Megan scrunched up her nose. “I hate those and I doubt you’d be able to survive one. You’d probably end up shooting the instructor.” She smiled, obviously finding the imagery amusing. “Besides, I think you’re pretty good on your own. So what if you’re short? Some people like that. I like that about you, Don. Short and to the point. Your abilities lie elsewhere and they’re even more valuable than social pleasantries. It’s not as if you’ll be charming the criminals you deal with to confess.”
Amelia knew she meant every word; she never said anything just to soothe a bruised ego, and she had to admit the words were definitely a balm against her wound. It was nice to be appreciated for one’s own worth.
“Thank you,” she said stiffly, unaccustomed to such compliments and feeling slightly self-conscious. “Things are tense at the moment. I’m having a few things thrown at me and my new case isn’t going the way I’d like it to.” Amelia blinked, surprised she had spilled so many personal details.
“If I know anything, it’s that you always get your man. I’m sure this time won’t be any different. I only wish I could help you. You’ve done so much for me and it’s not as if I have a lot of friends. I’m just as much a social pariah as you are, Don. All I have is you, Riley, and Stacey.”
Riley O’Neill was a red-headed spitfire, Megan’s editor at the publishing house that printed her books.
“If there is anything I can do for you, anything at all, let me know.”
“I appreciate that, Meg.”
“I mean it. After all, you did help make Cole Lilac into the detective he is,” she reminded her, speaking of the character in her books. “So what are you having for breakfast? I’m in the mood for pancakes with maple syrup.”
Amelia left Megan not long after, having indulged in an equally unhealthy breakfast. She was amazed at Meg’s confidence in her. It was unsettling. When someone believed you could do just about anything, it only made the fall that much harder.
***
Darryl stepped into the Pig Pen and headed towards his desk.
“Hill, there you are. You’re late,” Amelia said.
He’d dressed in black slacks and a crisp white linen shirt, and hadn’t bothered shaving, thinking how wonderful it would be to rub against Kellie’s soft skin and leave his mark.
“Sorry,” he muttered, avoiding her stare as he sat down in his chair. He removed his weapon holster and placed it inside the drawer of his desk under the watchful scrutiny of his partner.
A beam of sunlight streaked across the grey carpet from the large windows nearby and he wanted nothing more than to be back in Kellie’s bed making love to her until they were both exhausted. Then, after that, he envisioned taking her down to the promenade for dinner or a walk on the beach. He didn’t care which, so long as he was with her. Near enough to continue touching her.
“What’s with you?” Amelia demanded, getting up from her desk and towering over him. Her dark gaze regarded him.
His brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“You’ve never been late. Not once. You’re always here hours before your shift starts, sometimes even beating me here. Today you seem different.” She looked him up and down, scrutinising him. Her eyes narrowed. Then she gasped. “You slept with her, didn’t you?”
He launched from his seat and took her by the arm, pulling her a few steps away from their desks. “Keep your voice down.”
Her face turned to stone, making her look even more formidable. She jerked her arm away. “You did, didn’t you?” she accused, her voice softer this time.
“That’s none of your business.”
“Actually, it is my business because she’s my friend. I won’t have you using her to scratch an itch. Kellie is vulnerable.” She checked the room, ensuring no one could overhear before continuing. “There are things about her that you don’t know.”
Darryl turned away from her. He had no plans to talk about what happened between him and Kellie. That was for them only as he continued reeling from the experience. They may have only just met but everything between them felt so natural, and he’d be damned if he’d share that with his partner. Besides, he wasn’t interested in her warning.
“Relax, Donovan, she told me and that’s the end of this conversation. I don’t want to hear about this again,” he said, a thread of steel in his tone.
“I’ll make that decision, Hill. Told you what?”
Darryl stared into her eyes, his own gaze hard and unrelenting. “That she was raped.”
For once Amelia was speechless, and Darryl savoured the moment. The look on her face was priceless. She placed her hands on her hips and glared at him.
“What else did she tell you?”
The air surrounding them turned cold and he sought to diffuse the situation. He knew sleeping with Kellie would open something they weren’t ready to get into. But he didn’t want to cause a rift between his partner and himself. They depended on each other in the field and trust was very important. The moment they decided to write each other off was the day they had to be reassigned.
And as much as Donovan was a moody, hard-hearted, temperamental, sometime rule-breaking bitch, she was also one hell of a cop who he respected the hell out of. There were few people he trusted enough to put his life in their hands, and she was one of them.
He held up his hands in surrender. “That’s all. Look, I know she’s your friend and I promise you I’m not out to hurt her.”
Hell, he could be the one that got hurt. Kellie had her demons and if he wasn’t careful she might slip through his fingers. He had no intention of allowing that to happen. Barely an hour since he’d last seen her and he already missed her like crazy. He ran a hand over his whiskered face. It was sad when a man couldn’t stop thinking about a woman for five minutes. His bachelor days were over and he couldn’t even muster up an ounce of regret.
Kellie had better get used to him being around because there was not a damn thing she could do to keep him away. Whatever issues she had, they’d work them out together. He would be there for her through the good and the bad because that’s what people do when they love each other.
