by Cathie Linz
Faith entered the room to find a petite woman with short brown hair and red-rimmed eyes.
“Hello, Mrs. Haywood. My name is Faith West, and I’ll be handling your case.”
Candy broke into sobs.
Faith handed her the box of Kleenex. “I assure you, I’m good at what I do.”
“Can . . . you. . . . break . . . his kneecaps?”
“I can do better than that. If he has any money, I’ll find it.”
“He’s great a hiding things. He hid the fact that he was having an affair. I was totally clueless. I always let him handle the money. He wanted it that way. ‘Don’t worry, baby,’ he’d tell me. ‘I’ve got it all under control.’” Candy started sobbing again.
“I’m sorry.” Faith patted her on the shoulder. “Let’s see what we can do here. Do you think you can answer a few questions?”
“Maybe.”
“If your husband was going to hide money, does he have any family or close friends who would help him?”
“He has a huge family, all as selfish as he is.”
“I need you to write down their names, addresses and dates of birth if you know them. I also need you to confirm this is his social security number and his birth date.”
“Yes, it is,” Candy said before starting to write on the yellow legal pad Faith gave her.
Several minutes later, Faith asked, “What else can you tell me about your husband?”
“That he’s a cheating asshole.”
“Obviously, but I meant other information, like what are his hobbies or interests?”
“His only interest is to have an affair with a twenty-year-old Hooters girl.”
Faith checked the file. There was a huge mortgage due on the house they lived in, which was close to foreclosure. Three luxury cars, all in his name, all late on their payments. A time-share in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
“Has he taken any trips lately?” Faith asked.
“We’ve been separated for three months, so I don’t know.”
“How about before that?” Faith said. “What was the last trip you know about, and where did he go?”
“To our time-share in Cabo. For Christmas. All of us went. Our last family vacation.” Candy started crying again. “I’m. . . . sor-sorry.” She hiccupped. “Damn. Now I . . . I’ve got hiccups.”
“Can I get you something? How about a glass of cold water?”
“To pour over my head?”
Faith smiled. “Hey, you’ve got a sense of humor. Good. That’s going to help us with your case.”
“How?”
“By keeping you sane through all this insanity.”
“Humor helps?”
“It’s a powerful aid. So are we. We’re on your side, and we’re here to help you.”
“What if the bastard really is broke? What if all the money is gone?”
Okay, here’s where worst-case scenarios came into play. But Faith found it easier to apply that philosophy to her own life than to apply it to others. Especially a mom with three kids.
“Let’s not cross that bridge just yet. Let me see what I can find first. Information is power.”
“I could use some power about now,” Candy admitted.
Faith spent the next fifteen minutes giving Candy a pep talk. When Candy left, Abs stopped by Faith’s cubicle. “So you survived Candy the Crier.”
“Doesn’t it bother you? To see someone in pain and panic?”
“You can’t get emotionally involved in every case. You can’t get emotionally involved in any of them.”
“Right. Of course not. I know that. Otherwise you’d burn out pretty fast.”
Faith spent the rest of the day trying to track down any hidden assets Haywood might have stashed. All the while, she reminded herself that information was power. That applied to Faith’s interactions with Caine as well. Dumping sparkling water on him didn’t solve the problem. Proving the case against his father was sound was the only way to get Caine out of her life.
Saturday morning, Faith stared at the pages spread over her living room floor—a low-tech technique she’d developed for doing library projects. She was a visual thinker. She couldn’t just read the information on her laptop. She needed to see what she was dealing with here. The file marked Hunter, Karl had plenty in it.
She’d read every page, but now she just needed to get the big picture somehow. She had a pile for each of the four people involved in the project: Karl and two other chemists along with a lab assistant. The person of most interest to her was the young lab assistant, Weldon Gronski.
Unfortunately, it seemed that Weldon didn’t want to be found. He’d quit his job and moved several times in the past two years. He didn’t appear to have any close friends, and none of his former coworkers had any idea where to find him. But she had an idea.
Weldon was a fan of vintage science fiction movies, and a Chicago-area theater was doing a showing of the 1951 classic The Day the Earth Stood Still.
Faith had a copy of Weldon’s various photo IDs. He didn’t change his appearance in any of them. He looked like what he was: a dorky science whiz with the taped glasses frames.
Later that afternoon, Faith watched the people entering the theater, searching for Weldon. Distracted as she was, she was startled when someone grabbed her by the elbow and hauled her around the corner into a quiet alley.
“Stop following me,” Caine growled.
“You’re the one following me.”
“Get over yourself. I’m investigating my father’s case.”
“So am I, and I have as much right to be here as you do,” Faith said.
“Beat it,” he growled, showing her his war face for the first time.
Faith had to admit his expression was very intimidating, but she wasn’t about to back down now.
