Always Yesterday

by Jeri Odell

  She grinned at him. “What—girls can’t like souped-up cars?”

  He revved the engine. “The mechanics on this car are sure in better shape than the body.” He let out the clutch, and they rolled forward toward the gate.

  “Well, I’m relieved you don’t have laryngitis,” Delanie said.

  “What?”

  “That’s the first thing you’ve said all morning. I thought maybe you’d lost your voice or the cat had your tongue.”

  Though he hadn’t realized it, she was right. Not being one for idle chitchat, he’d have liked to keep it that way. Delanie, however. . .

  He found a parallel parking spot along the street a couple of blocks from the restaurant. Digging in his pocket, he stuck a few quarters in the meter. Delanie had already exited the car and waited on the sidewalk. Remembering his self-made promise, he grabbed her hand in his, and they sauntered toward Peg’s. Her small, warm hand reminded him he hadn’t done this hand-holding thing since high school.

  “Two, please,” he informed Rosie, the hostess, as soon as they entered the building. He noted her curiosity as she gawked at Delanie’s pregnant form. She led them to a small booth, and Eli didn’t release his clasp on Delanie’s hand until they arrived at their destination. Sliding into the seat proved difficult for Delanie. Her belly barely fit.

  “You guys lucked out and just missed a big rush.” Rosie handed each of them a menu. She directed her next comment at him. “You’re running late today. The waitress will be around soon.” She turned and walked away.

  Delanie’s forehead crinkled. “You’re a regular here?”

  Eli nodded, laid his menu aside, and flipped over the upside-down coffee cup. He was sure she’d have said more, but Sue ambled by just then with a pot in her hand and filled his cup with the rich, dark brew.

  “Any for you?” she asked Delanie.

  Laying her menu down, Delanie stroked her girth. “It’s not good for the baby.”

  The waitress nodded and moved on.

  Delanie checked out the restaurant. Eli had already noted several business professionals but saw no pregnant women dining with any of them.

  “This is a fun place—all the colorful pictures on the walls,” Delanie said with her normal enthusiasm.

  Eli perused the light blue walls and shrugged. He’d never paid much attention before.

  Another waitress took their orders, grabbing the menus as she left the table.

  “You’re really a gentleman at heart.” Delanie squeezed lemon into her water.

  He stared at her. Where had that come from?

  “You open building doors and car doors. Not many men are that attentive these days. It’s sweet.”

  Sweet? “My dad always did that for my mom.” Even in a drunken stupor. “Comes second nature.”

  “You never speak of your family.”

  “Nope.” And I never will.

  Sue came by and refilled his cup. “It’s good to finally see you here with someone.” She smiled at Delanie. “We’d convinced ourselves the man was a hermit.”

  Delanie returned her smile and rubbed her tummy. “No. He’s got me and the baby.”

  “Good for you,” she said and winked at Eli.

  “So you don’t bring your women here?” Delanie whispered.

  He shook his head. Always fishing.

  “I’ve never been to this diner before,” Delanie said, her gaze roving. Then she focused on him. “Are you married?”

  “Nope.”

  “Me either.”

  As if he cared.

  “Ever been?”

  He stared into those tranquil eyes and debated answering. Might as well. She probably won’t let up until I do. “Nope.”

  “Me neither.”

  The waitress set his usual in front of him and a spinach omelet in front of Delanie. She scrunched her nose at his huevos rancheros. “How can you eat that this early in the morning?”

  “How can you talk so much this early in the morning?” he countered.

  She grinned, apparently undaunted by his intended dig. Sometimes her beauty nearly stole his breath. Her skin glowed with peaches-and-cream perfection. The kiss from yesterday floated to the forefront of his mind, and he wanted to repeat it. No wonder he steered clear of all women; he obviously had no willpower whatsoever. Clearing his throat, he hoped to clear his thoughts, as well.

  “My brother sometimes orders the same Mexican egg dish, but yours looks different.” She pointed at his plate with her fork.

  “It’s served in a tortilla.”

  “And smothered in hot sauce,” she noted.

