On the Prowl

by Kimberly Dean

  “Are you going to be in Boston for a while?” she asked. “Maybe I could drive down and spend a weekend. I’ve been craving some clam chowder.”

  And some friendly company. The idea of getting away for a weekend was more than appealing. She needed time to think. She needed to get away from the pressure and the questioning looks in order to do that.

  “That would be nice. It’s time we got caught up with each other.”

  “I’d say. I haven’t seen you for over a month.”

  “So what’s going on with you?”

  “With me?” Her life was in the slow lane compared to his.

  Her brother cleared his throat uncomfortably and she went on the alert. Something was off. He never asked her questions like that.

  “What is it, Adam?” she asked.

  “I’ve just been hearing some things. Rumors, really. I’m sure they’re not true.”

  She went still. Oh, God. Please not this. Things were bad enough. She leaned forward on the sofa. She had an unexpected ache in her stomach. “What rumors?”

  “About you and Roger Thorton,” he admitted.

  Her stomach cramped and she felt sick. No. This couldn’t be happening.

  “Lydia called me,” he said. “She was very upset.”

  Lydia. Fury began rolling through Talia’s veins. She’d known the woman wouldn’t just let it lie. She’d thought that she’d just stick to the New Covington rumor mill, but no. She’d gone for the jugular. “Lydia tracked you down in Boston to tell you that?”

  “Yeah, and I’d just gotten in from that long flight. It was really hard to hear what she had to say but then I got to thinking. Well, Roger always did have a thing for you. You haven’t had anybody in your life for a while and I thought that maybe…”

  Talia was torn between anger and shock. She was livid with Lydia but Adam’s comment about Roger unsettled her. “You saw it, too?”

  “Saw what? Uncle Roger eyeing you?” He paused. “Then it’s true?”

  “No,” she blurted. Dismay immediately consumed her. Now she was lying to her family? She raked a hand through her damp hair. “Yes. No… It wasn’t like that.”

  “So you didn’t sleep with him?”

  Family or not, her sex life was private. Years ago when she’d had questions about her brother’s relationship with Felicia Thorton she hadn’t pried. Not once. “It’s nobody’s business,” she said quietly.

  Adam let out a low curse and she knew that her secret was out. One of her secrets, at least.

  “Sis, I know that things between Lydia and Roger haven’t been good for quite some time but you’re playing a dangerous game.”

  He didn’t know the half of it.

  “Lydia has always been good to me,” he continued. “I can’t defend your actions to her.”

  “I realize that,” Talia said. It had always been a point of contention between them. As smart a businessman as Adam was, he was naive when it came to the social scene. Lydia had seen that weakness and used it to her advantage. “Divide and conquer” had been her strategy. She’d made sure that Adam had never been around when she’d torn into his sister. She’d even gone so far as to pamper him like a beloved aunt. For all Adam’s good points, he’d never been able to see what the woman was doing.

  “As long as Roger treats you well, I’ll stay out of it,” he said, obviously trying to stay on impartial ground. “But next time, you need to prepare me better. You know I don’t like getting caught in the middle.”

  Talia sighed. “I didn’t put you in the middle. Lydia did.”

  And next on the list would probably be Felicia. And then Aunt Cordelia. She closed her eyes and rubbed her throbbing temple. Her headache had just become a migraine.

  “Point taken.” Adam’s voice brightened. “All right, enough of that. Let’s talk about something else. What’s happening with the old Foundation?”

  Tension crept into Talia’s shoulders. She loved the big sap but, as with all brothers, he knew how to get under her skin. “The old Foundation.” She put her heart and soul into their family’s non-profit charity but he always acted like it was some sort of hobby.

  She brushed her hurt feelings aside. With all that had happened, she knew she was just being touchy. At least he was showing interest. “We’re having a fundraising event next month,” she said. “You should come.”

  “A fundraiser? Wow, I remember when Dad used to drag us around to those things. I hated them.”

  “And I loved them.”

