Physical Evidence

by Debra Webb

  “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “I’m hanging out with my friend Stella,” she retorted. “How about you?”

  He glowered at her. “Are you checking up on me?”

  She took another sip of her now flat beer, licked her lips and then smiled. “Don’t be ridiculous, Roy. Why would I want to check up on you? It’s your stepfather that interests me.”

  “Where the hell is Mitch?” he demanded, growing antsy. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, obviously trying to decide what to do.

  “He’s probably looking for me.”

  “I’m calling Mitch right now,” he threatened. His dark eyes glittered with uncertainty and maybe a little hint of something else.

  “What’s your hurry? Sit down, have a beer,” Alex offered. She leaned forward, close enough to smell his cologne. She suppressed the urge to gag. “Tell me why I shouldn’t believe your stepfather is involved in Marija’s death.”

  Fury whipped across his lean face. His reply involved an explicit four-letter word and an implication to her.

  “Come on, Roy,” she urged, ignoring his building agitation. “You have to know more than you’re telling. I sure would hate to have to get a court order for that DNA comparison testing.”

  Uncertainty crept back into his gaze. “My stepfather didn’t touch that little whore.”

  Alex motioned for the bartender to bring them another cold one. She patted the stool next to her. “Sit, tell me why you didn’t like Marija.”

  He looked startled at her suggestion. Alex held her breath, unsure if she’d pushed him too far. To her relief he straddled the stool next to her.

  The bartender plopped two sweating bottles on the counter in front of them. The DJ had taken a break and the jukebox was playing, at a considerably lower volume than the DJ’s raucous selections.

  “Why did you call Marija a whore?” she asked, keeping her attention on the droplets of condensation sliding down the long-necked bottle. It took every ounce of courage and determination she possessed to keep up the front.

  Roy drained half his beer, then wiped his mouth. “Because she was doing the horizontal mambo with Miller in exchange for drugs.”

  Alex pretended to be surprised. “Really? Do you think that’s why Miller had drugs in his car the night he was killed?”

  Roy shrugged. “How would I know?”

  “Come on, Roy, help me out here. Was Miller getting the drugs for her from his connections on the street?”

  “Maybe.” He took another long pull from his bottle.

  “Phillip and Nadine never suspected her drug problem?”

  Roy glowered at her. “Leave my family out of this. They had nothing to do with what she was into.”

  “All right.” Alex adopted a properly contrite expression. “I just have to be sure. You understand, don’t you?”

  His elbows propped on the bar, Roy rolled the long neck of the nearly empty bottle between his palms. “I know you’re just doing your job. Mitch explained all that to me and my folks.” Roy looked at her, long and hard. “But I don’t have to like it.”

  “I’m sorry that my investigation is causing any upset for you and your family, but they were the closest people to Marija. Surely they suspected her drug use.”

  “She kept to herself. Nobody suspected anything. I only knew because of Miller.”

  He downed the rest of the beer. Alex gestured to the bartender for another.

  “Ask Mitch,” Roy said suddenly. “He knows she and Miller were doing the deed. I’m surprised he hasn’t already told you to take the heat off Phillip.” Roy’s gaze connected with hers. “Truth is, that’s the only reason I’m telling you now. I want you to leave my family alone. I don’t know who killed Miller, but if you’re looking for Marija’s killer, he’s already gotten his. I’d bet money that Miller’s the one who knocked her up.”

  “I appreciate your candor, Roy. That will be easy enough to verify.”

  Surprise flitted through his gaze again.

  Another bull’s eye. Alex took a tiny sip of her beer to dampen her dry throat. The Miller scenario was all just a little too pat. His story too closely resembled the one she’d heard from the three young ladies just a little while ago. But then again, maybe she just wasn’t ready to let Phillip Malloy off the hook so easily.

  “I almost quit my job today,” Roy told her, no doubt vying for sympathy. “Working in law enforcement is my life, but I was ready to give it up if the law was going to allow decent folks to be harassed.”

