”

  Elizabeth narrowed her eyes, then lay back, staring up at the sky. “Fay was a bitch. I’m glad you killed her.”

  “I didn’t kill her.”

  “Too bad. She didn’t want Jason,” Elizabeth continued. “I’m the only one who ever wanted Jason.”

  “Fay liked having men dangling on her string,” Lee encouraged.

  Elizabeth nodded. “I knew she’d cause trouble when she moved back. She always caused trouble. But Jason was with me that night. We fought all the way home. But Jason apologized. He always apologized. He’s very sexy, you know.”

  Kayla shuddered. Elizabeth sounded so weird, as if she was repeating something she’d rehearsed over and over.

  “Fay didn’t want Jason,” she repeated. She looked at Lee slyly. “She was after your money, you know.”

  What money?

  “Jason doesn’t have any money.” Elizabeth lowered her voice. “We’re broke.”

  “I’m sorry,” Lee said softly.

  “I shouldn’t have told you.” Elizabeth sat up abruptly and the towel slipped, completely revealing her nut-brown breasts. She tugged the towel back into place, without a sign of self-consciousness, and took a long swallow of her drink. From the color inside the glass, Kayla didn’t think she’d bothered to dilute the Scotch.

  “Sho...sometimes I think I’ll go crazy with worry.”

  Was that why she drank? Because she and Jason were broke?

  “It’ll be okay once I get pregnant. I have a great body, don’t you think?”

  “Very fit,” Lee said diplomatically.

  “I didn’t want...after what you saw the other day... well, Jason isn’t mean like that. He doesn’t beat me. He’s just angry someone killed Fay at our motel. Ish...it’s our only source of income. We can’t afford the nota... nota...”

  “Notoriety?” Lee supplied. Elizabeth smiled gratefully and lay back down, closing her eyes.

  “You were very angry the other night,” she said. “Everyone saw you.”

  “I know. I was drunk.”

  Elizabeth opened her eyes and giggled. The sound grated on Kayla’s nerves. “Me, too. Fay was a bitch.”

  “Yes, she was.”

  “Jason let her use that room alla time.” She reached down and drained her glass.

  “I know,” Lee agreed.

  “Jason thought it was ’cause of her brat, but it wash... wasn’t.”

  “No?”

  “No. She and Barney...” Elizabeth yawned hugely. Her eyes closed again and she lay back.

  “What about Fay and Barney?” Lee pressed.

  “...had a thing going,” Elizabeth muttered sleepily.

  “What sort of thing?” But it was pretty apparent they’d gotten all they were going to get from the woman. She was nearly unconscious from all the alcohol.

  Lee shook her gently. The towel rode up her thigh as Elizabeth shifted sleepily.

  Elizabeth opened her eyes blearily. “You’re nice.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Too bad she trapped you with that kid. She isn’t even yours.” Elizabeth closed her eyes.

  Chapter Eight

  The world seemed to stop for a long second.

  “What did you say?” Lee shook her arm, further dislodging the towel, but Elizabeth was beyond noticing much of anything. Her mouth fell open and sh
e began to snore in a very unladylike manner.

  “Elizabeth? Wake up.”

  But Elizabeth was dead to the world. When Lee couldn’t rouse Elizabeth enough to make any further coherent sense from her, they left her asleep in the chair and walked back to the loaner car. An iceberg the size of Delaware had taken up residence inside him despite the muggy heat of the late afternoon.

  He’d had himself tested for every social disease known to man after learning what Fay was like, but he had never questioned Meredith’s paternity. And he wasn’t going to start now.

  “Meredith is my daughter,” he stated forcefully.

  “Of course she is,” Kayla replied calmly. “Elizabeth was drunk.” Her eyes glittered, but it was anger not sympathy he saw there. “I wouldn’t give it any more thought, if I were you. I’m more interested in what she started to say about Barney Trowbridge. Do you think she knows about those pictures?”

  Gratitude brought a lump to his throat.

  “If Jason is one of those men on her wall, doesn’t it give Elizabeth a motive for murder too?”