  “Yeah, well you didn’t have to wear a tux. I swear, those things were out to choke me to death.”

  He let out a gagging sound and she laughed because she knew he wanted her to.

  “Think you can brave strangulation just one more time?” she asked. “We’re planning a charity auction. I promise it will be fun.”

  He groaned. “Do I have to?”

  “It would be nice to have a strong Sizemore showing.” And some much needed moral support.

  “Are you that hard up for money? Can’t I just send a check?”

  She counted to ten. Adam was the last person she wanted to know about the seriousness of the Foundation’s fiscal problems. After all, it was her responsibility and she was the one who’d let things get into such bad shape. On the other hand, it frustrated her that he didn’t keep better track of the Foundation’s status. She read all the annual reports for Sizemore Appliances. Their father had always put equal importance on both the family business and the charity. She sighed.

  “A check would be fine. Brent Harrington cut off the Council for the Arts’ support of the after-school program,” she said. “I’m trying to find a way to fund it solely through the Foundation.”

  Adam let out a long whistle. “I hadn’t heard about that. Dad would be pissed. No wonder Lydia said I should check on you.”

  Talia went very still. “Check on me?”

  “Well, you know… She’s worried about you.”

  Oh, really. “Adam, what, exactly, did Lydia tell you?”

  “Forget about it. I shouldn’t have said anything and I don’t want to get you all riled up again.”

  “Spill it.”

  He cleared his throat. “She just thought that you might be having some problems. You seemed to be pushing the Foundation work pretty hard at her dinner party and then she caught you in bed with Roger. She thought that maybe…well, maybe you’re missing Dad.”

  Talia choked as revulsion pushed its way into her throat. Of all the vile things to say! “That sick, underhanded, manipulative bitch!”

  “Now, now. She didn’t mean it that way. It’s just that… God, I don’t know how to say this. She and Ramona talked. They thought that maybe I should take the Foundation work off your hands.”

  Talia sprang to her feet. “And why would you do that?”

  “To ease the pressure on you.”

  “And?”

  “With your state of mind, they don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be around kids.”

  Talia let out a strangled cry. “Adam!”

  “Whoa. Hold on now. They said that, not me.”

  “But you’re repeating it.”

  “And I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry.”

  “That’s it!” she snapped. “That’s absolutely the last straw.”

  She’d been teetering on the edge of a big decision but it had just been taken out of her hands. There was no question now as to what she should do.

  “Talia, what’s going on with you? You’re not acting like yourself.”

  “There’s nothing going on with me,” she said tightly. Nothing a little nighttime thievery wouldn’t cure. “I’m just fed up with life in New Covington. Your buddy Lydia is making life hell for me. I can’t believe you listened to her sick lies.”

  “I’m sorry,” he repeated. “She’s obviously just lashing back. I trust you with the Foundation. You know I do.”

  “You’d better.”

  “Hey, about that visit. Why don’t y
ou come next weekend? It sounds like some time off would be good for you.”

  “Fine. I think I’m going to need to get out of town around then anyway.”

  “Wait! Now, you’ve got me worried.”

  “I’ll see you soon, Adam. Welcome home. And don’t worry about the Foundation. I’ve got things well in hand.”

  Talia slammed down the receiver but her mind was already elsewhere. Oh, yes. She’d made her decision. Guilt was no longer a problem. Lydia Thorton and her cronies deserved whatever they got.

  And a world of hurt was about to descend upon them.

  “The New Covington Cat Burglar,” she said, letting the words roll off her tongue. “It’s got an awfully nice ring to it.”

  * * * * *

  A month later, Talia stepped out of the shower and reached for a towel. Winter had New Covington firmly in its grip and the air in the bathroom was downright chilly. Briskly, she rubbed the terrycloth over her skin.

  “That will teach you to work on a night with temperatures below freezing,” she muttered to herself.

