by Betina Krahn
The charismatic lover snapped back as quickly as he’d gone. He linked their hands. “We agree on the thefts—we want them solved. We agree we’re crazy about each other.”
She slipped her arms around his waist. “So I guess you’re stuck with me.”
He gathered her close against his chest. “Fine by me.”
“At least until the election.”
Leaning back, he studied her. “I barely get two weeks?”
“I start a special assignment in London the day after the election.”
Shadows of regret moved across his face. “For how long?”
“Several weeks. Maybe longer. It depends on Finn.”
“And the outcome of the case?”
Finn was innocent, and she could trust Tyler to uncover the truth of the theft. “I’m hoping that won’t be a factor.”
“Weeks, huh? That’s a long time,” he said. “I can’t count on your brilliance to speed up the process?”
“Unfortunately not. I’m categorizing and certifying seventeenth-century paintings for a revision of an insurance policy for the National Portrait Gallery. Trust me, there wasn’t much to do but paint back then.”
“Sounds…”
She was used to the lack of enthusiasm for her historical projects. “Boring? Tedious?”
“Like it’ll take a long time.” He smiled and tugged her toward the back door. “We’d better get started.”
On the deck, he pressed her against the building’s exterior wall and kissed her as if his life depended on it.
Her heart leaped; her blood thickened with desire.
The sensations were instant and already familiar. She craved the feel of his skin heating hers, and she was completely kidding herself if she thought she could dabble in this bond between them.
She wouldn’t get caught up in work and forget to call him. She wouldn’t be able to leave for months, then come back and casually have dinner and catch up on his life. This was nothing like the relationships she’d had in the past. This meant much, much more.
Even though part of her wished it didn’t.
Cupping her head and never breaking the kiss, he moved her to the corner of the deck, where he lifted her onto the wooden railing and moved between her legs. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and the delicious friction between his erection and the heat at the juncture of her thighs sent flames of need coursing through her body.
“Somebody might see us,” she said in a token attempt to be sensible.
“It’s dark,” he mumbled against her cheek as he began unbuttoning the top of her sundress.
Earlier, she thought it was cold outside, but as his fingers slid into her bra and glided over her nipple, she felt a blast of heat.
She reached between them and released the button on his uniform pants, her thoughts completely focused on satisfying the ache as soon as possible, regardless of where they were.
Wrapping her hand around the hard length of his erection, she stroked him as he moved his hand underneath her dress. He teased her with his touch, only the tips of his fingers brushing her heat.
She went damp, and her belly contracted. “Tyler, please.”
Thankfully, he obliged her by moving his fingers under the elastic edge of her panties, and with the unerring accuracy of a pilot found exactly the right button to press.
She groaned, stroking him as he did her. Their breathing became choppy.
Which was probably why it took a while for the ringing to register.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Tyler muttered as he pulled back and leaned his forehead against hers.
“What’s going on?”
“It can’t possibly be anything good.” He fumbled for the phone in his pocket. After a quick glance at the screen, he pressed a kiss against her cheek. “It’s the station. I have to answer.”
“Sure.” She grasped the railing and tried to balance herself and her thoughts. “I’ll—”
“Don’t move,” he said, holding her in place. He pressed a button on the phone and the next voice she heard was Aqua Joliet’s.
“We got a situation, boss.”
“Don’t we always?” Tyler answered, his tone lamenting.
“These days? Yeah.”
“Aqua, is this going to be a regular thing with us?”
“Only for the next fifty years or so.”
The matter-of-fact tone in the dispatcher’s voice made Andrea smile, despite the lousy timing of the island’s criminal element. And since when had that been a problem? Again, she wondered about the timing of all this trouble, the proximity to the election and the fact that the sheriff was on vacation.
“How fun,” Tyler said. “What are you still doing at the station? Where’s the night dispatcher?”
“His kid’s got a soccer match. I told him I’d fill in till he could get here. Do you want to know why I called?”
Flicking an apologetic gaze at Andrea, he leaned next to her against the sofa. “Why not?”
“Sister Mary Katherine needs you at the church.”
“Now? I haven’t broken any commandments.”
Andrea commanded the guilty flush rising up her cheeks to chill. Mention of the sister certainly wasn’t conducive to sizzling romance.
“Can’t it wait?” Tyler added to Aqua.
“’Fraid not,” Aqua said. “The chalice is missing.”
The sizzle froze in its tracks.
“The chalice?” Tyler repeated incredulously, even as Andrea silently mouthed the same words.
“You know,” Aqua continued, “the cup the priest uses for communion. Apparently, it’s pretty valuable. And historic. Not to mention, well, sacred. I’m thinking you should get right over there.”
Tyler closed his eyes. “Please tell me it’s not silver.”
“You’re doomed to disappointment, boss.”
DESPITE TYLER’S BEST efforts, shaking Andrea proved impossible.
He wanted her around, of course. Always, in fact. Just not during a police investigation in which her brother was the prime suspect.
Hell, the only suspect.
