by T. F. Walsh
“Sorry.”
“I’m not.” He pulled her to him for a kiss. “You are wild.” He smiled and fell back onto the pillow cradling her on his chest. “I need a moment to recuperate.”
“Mmm. Me too.” Lu kissed his chest. She could feel his heartbeat thumping against her lips. She let her fingertips trail down his hard stomach, following the lines of his muscles. God, the man was in good shape. She cuddled closer and closed her eyes, listening to the sound of his breathing slowing down. She purred as his hand lightly stroked her back.
“We need to talk.” Byron’s quiet voice broke into her relaxed state.
“What?” Lu’s stomach tightened with fear.
“You’re not seeing anyone else, are you?”
“No.” Lu leaned up on her elbow to see his whole face. “Why, are you?”
“Nope. And I don’t share. If we’re going to see each other, it’s gotta be exclusive.”
“Are you asking me to go steady?” Lu asked with a grin.
“Maybe.” He returned her smile. “I like having you around.”
“Aw shucks.” Lu crawled up his chest to kiss him on the lips. “I guess I could put up with you, for a little while. At least until after dinner, then we’ll renegotiate.”
“You’re a hard woman.” He slid out from under her. “I need a shower and you need to get dressed as I believe that most restaurants require clothes. Stupid dress codes.”
“I need a shower, too. Can I join you?”
“Nope. I’m hungry. And if you shower with me, I’ll get distracted. Just the thought of your gorgeous body lathered in soap is turning me on again.” Byron trailed his hand over her breast, down her waist and along her leg until he reached her foot. He bent over and kissed her toes, then looked up at her with a sneaky grin. “But after dinner, I’m hoping to get distracted for a while.”
“Sounds good to me.” Lu watched him walk out into the hallway. He looked so at ease being naked. Then again, with his beautiful lean body, why wouldn’t he be comfortable? She stretched out, amazed at how good she felt. If everyone had great sex regularly, they’d probably put massage therapists out of business. The shrill ring of her phone jolted her out of her musing.
“Lu speaking.”
“Hello. This is Kaitlynn.” The kid’s high-pitched voice sounded different.
“Hi, Kaitlynn.” Lu turned toward the hallway and listened. Byron was humming in the bathroom.
“Look, Lu, you’ve got to get Jason out of jail, like right now.” The steely resolve in the kid’s tone seemed at odds with her childish voice. “He’s going nuts in there.”
“I’ll do my best, but you tell him to answer their questions. That’ll get him out the fastest.”
“No.” The loud screech made Lu pull the receiver away from her ear. The girl continued, “He can’t rat. They’ll kill him. You have to get him out. Or I’ll phone the cops and tell them you were there buying drugs.”
“But — ” Lu heard the loud click on the other end of the phone. Shit! She’d been outmaneuvered by a sixteen-year-old. Now what? Lu looked up to see Byron standing in the bedroom doorway.
“Everything all right?” he asked with concern.
“Yeah, fine,” she lied. “Just an annoying telemarketer.” She could tell from his raised eyebrows he didn’t believe her. How much had he heard? “I’ll just be a minute in the shower.”
Lu sidled by him and playfully grabbed his butt. Hopefully that would get his mind off the phone call.
• • •
Lu waited until they’d gotten to their after dinner coffees before she dared bring the subject up.
“So, what’s happened with that kid you caught at the last fire scene?”
“What a pain.” Byron rubbed at his eyes in frustration. “These stupid teens watch a few TV shows and think they know everything. All of a sudden you get perps quoting CSI and Law & Order and thinking they can outsmart you.”
“How long are you going to hold him?”
“As long as I can. He had enough for a possession for trafficking charge. I don’t think this kid’s been at it long. If I can scare him enough, maybe he’ll consider a different career plan.”
“What about his parents?”
“Another Hollywood cliché. Single mom in denial, but at least she can’t afford to spring him.”
