by Cindi Myers
“Looks like it’s password protected,” Lacy said, looking over Jan’s shoulder at the screen that asked for the password. She and Jan looked at Brenda.
“I have no idea what the password is,” she said. “We could guess, but I really don’t care what’s on there. I prefer to leave the snooping to the police.”
“But snooping can be so fun,” Jan teased. But she shut down the computer and closed the lid. “You’ll feel better—and so will I—when you have this thing out of your house. Hopefully, whoever was out to destroy those files doesn’t know yet that you have it.”
Brenda froze, the glass of tea halfway to her lips. “How could they? I didn’t even know myself until yesterday.”
“One of the movers who helped clean out Andy’s office might have remembered it,” Jan said. She finished off her tea, then set down the glass and picked up the computer. “But probably not. Come on, Lacy. Let’s take care of this. It’s early enough, maybe you and Travis can have dinner together after all.”
“How did you know about that?” Lacy asked.
“Your mother told me while you were in the bathroom,” Jan said. She grinned. “I can’t help it if I have a talent for finding out things about people. You’d be surprised how useful it can be.”
She started toward the living room and the others followed. They were almost to the door when the bell rang. Brenda hurried forward to answer it.
Travis’s uniform was streaked with soot and something dark that might have been blood. He had more soot smudged on one cheek and his nose, and he needed a shave, but Lacy had never seen a more welcome sight. She wanted to rush forward and throw her arms around him, but she held back, hovering behind Brenda as her friend ushered the sheriff inside.
He looked past the other two women and found Lacy, his eyes meeting hers. “Your mother told me I’d find you here,” he said.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” she said.
“Sorry if I worried you,” he said. “The dispatcher didn’t know the name of the officer who called in, and people jumped to conclusions. By the time I got back to the station half the town thought I was the officer who had been wounded and the other half were ready to start planning my funeral.”
“I’m sorry about the officer who was shot,” Lacy said. “Is he going to be okay?”
“He will be.”
“Do you know who shot him?” Jan asked.
“No.” Travis was still watching Lacy. “I stopped by to see if you’d still like to have dinner with me.”
“Um, sure.” She was so aware of the other two women watching. She tried hard to appear casual and indifferent.
“Good.” He looked down at the floor and for a long moment, no one said anything.
“Oh, really, go on, you two,” Jan said. “It’s at times like these that I’m reminded that the saying ‘three’s a crowd’ is so true.”
“But before you go.” Brenda reached over and tugged the computer from Jan’s grasp. “We were going to bring this to your office, but you can take it with you.”
“A laptop?” Travis examined the computer.
“It was Andy’s,” Brenda said. “I didn’t even realize I had it until I was looking for something in the basement and found it in a box of books and other stuff from his office. It’s password protected and I don’t know the password, but I thought maybe the sheriff’s department could get past that. So many things, like notes and letters and photographs, Andy kept in his files, but contracts and correspondence will probably be on there. Maybe you’ll find something to help you.”
“This is great,” Travis said. “We’ll find someone to get the information off it. Thank you, Brenda.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t think of it before,” she said.
“Are you ready to go, Lacy?” he asked.
“I’m ready.”
She followed him out the door and down the walkway, aware of the other two women watching them. “This is the oldest vehicle in our little fleet,” he said as he opened the passenger door of the Toyota. “It’s pretty rough.”
“It doesn’t matter,” she said, sliding into the seat. She watched as he tucked the computer into a large plastic bag, filled out a label on the front of the bag, then sealed it. He laid the bag with the computer in it on the rear floorboard. “We’ll put that in an evidence locker at the station.” He looked up and his eye caught hers. “Later.”
“Mom was thrilled you accepted her invitation to dinner,” Lacy said, as he turned onto Main. “I was, too, of course. I thought maybe you would be too tired or too busy or...”
He put his hand over hers and she stopped talking. “It’s okay,” he said. “You don’t have to be nervous.”
“I’m not sure why I am,” she said. She watched him through half-lowered lashes, not wanting him to look into her eyes and see the powerful desire and attraction that had her feeling a little out of control.
He laced his fingers with hers. “I told your mother I needed to take a rain check on the family dinner,” he said. “I wanted some time for the two of us to be alone.”
Lacy swallowed, her heart beating faster. “Oh.”
“Is that okay with you?”
“Yes.” She looked into his eyes. “More than okay.”
He kissed the back of her hand, then turned it over and kissed her palm, and she suddenly felt hot and a little light-headed. “Where are we going for dinner?” she asked.
“How about my place?”
“Yes.”
They held hands on the drive to the condo he rented in a development on the river. He retrieved the computer in its evidence bag from the Toyota and carried it inside, where he locked it inside a cabinet by the door. When he straightened, Lacy didn’t hesitate, but moved into his arms.
