by V. K. Powell
She debated telling the captain about her accidental reconnection with the primary witness in the case but decided it might lead to the revelation of their recent sexual liaison. “Nothing yet, just a review.”
“And a recanvass of the neighborhood and follow-up with witnesses?”
“How did you know about that? I was discreet.”
“One of the original investigating officers, who’s now a lieutenant, got a call from a witness. He stormed into my office this morning demanding to know why a suspended detective was snooping around in a closed cold case.”
“I’m sorry, Boss.”
“I told him to get the hell out of my office. Before he left, he more or less threatened me with censure from ‘above my pay grade.’ I’m not sure what he meant and he wouldn’t explain. Have you had any problems or uncovered anything unusual?”
“No, ma’am. This case would be a lot easier if everybody back then had had mobile phones and CCTV was on every corner. But as the saying goes, the key that works will always be the last one you try. I’ll keep at it.” She considered again revealing her connection to Macy. Captain Howard might consider sleeping with a material witness as significant, but since it wasn’t likely to happen again, Leigh kept quiet.
“All right. Keep me posted and let me know if anybody tries to sidetrack you. I’ll manage the fallout. That’s why they pay me the big bucks.”
She stood and started toward the door. “Captain, thanks for trusting me with this.”
“We’ve both wondered about it for years. Who else would I trust?”
Leigh stopped by the Youth Division office, but Nate was out with another detective. She wasn’t ready to go back to the lake and face Macy. What would she say, thanks for the sex, and by the way, I helped screw up your best friend’s case? If one of those comments didn’t get her permanently evicted, the other certainly would. She had to admit her involvement in the case and the sooner the better. She couldn’t afford for Macy to think she’d intentionally kept something else from her.
She was on the way back to her car when her cell rang. “Hello?”
“Leigh, it’s Susan.”
For a second she couldn’t place the voice. Mother. How did she get her cell number? Hedy. “Yes, Susan, how can I help you?”
“Actually, I might be able to help you for a change.”
“Okay.” She was always cautious where her mother was concerned. Experience had been a harsh and expensive teacher.
“When I went to school to pick Jack up yesterday, he was on the emergency pay phone by the basketball court. I pretended I hadn’t seen him, and he didn’t mention making a call. I just thought you might want to know. Is it helpful at all?”
“Maybe. What time was that?”
“About three thirty.”
“I’ll look into it.” Susan didn’t have to pass along the information. It must’ve been hard to choose between keeping Jack’s confidence and possibly helping Leigh find his family. “And thanks. I won’t tell him.”
“I appreciate that. He’d see it as a betrayal, and that wouldn’t help anybody.”
Leigh started to disconnect but remembered her last conversation with Hedy. “Susan, I want to thank you for helping Hedy, with the miscarriage. She finally told me.”
After a short pause Susan answered. “You don’t need to thank me. I wanted to help. Sorry she wouldn’t call you, but she can be just as stubborn as you sometimes.”
“You tried to get her to call me?” Leigh heard the disbelief in her voice and her throat tightened.
“I knew you’d want to be there for her.”
“Well…thank you for that too.” Tears stung her eyes, something that had never happened where her mother was concerned. “I’ll talk to you later.” She hung up without waiting for a response and leaned against the side of her car. Her mother had actually tried to do something good for her.
When her breathing returned to normal, she went back inside to track down Nate. He was at his desk and she motioned him into the hallway. “Canteen coffee?”
“Sure, my stomach is cast iron, why not? You all right? Look a little green.”
“My mother has that effect on me.” When they were out of hearing range of the other detectives, she passed along Susan’s information. “Can you have your contact with the phone company check it out? This could get Jack together with his mother again pretty quickly.”
He gave her one of his you’re-kidding-me smiles. “This is the phone company you’re talking about. Quick is relative.”
“It’s all we’ve got right now, unless you’ve uncovered something I don’t know about.”
“Afraid not.”
