“Yes, I think. He mentioned knowing her from his past, so they were just friends. He dropped the subject after that and wouldn’t answer any more questions. When I tried to bring it back up, he…um, well, he tried to dissuade me from talking about it. I left there upset that he thought of me as a call girl, and of course, that I couldn’t get him to talk.”
“Perhaps if he thought you were a detective, that wouldn’t have happened.”
She silently growled. “Actually, you know as well as I do that suspects are more open with people who aren’t connected with the police. Or have you forgotten that?”
“Now, now,” he held up his hands in surrender. “There’s no need to get irate with me.”
She took a deep breath and slowly released it as she counted to ten. She was getting upset, but Kurt didn’t have anything to do with it.
Her partner left his side of the table and walked around to her, sitting on the desk right beside her.
“I’m sure you know Mr. Reeder has a reputation with women, right?”
She folded her arms and lifted her chin. “I think he’s an egotistical, male chauvinistic jerk, and if I ever see him again, it’ll be too soon.”
Kurt groaned and rubbed his forehead. “Really? Most women I know fall madly in love with him on first sight.”
“Well, I’m not like that.” She really hated lying, but she detested looking like a fool, even more.
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Why?” she hesitantly asked.
“Because yesterday while Gibbs and Tyrone were investigating the victim’s apartment in Edmond again, you’ll never guess what they found.”
“What?”
Kurt pushed his fingers through his thick wavy hair that almost brushed his shoulders. It was getting long and he needed it cut.
“They found boxes of condoms, foam contraceptives, plus her birth control pills.”
Brittany shrugged. “She’s a woman who likes to be extra careful. After all, she was seeing Mr. Romeo Reeder.”
Kurt chuckled. “There’s more. They asked the neighbors if she had any boyfriends, and nobody saw her with anyone. Gibbs and Tyrone discovered that she had made large deposits in her bank account in the last two years, and yet we can’t see that she even had a regular job. They also found a receipt from the drugstore where she purchased these items.” He arched an eyebrow. “They showed Hillary’s picture to the store manager, and he said she’d been a regular customer for about two years.” He licked his lips. “And didn’t you just tell me Reeder said he briefly knew Hillary?”
“Yes, something like that.”
“Don’t you see, Britt?” He stood and placed his hand on her shoulder. “Hillary had been a call girl for two years. That explains the expensive jewelry and the birth control contraceptives.”
Brittany gasped. “No wonder Romeo had mentioned paying me last night. He must be a regular John. And Derek…must be involved, too. Reeder talked about his friend getting him women all the time.”
Disgrace swept through her, churning her stomach, just like it had done yesterday. For years she’d tried not to look like a floozy in front of men. She’d wanted them to see her for her mind, not her other attributes. And now…she felt almost as low as the call girls, especially since a wealthy, and very handsome man thought that way about her, too.
She didn’t know how she could remove this feeling, but she needed to do it, soon. She couldn’t work this way.
“All right, so Hillary is a call girl.” Brittany cocked her head. “What does this have to do with me seeing Romeo again?”
He laughed and sat on the edge of the table again. This time, he took her hand loosely in his and gently stroked her fingers. The only time Kurt got mushy like this was when he desperately wanted something. He’d even gone as far as to bat his big hazel eyes and pout! How pathetic. She definitely didn’t want to hear what he had to say, only because she knew she’d lose her breakfast all over him.
“Well, I got to thinking…since Reeder thinks you are a call girl already, you could play along until you get him to confess.”
She narrowed her gaze on him. Her heartbeat hammered wildly. “Do you honestly believe he’s guilty?”
Kurt’s hesitation made her nervous, but finally he gave her a slow nod. “Actually, I do. Reeder is a wealthy man. The other men on the list that was in Hillary’s robe pocket didn’t have as much money. Reeder moves to the next woman quickly, and that tells me that he didn’t care about what happened to our victim. Women like Hillary are expendable to men like him.”
“But what’s his MO?”
Once again, Brittany could see the wheels turning in his head as he paused in deep thought. He kept his blue eyed gaze on her. This man was easy to read. Of course, working closely with him, she learned how to understand his expressions.
Finally, his eyes widened and he grinned. “I’m willing to bet money Hillary was going to blackmail him. Powerful men in the community—like the men on her list—would be an easy target to blackmail.”
She nodded. “Yes, I believe you’re correct.”
“So? Does that mean you’ll go undercover and play the part as a call girl?”
Frustration rose inside of her quickly, and she balled her hands. Her first instinct was to turn him down, but in her conscience, she knew he was correct. She’d have to find a way to be around that man without feeling any lower than she felt already.
“Fine, but I will not do what call girls, um…do. There’s no way I’ll do that. Not for the job…not for anyone!”
Kurt’s expression relaxed. He winked and playfully punched her shoulder. “I don’t expect you to. In fact, we’ll figure out a way to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
She blew out a defeated breath of air. “Will Captain Martinez go along with this?”
Kurt nodded. “I’ll convince him that this is the best course of action.”
“Good, because I don’t think the captain likes me very much.”