“Shouldn’t you let him go to see if he leads you to the actual drug dealers?” Lu wished she could tell him about Kaitlynn, but how would she explain her two days of silence?
“Hell, no. They’d think he was a cop plant and probably blow the kid away, and he knows it. He’s more scared of the drug gang than the cops, unfortunately.”
“Oh.” She sipped her coffee while her mind raced to find reasons for him to release Kaitlynn’s boyfriend. Lu was pretty sure that Kaitlynn wasn’t bluffing with her threat. Like mother, like daughter.
“Byron and Lu. What a surprise.” Lu jumped at the familiar voice behind her. Shit, what the hell was Reynolds doing here? And in his expensive “dress to impress” suit? There was something off about him tonight.
“Josh.” Byron’s casual smile seemed forced. “What brings you here?”
“Dinner with an old friend.” Reynolds tilted his head back to indicate the man in a dark suit seated a few tables over. He had the camera-ready look of a politician.
Lu realized what was odd about Reynolds. He seemed clumsy in his movements. Could he be drunk?
“Always schmoozing,” Byron commented dryly. “You sucking up for extra budget lines?
“No, like I said, Bob’s an old friend,” Reynolds answered. The slur in his speech confirmed her suspicions. In all the time she’d known him, she’d never seen Reynolds even slightly inebriated. “What about you Byron? Still scrounging for help with your investigation?”
“No. Actually, I’m just out for dinner with a lovely companion.”
“Right. And there’s no underlying motive here?” The hard edge in Reynolds’ voice surprised Lu.
“I believe any underlying motives are a private matter between Lu and myself,” Byron replied. He casually covered her hand with his own, the implication making her blush.
“What Dawson does on her off duty times is her own business.” The look Reynolds gave her was laced with anger before he turned his attention back to Byron. “But I’m surprised at you, Morgan, settling again for sloppy seconds.”
Byron jumped to his feet but was quickly held back by Lu’s hand on his stomach.
“As you said Reynolds,” Lu said keeping her voice low and even. “Tonight I’m off-duty. So, keep the fuck out of my private life.” Lu sat back and tugged on Byron’s hand until he sat as well. She mentally started counting backwards from a hundred while she waited for Reynolds to leave.
“Oh, so this isn’t your doing after all, Morgan,” Reynolds crowed. “She’s using you to get back at me. Hell hath no fury … What a pair.” He turned, throwing his parting shot over his shoulder as he walked away. “You two deserve each other.”
Lu closed her eyes. Eighty-four, eighty-three, eighty-two, eighty-one. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes again. She saw Byron’s look of concern and smiled wanly. “That was fun.”
“I’m sorry, Lu.” He signaled to the waiter. “We’ll go somewhere else.”
“No.” Lu snuck a look at Reynolds paying. “He’s leaving. Besides, I could really use a drink about now.”
“Sure.” He ordered more drinks and watched her silently. Lu realized she was going to have to explain Reynolds’s comments.
“It wasn’t much,” Lu admitted. “I was upset and Reynolds comforted me. We wound up kissing. Luckily we came to our senses and it never went any further.” Lu decided that sounded better than they stopped because they thought they might get caught. Jeez.
“He shouldn’t have put you in that position. If he tries to make it uncomfortable for you at work, let me know. He knows he’s in the wrong.” He nodded his thanks as the waiter deposited two glasses of brandy in front of them.
“It’ll be fine.” Lu shook her head. It was nice having someone rush to your defense. She took a sip, enjoying the warm liquid sliding down her throat.
“When did this all — ?”
“Um, after the Baker Street fire.”
“And then I came along just after …” Byron trailed off and the conversation died.
Lu sipped her brandy again, wishing she hadn’t requested the drink. Right now she just felt like going home and crawling under the covers, alone. And she had no idea what Byron wanted or was thinking. He couldn’t really believe that she was trying to make Reynolds jealous by going out with him. Could he? Unless he thought — Shut up!