  Lee forced himself to focus on Kayla’s words instead of the gnawing specter of losing his daughter.

  “It might give her a motive. But we need more than motive here,” he warned.

  Was Meredith his child? Would it matter if she wasn’t?

  Kayla laid her hand on his arm. “Let’s go find a telephone.”

  No. It wouldn’t matter. Not to him, it wouldn’t. Meredith would always be his little girl.

  “A phone?” Kayla repeated.

  “What for?” he asked absently.

  His name was on Merry’s birth certificate and that gave him rights. No one was taking his daughter away.

  “I want to talk to Alex.”

  Mention of her brother snagged his attention. Lee studied Kayla’s face. “What for?”

  “Because I think the three of us should work together, don’t you?”

  “Work together with your brother?” Warily, knowing he risked alienating her completely, Lee shook his head. “What if Alex killed her, Kayla?”

  She didn’t bat an eyelash. “He didn’t. It’s your turn to trust me, Lee. Alex is as much a pawn as you are. He may have had an affair with Fay, but he didn’t kill her.”

  “You’re willing to concede they had an affair?”

  Her eyebrows lifted. “I’m willing to ask him. I’m also willing to give him the same benefit of the doubt I’m giving you, Lee. Alex can help us.”

  Lee seriously doubted that. “Why should he?”

  “So the police will arrest the real murderer and leave the rest of us alone.” She waved off his protest. “If the police think you and I are lovers, they may also think I had a hand in her murder. Especially if they believe you killed her.”

  She was right. The police would think exactly that. “There’s a pay phone at the rest stop out on Interstate 270,” he told her.

  ALEX AGREED TO MEET Kayla and Lee at a chain restaurant in Frederick. It was early enough that they were able to select a table in the back corner. Alex arrived along with the drinks. He strode inside looking big and tough and thoroughly menacing. The waitress took an uneasy step backward when he approached, ordered a beer and dropped onto a chair.

  “Give me one good reason I shouldn’t take you apart here and now,” he said to Lee.

  “Besides the fact that your sister wouldn’t approve?”

  Lee didn’t look the least bit concerned. But one look at the hard set of her brother’s face and Kayla knew Alex wasn’t exaggerating his threat. Her brother was furious.

  “We have to get Kayla out of this mess first,” Lee told him calmly.

  “A mess you created.”

  Lee shook his head. “I didn’t kill Fay. Your sister doesn’t think you killed her, either. So where does that leave us?”

  “Working together,” Kayla said firmly, laying her hand on Lee’s arm. She could feel the tensile strength of tightly coiled muscles. His relaxed pose was simply that. Lee was fully ready to jump into action.

  Her brother stared pointedly at her hand, but Kayla met his gaze and left it where it was. Lee didn’t object, even if he did give her an amused sidelong glance. No one said a word as the waitress appeared with the beer.

  “Are you...ready to order?” she asked hesitantly.

  “No,” both men answered.

  “Yes, we are.” Kayla glared at them, flipped open the menu and pointed. “We’ll take three orders of the chicken finger dinner.” She looked pointedly from one to the other. Lee made a face.

  “Maybe you should just bring them a raw steak and throw it on the table. The two of them can snarl over it, instead.”

  Lee coughed and Alex ducked his head. The waitress looked astounded and terribly uneasy.

  “You two are scaring this poor woman. Now behave.”

  The woman gawked at them as if they were crazy. Kayla felt like a lion tamer whose unpredictable charges had gotten loose in public.

  “Just bring the dinners,” she told the woman.

  “Right away.” She scampered off.

  “What if I don’t like chicken?” Lee asked mildly.

  “Then you can eat the French fries and coleslaw. And if you two don’t stop acting like a couple of tomcats, we’re going to draw more attention than any of us will like. You promised to listen, Alex, so knock it off.”

  The corner of Lee’s mouth hitched in amusement. “Isn’t he your older brother?”

  Alex momentarily dropped his scowl. “She got the bossy gene. Our parents didn’t believe in corporeal punishment.”