  Eli decided that since peace and quiet didn’t appear to be an option, they might as well at least discuss work—a safer topic than his personal life. “I think I might have gotten a lead last night.”

  Delanie laid down her fork and leaned forward.

  “I was at the Burger House up by where I live.” She nodded, and he recounted the incident. “I had hoped to see them climb into a car so I could ID the vehicle, but they were nowhere to be seen. I searched both sides of the parking lot. The guys thought the girl went to their middle school a couple of years ago. Said she was in eighth when they were in sixth grade, so that would probably make her a sophomore. I thought I could get the police artist to sketch both her and the man with her. Might be our first lead.”

  Delanie chewed her lower lip, appearing deep in thought. “We could search all of the local attorney Web sites and see if we can find a picture that matches.”

  “Good plan. I also thought we’d visit Clayton Middle School and see if the principal or anyone else recognizes the girl.”

  “Okay.” Delanie pushed away more than half of her breakfast. “I think I’ll ditch this huge obstruction”—she looked down—“and put on my jeans. I don’t know how women manage this.”

  Sue refilled Eli’s coffee a third time. “You didn’t like your omelet, honey?”

  “No, it was delicious—just too much.”

  “You’re eating for two now. You’d better pick it up a notch,” she warned and cleared Delanie’s plate. “And you—you never leave a scrap behind.” She grabbed Eli’s empty plate.

  “How often do you come here?” Delanie asked, crawling out of the booth. He offered her a hand and pulled her to her feet.

  “Hey, you never get up and fix me breakfast.” Eli grabbed the check. “A man’s got to eat.”

  Delanie’s cheeks turned a pink shade. He wrapped his arm around her and nuzzled her ear while Rosie rang up their ticket. She eyed Delanie over her bifocals. “You’d best feed your man, honey. Otherwise somebody else will. Just ask my ex.”

  “Thanks. I’ll remember that.” Delanie glanced at him.

  He leaned in and kissed her—slow, soft, sweet.

  “Ahem.” The hostess got their attention and held out Eli’s change.

  He grabbed Delanie’s hand and led her out the door. Halfway to the car Eli said, “I finally figured out how to shut you up.”

  Delanie tugged on his arm and stopped. She faced him. “About that.” Her voice was quiet and breathless.

  He dropped her hand and lifted his to her cheek; cupping her face he kissed her again. Her arms slipped around his neck and his around her back. He drew her closer—as close as her newly acquired tummy would allow. He convinced himself he was only doing this to bug her—nothing in him actually wanted to kiss her. Nope—nothing at all.

  “Stop!” She ran her fingers over her lips as if to erase the moment. “This isn’t right. We can look like a couple without making out right here for all the world to see.”

  Eli grinned. He’d gotten to her. “I’m just following orders,” he said innocently. Maybe she’d request another partner—he could only hope.

  “I’ll talk to Joe if I need to, but I don’t think this assignment has to go against my religious convictions.”

  Eli chose to taunt her. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those virgins who wants her first kiss to happen at the al
tar. Too late for that now, baby.”

  Delanie put her hands on her hips. “For your information, I have kissed guys before. But what is wrong with being a virgin? In other societies it was considered a virtue, but in twenty-first-century America, it’s looked down on. Why?”

  Eli gave her his usual shrug. He honestly admired her for going against the grain, but of course he wouldn’t tell her that. Someday some fortunate guy would be her first and only. Good for her. Lucky him.

  ❧

  Delanie crossed her arms over her padded stomach. “I’m sorry you feel like my convictions are a joke. It’s important to me, so if you can’t refrain from kissing me—”

  “Let me assure you, Delanie Cooper—you’re not that hard to resist.” He tilted his head in that cocky way of his. “I can refrain. Believe me, I can refrain.”

  His words verified what she’d thought all along. He found her repulsive, and the silly thing was, that fact bothered her. Swallowing hard, she asked, “Then will you?”

  “No problem. You tell me where your lines are, and I won’t cross them.” Eli started moving toward the car.

