by Cate Beauman
She needed to create a severance package for Leila and put out feelers to help her longtime assistant find a new job. The studio—the studio she’d designed herself and poured so much of her love and life into—would have to go on the market. Ignoring the small hitch in her heart, she continued with her list. Studios were nothing more than building space. She could easily rent a new one, but she could never replace Chase or what they would build together. For a decade, they had unknowingly wanted the same thing. Now they were going to have it.
Her fingers flew over the keys, trying to keep up with her busy brain.
Contact realtor
Look into new studio space
Does Mindy need secretarial help?
Apply for California business license
Her cell phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. She answered. “Hello?”
“Julie, it’s Elaine.”
“Elaine.” Smiling, she set the computer down on the bed next to her. “How are you?”
“Pretty good. How about yourself?”
“I’m doing okay.”
“Are you sure? I ran into Noah yesterday morning after a meeting. He told me about the DNA results Chase had run.”
Lying back against the pillows, she wrinkled her nose, not wanting to talk about Noah or DNA. She wanted to revel in her happiness. “Yeah.”
“I’m sorry he’s being so difficult, sugar plum. I’ve tried reasoning with him and will again, but I’m letting it rest for a few days while he’s away on business.”
“That’s very sweet, but don’t let me be the cause of any friction between the two of you. I actually don’t know if I’m going to move forward with court proceedings. I know who I am.” She shrugged. “I’m not interested in the Porter money.”
“Neve would want you to have it, honey. She would be so angry with him for causing you this heartache.” She sighed. “I still miss her every day.”
“I’m sorry she’s gone.” She picked up the picture Elaine had taken of her and Neve, brushing her finger over her mother’s cheek. “For all of our sakes.”
“There are some mornings I wake up and forget she’s gone—just for a second. Then it hurts all over again.”
“I’m sorry,” Julie repeated.
Elaine sniffled in her ear. “Let’s talk about happier things. How’s work? How does it feel to be home and back in your studio?”
“Actually, I’m not working yet.”
“Oh. Well, that’s okay. You’ve been through a lot—too much. Take all the time you need, honey.”
“I’m, uh, I’m in California.” Her gaze darted to the bathroom, hoping Chase wouldn’t mind her telling Elaine.
“You’re in California?”
“I wanted more time with Chase,” she said, fibbing a little. Saying she was in California was one thing; compromising Chase’s investigation was another. “I wasn’t ready to say goodbye.”
“Love is in the air.”
She smiled. “Yes, it is.”
“That’s wonderful. But it’s even more wonderful that you’re in California. Chase lives in Los Angeles?”
“Yes.”
“I’m flying out to Hawaii tomorrow. I’ve decided to go on my vacation after all.”
“Good. You should. Neve would want you to.”
“I think you’re right. I have a dreadful layover in Los Angeles—three and a half hours.”
“Yuck.”
“I agree.” She gasped. “Let’s meet for lunch.”
“Get together for lunch?”
“Definitely, sugar plum. I would love to see you—and Chase. I land at twelve thirty. We could meet right around one—one fifteen at the latest.”
She nibbled her lip. “Unfortunately Chase has a full day.”
“Okay, then just you.”
She was supposed to go back to the Cooke’s tomorrow while Chase worked, which was just fine with her. She was safe there, and helping Sarah with the kids was fun. “Can I call you right back? I have to see if I can rearrange some plans.”
“Definitely. We can meet somewhere close to the airport. I’ll take a look at our options.”
“Great. Give me a couple of minutes.”
“Take your time, honey. My agenda consists of packing and sleep.”
“I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Bye.”
She hung up as Chase walked out of the bathroom, smiling with a towel slung low around his waist.
“How’s the list going?”
“It’s long.”
“You know I’m going to help you however I can.” He pulled the phone from her hand, setting it on the side table. Then he picked up the laptop, adding it to the small pile, and crawled onto the bed, smooshing her against the mattress. “You should probably take a break.”
Grinning, she breathed in his soap and tilted her neck as he kissed her skin. “I need to talk to you about something.”
“Talking’s overrated.” He licked her bottom lip and tugged on her top one.
“Usually I agree.” Her mouth met his again. “But this is important.”
He propped himself up on his elbows. “What’s up?”
“Elaine just called.”
He slid his fingers through her hair. “Is everything all right?”
She nodded. “Elaine’s coming to LA tomorrow. She wants to have lunch.”
He narrowed his eyes slightly. “How does Elaine know you’re in LA?”
She chewed on her lip. “I kinda just told her.”
“That was supposed to be our secret.”
“Now it’s yours, mine, and Elaine’s. I won’t tell anyone else. I’ll ask her not to as well.”
He steamed out a long breath. “I have meetings all day. I can’t take you out to lunch.”
She traced his ears. “I know. I’m trying to find a nice way to cancel. I at least wanted to see what you thought before I flat-out said no. It seemed rude.”
“I can understand that.” He kissed her nose. “But someone tried to run you off the road.” He brushed his lips against her chin. “I don’t like the idea of you being anywhere on your own right now.”