“It’s unconscionable,” Father Dominick said for at least the fifth time.
“Yes, sir,” Tyler said, trying to remain calm while Sister Mary Katherine sat stiffly in the front pew and Andrea paced in front of the altar.
The time for Dwayne gathering evidence had passed, so Tyler had called the county crime lab, and two of their techs had already arrived and were in the storage closet off the vestibule where the chalice was kept, dusting for prints and other evidence. The padlock had been busted with a heavy object, but, otherwise, Tyler hadn’t observed anything else out of the ordinary.
No one he’d questioned so far had seen any unusual cars in the parking lot that day. No one had seen anyone entering the sanctuary.
Of course, there were a couple of people he’d yet to talk to, namely the head custodian, who worked only during the day, and recently hired church errand boy, Finn Hastings. Tyler wanted to hear preliminary results from the techs before going forward, which was why he’d wound up listening to Father Dominick’s laments in the meantime.
“The cup dates back to the late 1700s,” the priest went on, wringing his hands. “It’s part of island history. Not to mention priceless.”
Tyler wished with everything in him that he’d never hear those two sentences again. But if he didn’t get a handle on these thefts, priceless history would succinctly describe his law enforcement career.
His very brief career.
“Who could possibly be so desperate as to steal from the church?” Father Dominick asked to the room at large. “Our parishioners are generous. Our community is close-knit. We help everyone who comes to us.”
“The desperate don’t always ask for help,” Sister Mary Katherine said, who’d amazingly picked up a wad of white knitting and starting clicking her needles.
Father Dominick appeared not to hear her. “Other items are missing as well, so I rea
d in the newspaper. What progress has been made, Deputy?”
“Some. We’ve questioned several people. Unfortunately, there isn’t much to go on at the moment.”
“Tyler is spending every waking minute working on the case,” Andrea added, sounding distracted as she paced.
“I appreciate your confidence in him,” Father Dominick said, “but I’m afraid the situation has reached a crisis. Henrietta Jackson is running on about some silly alien story, but I’m sure everyone will agree that the thief is very human and escalating in his or her crimes.”
“That’s true, Father,” Tyler said, taking the criticism with a nod. “Please remember these thefts have taken place in less than a week. The sheriff’s department is doing all it can.”
“I’m sure it is,” the priest said, obviously trying to be kind. “But when is Sheriff Caldwell due back from his vacation?”
“Next Sunday,” Tyler answered.
Father Dominick nodded gravely. “Perhaps the time has come for him to return early.”
Andrea’s expression was thunderous. “Hel—”
“Andrea,” Sister Mary Katherine broke in as she stood. “I’m sure you don’t want to finish that.”
Andrea crossed her arms over her chest. “Sure I do.”
The sister’s gaze didn’t budge. “But you shouldn’t.”
Finally, Andrea nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
The whole situation was too intense, too personal. Tyler had been removed in many ways from his military missions. They’d been ordered for one, and decisions to move or not move had been made way above his rank. With precise training, he’d done his job and nearly always succeeded.
Facing victims and the unknown was much harder, and he’d garnered a new level of respect for Sheriff Caldwell in the last few days. And that man, revered by everyone, had left him to handle things while he was gone. Considering how particular and picky the sheriff was, the confidence of that single gesture should be enough to get Tyler through this mess.
Besides, he had Andrea.
She thought he was the best, even when he wasn’t. He was incredibly grateful to have her on his side, even though he feared she wouldn’t be able to stand with him much longer. Her brother was part of the investigation, and now a theft had taken place mere yards from his apartment. Beyond that, Tyler had secrets he wouldn’t, couldn’t reveal, or risk losing her forever.
To say things didn’t look good for him or the ex-con was a ridiculous understatement.
So, even though he didn’t want to insult the clergy present, it was Andrea he was concerned about.
Crossing to her, he grasped both her hands in his. “I’ve got this,” he said quietly.
Her sea-green eyes fired with temper. “I know.” Her gaze shot to Father Dominick. “I seem to be the only one who thinks so, however.”
“It’s tense for everybody.”
“You have any theories?”
“None that make sense. Stealing from a church is a whole different element.”
Her gaze dropped briefly. “It’s a little scary.”
With every cell in his body, he was suppressing his anger. Fury led nowhere productive. As he knew all too well. “I’ll find the answers.”
“Sure you will. But—” She searched his gaze. “You’re awfully calm.”
“That’s my job.” He managed a half smile. “Well, hopefully.”
“It will be,” she assured him, and hugged him briefly.
He was encouraged by the public show of affection. Maybe she wouldn’t dump him after he questioned her brother. Again.
“I’m going to see Finn.”
Wincing, Tyler held on to her hands. “You can’t.”
“Sure I can.” She nodded toward the door leading to the church grounds. “His apartment is right there, over the building used for storage and events.”
“I know, but I have to see his reaction to news of the theft. You can’t warn him I’m here.”
As the full meaning of his words hit her, her gaze drilled into his. “You’re not calm. You’re made of ice.”