  She was still learning the tricks of her new trade. Hiding in the bushes behind Edward Jones’ house for two hours had been torturous. It had been necessary, though, because tonight had been the night. She’d been charting his activities for weeks. Every night, he’d let his dog out to do its business. The problem was, he didn’t have a set time. On this, the night with no moon, she’d had to wait longer than ever to greet the friendly little poodle.

  Over the weeks, she and Noodles had become friends, mainly due to the doggie treats she fed him. Tonight, she’d added a little something else to the mix—a leash. When Edward had opened the door to let Noodles back in, the pooch hadn’t been waiting.

  It had been such a simple, but effective, plan. She was finding that they worked the best. When Edward had wandered outside to look for his dog, she’d slipped into his house through the unlocked door. By the time he’d found Noodles chained to a bush, she’d been long gone with her loot.

  “You’re getting pretty good at this,” she said to herself in the foggy mirror.

  This was the third job she’d pulled since she’d made her decision and she was finding herself better suited to her new avocation than she ever would have expected. The planning stage was actually turning out to be fun. It exercised her mind and developed her creativity. Physically, she was more fit than she’d ever been in her life. She was taking rock-climbing classes and T’ai Chi. Her focus had never been clearer. The actual execution of her plans, though, was the climax. Almost literally. She got so excited when she was pulling a heist, she could hardly stand it.

  The adrenaline. The danger. She was feeling the effects right now. Her face was flushed and her nipples were hard. And between her legs… She reached down to dry herself and groaned as the rough terrycloth created friction on her sensitive skin.

  Her thoughts immediately rushed to Kinkade. It was hard for them not to.

  The man was relentless.

  He was everywhere. Every time she turned around, he was buying comic books at her store, talking to Sadie or questioning her about the latest robbery.

  He knew.

  Excitement sizzled through Talia and she squeezed her thighs against the ache.

  He knew what she was doing; he just hadn’t been able to prove it. Their cat-and-mouse relationship was escalating and she knew if she ever were to make the slightest mistake, he’d pounce.

  A shiver of anticipation ran down her spine. She couldn’t help but wonder what that would be like.

  A sudden pounding on the downstairs door jerked her out of her steamy thoughts.

  “What in the world?” She reached for her robe.

  The doorbell started to buzz nonstop and she became alarmed. It was after midnight; something had to be wrong. She ripped open her apartment door and flew down to the stairs to the main showroom. Had there been an accident? Was it Adam? Sadie? Her footsteps slowed when she saw her visitors.

  Police. Everywhere.

  A jolt of fear hit her in the chest but her alarm eased. There were too many of them for it to be about someone else. They were here for her.

  She took a steadying breath that faltered when she saw Kinkade at the head of the pack. So the time had come already. He was pushing things to the next level. Her control over her emotions wasn’t what it should be but she reached for it now. She couldn’t let him see any signs of weakness. She steeled herself and calmly walked to the door. A blast of cold air hit her when she opened it. “What do you want, Detective?”

  “I’ve got a search warrant,” he said roughly. “You finally made a mistake, baby.”

  He waved the piece of paper in front of her face and she gasped when he pushed his way into the store. A deluge of policemen followed, bringing snow and muck in with them. Soon Coolectibles was swarming with uniformed men.

  “You can’t just come in here like this!” She looked in dismay at the puddles already forming on the floor.

  “The judge disagrees,” Kinkade said as he shoved the warrant into her hand. Turning around, he addressed his men. “You two take this side. You three take the other. Hendricks, search her car. Keep your eyes peeled, everyone. We all know what we’re looking for.”

  “This isn’t right,” Talia said sharply. She’d been prepared to tangle with him but she couldn’t take on the whole department. She watched as the men fanned out and a scary thought occurred to her. What kind of authority had they been given? Were they at the bank, too? The stash of money was still in her safety deposit box, waiting for the auction so she could slip it in the Foundation account unnoticed. She looked uncomprehendingly at the court order but was distracted when a silver umbrella stand teetered dangerously. “For God’s sake, tell them to be careful.”