“Agreed.”
“How long’s her layover?”
“She said three and a half hours.”
“Let me see what I can work out.” He moved to get up.
She wrapped her arms around him. “You have enough going on. I don’t want to be a pain.”
“You’re not. Let’s see what we can do.” He snagged his cell phone from the table and dialed. “I’ll find out what Reed’s up to tomorrow.”
Julie’s phone alerted her to a text as he put his phone to his ear. She grabbed it up while Chase spoke to his friend.
How about The Beach House…which isn’t actually on the beach. Go figure!
She chuckled at Elaine’s message.
“…I’m not sure. Jules, what time were you thinking?”
“One? At The Beach House.”
“At one,” Chase said to Reed. “Yeah. The Beach House. A few miles from the airport. That’s awesome, man. Really. Thanks. Okay. Bye.” He hung up.
“What did Reed think?”
“He’ll meet you at Ethan’s and follow you to the restaurant. You and Elaine can have lunch while he runs a couple of errands close by. Then he’ll follow you back.”
She wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. But you can’t leave the restaurant, and you have to stay with Elaine, even if you go to the bathroom.”
“Stuck like glue,” she promised.
“Super glue. There’s always safety in numbers, Jules.”
She nodded. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“Let me call Elaine back,” she moved her lips close to his ear. “Then we’ll pick up where we left off,” she promised, sliding her hands over his butt.
He wiggled his eyebrows as he palmed her breasts through her thin cotton t-shirt. “That sounds like a plan.”
His hand wandered below the covers and into her panties. “I don’t mind waiting.”
“I do.” She dialed, gasping as he sunk his fingers inside of her. “Wait. Wait,” she whispered when he began to stroke her so expertly.
“Hey, sugar plum.”
“Hi.” She pushed Chase’s hand away, afraid she might moan in Elaine’s ear. “I can meet you for lunch.”
“Oh, that’s great. I’m looking forward to seeing you. I found something I think Neve would want you to have.”
She closed her eyes as Chase lifted her shirt and teased her breasts with moist kisses. “Thank you.”
“Don’t think anything of it. I’ll give you a call as soon as I land.”
She curled her fingers in Chase’s hair as his mouth traveled down. “That, uh, that sounds great. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Bye, hun.”
“Bye.” She disconnected and set down the phone.
“All set?” Chase asked, his eyes intense as he sunk fingers deep again.
She moaned, shaking her head. “No.” She pushed him, sending him to his back, and yanked off his towel. Straddling him and sliding the barrier of her panties aside, she took him in. She whimpered as he hissed out a hot breath, and she rode him fast and hard.
He gripped her hips. “Jules.”
She moved faster, knowing he was close, and shot him over the edge as she stiffened with the rush of heat, calling out to him.
He pulled her down and wrapped his arms around her.
Closing her eyes, she nuzzled his neck. “Now I’m good.”
“That makes two of us.”
She yawned, satisfied, her muscles relaxed.
He ran his fingers up her spine. “Tired?”
“Mmm. But I have too much to do.”
He pressed a kiss to her temple. “So pick it up in the morning.”
She lifted her head, looking at him. “I can’t.”
“You—” His phone rang. “I guess we both have work to do.” He rolled, settling her against the pillows, and stood. “I’ll be right back.”
She nodded, watching him pull on a pair of boxers before he walked out into the other room. Grabbing the laptop, she settled in, yawning as she got back to her list.
~~~~
“Hello?”
“Chase, this is Dominic Tillis.”
He paused mid-step on his way to the living room. “Agent Tillis. What’s going on?”
“I just got off the phone with the DA. Donnie signed his deal ten minutes ago.”
He closed his eyes, sighing a breath of relief. “It’s about damn time.”
“I forwarded DA Wesley your text about Julie being run off the road this morning—and added the potential implications of not acting quickly if Donnie has the information that could keep the Porter heiress safe.”
Chase smiled. “There’s nothing wrong with giving an extra push.”
“It’s time to wrap this up. Twenty-five years is too damn long.”
He couldn’t agree more.
“The prosecution and Dorman’s attorney drew up preliminaries based on what he has for us. Dorman has a stipulation.”
He tensed his shoulders as he walked toward the kitchen, anticipating the next hoop they were going to have to jump through to get Julie answers. “Which is?”
“He said he wants to talk to you—only you.”
“Fine. Now. Let’s make it happen now—conference call, Skype—whatever we need to do.”
“It’s eleven fifteen.”
“It’s eight fifteen here. I want it. Let’s finish this damn thing.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“Great. Thanks.” He hung up, clutching his phone in his hand. “Yes.” They were finally going to find out what happened December 15, 1990. “Hey, Jules,” he called, walking to the bedroom. “I just got some good—” He stopped in the doorway, staring at her as she slept with the computer screen still open and glowing on her lap. She was exhausted. Not even eight thirty and she was out cold. He took the laptop off her thighs and glanced at Julie’s list, frowning as he arrowed up three pages. She wasn’t kidding about it being long.
