by Jaime Maddox
“May I tell him what this is about?” the secretary asked.
“Bucky Draper,” he said, knowing the upcoming campaign for district attorney was a hot topic around town. She nodded, smiled, and walked through a set of double doors while he waited patiently for her return.
“The district attorney can give you five minutes of his time,” she said with a smile, and she ushered him through the same doors. “Second office on the left. His door is open.”
He walked in and closed the door behind him. The DA rose from his chair and shook his hand without emerging from behind a desk covered with papers. “So what’s going on with Bucky?” he asked as he returned to his seat.
He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to tell your secretary why I’m really here,” he said, and he watched the DA’s posture change. He sat taller, leaned a little forward in his chair. The cobra ready to strike.
Before the DA could go on attack, he continued. “I’m here about Stephanie Gates. I didn’t want to say what I have to say to the assistant who questioned me, because the information I’m going to share with you is somewhat sensitive, and I definitely don’t want anyone to know where this came from.”
The DA studied him for a moment, then leaned back in his chair. “Go on.”
“I didn’t tell this to the police back then. I simply didn’t know what was happening,” he said. “I was asked if Stephanie had a boyfriend and told the detective no, and I still believe that to be true. But I think she may have had a girlfriend.”
The DA’s head popped up so quickly his neck might have snapped, and his expression was one of sheer disbelief.
“What? Are you saying Stephanie was a lesbian?”
He nodded. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“What proof do you have?”
He shook his head and frowned. “None. But five years after Steph died, Christine Ryan came out of the closet. She’s had one girlfriend after another since then. And she and Steph were like this,” he said, holding up his hand and crossing his middle finger over his second.
“A high-school friendship with a woman who later turns out to be homosexual doesn’t prove much.”
“I know it doesn’t. But when Steph died, the detectives asked me if she was dating, and when they asked me again today, I figured it must be important. Honestly, when Christine told me she was a lesbian twenty years ago, the first thing—the very first thing that came to mind was Stephanie Gates. Our senior year, those two were inseparable. That’s the time when a girl like Steph should have been dating and hanging out with guys, but the only one she was interested in was Reese. And vice versa.”
He told the DA about their class trip to Disney and his hopes of hooking up with Steph.
“Are you sure this isn’t just sour grapes because Steph wasn’t interested in you?”
“If it was, I would have mentioned it back then. Truthfully, Steph was such a feminine girl, it never occurred to me that she could be gay until Reese came out. Don’t forget, that was 1993. No one was openly gay back then. My perception of a lesbian was a woman with short hair wearing work pants and boots with a ring of keys on her hip.”
The DA swallowed a smile and covered his mouth as he cleared his throat. “Even if this theory is true, what reason would Christine Ryan have for murdering Steph?”
He shrugged. “I have no idea. But you’re the one who wants to know who she was dating. That question must have some significance.”
The DA nodded. “We’re working on another lead at the moment, but when Christine Ryan comes in, we’ll definitely have a few new questions for her.”
Chapter 16: Dinner Date
“You’re very happy at one in the morning.”
Reese looked up from her computer screen and smiled at Scoop Timlin, a colleague and friend she’d known since high school. Scoop had followed her from high school to college to medical school, and even did his residency in the same hospital, although he’d gone into the business of delivering babies. He was the biggest flirt she’d ever known, and if the rumors were true, he did more than flirt on some occasions, even now that he was married with children. They’d always been friends, though, and she was the one woman he didn’t have to impress.
“Do I look happy?”
“You’re humming. What’s her name?”
“If I told you, you’d probably be at her door five minutes before I get there, trying to poach her.”
“Good point. Do I at least know her?”
“I hope not.” Reese leaned back in her chair and watched as he tilted his head and let out a belly laugh. Scoop was as good-looking as a man could be, with chiseled features, olive skin, and black hair that had just a hint of body. He wore it to his shoulders, much in the same style she did, and she had to admit the style looked better on him. At least she looked like a doctor, though. With his tailored suits, he looked more like a model or a businessman than an obstetrician.
“What brings you to the cellar?” she asked.
“Consult. Wasn’t it from you?”
“Nope. Must have been the PA.”
“Oh, Christ. I hate PAs! I hope I’m not missing sleep because of some nonsense.”
“I guess it depends on how important you consider an abruption.”
Reese’s eyes flew open wide at the word, but the PA who’d uttered them remained calm as she handed a clipboard to Scoop. “Marley Lynott. She says you know her.”
Suddenly Scoop was all business. “Ultrasound?”
The PA nodded toward the chart. “The report’s there. I ordered the cross match for blood, and according to her chart, she’s Rh negative. Thanks for coming by,” she said as she casually walked away, leaving Scoop with an absolute disaster in the middle of the night. If he was lucky, he’d make it home in the morning in time to shower before office hours.
“Shit fuck,” he said, and Reese bit her lip to suppress her smile. Thoughts of Scoop quickly faded from her mind as she finished the charts she needed to complete before heading home. Home to shower and sleep before waking up to spend her Friday thinking about her evening out with Ella.