“I don’t understand this kid. We told him we’ve hit a dead end with his father’s family, but he still won’t go home. Who stays in foster care when he doesn’t have to? Maybe he’s in some kind of trouble or it’s an abusive environment,” she said.
“I don’t get that feeling from him. He seems pretty well adjusted and brainiac smart.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean. I should be going. Don’t want to make your new partner jealous. Let me know if you come up with anything.”
“Will do. Hurry back. You’re my entertainment. I’m bored with these guys.”
“Thanks, smart-ass.” She winked and blew him a kiss. “See you soon.”
On the way back to Belews Lake, she stopped by a gas station and picked up a real-estate magazine. She’d gotten back into her workout routine, had a quasi-conversation with her mother, and was going to be an aunt. The occasional pangs of disappointment from her breakup with Gayle seemed less and less frequent. She was reclaiming her life again. Now she needed to consider what to do about housing after the inevitable eviction from Macy’s apartment. When she pulled into the driveway at the cottage, she almost rammed into another car parked in her space—Gayle’s car. Macy and her ex sat on the front porch, sipping wine and looking toward the lake like long-time acquaintances. Trouble had come to the burbs.
Several greetings flashed through Leigh’s mind as she walked toward Macy and Gayle, but none of them expressed exactly what she was feeling—an entrée of disbelief and a side of fear. Disbelief that Gayle had gone to the trouble of finding her, taken time off work, and come to the end of civilization to talk to her. The fear was all about Macy. What was she thinking? What had Gayle told her? Was it already too late to salvage what they’d started? Neither of their faces gave anything away as she moved toward them. She poked her finger with her thumbnail, trying to remain calm, and chose the stunned-beyond-words approach, merely nodding at them when she stopped at the steps.
“Leigh, darling.” Gayle placed her wineglass beside the chair and rose with the poise of royalty receiving her subjects. “Your landlord has been gracious enough to entertain me until you returned.”
She faced Macy, willing her to see the apology in her eyes. “That’s very kind of you.”
“No problem. It’s been enlightening.” Macy retrieved their wineglasses and headed inside. “Now, if you’ll excuse me. You have things to discuss and you don’t need an audience.”
“Thank you, Macy,” Gayle said, and gave her arm a light squeeze.
When Gayle turned back to her, Leigh remembered why she’d fallen so completely in love with her the first time they met. Those potent brown eyes violated her soul with their vulnerability, but Gayle was capable of turning it off and on at will. She felt herself being dragged back into the abyss buried beneath her gorgeous shell.
“Why are you here, Gayle?”
“Your landlord asked the same question.” The emphasis indicated she either knew or strongly suspected she and Macy shared more than a financial arrangement.
Panic rose in her throat as she grappled for a response that revealed nothing. “I’d be interested in your answer.”
“Let’s go somewhere more private.” She took Leigh’s arm, kissed her lightly on the lips, and guided her toward the dock. “Are you just a little bit happy t
o see me?”
“Surprised is more like it. You made it clear when I moved out we didn’t have anything else to talk about.” She tried to recall the pain she’d felt when their relationship ended, but Gayle’s body was distracting next to hers, their long strides matching perfectly as they made the short walk to the lake. So many things about their life together were good. She could almost hear Pam saying not.
“You put me in an untenable position with your ultimatum.”
Typical Gayle. She sounded more like she was giving a presentation in court than talking with an ex-lover. Leigh struggled with the disbelief screaming for release. This was not going to be one of those conversations Gayle won by default because she became too emotional to continue. “Ultimatum? Is that what you call a request for a commitment? I’m surprised you didn’t recognize the difference, Counselor.”
When they got to the bottom of the apartment steps, Gayle slid her arms around Leigh’s waist and pulled her close. Those eyes again, imploring her to remember, to succumb to the promises and the pleasures Gayle would gladly give. She licked her lips without the slightest thought for what it would signal to Gayle. When it occurred to her, it was too late.