She stood and folded her arms across her chest, mainly to keep herself from the dread shivering inside of her. “You got my back?”
“Don’t I always?” He cupped her face with both hands. “You can count on me. I’ll never let you down.”
FOUR
How can I get out of this?
Brittany paced the length of her apartment, which wasn’t very big, anyway, but she’d hoped that walking would make her mind work properly. She needed a plan soon. It had been two days since her incident with Austin Reeder, and Kurt thought she should try to see the wealthy playboy tomorrow. Her partner had said she should make their meeting appear accidental.
She wrung her hands against her middle and clenched her teeth. She would rather have four root canals in one day than meet Austin Reeder accidentally—or meet him at all, for that matter. It was hard to think of this man as her assignment. Instead, she couldn’t stop thinking about the way he’d kissed her. Never had she felt such passion, and that scared the livin’ bejeezus out of her.
The knock at her door, made her jump. She moved to the door and peered through the peephole at the tall man with graying brown hair. Dad? What was he doing here? When she opened the door, he stood in front of her, holding a large box.
“Hi,” she said, motioning her hand for him to enter. “Why are you coming over so late?”
He carried the cardboard box to her kitchen table, and set it on top. “Earlier today I was going through the house to make room for Patricia. I found several things I could finally get rid of.” Sighing, he raked his fingers through his hair and sat on one of the chairs. “I haven’t looked through the house like that since before your mother died.”
Nodding, Brittany sat next to him and grasped his hand and gave it a squeeze. “You should have asked for help. I would have done it for you.”
He shook his head. “No. This was something I had to do.” He sighed heavily. “Five years without your mother by my side has taken its toll on me. I’ve not wanted to l
ook through the house for fear I’d feel that great loss I experienced that first year after cancer had taken her life.”
Brittany recalled that time, as well, and she knew exactly what her father had been feeling. She’d been very close to her mother, and to have her die like that nearly sent Brittany to the looney bin. If it wasn’t for her best friend, Dawn, Brittany wouldn’t have survived that first year.
“Well, I’m sure it needed to be done, and you’ll be able to begin your life with Patricia soon.”
“Yes.” He chuckled softly. “The wedding is getting closer.” His brown-eyed gaze moved off her and to the box on the table. He patted the side of the cardboard. “I found this in the attic. Your mother and I had packed some of your things in boxes and put them in the attic after you left for college. I thought you might want to go through it and see if there’s anything you want to keep.”
“Sure. I’ll look inside and see what memories are important to me.” She stood and leaned down to hug her father. “Thanks, Dad.”
He rose to his feet and kissed her forehead. “Don’t forget, we’re having a family dinner next week.” He touched his finger to her nose. “And I don’t want any excuses why you can’t come. Is that clear?”
She laughed. “Fine, then. I won’t give you an excuse if something happens to come up.”
He shook his head. “Don’t let anything come up at all. This dinner is important to me. You and your brothers haven’t really gotten to know Patricia. I want you all to like her…to accept her. I know bringing her in as your stepmother is going to be hard, but—”
“Dad,” she interrupted, “I’ll be there. I promise.” It was her fault she hadn’t gotten to know Patricia yet. Deep down inside, she didn’t want anyone to replace her mother.
Brittany walked him to the door and closed it behind him. She moved her attention back to the cardboard box. Some of her childhood memories were in there…some memories she wanted to stay hidden.
Junior high and high school had not been enjoyable. She’d never been the popular cheerleader type girl, and most of the kids made fun of her just because she had her nose in a book most of the time. Although her three brothers had been jocks, she was the one their friends came to when they needed help with their homework. Unfortunately, it didn’t make her any more popular. Not really. But she couldn’t help it. So she loved to learn. But she wouldn’t trade a minute for that time, now. She was in the job she’d wanted to have since she was a sophomore in high school.
Expelling a heavy breath, she moved back to the table to look inside the box and see what surprises it had instore for her. The items on top were pictures of her friends that she’d hung on a corkboard that had been nailed to her bedroom wall. That was where she’d pinned pictures of her friends and people she loved—or boys she wished would love her. As she looked through them, happy memories hit her, and she smiled. She hadn’t kept in touch as she should have. Seeing these photos again made her wonder what her friends were doing now, seven years after graduation.
She set those aside and rummaged through the box a little more. Concert tickets to Journey. She laughed aloud, recalling that she’d gone with her mother because Journey had been her mother’s favorite band, and of course, Brittany knew those songs, too.
She’d won some ribbons at the state fair for crocheting a baby’s blanket. Brittany chuckled. She’d picked up this hobby because she needed something to do when she went to her grandmother’s house every weekend to visit.
The next object her hand bumped into was her diary. A laugh sprang from her throat. Had she really kept a diary? What a nerd she was!
Out of curiosity, she opened it and skimmed through the pages. She laughed at some of the things that had been a drama in her world at the time…mainly boys. Of course, it all ended with them breaking her heart.
On one of the pages, she had used colored pencils and drew flowers around the edge of the page. She stopped skimming, and studied the checklist. When she realized what it was for, she snorted a laugh—a loud one, in fact. This list was qualities to look for in a man.