The kiss was urgent, a little rough, his unshaven chin abrading her cheek, his lips crushing the still-healing cut on her mouth. But sheer pleasure overwhelmed the discomfort, and she angled her head to deepen the contact, reveling in the heat and strength of him. She wrapped her arms around him, pressing herself fully to him, and he slid his hands down to cup her bottom and draw her tight against him, leaving no doubt how much he wanted her.
When he finally lifted his head and looked into her eyes, she was shaky, her heart pounding. “Wow,” she said.
“About dinner—” he began.
She wriggled against him. “I’m thinking maybe we should enjoy dessert first.”
She whooped as he lifted her, his hands under her thighs, wrapping her legs around his waist. He kissed her again, bracing her back against the wall in the foyer. She squirmed, delighted at the way he groaned in response—then she was the one groaning as he brought one hand up to caress the side of her breast, and began tracing a series of warm, wet kisses along the line of her jaw.
She tugged at his shirt, frustrated by the equipment that jangled and poked from the belt at his waist. Even when she succeeded in undoing the top two buttons, she was blocked from further exploration by the hard black wall of his bulletproof vest. By this time he had her T-shirt pushed up under her arms and was trailing his tongue along the lace at the top of her bra.
“This isn’t fair,” she protested. “You’re wearing too much stuff.”
He raised his head and laughed, then wrapped his hands around her waist and gently lowered her to the floor. “Am I rushing things?” he asked, looking into her eyes.
“More like going too slow.” She pulled his head down to kiss him again, then nipped his upper lip. “You’re welcome to get naked right here and take me up against the wall, but don’t you think a bed might be more comfortable?”
She whooped again as he picked her up once more, this time scooping her up behind her knees and shoulders. He carried her down a short hallway to a large bedroom. She had a passing impression of dark furniture and a king-size bed before he dropped her onto t
he mattress.
She propped herself on her elbows and watched as he stripped off his utility belt and draped it on the arm of a chair next to the bed. He kicked off his boots, then finished unbuttoning the shirt and removed it. This was the kind of male body she could admire—masculine but not too hard, handsome but not too perfect.
There was nothing particularly sexy about the black protective vest he wore under the shirt—except that he was wearing it. He peeled it off, his skin damp in places beneath it. “I should take a shower,” he said.
“Only if you take me with you,” she said. His eyes met hers and she felt the force of the look deep inside, a tugging heat that settled between her legs. He finished undressing, then pulled her up from the bed. When she was standing beside him she pulled her T-shirt off over her head. Before she could remove her bra, he had unfastened it and was tracing his tongue around one nipple, and then the next, until she was swaying, her kneecaps having apparently melted in the onslaught.
Some time after that the rest of her clothes ended up somewhere on the bedroom floor, and the two of them tumbled into the shower, where warm water rushed over them, and she discovered how sensual the feel of soapsuds between two naked bodies could be.
She slid soapy fingers over the jut of his shoulders and the swell of his biceps, tracing the ridges of his ribs and smoothing across the flat plane of his stomach. When she wrapped her hand around his erection, he let out his breath and his eyes glazed.
He curled a hand around her wrist. “Better slow down,” he said.
She smiled up at him. “I don’t know,” she said. “I kind of like having you at my mercy.”
“Is that so?” His grin held a hint of wickedness that sent another thrill through her. The grin gave way to a slack-jawed sigh as he reached down and slid a finger into her, stroking gently. “Now...now who needs to go...slow,” she stammered as he slid the finger in and out. “Remember...it’s been a while for me.”
With his free hand, he reached over and shut off the water, then kissed her again, their lips remaining locked together even as they moved out of the shower and wrapped themselves in towels.
They were still damp when they returned to the bed and tumbled onto the dark blue comforter. She scooted back onto the pillows and beckoned him to her. “I don’t want to wait any longer,” she said.
He leaned over and took a condom from the drawer of the bedside table. “Just so you don’t get the wrong impression, these have been in there awhile,” he said, holding up the foil packet. “But I think they’re still good.”
“Stop talking and put that baby on,” she said.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Watching him roll on that condom was enough to have her breathing hard again. When he finally moved over her she was more than ready for him, pulling her to him and sighing with happiness as he entered her.
She had expected a lot from this moment—physical satisfaction, a kind of completion, the thrill of being so close to him. But she hadn’t counted on his gentleness, or how much he would care for her. He moved slowly at first, his eyes locked to hers, his focus entirely on her. He shifted slightly, and she felt the movement deep inside her. “Do you like that?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“How about this?” He reached down to fondle her and her eyes lost focus. Yeesss. His hands and his hips worked a kind of magic over her, and she surrendered to it. “That’s it,” he whispered, his fingers caressing a sensitive place she hadn’t even known existed. “Don’t be afraid to let go.”
So she let go, and rode the waves of pleasure each thrust of his body sent through her. She dug her fingers into his back and responded to his every movement, opening her eyes when she felt him still and tense, watching his release reflected on his face, then pulling him to her to hold him even closer, until they rolled to the side, still joined, to gaze into each other’s eyes.