Once they got this wrapped up, they could start closing another chapter and get ready for the next. After holding and feeding Faith and playing with little Emma, he wanted to get started on their family…and the wedding too. It mattered little to him which happened first. He saved her document and closed the lid, shutting off the lamp at her side. Hopefully when she woke again, he would have something to tell her.
Wandering back down the hall, he went to the kitchen, opening cupboards, then the fridge, snagging the leftover chicken salad Julie made for lunch yesterday. He grabbed a fork from the drawer and sunk his teeth into chunks of chicken, celery, and onion mixed in a mayonnaise base, not bothering with a slice of bread. He scooped up more as his phone rang, and he set down the bowl, his evening snack forgotten as he swallowed and answered. “Hello?”
“Mr. Rider, this is Prosecutor Manny Marris.”
“Prosecutor Marris, thank you for pulling this together so quickly.”
“Mr. Dorman has requested to speak directly to you. His attorney will be present.”
“Great. I look forward to speaking with him.”
“If you’ll hold on a moment, we’ll add the third line.”
“Sure.”
Seconds passed in silence. “Mr. Dorman—”
“You there, Fed?” Donnie wanted to know, interrupting Prosecutor Marris.
“I’m here, Donnie.”
“Let me start this whole thing off by saying I didn’t have nothing to do with planning any of this, but I’m sure you’ll find a way to pin it on me anyway.”
“That’s what the deal’s for,” Chase reminded Donnie as he pulled out one of the bar stools and sat down. “I just want you to tell us what you know. All we’re interested in are the facts and keeping Alyson Porter safe. Why don’t you start off by telling us how you and Dawn Summerman met.”
The line stayed silent.
He stood, afraid Donnie was getting cold feet. “I’ve been straight with you from the beginning. You got your deal—out in five with good behavior if you give us solid information.”
“I met Dawn sometime after my six-month stint down in county. My aunt cleaned houses in Newton. I went to grab a couple hundred in cash she owed me and saw Dawn at the park playing with some kids. I stopped, flirted with her a little. She was attractive enough. We decided we would meet for a movie the next time she had a night off.”
“When was that?”
“Hell if I know what day it was.”
“I don’t need a specific day. Just an approximate timeframe.”
“Sometime in late-May, early-June, I’d say.”
“Nineteen ninety?” Chase clarified.
“Yeah. Good ol’ nineteen ninety.”
He paced about the room, walking over the soft rug Julie had picked out, then the cool wood floor, and back again. “You and Dawn were serious?”
Donnie gave a quick laugh into the phone. “She was a good fuck.”
Chase rubbed at the back of his neck, not exactly wanting to think of the woman who made him grilled cheese sandwiches and took him and Julie to Saturday matinees as a “good fuck.” “How did Dawn get involved in the kidnapping?”
“We had a fight—like usual. I called her after we cooled off. She met me in the park after the kids she took care of were in bed. We decided to work things out. When she finished sucking me off in the bushes, I went my way and she went hers. When I got back to my car, I found a note on my windshield.”
He rolled his eyes. Dawn Summerman and Donnie had had something deep. Shaking his head, he sat down again now that he and Donnie seemed to have found their rhythm. “What did the note say?”
“It was instructions to pull off a job.”
“What kind of job?”
“Some petty shit. Can’t remember what exactly. Stupid stuff. But I kept finding notes with instructions—boost a car and bring it here. Steal this and bring it there—so on and so forth. I knew I was proving myself to someone for a big score.”
“Alyson was the big score?”
“I’m getting there, Fed.”
“Right.” He leaned back in his chair, willing to play along. This was Donnie’s big moment. He would let him have it if he was going to get what he wanted in the end.
“One night I got home after meeting with Dawn. There was someone standing in the shadows by my apartment, waiting for me. She asked me if I wanted in on something big.”
“How did you know it was a woman?”
“She sounded like a woman—looked like one. I’m not stupid, Fed.”
“Describe her.”
“That night I wouldn’t have been able to tell you. She stayed in the dark. But it was Helen.”
“Helen who?”
“She never gave me a last name, and I didn’t want one. I didn’t give two shits who she was. I just wanted the money.”
He narrowed his eyes. “When you finally saw her, what did she look like?”
“Lard ass. Ugly as hell. Thick glasses. Big nose—didn’t exactly get a boner from looking at that one, if you get my drift.”
He rubbed at his jaw. “Loud and clear. Did she wear a disguise?”
“She’d wear scarves usually, but you can’t do much to hide that kind of nasty.”
“How old was she?”
“Could’ve been twenty, thirty, early forties. It was hard to tell.”
“Go with your gut.”
“Twenties.”
“What happened from there?”
“She kept me out of the loop for a while. Even after I proved I knew what the hell I was doing, she wouldn’t let me in on the big picture. Threatened me plenty, then one day she asked me to invite Dawn into our plan. I told her it was kinda hard to ask Dawn if she wanted in if I didn’t know what the hell I was involved in. She said there was a little girl that needed to vanish.”