  “Cute. Don’t you dare think the two of you can gang up on me. We don’t have time for jokes or fights. We need to work together,” Kayla scolded. She turned a pleading look on her brother and more of the hardness left his features. “We saw that cop stop you outside my house today,” she added.

  Alex twitched in surprise. “Where were you?”

  “On my front porch,” she said. “We went out the back way before he saw my car in the driveway.”

  “So that is Iggy’s new baby I saw outside.” Alex suddenly looked dangerous again. He scowled at Lee. “I don’t suppose you happen to know where it picked up a couple of bullet holes?”

  “Over on Basil,” Lee answered calmly. “Trowbridge used us for target practice again.”

  Alex laid a fist on the table, making the salt and pepper shakers dance. “Both of you?”

  “’Fraid so.”

  Alex glared. Lee just looked at him.

  “Are we talking about Barney Trowbridge from the motel?” Alex demanded.

  “He had too much of a head start for me to have a face-to-face chat, but I think so.”

  “It was Barney,” Kayla interrupted.

  “Why is he shooting at you?”

  “That’s something I plan to ask when I catch up with him.” Lee recited the events of the afternoon with terse efficiency.

  “So I repeat,” Alex said in a cold voice, “why does Trowbridge want you dead?”

  Lee frowned. “I’ve no idea.”

  The waitress returned with their dinners.

  “That was fast,” Kayla told her, trying for a smile to cover the tension lying over their table like a weighty blanket. The waitress looked from one man to the other as if afraid of what they might do.

  “Do you need anything else?” she asked timidly.

  Kayla tried for another reassuring smile and kicked Lee under the table.

  “Ouch. No. Thanks,” he told the waitress, “we’re fine.”

  “Okay.” She left quickly, no doubt afraid he’d change his mind.

  “You’re like a couple of schoolboys.”

  Lee looked surprised. “What did we do?”

  “Listen up.” She picked up a French fry and aimed it at her brother who looked as if he’d be happy to start a brawl any minute. “You can snarl all you want. Lee did not kill Fay.” She took a bite and aimed the rest at Lee. “And neither did Alex. You, of all
people, know it was Barney.”

  “No, I don’t,” he protested.

  “You think Trowbridge murdered Fay?” Alex demanded.

  “Yes.”

  “We don’t know that,” Lee argued, eyeing a chicken strip with suspicion.

  “For crying out loud,” she erupted, “he shot at us! Twice! The man wants to kill you!”

  “He’s not the only one,” Alex muttered.

  Lee shrugged. “He appears to be the only one willing to shoot me in cold blood. At the moment.”

  Alex probed his coleslaw with a scowl. “Have you got proof Trowbridge murdered Fay?”

  “Sort of,” Kayla said.

  “No,” Lee said at the same time.

  “But the pictures!” Kayla protested.

  “They aren’t proof. I told you that.”

  “What pictures?” Alex demanded.

  “The ones we found on Barney’s bedroom walls,” she told her brother.

  Lee cursed.

  “You took her inside his place?” Alex growled dangerously, his fork poised in midair. A piece of chicken dangled from the tines.

  “Of course not. She followed me inside,” Lee said with a diffident shrug.

  Alex looked as if he might explode across the table.

  “Never mind that,” Kayla said quickly. “Alex, what happened to your ring?”

  Alex stilled.

  “Let’s not change the subject,” he said after a second. “What about these pictures?”

  “Alex, it’s important. You always wore that ring and now you don’t. Did you lose it? Is that what happened?”

  “Kayla, what does my ring have to do with—?”

  “Did you have an affair with Fay?” she asked him.

  “No!”

  The couple who’d just been seated nearby looked up and quickly glanced away. Alex lowered his voice. “Look, Kayla, I know she was your friend—”

  “And you want to protect my delicate feelings, right? I’ve got news for you, Alex. I’m all grown-up and Fay wasn’t a nice person. I know that, so don’t pussyfoot around me, okay?”

  Slowly Alex nodded.