  Alex frowned as if she cared. “I hope you’ve changed your mind.”

  He nodded, staring at the label on his beer bottle. “Mitch talked me out of it.”

  “I’m glad.” She offered him the best smile she could manage. “I know how unhappy I’d be if I couldn’t do what I love.”

  Roy grinned. “It’s hard to believe you’re a P.I.” He gave her body a cool once-over. “I mean, you should be a model or something.”

  “Why, thank you, Roy.” She traced the mouth of her bottle with her fingertip. “I thought about that once.”

  Roy drained his second beer. “I can see your pretty face on the cover of magazines right now.” He trailed a finger down her bare arm. She couldn’t prevent a tiny shudder. “How about a dance, Alex?”

  She definitely did not want to dance with this guy. But she had him talking. She didn’t want to lose his trust now. She smiled widely, as if she’d waited all night for this one request. The DJ rattled off something no one could understand then cranked a slow tune up so loud that Alex couldn’t hear herself think.

  She nodded in response to Roy’s invitation and he led her onto the dance floor, not stopping until they were deep within the throng of dancers.

  His arms went around her waist and he pulled her firmly against his lean body. Left with no choice, she draped her arms around his neck.

  “You smell nice,” he murmured in her ear.

  Alex closed her eyes and ignored the roiling of her stomach. She didn’t like being this close to him. As if reading her mind, he pulled her even closer.

  “Thank you,” she managed. Her attempts to put some space between them failed.

  His right hand slid down over her hip and she tensed.

  “Just relax, pretty lady, I’m gonna take real good care of you.”

  The recall of a firm hand over her mouth and nose slammed into her brain like a bullet. Alex gasped.

  “Hmm,” Roy murmured. “I like that, too.” Both hands were on her buttocks now.

  She struggled to control her body’s reaction to the snatches of memory now bombarding her senses. She tried to breathe more slowly, more deeply, but it didn’t work. Is she breathing? I got it! Roy’s voice. That had been Roy’s voice. The memory of his mouth closing over hers exploded inside her head next. Strong fingers closing around her throat, pulling her close. Die, bitch, reverberated in her ears. She couldn’t place that whispered voice.

  Alex struggled against Roy’s hold. Déjà vu swamped her yet again, making her feel as if she’d been in this position before. “Roy, I—”

  “Just relax.” He tightened his arms around her. “You’re safe with me.

  Alex trembled in spite of her best efforts.

  He chuckled softly in her ear. “You don’t have to be afraid of me, Alex. I’m a deputy. I’m sworn to uphold the law.”

  She sucked in a deep breath and tried desperately to regain her composure. The memories had disoriented her. She wanted to be anywhere but here at the moment.

  “Still don’t have your memory back, huh?” he asked, his breath fanning her cheek.

  She shook her head, certain her voice would be too unsteady if she tried to respond verbally.

  “You should try that hypnosis Peg recommended. It works all the time in the movies.”

  Hypnosis? “What hypnosis?” she croaked.

  “Peg said some doctor hypnotized her husband and he quit smoking.” Roy nuzzled her neck. “She thinks he cou
ld help you get your memory back.”

  “I’ll have to talk to Peg about that,” she said for lack of anything else to say. She shuddered again at the feel of his lips on her shoulder. She tried to push him away.

  “We should go somewhere more private,” he suggested. “It’s too loud here.” He kissed her ear. “I could show you a hell of a good time, pretty lady.”

  She had to get away from him. She felt sick to her stomach. Her head was spinning.

  He pressed her hips against his, showing the evidence of his desire for her. “Come on, Alex, it’ll be fun,” he murmured.

  The music stopped. “I have to go to the ladies’ room.” She struggled out of his hold and plowed through the crowd of dancers without looking back.

  Her heart hammered so hard she was sure it might jump out of her chest. She clamped her hand over her mouth when the urge to heave threatened to overwhelm her. She needed water. She needed air. Her head was spinning. She staggered toward the sign that read Rest rooms. She’d made a mistake coming here. Maybe Stella would take her back to Mitch’s place.