Seeing that, Caine changed battle techniques, yanking Faith into his arms and kissing her.
Chapter Nine
The kiss was meant to warn Faith off. Instead, it drew Caine in, making him want her even more. She was like a land mine, hitting him when he least expected it.
Faith put her hands on his shoulders as if to shove him away. Good. She needed to end this, because Caine couldn’t. Damn, she tasted fine. Why wasn’t she pushing him away?
Faith gripped his shoulders harder. Now. Now she’d end it, right?
But no. Just when he thought she’d break things off, she parted her lips wider and pulled him even closer.
He was a goner.
So was she.
Their kiss became deeper, hotter. He raked his hands through her silky hair, only coming up for air long enough to change the angle of his mouth over hers before continuing the frantically intense lip-lock.
Things were rapidly spiraling out of control here. His hand was on her breast under her blouse, his thumb caressing her nipple through her sheer bra. She felt so damn good. His erection pressed tight against her.
She reached down to cup him through the placket of his jeans, her thumb grazing the bulge there.
He really should stop this. Soon. Before he exploded. But what a way to go.
His pagan elemental brain wanted to have sex. His warrior Marine brain knew this was a bad idea but wanted to have sex anyway.
Strict self-discipline was needed right now. Caine knew he should fight this. After all, he was a highly trained pro at fighting—from hand-to-hand combat to urban warfare. So why was he having such a hard time dealing with Faith?
Hanging on to his last thread of control, Caine broke off the kiss before he took her right there in the alley.
The sight of her swollen lips made his heart and other parts of his anatomy ache. Her hair was mussed from his hands, and her eyes were hazy with the remnants of passion. But she pulled herself together quickly, smoothing her hands over her hair before putting them on her hips and glaring at him.
“What were you trying to prove here?” she demanded. “That you can seduce me?”
“You seduced me as much as I
seduced you.”
“Me? You’re the one who kissed me. Here and in Italy.”
“And you were the one who kissed me back. Then and now. You slap me, you dump water in my lap, yet you still kiss me back. Why is that?”
Great question. Too bad Faith didn’t have the answer. Because he could really use some answers about now. He sure as hell didn’t know what he was doing with her. Kissing her hadn’t scared her away at all. Instead, her sexy response shook him in a way he didn’t even want to admit.
“You ruined everything,” she said. “I had a plan, and you messed it up.”
Caine wondered if she was referring to his father’s case or to what happened in Italy.
“Does your father know you’re messing with this case?” he said. “Did he send you here to interfere?”
“No and no. He knows nothing.”
“You’ve got that right.”
She glared at him. “I meant about this case.”
“Again, you’ve got that right.”
“Specifically, I really meant he knows nothing about my interest in this case.”
“Why not?”
“Because it would upset him.”
Caine took a moment to digest that piece of intel. “Meaning he doesn’t want you messing with this case. He wouldn’t approve. He wants you to leave it alone, right? He wants you to blindly trust him when he says the case is closed. So why don’t you? What’s your motivation here? Are you just trying to irritate me? Sabotage my investigation?”
“I told you my motivation. It hasn’t changed. I’m going to prove that my father was correct in his analysis of the case.”
“What did you hope to gain by talking to Weldon? And don’t even try giving me that innocent face, Sunshine. I’m not buying that you’re a fan of old sci-fi movies,” Caine said.
“What’s your interest in Weldon?”
“I asked you first.”
“He’s a person of interest. And now I’ve probably missed seeing him because of your antics.”
“Right. So you should just trot on home.”
She stared at him in amazement. “Trot? What am I, some kind of horse?”
“You should march on home.”
“I’m not a Marine. I don’t march.”
“You marched out of that sushi restaurant the other night.”
“I was trying to get away from you.”
“Easy to do. Just stay out of my business.”
“It’s not just your business anymore. It’s mine now too.”
“You father isn’t dead.”
“No,” she said quietly. “And I’m sorry for your loss. I don’t know if I said that before—”
He cut her off. “It doesn’t matter. It’s too late for an apology.”
“Okay. I get that. You don’t believe your father is guilty. So who do you think sold the corporate formula to a rival?”
“That’s what I’m trying to find out.”
“Me too.”
“No, you’re trying to reassure yourself that your rich daddy can do no wrong.”
“That’s not true.”
“Isn’t it?’
“No, dammit.”
“Ohhhh, the librarian swears.”
“And I know how to shoot,” she reminded him.
“Yeah, but you haven’t gone to target practice in months. I checked. There are only a handful of firing ranges in the entire area. I’ll bet you’ve gotten rusty. Besides, you know the rules regarding concealed weapons in this state. You’re not the kind to break the rules.”
“I broke them with you. Big mistake.”
“That’s not what your kiss just said.”
“Another even bigger mistake,” she said. “One that won’t be repeated.”