  “You’re with me,” Kinkade said as he grabbed her by the arm.

  His grip was tight and uncompromising. It shook her out of her dream state. This was for real and it was serious. “No. Let go!”

  He gave her a sharp look. “Don’t mess with me tonight, sweetheart.”

  Her stomach dropped. His voice was dark and almost unrecognizable. She knew how it felt to be pushed to the edge of one’s limits and he was at his.

  She’d put him there.

  “How did you get this order?” she demanded, instinctively going on the offensive. She couldn’t let herself be intimidated. If he was going to bring her down, he was going to have to do it all by himself. She wasn’t going to help.

  “The Cat Burglar used a dog leash tonight—a new one.”

  She shook her head. “So? I don’t have pets.”

  He smiled harshly. “And yet I’ve got a picture of you coming out of the mall last week with a Pet-n-Pet bag on your arm.”

  Damn!

  “That’s not proof,” she sputtered. Her mind raced. “I was buying a gift.”

  “Yeah, right. Tell it to the judge.”

  He started pulling her to the staircase and she looked frenetically over her shoulder. The sight of so many people pawing through her inventory made her queasy. One didn’t paw through collectibles! “What are you searching for?” she asked.

  “I think you know the answer to that.”

  She stumbled on the stairs but his firm grip dragged her inexorably upward. She glanced at him again and her uneasiness intensified. His jaw was set and his eyes were flinty. The only time she’d seen him this angry was when he’d caught her with Roger.

  God help her.

  “I’ve had enough of this,” he said in clipped tones as he pulled her into her apartment.

  Her breath caught when he closed the door. He wasn’t at the end of his rope. He’d lost his grip entirely. She stumbled away but he came after her and pushed her right up against the back of the couch. He loomed over her and, suddenly, oxygen seemed to be in short supply.

  “This might be a little game to you but I’m tired of it,” he said.

  “I’m not playing any games.” She managed to keep her tone calm
but her nervous fingers dropped the search warrant and curled into the sofa for support. She wasn’t lying. She’d never considered any of this a game.

  “Stop with the crap, Talia. I know what you’re doing.”

  “And I don’t know what you’re talking about.” It was hard to stand up to him, especially with him looking so cold and uncompromising. Snow was melting in his hair and the wind had chapped his cheeks. He looked like a dangerous man with a short supply of patience.

  His lips flattened. “Don’t act dumb with me. I’ve been watching you for weeks.”

  Didn’t she know it? The hair on the back of her neck rose. She could feel the charge in the air whenever he was around. It was like she’d developed her own internal alarm system that was set to detect only him. Right now, it was screaming.

  “Watching me? You’ve been stalking me,” she said boldly. “I should go to your judge and file a restraining order.”

  “I’m stalking you?” He raked a hand through his hair. “You’re driving me fucking crazy but I’m harassing you.”

  “What would you call it? Every time I turn around, you’re in my face.”

  “That’s not the only place I’d like to be,” he sneered, leaning even closer. “Enough with the lies and double-talk, Talia. You’re caught. I’ve got you. Now, give me the truth. Why do you do it? Why do you steal? For once, just tell me flat out.”

  “You’re out of your mind, Kinkade.” His proximity was forcing her to arch back over the couch. The position unbalanced her even more than she already was and she reacted instinctively. She pushed hard against his shoulders but he didn’t budge.

  “I need to know and you owe me at least that much.” He stepped closer until the tips of his wet shoes bumped against her bare toes. “Nothing about you makes sense. You don’t fit any of the profiles. You’re rich, so you don’t need the money. You’re kind to animals, you’re polite to the elderly and Bobby, the comic book kid, thinks you’re the bomb.”

  “I like kids,” she said, her eyes flashing.

  “Too bad you’re such a bad role model.”

  Of anything he could have used as a weapon, that was the worst. Her temper flared. Before she could think better, her hand whipped up. He caught her wrist before she could make contact.