  Another wave of memories slammed into her. A gloved hand closed over hers and forced her to pull the trigger on her weapon. Alex jerked to a stop halfway across the crowded club. The faces, the sounds faded. The blast of the weapon sounded in her ears, she felt the recoil reverberate through her body. Miller was dead, slumped in the car seat behind the steering wheel. Fire blazed from the weapon trained on her face. The sound of a horn blowing, of loud rap music thumping and then nothing.

  Time and place slowly came back into focus. The dance tune jumping from the DJ’s massive speakers. The limber bodies gyrating to the sound. Scantily clad waitresses weaving between tables, delivering drinks. The strobe of colored lights flashing around the room and across the ceiling.

  “Oh, God.” Alex fought a surge of nausea and stumbled the remaining steps to the hallway where the rest rooms were. Staying vertical proved extremely difficult. She needed desperately to throw up, and even more critically to allow the darkness threatening her consciousness to come, bringing blessed relief.

  Her vision dimmed with the next bout of dizziness. She groped the wall to find her way. The bitter taste of bile rose in her throat.

  She groaned, whether out loud or mentally, she couldn’t say. She had to get to that bathroom and splash some water on her face.

  Strong fingers clamped like a vise on her arm and swung her around. Her body tried to crumple but she fought the urge. It took her a moment to determine whether it was real or just another vivid memory. She struggled against the hold that was all too real.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

  It was Mitch. Thank God. She tried to focus on his face, but her eyes wouldn’t quite do the job.

  He shook her. “Answer me, dammit.”

  She sucked in a breath. “I…I think I need some air.”

  She wilted. Mitch scooped her up into his arms and strode toward the rear entrance.

  Chapter Ten

  “Better now?” Mitch regarded the woman leaning against his Jeep with a mixture of fury and worry. She’d looked ready to pass out when he found her.

  Alex nodded and drew in a long, deep breath. “I just needed some air.”

  Mitch wanted to rail at her, but at the same time he needed to make sure she was okay. “You’re sure you don’t need to see a doctor?” The memory of the seizure she’d suffered that day at the clearing was still painfully vivid in his mind. She hadn’t been gone long enough to get the kind of alcohol buzz that would make her this shaky.

  She shoved a handful of hair behind her ear and slowly lifted her gaze to his. “I suppose you’re upset that I took off on you like that.”

  “Upset is something you feel when your favorite football team loses a game they should have won. This is not upset.” He gritted his teeth to hold back the proof of his words.

  She straightened away from the vehicle and smoothed a hand over her form-fitting dress. “I had to talk to some of Marija’s friends and find out what they knew about who she’d been seeing at the time of her disappearance. Just because she’s dead doesn’t mean this is over for me.”

  Unable to stop himself, he allowed his gaze to travel the length of her, from all that dark hair, over that slender body, down those long legs, and to her high-heeled shoes. Moonlight washed over her, enhancing her beauty with a silvery glow. He retraced his path, going a little slower this time. The dress fit like a glove, hugging her slender curves in a way that made his mouth parch. The outline of her unrestrained breasts only made bad matters worse. And the silky black material served as a gut-wrenching contrast to her creamy skin.

  Mitch jerked his attention back to the problem at hand. “Do you know how crazy it is for you to sneak out like this? We still can’t be certain that someone isn’t watching for the opportunity to take you out.”

  “I had to,” she argued. “You would never have allowed me to come. And I sure wasn’t going to get anyone talking with you hanging around.” She tapped the star he wore. “That little accessory has that effect on people you know. They fear reprisal so they keep their mouths shut.”

  Mitch shook his head. “I think that knock on the head affected your ability to think straight.”

  Alex opened her mouth, no doubt to refute his assessment, when a car skidded to a stop a few feet away.

  Mitch went on instant alert. He didn’t recognize the blue sedan. The driver’s side window powered down.

  “Hey, girl, I see that good-looking sheriff found you.”