She refused to consider it a date, even though they were going out together, alone, to eat. That was often how a date was described, but Ella hadn’t said that word. Instead, she’d offered to buy her dinner to thank her for saving her pride at the golf tournament, and she’d promised to bring the shirt this time. So, it was dinner, and apparently, thoughts of dinner were enough to make her hum.
Why? What was so special about Ella? She was attractive, certainly. Anyone with eyes could see that. And intelligent. All you had to do was talk to her for thirty seconds to realize it. And kind. The way she acted with Bijou and Cass was enough to make the Grinch’s heart grow three sizes. But Reese was also an attractive, intelligent woman, and she dated mostly attractive, intelligent women. Nothing ever came of dating, though, and she tended to keep it all in perspective. She’d go out, share something nice. Dinner, conversation, a movie. Perhaps sex. Perhaps they’d do it repeatedly, which would constitute dating, but none of it ever made her hum. So why was she humming now?
After finishing her work, Reese hopped into her Jeep and headed home to Moscow. The drive helped quiet her mind, for the darkness was nearly complete as she left the city. Her house really was in the country, where there was no crime, no taxes, and no neighbors visible in any direction. Her house was a divorce special, built with love by newlyweds and sold at a loss when they couldn’t sever the ties that bound them quickly enough. It was at the end of a long drive, in a clearing that allowed enough sunlight to nourish a small yard of grass and some flowers, and Reese pulled around them and into her garage fifteen minutes after leaving the hospital.
Her shower was a quick one, and to her surprise, she slept well and awoke without the alarm the next day. It was nearly ten, which gave her only eight hours to decide on her wardrobe for her non-date.
Since Ella had given her full rein in planning the evening, Ree
se had decided to bring Ella in her direction, closer to the Pocono Mountains, rather than the foothills where Ella lived. There was a French restaurant Reese loved, and Ella had told her she was up for anything where food was concerned, so she’d booked a table for two. She’d asked the owner for a special table, and she hoped they’d get one near the expansive stone fireplace in the main dining room. Once she’d taken care of that, her thoughts had turned to her wardrobe, or lack thereof.
Reese wasn’t much into fashion, usually choosing jeans for any occasion that didn’t require something formal. For work, she wore scrubs. Yet she wanted to look good for Ella, and so she’d fretted for days about what to wear. In the end, a trip to the mall had provided the solution. She walked out with new black jeans and a lightweight black sweater, and ankle-high black boots. It was nearly fall, so the evenings were growing colder as the sun set earlier, and she thought the boots were very stylish. Even if they weren’t, they were comfortable, and she liked them. She hoped Ella would, too.
After showering the germs from her body, she dried her hair and changed into her new outfit, and she was sitting in her living room waiting for Ella when she arrived.
“I really love your house,” Ella said by way of greeting.
It was almost seven, and nearly dark, but the landscaping lights set strategically around the property still allowed a good view of the trees and flowers, as well as the chalet-style house. “Thanks,” Reese said as she pulled back the door. “Come in.”
“This is for you. Washed and ironed,” Ella said, as she handed Reese her golf shirt, tied up with a ribbon. Dangling from the bow was a candy from the local confectioner.
“Oh, wow! A chocolate-covered pretzel! My favorite. And the shirt has never been ironed before, so thanks for that, too.”
“Cass may have let it slip that you like chocolate.”
“She can’t keep a secret.”
“Yeah. You probably shouldn’t tell her anything confidential.”
“Oh, no. What else did she say?” Reese demanded, a stern look on her face.
“Unlike Cass, I can keep a secret, so I’m not saying a word. I will say it was useful information, though.”
“Oh, boy. I think I’m in trouble.”
“Nothing you can’t get yourself out of. But how about showing me this beautiful house? I didn’t see much the other day.”
The living room ran from the front of the house to the back, and Reese guided her toward the rear, where her couch and chairs flanked the fireplace. “This is my living room,” she said. “Obviously.”
Remembering their conversation during their first cookout, Ella laughed, then surveyed her surroundings. “What a great room.” Looking from the high tongue-and-groove ceiling to the wall of stone flanking the fireplace, Ella marveled at the craftsmanship. It had been almost a month since she’d moved to the mountains, and she was settling in at her job, making friends, and learning her way around, enough to know she wanted to stay. Pip would be home from California for Christmas, and Ella had to start thinking about a house of her own. For the first time, the prospect excited her. She would love something lakefront, where she could sit on her deck and look out over the water, watch the sunrise over the mountains, or perhaps the sunset, depending on her vista. Either way, it wasn’t in her budget, but something like this, like Reese’s place, would be just as perfect. It would be a lovely place to come home to after a day at the office or a week away on business.
“Thanks,” Reese said. “Would you like to see the rest?”
“Absolutely, if there’s time.”
“Sure. We can make it quick.”
“I think it’s time for me to start looking to buy a house,” Ella said.
“So you like it here, huh?”
Ella nodded. “Very much.”
“That’s great. I can hook you up with my friend Doug. He’s a realtor. He found this place for me.”
“Is he an alum?” she asked.
Reese looked at her, curiosity in her eyes. “Does it matter?”