“To quote you—wow,” he said, and he slid out of her. He disposed of the condom in the trash basket next to the bed, then lay back down beside her.
She laughed, feeling impossibly light, as if she might float off the bed. “Yeah—wow.” She trailed one finger down his nose. “Now you’re making me think I missed out in high school, not flirting with you.”
“I like to think I’ve learned a few things since high school.”
“Life has a way of doing that—teaching us things whether we want to learn them or not. You taught me that people can change—or at least, they can change their minds. You changed your mind about me. And I changed my mind about you.”
He slid over to lay his head on her shoulder. “Let’s put that behind us,” he said. “I want to focus on our future, not our past.”
“Except we can’t really put the past behind us,” she said. “Not until we find Andy’s killer—or whoever it is who keeps coming after us.”
“You’re right,” he said. “We’re going to stop them.”
She eased him off her and sat up. “Why don’t we start by taking a look at that laptop?” she said.
“What good will that do?” Travis asked. “Brenda said it’s password protected.”
“Yes, but I think I know the password. It’s probably the same one Andy used for everything. That’s what most people do, isn’t it?”
The look he gave her held frank admiration. “I was right when I said you’d be the key to solving this case,” he said.
“We haven’t solved anything yet,” she reminded him.
“No, but we will. And soon. I can feel it.” He slid off the bed and took her hand. “Let’s go check that laptop.”
Chapter Fourteen
Travis couldn’t stop looking at Lacy. He liked watching her when she was like this—completely relaxed and happy, her attention focused on the computer that was open on the coffee table between them. They sat on the sofa in his living room, thighs touching. She had put on one of his dress shirts, the cuffs folded back, the tails hanging down to midthigh. He had pulled on a pair of jeans. Just as well he didn’t have the video camera here to film this, though he had made her sign off on the custody sheet, keeping to proper procedure.
“Andy’s password for most things was brenda812,” Lacy said as she typed. “They were married in August of 2012.” She hit Enter and the screen shifted to reveal the desktop menu. “Eureka!” she cried, and clicked on a folder labeled Office.
A list of file names filled the screen. Travis leaned in closer. “Do you see anything?” he asked.
She highlighted the file named “Eagle_mtn_ resort.” The first thing that came up was a report from the county road commissioner. “It’s about the roads in and around the resort,” she said, scanning the page. “That doesn’t look too pertinent.”
She started to close the file, but Travis put out a hand to stop her. “Wait a minute. Look at this.” He dragged his finger across the touch pad to highlight a paragraph that began at the bottom of the page. “This mentions Fireline Road, see?”
She squinted at the screen. “It says they’ll need to extend Fireline Road up over the ridge to provide a second access route to the resort.” She looked at Travis. “Does that mean the resort is just over the ridge from the storage facility?”
He nodded. “Which would make it easy for anyone on the ridge to keep an eye on the storage facility, too. Maybe whoever shot Eddie was on Hake’s land and saw Eddie from there.”
“That still doesn’t tell us why they would do something like that.”
“No, but I think first thing tomorrow I’ll drive to the resort property and see if it looks like anyone has been up there. Henry Hake said the group is restructuring, so I wouldn’t think there would be any work going on.”
“Don’t go by yourself,” she said.
“No. I’ll take Gage or Dwight with me. And I’ll be careful.”
She turned back to the computer. “Let’s see if there
’s anything else interesting on here.” She scrolled through the list of file names and stopped when she came to a file named jan.
“Jan as in January?” Travis asked.
“Or Jan as in Jan Selkirk?” Lacy opened the file. The first page was a list of dates. 04/06/14, 07/29/14—seventeen different dates altogether.
“Those are all from the months prior to Andy’s death,” Travis said.
Lacy scrolled to the second page of the file. This one was a photograph. She enlarged the photo on the screen. “That’s Jan Selkirk,” she said, staring at the wide-mouth brunette who was sitting on the lap of a burly blond man. “She’s changed her hair color, but that has to be her. And is that—”
“Henry Hake,” Travis said. “Keep scrolling.”
The next four pages in the file were more pictures of Jan Selkirk and Henry Hake—the last two of them kissing passionately, his hand up her skirt.
Lacy scrolled until her cursor reached the end of the file. “That’s all there is,” she said.
“Jan Selkirk is married to Barry Selkirk,” Travis said. “She has been for years.”
“So Jan and Henry Hake were having an affair?” Lacy stared at the last picture, of the former mayor and the developer locked in a steamy kiss. “This explains why Jan was acting so strangely at Brenda’s house this afternoon.”
“Strange in what way?”
“She insisted on going into Brenda’s basement to retrieve the computer herself, and when I went down to see what was taking her so long, I found her going through a box of things from Andy’s office. Then she volunteered to take the computer to the sheriff’s office herself. But then you showed up and foiled that plan.”
“She must have suspected Andy had something on here that would damage her reputation,” Travis said. “Not to mention her marriage.”
Lacy looked ill. “Do you think Andy was blackmailing her?” she asked.