Gayle’s lips closed over hers, and the gentle tug on her bottom lip made her weak. She didn’t want to kiss Gayle, didn’t want to want her, but she had to know if she still did. Opening her mouth, she welcomed Gayle’s tongue and waited for the burn that always started in her gut. Instead of the hungry longing she expected, an image of her and Macy emerged, standing in this very spot, kissing for the second time. She instantly cooled and pushed Gayle away. “Stop.”
“Yes, let’s go up.” She ascended the steps and took Leigh’s hand. “Come with me.”
She had no intention of coming the way Gayle proposed, but they did need to talk. She followed her up and closed the stairway after them.
“Quaint little place.” Gayle’s tone reminded her of what a materialistic house snob she could be. If it showed the slightest wear, Gayle turned it in for this year’s model, size, or color. She believed her years of education, experience, and now status came with certain benefits, usually the ones with dollar signs attached.
“I like traditional, and the size suits me perfectly at the moment.”
Gayle shrugged and reached for her. “Let me hold you, Leigh. I’ve missed you so much.” Gayle pulled her to the sofa, tossed Toby in the corner, and took Leigh into her arms. She caressed Leigh’s face, her arm, occasionally stroking the side of her breast or the curve of her hip. “My God, you feel fantastic. Tell me you haven’t been with anyone else.”
“What?”
“I asked Macy if you were having sex.”
“You did what? You had no right. We haven’t been together in nine months, in case you haven’t been counting.” She knew exactly how Macy would’ve felt under the scrutiny of those eyes and the pointed questions. “What did she say?”
“I interpret anything except a flat denial as an affirmative response. So, I guess you’ve had sex with her. Am I right?”
“This isn’t about Macy or anyone else I might or might not have slept with. It’s about us. Isn’t that why you flew here from Toronto?” She could almost see Gayle’s mental wheels turning. She never just spoke from the heart. Her responses were always calculated for maximum benefit, hers.
“You’re exactly right, darling. I’ve got some great news.” She kissed Leigh’s forehead and fingered the hair around her ears. “You’re not going to believe it.”
Leigh’s warning system flashed red and the nerves along her spine tingled. “What is it, Gayle? Just tell me.”
“I’ve taken a job in the States so we can be together.” The expectant look on her face was almost comical. Her perfectly plucked brows arched slightly, and her eyes opened wide. It was obvious Gayle thought she’d scored a major coup d’état. “Isn’t that fantastic?”
She’d learned not to accept anything at face value with Gayle. “I didn’t realize the Canadian Citizenship and Immigration Service had a satellite office in the United States. How does that work exactly?”
“Can’t you just be happy? It’s what you wanted, us together. I’ve made it happen.”
She moved out of Gayle’s arms and put her knees between them on the sofa. Touching was not a good thing at this point. She needed all her energy focused in the intellectual parts of her body. “Tell me, Gayle.”
She couldn’t meet Leigh’s stare, focused instead on the view of the lake. “Most of our attorneys work a stint in another country periodically.”
“So, let me see if I’ve got this straight. You’ll be working here temporarily? What happens at the end of your assignment?” The look of discomfort on Gayle’s face told the whole story. But Leigh needed to hear her say it.
“Leigh, darling, I know it’s not perfect, but it’s a start. In the meantime, we’ll work something else out. I’ve missed you.” She tried to pull Leigh back into her arms, but she resisted.
“You still don’t get it, do you?”
“I thought this would make you happy.”
“Seriously? After nine months, no contact, I move out of your condo, without any help from you, and now you show up offering me the same thing we had before? How is that supposed to make me feel? What I’ve always wanted is someone who loves me enough to make me a priority in her life, the same as I would for her. You never understood that.”
“How can I do that when we live in different countries?”
“It’s not about where we live. It’s about how we choose to live together. We’re very intelligent and resourceful women who solve problems for a living. We get to create our life. It would be unconventional, granted, but it could work for us if we wanted it badly enough. I just want more than a vacationship. We’re separated by something much worse than distance.”
“What do you mean?”