  “Fair enough.” She outlined her boundaries—“Arm around my shoulder, holding hands, and maybe an occasional hug. Nothing more.”

  “Fine.” He opened her car door.

  “Good.” Delanie relaxed, relieved to have that conversation over but also a little saddened by their spat. Would they ever be able to discuss things without childish quarrels?

  They drove back to the police station in silence. While Eli met with the artist and worked on the sketches, Delanie ditched her belly and the maternity wear, then searched the Web and phone book for local attorneys fitting the description Eli provided. Not all lawyers had their pictures posted, so she knew her chances were slim. Someone into illegal activity normally didn’t want his face plastered all over the Internet or yellow pages.

  Eli joined her at the computer. “Any luck?”

  She shook her head, taking the sketches he held out. “No, there was no one who resembled this guy.” Then she studied the young girl’s face. “She’s so young.”

  “Too young to be a mom—that’s for sure.” Eli’s shoulders slumped, and Delanie understood his burden for these young girls. “Before we head over to the middle school,” Eli continued, “we should go for the hard-to-identify look—you know, hats and sunglasses. If you could stuff your hair in a cap. The more nondescript we are, the better.”

  Opening a locker, he handed Delanie a cap and grabbed one for himself.

  “The Angels, huh?” She worked at stuffing her shoulder-length hair up into the cap. “Your favorite team?”

  “Yep. Let’s do it.”

  Delanie grabbed her sunglasses from her purse and an empty file folder from the file cabinet. She slipped the drawings inside. “Ready to roll.”

  Arriving at Clayton Middle, they followed signs to the office. “We’d like to see the principal, please,” Eli requested.

  “Do you have an appointment?” the secretary asked from her desk, not even coming to the counter where they stood.

  “No, I’m sorry. We don’t.”

  “But it is most important,” Delanie tacked on.

  Mrs. Simmons—as her name placard identified her—gawked at them over her bifocals. “Mr. McNally is a busy man.” She refocused on her computer, typed a few keystrokes, and informed them, “He can see you a week from Friday.”

  Delanie glanced at Eli. He gave her an almost imperceptible nod. A thrill surged through her; she realized they’d made their first connection as partners. Simultaneously they both pulled out their badges.

  “I think now is better,” Eli told the staunch, follow-the-rules woman.

  Her eyes grew large. “Yes, sir.” She disappeared behind a door but returned quickly to summon them in.

  Eli made the introductions, and they both shook the balding Mr. McNally’s hand. “What can I do for you today?”

  Delanie pulled out the sketch.

  “We wondered if you could identify this young girl,” Eli said. “A witness believes she attended school here a couple of years ago.”

  The principal took the sketch, studied it, and hit the button on the intercom perched on his desk.

  “Yes, sir?” The voice of Mrs. Simmons echoed into the room.

  “Hilda, could you come in here a moment?”

  “Certainly, sir.” In a matter of seconds, the school secretary entered the office.

  Mr. McNally held up the sketch. “Isn’t this that. . . ?” He snapped his fingers, searching for a name. “Anderson, Alden—”

  “I think it might be Brandi Alexander, sir. She’s in high school now.”

  “Thank you, Hilda.” He dismissed her with a wave of his hand.

  “One moment.” Delanie guessed the woman might be more likely to know the answer to her next question. She pulled out the second pencil drawing. “Is this her father?” She held it up so they could see.

  They both moved in closer to study the picture. The principal shook his head. “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen this man before.” He glanced to Mrs. Simmons. “You?”

  “No, and I don’t think Brandi had a dad that was around. So many of the kids don’t. I can’t be sure, but I don’t recall one.”

  Mr. McNally placed a call to the high school Brandi would have transferred to. He covered the mouthpiece with his hand and whispered, “She’s enrolled there. Would you like me to let them know you’re on the way?”

  “Sure.” Eli held the door open for Delanie. “And thank you.”

  They rushed to the car, Delanie’s heart pounding with the anticipation of making headway in the case. This was when she loved being a cop the most, when the pieces of the puzzle started coming together. Would the case end today, and would Eli be out of her life so soon?