“I think I’m about ready to leave,” Lu told him with a smile. She’d play the rest of the evening by ear. Maybe they could pretend this whole ugly incident never happened. She watched Byron hand the waiter his credit card and wondered if there was something she should say or do.
“Hey, are we okay?” she asked after they got outside the restaurant.
“I think so.” He pulled her into a hug. “You did say you were planning on renegotiating after dinner, but …”
“I still wanna be your girl,” Lu told him. “If the offer still stands.”
“If you’re sure.”
“Yeah.” Lu tilted her head up for a kiss. “Although I’m not prepared to share, so even if Reynolds asks you for a date …”
“I think we’re safe on that one.” He kissed her gently and then pulled her tight against his body. Lu snuggled in, enjoying the sense of being protected in his embrace. She wondered if Reynolds was somewhere in the parking lot watching them. What a creepy thought …
• • •
After a quiet drive home, Byron had walked her to her door and then told her he had an early day the next morning. So much for the additional round of ravishing. But it was probably for the best.
Her phone message machine blinked impatiently. Was there a reason they gave electronic devices blood-red message lights? Somehow they always made receiving messages seem so much more dire.
Shit. Fifteen messages. So, what was she going to do about the kid in jail? Even before tonight she was pretty sure Reynolds would throw her under a train if her presence at the fire became known. Now she was particularly vulnerable. Half a whiff of scandal, and he’d drive the train himself.
But Kaitlynn was blackmailing her. And if you gave in to a blackmailer, then they had that hold over you forever. Was there a way she could neutralize the kid? Susan obviously had no power over Kaitlynn. Susan’s husband, Ross was an unknown, but probably clueless foe.
Fuckadoodledo.
With a sigh, Lu dug out her file folder of financial papers. She could swing the bail if she took out a chunk of her 401K and threw in her vacation nest egg. So much for her trip to Mexico. But how could she bail the kid out anonymously? Somehow she didn’t think Byron would look too fondly on her freeing his one lead in the case. She’d have to get Kaitlynn to bond him and pray that Byron never made the connection back to her. Much as she regretted having Reynolds as an enemy, Byron was a much scarier adversary.
CHAPTER 11
The next morning, after more hassle than she really wanted to endure, Lu gave Kaitlynn a certified check that couldn’t be traced back to her. Then she dropped the girl off at the precinct with bus fare and explicit directions on how to get home. The cops wouldn’t notice who dropped an anonymous young girl off at the hall, but they’d sure as hell pay attention to who picked up the person who’d just bailed their only lead.
Lu’s stomach was churning as she drove home. Every day she kept sinking deeper into this horrible mess. When she entered her apartment, her eyes immediately went to the answering machine. She didn’t know whether to be relieved or worried that there were no new messages.
Part of her desperately wanted Byron to call and reassure her that he still wanted to see her. Another part was worried that he’d want to discuss the newest wrinkle in the investigation. Had she mentioned Kaitlynn by name or just as “her friend’s daughter”? Although there must be millions of teens named Kaitlynn.
To hell with it. Lu stuffed her dirty clothes into two pillow cases, grabbed her change purse, keys, and detergent and walked down the hall to the laundry room. Her nose crinkled at the slight whiff of smoke still clinging to her clothes from the last fire. She felt like a criminal destroying the evidence. Only one of the four washers was in use, and the dryers were all empty, so at least it wouldn’t take too long today.
Lu ran to the A&P for groceries while her clothes dried. Eating out for the last two nights meant that she didn’t have any leftovers for today. As she stuffed her food into the fridge, she contemplated calling Byron to invite him out to dinner. It was definitely her turn to ask him out, but maybe he still needed time to get over their run in with Reynolds.
As she tossed pros and cons, Lu decided there was no point in delaying. She could debate the wisdom all she wanted. She was going to call him. She dialed his number, waited for the electronic operator and punched in Byron’s extension. It rang four times.
“Hello, Byron Morgan here. Leave your name, number, and any message.” Beep.