  Stella from the diner. Mitch relaxed.

  “He found me all right,” Alex grumbled.

  “I was looking for you inside. I thought maybe you might want to go over to the Hideout with me.”

  Mitch shot Alex a glower. No way was she going to that sleazy place.

  “I guess not, but thanks anyway.”

  Stella winked. “Don’t sweat it, girlfriend. I got Lorraine here to go with me.” She hooked a thumb in the direction of her passenger. “See ya around!”

  Stella spun out of the parking lot in a spray of gravel. Mitch hoped like hell she hadn’t been drinking. Maybe on the way home he’d drive by the Hideout and make sure her car was safely in the lot.

  Alex watched Stella go and wished she was going with her. She stole a glance at Mitch and cringed inwardly. Though he was doing an exemplary job holding back his fury, she could see that he was seriously angry. She supposed that her bout with the flashbacks was all that had saved her from the full measure of his wrath. Right now she just wanted it over. Two clashes with him in one day were more than enough. Why drag it out?

  “What are you going to do? Lock me up now?”

  Mitch turned that fiery gaze back on her. “That’s exactly what I ought to do.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest and glared right back at him in defiance. “Fine. If that’s your intent, why don’t we get it over with rather than beating around the bush? I don’t suppose you’re going to take in to consideration that I didn’t come alone and I was careful.”

  He surveyed the dark parking lot, then glared at her. “Get in.”

  Apparently he wasn’t going to give her any consideration whatsoever. She lifted her chin another notch. “I don’t think so. Whatever you have to say, you can say it now, then I’ll decide if I’m getting in or not.”

  “I said get in,” he repeated, a dangerous quality in his tone.

  Her courage wavered, but she held her ground. “No.”

  He flung his arms skyward and swore hotly, then he pinned her with a gaze that was nothing short of scorching. “First you claim someone is trying to kill you, then you flit around here like you don’t have a care in the world. Don’t you know the risk you took coming here or did you forget?”

  Alex met that fierce gaze head-on. “I had a lead to follow up on.”

  “What kind of lead?” he demanded.

  No way was she telling him that she came here to fin
d Roy. Instead, she turned the tables on him. “Why didn’t you tell me there was something going on between Marija and Deputy Miller?”

  He looked taken aback. “Where’d you come up with an idea like that? As far as I know Miller never met the girl.”

  She wanted to tell him that Roy said differently, but that would never do. If Roy got wind that she’d told Mitch what he said, he might not tell her anything else. And she definitely had more questions for him.

  “Some of the girls inside told me,” she said, which was true.

  Mitch shook his head. “If there was anything going on between the two, Miller never mentioned it.”

  “Why would he?” Alex scoffed. “Especially if he’d gotten her pregnant and then killed her.”

  Renewed fury tightened Mitch’s features. “Miller didn’t kill anybody.”

  “If you’re so sure about that, then you won’t have a problem comparing DNA when the autopsy comes back verifying Marija’s pregnancy.” Alex held her breath as she waited for his reply.

  Just when she’d decided he wasn’t even going to bother answering her, he said, “That sounds reasonable. I’ll tell Talkington to arrange it as soon as possible.”

  Alex was the one taken aback this time. He’d said yes. God, it was almost too easy.

  “But first,” he qualified, “you have to tell me why you really came here.”

  Uh-oh. He hadn’t bought her excuse. Though it had been partially true.

  “I told you why I came,” she evaded.

  He shook his head. “Try again.”

  Alex backed against the Jeep, away from that penetrating gaze. “I guess I’m ready to go now.”

  He moved in on her, trapping her between the vehicle and his powerful body. “Why did you hitch a ride with Stella and come here tonight?”

  Alex moistened her lips and tried to come up with an acceptable excuse, but there was none.

  He propped one arm on top of the vehicle and leaned even nearer. His freshly showered scent folded around her, made her ache for his touch. All that golden hair fell forward, momentarily capturing her complete attention.

  “There had to be a reason or you wouldn’t have taken the risk,” he insisted.