Accepting the dart, he nodded. “I’m sorry.”
Without another word, she turned away from him.
Tyler shoved his hands in the pockets of his pants. “That went well.”
“Deputy.” One of the crime scene techs approached. “I’m CSI Mike Stearns. I think you ought to see this.”
With Andrea tagging behind, Stearns led Tyler through the sanctuary and across the vestibule to a small side door where another tech had knelt on the carpeted floor.
A clear print of a muddy shoe was visible.
“The trail gets lighter,” Stearns said, pointing at the trail, “but it leads right to the storage closet.”
“Looks like a work boot,” the tech kneeling on the front said.
“There’s a custodian,” Tyler said.
Stearns shrugged. “Probably belongs to him. We’ll get measurements and pictures and make a cast. You never know.”
With all the bad news he’d gotten in the last few hours, Tyler clung to the slight hope that the case could be solved over a rainstorm and a bad guy with distinctive footwear.
“Finn wears tennis shoes,” Andrea said from behind him.
Loyal to a fault. It was one of her finest qualities.
He admired so much about her—her passion and her quick mind especially. He was damn tired of some unknown guy with sticky hands getting between them.
Last night during his confrontation with Finn, he’d reflected that he wanted to make her happy more than he wanted to solve the case, but now he knew neither of them could be happy, or truly be together, until the thefts were closed.
And he wanted to be with her like he wanted to breathe.
She’d come to mean so much to him so quickly, and yet it also seemed like he’d spent his life searching for her, walking a path that would lead back to the island he loved, and the woman he was meant to find.
“We’ve also got some fibers and lots of prints,” Stearns said.
Tyler sighed. “How many of those belong to the priest, nuns or altar boys?”
Stearns, who had seen-and-done-it-all eyes, shrugged again. “Quite a few, I’d guess. We’ll know more in a few days.”
“Thanks.” He handed Stearns a card with his office, home and cell numbers on it. “I appreciate you guys coming out.”
“We’ve got the prints you sent over from the other thefts, so we’ll let you know if we find any matches.”
“You’ll compare them to the criminal database?”
Stearns nodded. “Sure. That’s standard op.”
Tyler couldn’t imagine direct, no-bull Finn skulking around the church and helping himself to a priceless and holy relic, but he had to be eliminated definitively as a suspect. And he had to be questioned.
“I’m going to talk to Finn.”
She stomped toward the front door. “Try to stop me from coming with you, and I’m calling his lawyer. You won’t come near him until sometime in the next century.”
“I’m not going to stop you. I’d like you to be there, in fact.”
She opened the door and stalked off across the lawn. “Fine.”
“I still want you,” he said, catching up to her.
“You’re an ass.”
“I’m a cop. And I still want you.”
Her long, angry strides made quick progress toward the brick-and-stone building where her brother’s apartment was located. “I want you, too. But I really don’t like you very much.”
Well, he’d always enjoyed a good challenge. “At this point, I’m willing to take what I can get.”
10
“THIS IS GETTING TO be a habit, Deputy,” Finn said when he opened his apartment door.
Remembering she’d said those same words, Andrea nearly smiled. But the guarded, tense look on her brother’s face stopped her.
“I’d like to talk to you,” Tyler said.
Andrea moved past him and embra
ced Finn. “You’ve been here all night, haven’t you?”
“Andrea…” Tyler began in warning.
She ignored her lover and hooked her hand around Finn’s arm. “Let’s sit.”
There wasn’t much room for conversation. A double-size bed on a wooden frame, a cushy navy-blue chair and matching ottoman, a dresser and a TV on a stand pretty much summed up the sparse furnishings. She knew Finn had proudly earned the money to buy each and every piece.
He wouldn’t go back to stealing. He simply wouldn’t.
“What’s missing now?” Finn asked on a tired sigh as he lowered himself next to Andrea on the bed.
Tyler chose to stand—the position of authority and intimidation. “Give me a rundown of your schedule today.”
After a questioning glance at Andrea, which she answered with a nod, he ran through getting up and meeting the sisters and Father Dominick for breakfast in the rectory, then going through his assigned errands, including a trip to the hardware store and delivering two meals to elderly church members.
His voice was calm and controlled. Andrea was sure that she, who knew him so well, was the only one who noticed the nerves underneath.
“Did you go into the sanctuary?” Tyler asked, his blue eyes carefully blank.
Andrea squeezed Finn’s hand, silently offering support, as well as hoping he’d be both brief and honest.
“No,” Finn said firmly.
“You didn’t pass through there, maybe to ask the priest a question or to take a shortcut to the rectory?”
“No.”
“Have you ever been in the storage closet off the vestibule?”
The abrupt shift made Finn pause before answering. “Sure,” he said with a shrug. “Lots of times. The communion sacraments are—”
Andrea squeezed his hand hard to stop him. Should she have called Carr?
Tyler never looked her way, but he shifted his tactics. “If you’ve been in the closet,” he said to Finn, “you must know its contents. Describe the items kept there.”