He was in love.
Crazy. Stupid. Love.
And he couldn’t say he was sorry.
He’d always known that it would be a special woman to catch and hold his attention and Kellie was everything he wanted and more. He only had to convince her to give them a chance. Despite what he’d said last night, he knew she didn’t believe him. She had baggage but it wouldn’t scare him away. He liked a challenge and getting Kellie to trust in him without constantly having one foot out the door would certainly be that and more.
“Good,” Amelia said. “Because she has been through enough to last three life times. If you hurt her, I swear I will hunt you down and make you pay in pain. Is that understood?”
He raised his eyebrow. “It’s clear.”
They glared at each other for a long while until two sets of footsteps sounded out, moving toward them. They turned in unison as Nick escorted Kellie into the Pig Pen. Darryl’s eyes narrowed as he watched her, dressed in a pair of tight-fitting jeans and a white blouse, laugh at something Nick said.
His body tensed. Jealously hit him hard in the chest as he took in Kellie’s expression and Nick’s close proximity to her. The other man’s shoulder brushed hers as they walked and he could see—feel—the easy friendship there. Darryl may have loved her body all night long, but he and Kellie didn’t share a history like she and Nick did. Darryl’s heart squeezed painfully in his chest as he remembered the morning the day before. Kellie had come looking for Nick and had found him instead. Had his colleague and Kellie slept together? It was common knowledge that Nick didn’t screw around with women he worked with but he wasn’t impervious. Had one of their heated training sessions spilled over into bed? Images of Nick and Kellie naked, their bodies entwined, danced through his head.
As much as he wanted a future with Kellie, he couldn’t force her to f
eel something. She’d made it clear last night that she wanted nothing more than one night of passion. It was he who’d pushed the issue. Maybe he was a convenient lay. Could he simply step aside and allow her to walk away from him—even if it meant towards Nick?
He liked to think so but he wasn’t sure. Despite his feelings, he wouldn’t fantasise over a future only he wanted. He had his dignity. He had no issues fighting for what he wanted but he wasn’t about to fight for someone who didn’t want him.
Amelia roughly cleared her throat, bringing him back to the present. He frowned at her before his gaze drifted once more to Kellie and Nick. They all stared at him strangely and he wondered what they’d been talking about while he’d been busy contemplating.
“What?”
Nick grinned. “Did you seriously just growl at me?”
Kellie blushed and dropped her head to study her fingernail.
Fuck. Had he?
He ran his fingers through his short hair. There was no coming back from where he was headed. If the possessive growl at Nick for being too close to his woman slipped out without him being aware, how would he be able to let her go if she chose to walk?
Kellie glanced up from beneath her lashes and her gaze caught his. He felt the air in the room get sucked out. His stomach dropped at the sensual heat he saw there. His body reacted instantly.
“No,” he croaked.
Nick appeared unconvinced but let the matter drop.
He seriously had to get a grip on himself. He sank down into his chair and pretended to be busy while he gathered his thoughts.
Amelia’s desk phone rang and she reached over and plucked the handset from its cradle and answered with a perfunctory, “Donovan.”
Darryl’s gaze drifted to Kellie again but she was completely focused on his partner. She was so beautiful it hurt to look at her. Kellie could’ve easily been a model or a movie star. Her blonde hair was pulled off her face and secured in a tight chignon. She wore little makeup. No foundation, just blush and mascara. He would be more than happy to wake up next to her every morning for the rest of his life. She must’ve sensed his stare as her head turned towards him and an elegant eyebrow rose. He winked at her and she smiled, memories of what they’d done together clear on her face.
He was so screwed.
“Dispatch just got a call. A DB was found in the harbour this morning,” Donovan said, interrupting his thoughts. “The floater’s Michael Lambert.”
Chapter 24
The body of Michael Lambert was fished out of the water and carried over to the tarp lying on the ground away from the water. First glance told her that he’d been in the water for hours, making any evidence he might have had on him unusable if not completely destroyed.
Doctor Eric Stone, Harbour Bay’s Coroner, stood in gumboots down by the water’s edge as he examined the decedent. The doctor was in his late fifties to early sixties and was almost a twin to Colonel Sanders of the KFC franchise.
Kellie had often heard him being referred to the white haired man behind his back, but he was well respected. He had worked for the city as coroner for over thirty years. His expertise in the medical field and as coroner had helped solve many cases, and he often went above and beyond his job description, taking the initiative to dig deep when nothing made sense. Nothing seemed to shock him, even in the small city of Harbour Bay.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Amelia demanded as Kellie slipped on a pair of baby blue shoe protectors which looked like upturned shower caps over her boots. She had dressed casually today since there was a possibility they would be out of the office and she hadn’t wanted to endanger Amelia or Darryl by dressing inappropriately. She was glad she had. There was no way she would’ve made it this far down the jagged rocks of the shoreline in a tight skirt.
Although she hadn’t exactly been anticipating a dead body when she had chosen her outfit today, jeans were always a solid choice. Unable to bear losing the height she had grown accustomed to, had fished around the back of her closet for a pair of heeled black boots in order to have the best of both worlds.