“Apparently we want different things. You always thought you had to choose between your career and me. I was willing to do whatever it took to be with you, including changing jobs. If you think the only answer to a question is either/or, you’re wrong.”
Gayle bowed her head and stared at her hands, resting limply in her lap. For the first time, she looked defeated. “I know I didn’t give you what you needed, Leigh, and I’m sorry. I just don’t see another way around this at the moment.”
“And that’s why I ended it. Right now your career comes first. I get that, but I also get to choose not to be second with the woman I love. Do you understand?”
She nodded. “I believe I finally do, but I can still be unhappy about it.”
“Absolutely.” She started to add, because I have been, but she chose not to intentionally hurt Gayle. Her dad used to say, if it’s not a gift, don’t give it.
Gayle reached across the sofa and took her hand. “Would it be all right if I stayed the night? I came straight from the airport and haven’t made a hotel reservation. If it wouldn’t be too much of an imposition and wouldn’t upset your landlord.”
“Sure, you take the bed and I’ll be here.” She retrieved some blankets and a pillow, made her bed, and rescued Toby from the corner. “If you need anything, let me know.”
“You won’t sleep with me, one last time?”
“If by sleep you mean have sex, the answer is no. It’s best if we don’t complicate things.”
She loved Gayle, but the dynamic between them had shifted. She’d tried to mold their relationship into something Gayle would want as much as she did, but their priorities weren’t the same. Everything she wanted in a relationship was still the same, but she no longer wanted it with Gayle.
Chapter Fourteen
Macy watched Gayle hook her arm through Leigh’s, reclaiming what was hers as they walked toward the lake. The image was branded in her mind and flashed on an infinite loop. She didn’t want to look, but the scene worsened like a major disaster, compelling her attention. Gayle kissed Leigh with the passion of a starved lover, fingers entangled in h
er hair, their bodies fused at hot places. She cursed under her breath, willing them to disappear, and when they climbed the steps and Leigh closed the hatch, she almost collapsed. An aching like the deepest shade of black swallowed her.
She waited, certain Leigh would emerge momentarily, rush to her and…what, deny Gayle and declare her love? Something akin to anger bubbled inside. What the hell was she thinking? Leigh Monroe didn’t care for her, much less love her. They’d shared one night of sex, nothing more. Leigh had confirmed that when she returned Gayle’s kiss on the dock, another display obviously intended for her. Leigh didn’t have to worry; she wasn’t the type to get attached either. The only way to stay safe in relationships was to stay out of them. Her logic was sound but her feelings were not. She retreated from her vigil at the window and forced herself back into her routine.
Gathering her lab coat around her, she rubbed her sweaty palms down the front and opened the studio door. The skull seemed to stare at her through vacant eyes, and the intermittent clay strips against bone looked as if a wild animal had shredded it. She felt the same way inside, like she’d been ripped into pieces with remnants left hanging. How had she gotten so deeply involved with Leigh that it bothered her to see her with another woman? Work. Focus.
She’d completed the technical phase of the reconstruction, and now the artistic phase could begin. She loved creating a face by rolling clay, carving details, and sculpting the finishing touches with her fingers. She picked up the Boley gauge and measured the height of the enamel of the upper and lower teeth, which would provide the vertical thickness of the mouth. A measurement of the front six teeth gave her the width. She transferred the measurements to a strip of clay, cut it, and placed it on the lower lip margin. When the strip was positioned properly, she incised it at the halfway point to create the parting line of the lips.
She remembered the touch of Leigh’s lips against hers the first time they kissed. She’d been instantly aroused. Nothing was more sensuous than a woman’s lips—soft, hot, wet, and wanting. As she spread the clay lips with a flat wooden tool, her memories tormented her—her fingers sliding tenuously into the slick folds between Leigh’s legs, her tongue urgently traveling the same path, and Leigh’s total surrender. She dropped the tool and it skidded across the floor. Her body was sticky, perspiration and desire pooling uncomfortably.