  Chapter 6

  Well, so far this afternoon is a bust,” Delanie said as they drove away from Brandi’s neighborhood.

  “Not completely,” Eli corrected.

  “Excuse me. Are you being optimistic?” She couldn’t resist the jab.

  “Never,” he assured her. “But even though Brandi wasn’t in school today, we know she’s enrolled.”

  “Yeah, but she hasn’t been there for the past two weeks.”

  “True, but we’ve got her address, and even though no one was home, we know where she lives,” Eli reminded Delanie. “Plus the school secretary slipped us the address without forcing us to take the extra time to obtain a warrant.”

  “You’re right.” Delanie shifted in her seat, not missing her round belly one bit. “I just was so ready to solve the case today.”

  Eli chuckled. “You thought we’d go to the high school, interview her, she’d spill the beans, and we’d go make the arrest?”

  Delanie rolled her eyes. “Not quite that cut-and-dried, but, yes, I’d hoped we’d be well on our way to closing this case.” She stretched her neck, loosening a kink. “Where are we going now?” she asked when Eli turned in the opposite direction from the department.

  “Thought we’d go hang out at that Burger House for a while—see who we might see.” He glanced at her. “How long have you been a plainclothes detective?”

  “Since Monday,” Delanie said weakly. She studied the passing scenery, not wishing to witness Eli’s reaction.

  “Well then, you have a lot to learn. I’m guessing this case will take us at least three months, if not more.”

  She’d mentally prepared for him to mock her because this was her first undercover assignment, so she was surprised when he didn’t. “You’re kidding? Three months?” Even though she hated the fact that she became so angry yesterday, her little outburst must have paid off.

  He shook his head, turning into the restaurant’s parking lot. “Once we figure out who the culprit is, it could take months to flush them out. When people are making a lot of money doing illegal activity, they know how to cover their tracks.”

  Eli cut the engine. Once inside they ord
ered a late lunch, and then he led her straight to a table in the back corner. It was actually a large booth with a wraparound seat. “This way we can each see the doors and who uses them.” He slid in until his back faced the front window of the building. She slid in the opposite side and sat at a ninety-degree angle to him.

  “Amazing how much easier it is to occupy a booth without that big belly.” Delanie laughed.

  Eli jabbed his straw into his cup and took a long sip. “We can go over today’s discoveries, and I also thought we should review the police report Julie Johnson’s mom filed.” Eli ran his hand through his dark hair.

  “Sounds like a plan,” Delanie agreed, unwrapping her fish sandwich. Eli certainly was talkative when the topic was work and not personal. Maybe she could slide in a few personal inquiries in the midst of their case conversation.

  After taking a bite of his burger, Eli pulled a legal pad from his backpack and made three columns. At the top he labeled them KNOW, SUSPECT, and TO DO. “What do we know for sure?”

  Delanie set her cup down. “Julie Johnson is dead.”

  “Brandi is pregnant,” Eli added. He jotted the facts in a scribbled form Delanie wondered if she could ever decipher. “She has a single mom and no siblings.”

  “Her neighbor believes she plans to give the baby up for adoption.”

  “I’ll put that under ‘SUSPECT’ because we didn’t hear it from Brandi herself.” They continued recalling info and categorizing it as they finished lunch.

  One of the restaurant employees was cleaning the tables after the lunch rush. She stopped at their table. “I’ve never seen you in here without them boys before.” Though she spoke to Eli, her gaze never left Delanie, inquisitiveness written all over her face. She moved on to the table next to theirs and cleared the trash.

  “You must come in here often.” Delanie kept her voice low.

  “Couple of times a week. You’ve heard the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach?”

  Delanie nodded.

  “Junior high boys aren’t any different. I feed them in hopes of gaining their loyalty.”

  “Loyalty?” Delanie thought the statement seemed odd.

  Eli wadded up the wrapper from his burger. “If they feel loyalty to me and to our little group, feel like they have a place to belong, they’ll be less likely to join a gang. Everybody needs a sense of belonging, a sense of fitting in and importance. We all need to know there are people who care.”