Kind heart— I want a man who is kind to others, as well as animals. A person can tell what kind of person a man is by his heart.
Friendly to everyone—I want to find a man who isn’t fake, who doesn’t acts as if he’s nice to everyone, but then gossips behind their backs.
Makes me laugh—I don’t want a man who is serious all the time. I want one who can be silly along with me, and we can find things to laugh at together.
Intelligent—men who are smart will challenge me. If I’m smarter than they are, they are bored with me quickly, just as I get bored with them.
Handsome—so, let’s face it, if I don’t think he’s good looking, then I have already lost interest.
Brittany laughed loudly, again. Funny how she would be in this frame of mind back then. She hated it when men didn’t look past her appearance.
Share the same hobbies—the man of my dreams must love the things I love. He must be an outdoorsman and love camping and fishing.
Devoted to his woman—I suppose I should have listed this one first since it’s more important than the others. I want a man who loves me and only me. I’m tired of guys who are players.
Brittany arched an eyebrow. Only seven? Why hadn’t she thought of more things to add to the list? Regardless, this was a good list, and even though she’d forgotten about it over the years, she still searched for the perfect man. However, she’d yet to find one who had all of these qualities. But was she really looking?
The tenth-grade memory of when she wrote this list had returned, and she smiled. The new guy in school had noticed her, and from the little she’d known about him, he had most of these attributes. But then like most guys she’d dated, this one turned out to be a total liar. Even now Brittany wondered if he’d told her anything that was the truth.
The memory deepened. Hadn’t she written another checklist right after he’d broken her heart? She rummaged through the box until she found it. On the corkboard, she had pinned this list over the first one. This list was titled, how to turn a guy off.
Be yourself. If you’re smart, then act it. Guys really hate that.
Don’t wear makeup. For some reason, most guys aren’t into women who look plain.
Keep your hair in ponytails. Guys like women with long hair.
Never wear dresses! Guys like to look at a woman’s legs, so don’t give them that chance!
Wear unflattering clothes. Clothes that are too tight on your body is also a turn-on for guys. Don’t give them the opportunity to ogle.
Never tell a guy you love him. If he loves you, let him tell you first.
Brittany bit her bottom lip, pondering the list. Perhaps this was why she hadn’t gotten a man yet. She was always herself, so she didn’t have to worry about number one. She wore make up, but it wasn’t caked on. She always kept her hair in ponytails, except for the times when she had to attend something formal, then she left it long. It was the same for dresses. She only wore those if she was forced to. Unflattering clothes? What could be more unflattering than what she wore now? She glanced down at her attire; a short-sleeve, button up blue shirt with black slacks, and the ridiculously ugly—but very practical and comfortable—shoes.
Hmm… So perhaps these types of clothes fit her too tight. They weren’t skin tight on her, but they were snug. However, she still felt very comfortable wearing them.
And the last item on the list… She was wise back then. Even now, she didn’t tell a guy she loved him before he said it first. From experience, if a guy didn’t say those three little words, then he wasn’t serious about the relationship.
She shook her head and leaned against the table. Her life was too complicated for a relationship, anyway. She just didn’t have time. Her job had been her constant companion since she’d been promoted to a detective a year ago.
Setting aside the checklist, she peered back inside the box to see if there were any fun tid
bits she’d had as a teenager. Apparently, she’d been busy in her sewing class, because she’d made pillow cases and…something else that she had no idea what it was. Laughing, she shook her head. It was probably not very important—obviously.
As she dug deeper into the box, she saw another picture with an article. This had been cut out of a newspaper in the obituary section. The memory hit her full force, bringing an ache to her heart.
When she was a junior in high school, her older sister was killed by a drunk driver. Marla had just graduated college with an Associate’s degree, and she was out with four of her friends celebrating. The four of them had never made it to their party that night. Two of them were sent to the hospital in critical condition, and two of them went to the morgue, instead. Marla was one of those unlucky people.
Tears stung Brittany’s eyes and she sat on the nearest chair. Her sister had been so full of dreams, and it was all snatched away in the blink of an eye. There were a lot of things Marla could have changed about her life in order to make it better. First, she shouldn’t have found LeRoy—the worst boyfriend Marla had ever had. He was abusive—both mentally and physically. He was the reason Marla had gone to that party…and he happened to be one of the people in the car that had survived.
Brittany’s heart clenched. Marla should have read those lists Brittany had written. Perhaps her sister wouldn’t have ended up in the ground, buried six-feet under.
She glanced back at the checklist still lying on the table. Perhaps she needed to follow that list a little better. That way, she wouldn’t ever find a skank like Marla’s boyfriend.
Starting tomorrow, she was going to do her best to search for the man who would love and accept her, even though she was following the steps on this list. He was out there somewhere, she just knew it. Hopefully, she’d be able to find him before she was eighty years old.
She rubbed her neck and glanced at the clock on the microwave again. It was still too early to go to bed, but soaking in the tub sounded Heavenly.
Prince Charming is a Liar (Your Every Day Hero Book 1) Page 4