“Of course it does! As an employee of the university, I feel a responsibility to support the businesses of our graduates. The more successful they are, the more successful we are.”
Reese couldn’t help smile. “And maybe they’ll make a little donation, right?”
Ella wasn’t offended. “Maybe they will.”
Now Reese laughed. “I guess that makes sense. But to answer your question, yes. He was in my class, both in high school and college. He married one of our college classmates, so you get double credit by supporting his real-estate business.”
The thought delighted Ella. “Absolutely perfect!”
The house was, too. The kitchen, which she’d seen on Labor Day, was contiguous with the living room, and on the other side of the house, two other, large rooms served as a study and guest bedroom. “My room’s upstairs,” Reese said. “Would you like to see it?”
It felt like a loaded question, but Ella didn’t hesitate. “Of course.”
Following Reese up the stairs, she got another glimpse of her curvy shape, but remembering her trip up the steps at the golf course, Ella quickly turned her gaze to the stairs. They opened to a small sitting area, where a reading chair and lamp were set up atop a thick, white area rug. Beyond, in Reese’s bedroom, a large sleigh bed stood in the center of the room, on a similar rug, facing a wall of glass. The room wasn’t huge, but the furniture was spread across three walls, and nothing else crowded the space, so it seemed perfect.
“Closet,” Reese said, pointing to a door. “And bathroom,” she said, pointing to another.
Always a sucker for a bubble bath, Ella poked her head through the bathroom door and was impressed with what she saw. A huge tub was the main feature of the room, with the shower tucked into the corner. “Ah, heaven,” Ella said. “I love baths.”
Staring at the tub, and then at Ella, Reese imagined Ella soaking, bubbles up to her ears and wearing a contented expression, brown eyes looking at her through half-closed lids. Ella returned her stare, and Reese’s heartbeat skipped. She licked her bottom lip, imagined pressing both of them gently to Ella’s, and found Ella’s gaze directed at her mouth. Ella was thinking the same thing, and knowing that filled Reese with courage. Tilting her head, she smiled seductively, then reached out a finger to brush the hair back from Ella’s face.
Reese watched as Ella closed her eyes and moved into her hand, turning the innocent touch into a tantalizing caress. And then, Ella stepped back.
Clearing her throat, she broke the spell. “Don’t we have a dinner reservation?” she asked, her voice husky with desire.
Reese pulled back as well. “Yes. We should get going.”
“Would you mind if I drive?” Ella asked as they descended the stairs. “I’d like to learn my way around, and driving’s the best way to do it.”
“Do I need a crash helmet?”
“If you’re scared, I’ll go slowly.”
Reese grabbed a jacket, and they made their way out of the house and into the driveway, where Ella’s SUV was parked.
“I was hoping for a ride in the convertible,” Reese said as she noticed the car.
“Can I give you a rain check?” Ella asked. She stopped to look at Reese, whose pulse quickened once again. When she’d accepted Ella’s invitation to dinner, she’d hoped to get to know her better, to explore the attraction she felt and see where it might lead. Of course, she hoped it would lead to something, and all the indications were there that her wish might come true. It was an intoxicating thought, and Reese felt like a young girl, awkward and shy, fumbling for words.
“Um, yeah, sure.”
After buckling up, Reese pointed Ella in the right direction and sat back to enjoy the view of Ella in the driver’s seat. In spite of their heated encounter in her bathroom, the conversation was still easy. Ella talked about houses and how much more affordable they were in the mountains than in Philadelphia.
“I kind of like this area,”
Ella said.
“It’s certainly private.”
“You don’t sound enthusiastic.”
“No. That’s not it. I love it here. I would never want to live in the city, or even one of the more crowded suburbs. I like the solitude out here. And I’m only fifteen minutes from town, twenty from the mall.”
“We’re east of Scranton, right?”
“Yes. West of PMU. I’m about in the middle of the two places.”
“So your house would be an ideal place for me to live.”
“Um, yeah.”
“I mean out here, not your house specifically.”
“Yep. Perfect,” Reese said, feeling herself blush.
“What’s north? And south? And west?”
Reese told Ella where to turn and then gave her a local geography lesson, including the best places to eat, play, and dine. Even though it was a thirty-minute drive to the restaurant, they hadn’t finished talking about Ella’s housing options when they pulled into the parking lot of the Chalet.
“That was easy,” Ella said. It was easy being with Reese. The conversation flowed, with give-and-take, point and counterpoint balanced with a barb or a bit of humor. The silence was comfortable, too, though, and Ella liked that almost as much as she liked talking to Reese.
They entered through a stone archway into what had probably once been a grand hallway. At some point it had been partitioned, and in the area nearest the front door, a cheese shop had opened. Two large cases held a variety of cheeses, most of them French. Fake grapes and empty bottles of wine were scattered about the cases, and the image nearly made Ella’s mouth water. Cheese (and wine) were both at the top of her favorites list, and she’d take a better look at the selection before they left. If she shopped on an empty stomach, she’d spend a fortune.
A little way down the hallway, past a large, ornate decorative screen, a podium stood in the middle of the hallway. A young man in a form-fitting sport coat and tie greeted them.