“Not if you leave now.”
“I’m not leaving. There’s a chance I can catch Weldon when the movie lets out.”
“I have no intention of allowing you to intimidate Weldon into saying whatever you want him to say.”
“Me? You’re the one into intimidation.”
“You do all right.”
“So what are you suggesting?” she said. “That we both work on the case?” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.
“Are you crazy?”
Perhaps. Perhaps she was crazy like a fox. Or so Faith tried to tell herself. She had to be logical here. “If we work together, then we can keep tabs on each other. Make sure that things are aboveboard and that you’re not planting false evidence or something.”
“That sounds more like something you’d do. I don’t need false evidence,” he said. “The truth works for me.”
“So you do think we should work together.”
“I never said that.”
“Then what is your suggestion?”
“That you go home and keep your nose out of my business,” Caine said.
“That’s not going to happen. I’m here to stay,” she said. “Get used to it.”
“What about your job?”
“What about yours?” she countered.
“I don’t trust you,” he said.
“I don’t trust you either, so we’re even on that one. What are your other objections?”
“Too many to list them all.”
“Let’s try to reach a middle ground here. I’m willing to listen to your suggestions. How do you suggest we work together?”
“The same way porcupines have sex. Carefully.”
“It always come back to sex with you, doesn’t it,” she said indignantly.
“I don’t know. Does it?”
“Never mind. Let’s just keep our minds focused on the facts here,” she said.
“How can we, when we don’t agree on the facts? You think my father is guilty. I know he’s innocent.”
“We both agree with the fact that Weldon was your father’s lab assistant and that therefore he’s a person of interest. Don’t you think it’s strange that he’s moved so many times in such a short period? And had several employers? Why do you think that is? Do you think he has something to hide? Or is he afraid of something and wants to keep on the move?”
“If he was really afraid, he’d have skipped town. He hasn’t as far as we know.”
“Good point. Which leaves us with him having something to hide.”
“Hold on, Sunshine. Maybe the guy just doesn’t like putting down roots.”
“Why has he disappeared now? What has him spooked? He hasn’t been back to his apartment for several days now.”
“Maybe he’s on vacation.”
“His coworkers don’t think so. They said he was on a family leave of absence but hadn’t traveled out of town.”
“He doesn’t have any family.”
“I know. So what’s the plan? To wait for the movie to let out and see if he’s there in the crowd?”
“The crowd?” he said. “It’s not like people were lined up around the block to get in to see this flick.”
“Why don’t you go home, and I’ll stay and watch for him.”
“Yeah right, like that’s going to happen,” he said.
“Then you’re agreed that we both stay.”
“I’m not agreeing to anything.”
“We’ve got over an hour before the movie is over. Why don’t you tell me what you’ve come up with so far in the case?”
“Yeah right,” he repeated. “Not going to happen. I’m not getting into a game of you-show-me-yours-I’ll-show-you-mine with you.”
“Because you’re afraid that I know more than you do.”
He just laughed.
She glared.
“Hey,” Caine said, “if you don’t want me laughing at you, then don’t say such funny things.”
“I wasn’t trying to be funny. I was being analytical.”
“Is that why you were fondling the placket of my jeans when I kissed you? Were you trying to analyze me? What were your findings?”
“That you’re not as big as you think yo
u are,” she shot back.
“No? I think your findings are faulty.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her again.
This time she did push him away, only to haul him back and kiss him on her own terms.
Then she stepped away and gave him a cool stare.
“No,” she said. “My findings were accurate.”
He gave her a wry look. “You know, Sunshine, sometimes you surprise me.”
“Get used to it,” Faith told him. She couldn’t get used to the way she practically burst into flames whenever Caine touched her. She’d never felt this way before. What was wrong with her? Why couldn’t she keep her cool?
At least she’d sounded like she was totally together when she’d shot that comment at him. She needed to prove that she could be focused on the case and not distracted by his seduction techniques.
“So we’re agreed that we will work together, right?” she said curtly.
“Wrong,” he said. “Go home and let me get back to work.”
“Not going to happen. So let’s go across the street to that Starbucks and get a table near the window to wait for Weldon.”
She took his arm and tugged him toward the coffee shop entrance. Maybe touching him more often would make the physical contact seem more matter-of-fact and less the cause of an intense I-want-you-now volcanic need.
Faith ordered a tall soy sugar-free cinnamon dolce latte no whip no foam no sprinkles. He ordered black coffee and a brownie. They snagged the empty table in front of the window.
“So how are we going to do this?” she asked,
“Do what?”
“Work together on this case.”
“We’re not.”
“It would be more efficient.”
“Says you.”
“Look, it’s not my idea of fun either.”
“It’s not supposed to be fun,” he growled.
“I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “That was a bad choice of words.”
“Yeah, it was.”