Appropriately protected, Kellie straightened and followed her friend as she began walking toward Doctor Stone. She studied Amelia.
“Care to give me a hint as to why you’re so pissed?” she countered. She hadn’t been expecting such anger. She'd thought they were getting past that.
She concentrated on the uneven ground beneath her feet. The last thing she wanted was to fall on her arse or twist an ankle. As usual, Amelia steamrolled ahead, never mindful of the hazards. As far as she was concerned, the world could move for her rather than the other way around. If anyone else tried the Donovan way, they’d be screwed.
“You slept with Darryl.”
Kellie lost purchase for a moment at the charge. Her heart raced at the near fall and she glared at her friend’s back before moving quickly to catch up to her. Above her the sun shined hotly, her blouse sticking to her skin from the heat. A pelican circled overhead, unperturbed by the human remains.
“So what if I did? Unless you—”
“He’s my partner. When I want sex, I look outside the LAC for it.”
“Well, I won’t apologise for it.”
Her back was ramrod straight. Last night had been perfect. She’d felt.
For years she’d gone through the motions, working harder at trying to experience what came naturally for others than actually enjoying the carnal act. Darryl was a special guy. One who saw through her flaws and still wanted her. A man who could make her smile with just one look, and turn her on so completely that she became more than ready for him.
What was it about him that made her cautious attitude go out the window?
She wasn’t a loose woman by any means, but the idea of lying beneath him had been too much. She certainly never slept with anyone she worked with. Until now. She didn’t regret it—couldn’t. It had been too wonderful. Too perfect. And she’d opened up to him. She’d never done that with any of her previous partners.
Not that she’d had many.
Only a handful and they had never lasted long. They fooled around a bit, then she’d walked away. Sex but no entanglements. Just the way she liked it. Until Darryl. It both scared and excited her.
Amelia glared at her. “You’re being reckless.”
“This…from you?”
“You work with him. Office romances never work out. I don’t want to see you hurt again.”
Tears burned in her eyes at the inflection in Amelia’s voice. Deep, unresolved pain sat beneath her cool façade. Would Amelia ever forgive herself for the past she couldn’t control? She'd thought explaining her actions would help but maybe she'd only made matters worse.
“He makes me happy.”
“You barely know him.”
Kellie shrugged. “I’m falling for him,” she confided softly, the sound of her voice almost getting swallowed by the sound of the harbour washing against the rocks.
Amelia swore. “You make it really hard for me to protect you.”
“I don’t need protecting. Not by you, not by Darryl. One event does not define me. I’m stronger than ever, physically and mentally. It may fail. But nothing ventured, nothing gained, and he’s worth the effort.”
“Even if it gets you hurt?”
“If it wasn’t for pain how would we know we’re living? I haven’t in a long time, Mia. I’ve existed and the world tasted like ash. Now there’re vibrant colours surrounding me and flavours bursting on my tongue. Darryl awakened a part of me that’s been dormant. I’ll ride the wave wherever it takes me.”
She broke away from Amelia, knowing her friend didn’t understand. She hadn’t been lying when she’d said she hadn’t lived and merely existed. Kellie couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt anything, even when it came to training with Nick. At first, she’d fought as if her attacker was before her. Passion and anger had ridden her hard. Then, it had all died away leaving her hollow.
In
one night, Darryl had pushed past her defences and looked into her soul. She was frightened of what she felt for him, but feeling too much—enough to shatter her—was better than feeling nothing at all. She trusted Darryl. It hadn’t been anything he’d done. It was instinctual and since that night twelve years ago she’d learned to trust herself.
Kellie turned her mind away from thoughts of him. There would be plenty of time for reliving those sweet memories when there wasn’t a dead body demanding her attention. She knelt down beside Michael Lambert.
She allowed a moment of grief before pushing it aside.
If only he’d been smart enough and turned himself in. He could’ve been sitting in jail right now, not on his way to the morgue.
Kellie studied the still form and suppressed a shiver. It was the first dead body she’d seen in person. All the others had been photographs inside a case file. It felt different in real life, not as she had suspected. He was pale and lifeless, but he looked normal—other than the hole in his forehead.
Even her non-medical training had provided her with the cause of death. A gunshot wound to the head, blowing his brains onto the plastic he’d been wrapped in.
Had the murderer understood the rudimentary basics of how tide flow worked, he would’ve known dumping a body into the water at the end of high tide was not the best time to relieve yourself of evidence without weighing it down first. But his mistake was in their favour. When tide had gone out, the body had remained, easily spotted by an early morning fisherman who’d caught sight of something other than a fish.
Kellie watched as Doctor Stone did a preliminary examination of the body, checking his pockets for possible evidence. The plastic wrap was removed and placed into an evidence bag.
“Tell me, Doctor Stone, is there any evidence of torture or bruises of any kind that would suggest he suffered prior to death?”
Stone shook his head. “No, the boy was lucky. I doubt he even saw it coming.”
Kellie let out a deep breath. He may have been a double murderer, but the thought of anyone being tortured sickened her.
Open Wounds Page 15