Shit.
“Lu Dawson, twenty-eight, any message,” Lu replied, and hung up. Hmm, now what? Lu punched in his cell phone number and got an automated message there too.
Fuck.
She didn’t bother to leave a message. She tapped her fingers on the table and glared at the phone. It pretended not to notice.
• • •
Aggravated with herself, Lu had decided to take her days off and visit Springfield. She spent the rest of the day visiting her grandmother at the nursing home and Susan for dinner. She was glad to get back to her hotel room. They’d stayed at the bar for hours so they could space out Susan’s drinks appropriately, and Lu wasn’t used to so much non-stop chatting. Still it was good to see Susan back to her old self.
Lu turned on the TV and then flicked it off again to enjoy the silence. Lying on the bed, she tried to decide what to do as she was too wired to sleep. Too bad she hadn’t checked into a hotel with a pool. She picked up her new Roddy Doyle book and flipped to the beginning. She’d read the first two pages before realizing that she wasn’t paying attention. “Eejit,” she mumbled.
Lu grabbed her phone and hit speed dial before she chickened out.
“Hey there, Lu.” Byron sounded happy to hear from her. “I’ve been trying to reach you all day. Where are you?”
“Sorry, I’m in Springfield. I turned off my phone in Grandma’s nursing home and forgot to switch it back on again.”
“I was beginning to wonder. So what does number twenty-eight mean?”
“Huh?”
“On my machine you said Lu Dawson, twenty-eight and anything.”
“It’s my lucky number,” Lu answered. “Sorry, I never know what to say on machines.”
“I was glad to hear your voice, even if I didn’t know what the hell you were talking about.”
“Really? So how do you feel about ‘booty calls’?”
“What?” Byron chuckled. “You mean phoning in the middle of the night when you want sex?”
“Yeah, maybe. Or it could be in the daytime.” Lu could feel her face flushing.
“Hmm. Interesting question. I like sex with you — this is just with you that we’re talking about, right?”
“Yes. Definitely no sharesies.”
“But if it’s just for sex, will I feel cheap and used after? I mean I’d hate to find you thought of me as just your dick-on-a-stick … or would that be your dial-a-dick?”
&n
bsp; Lu laughed and covered her eyes. Much as she was glad he couldn’t see her embarrassment, she’d have given anything to see his face during this conversation.
“And as an investigator,” Byron continued, “I wonder if dial-a-dick could be misleading.”
“True. But I think if I called you up and said I wanted your body, you probably wouldn’t think I meant the latest homicide victim you were investigating.”
“Do you?”
“Want your homicide victim?”
“No, want my body?”
“Oh yeah.”
“That seems like a good thing. But will you still respect me afterwards?”
“You’re assuming I respect you now?” Lu asked.
“That’s a low blow, and here I thought you loved me for my brains.”
“Well maybe that too. But that body you got there — hubba, hubba.”
There was silence on the line and then he said, “I can’t believe you actually said that.”
“Hubba, hubba? Yeah, me neither. It’s your fault.”
“Sure, blame the victim.” He chuckled. “So what are you doing now?”
“Lying on my lonely hotel bed talking to you. What about you?”
“What a coincidence. I’m talking to you, too. When’re you coming home?”
“Tomorrow night. I’m on day shift Friday.”
“So is this a ‘booty call’ for tomorrow night?”
“That sounds good. You available?” Lu added quickly, “I’ll buy you dinner.”
“It’s sounding better every minute. If I hold out longer, will you buy me jewelry and flowers?”
“Maybe.”
“I wish you were here now.” His voice lowered suggestively and Lu’s body tingled in reaction to the heat in his voice. “I could really use a good dinner.”
Lu laughed. “Oh great, now you’re thinking of me as your meal ticket.”
“Yeah, but I’ll respect you in the morning. How’s your grandmother?”
“Actually she was pretty good today. For a change I didn’t make her cry.”