by Robyn Grady
Only, no more pussy-footing around. If she wanted to be serious about being an actress, she needed to immerse herself in that world. Go to every audition around. Totally back herself from here on in.
Which meant just one thing.
Maybe Emma had some realty connections in L.A.
If Billy Up-And-Coming-Starlet Slade was moving to Hollywood, she’d need a place to stay.
Chapter 10
Jax hated that part of himself. The devil who occasionally sat on his shoulder and whispered in his ear.
It was flat out selfish on his part, but if Billy had blown that director away with her obvious talent, she would be winging her way over to the west coast within the week. L.A. was a long way from Point St. Claire, and in more ways than one.
The burglary that had knocked Billy down ten years ago was chicken feed compared to big city crime. Unfortunately, every type of law-breaking was too much a part of daily life there. A life that Jax wanted no part of. But Billy was an adult. She should absolutely lead her own life.
In the meantime...they had a mystery to solve.
When the weekend rocked around, Jax jumped on his motorcycle and cruised up the coast to see his girl slash client. Billy kissed him at the door, a soul-lifting thanks for being there after I crashed caress. Then she saw his wheels and burst out laughing.
“Well, of course you ride a motorcycle.”
“I brought a spare helmet.”
Her eyes widened. “I’ve never been on the back of a bike.”
“And I thought you’d done everything.”
Almost everything...
He took another kiss. Then another. When her palms slid up the front of his tee shirt and fingers knotted in the interlock, Jax forgot about bikes. He might’ve forgotten his own name.
As her lips reluctantly left his, she sighed. “I thought we were going for a ride.”
“Mmm...” Eyes closed, Jax angled his head to claim another kiss. “Okay.”
When she backed up, he moved to bring her close again. But she was already skipping off inside, heading for her bedroom. Which was sign he ought to follow.
Right?
Jax was about to go see what was what when she reappeared. Grinning, he drove a hand through his hair. Talk about ‘dressed to kill’.
“Billy, black leather jacket and pants?”
She bit her lip. “Too much?”
“Where you’re concerned―” he grabbed her hand and dragged her into his arms “―it’s never too much.
Thirty minutes later, Jax pulled the motorcycle off to the side of the road. Together, he and Billy crossed to a lookout perched on the edge of a cliff. Then he took her hand as they drank in an amazing view of beautiful slow-breathing blue sea.
After inhaling a lungful of fresh briny air, Billy glanced across. Hawkish nose. Jutting jaw. An ocean breeze was combing through his glossy dark hair and a faint smile tugged at his lips.
The way he held himself, the confidence surrounding him...
If a girl wasn’t careful, she could fall really hard.
His brow pinched like he realized he was being watched. When he glanced across, his white smile grew, lighting up Billy’s heart like a flare.
“We’re not far away now,” he told her, looping an arm around her waist.
“I didn’t know we were going anywhere special.” Billy was happy just to leave the world and its hang-ups behind. To be with, and hold onto, gorgeous Jax Angel for a while.
“Fay’s place is a five minute ride from here.”
Billy’s stomach dropped. Guess Jax saw the hesitation on her face. He pulled her close and nuzzled her crown.
“Don’t you want to catch up with an old friend?” he asked. “I phoned ahead. Fay’s looking forward to seeing you.”
And Billy was looking forward to seeing Fay again, too. It was just... She’d thought so much about this lately. She loved being with Jax. It just sucked that the two things she wanted most in this life were mutually exclusive.
Hunting down that thief and being with Jax.
Pursuing her acting career and moving to L.A.
She snuggled into Jax’s side, breathed in his masculine scent. “This’ll sound weird but I’m not in that big of a hurry to solve our case anymore.”
He pulled away, looked at her hard. “Are you firing me?”
“No.” She grabbed his collar and dragged him down to murmur against his lips. “I wanna keep you around as long as possible.”
His voice lowered. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Billy’s heart squeezed. She’d made up her mind and she couldn’t change it. Not if she wanted to get real about who she was, what she hoped to be. As soon as they’d finished their investigation, interviewing the last of the ‘suspects’, she was moving on.
She’d die if she had to sit in a room balancing books the rest of her life.
Then an idea popped into her head.
She coiled her arms around his neck and grinned into his eyes. “I was wrong. You’re way better than Ryan Gosling. Better than Chris Hemsworth.”
“Right. I’m totally the next silver screen heartthrob.”
“I’m serious.”
When she pressed in against him, his palms rode up under the back of her leather jacket and he grazed his lips over hers. “You taste amazing, know that?”
She persisted. “I bet the camera would love you, too. Your face, your smile, your shoulders.” She squeezed what she could of each upper arm. “Hollywood would love you.”
“Except I’m not a big fan of Hollywood. Too much crime for me.”
“Crime is your thing. Cracking cases. Seeing justice done.”
His thumbs rubbed her back as he emphasised each word. “You. Are. My. Last.”
She rubbed his nose with hers. “I don’t have to be.”
“Yeah. You really do. But I’m grateful your ruby ring with gold wings led you to me.” His mouth brushed her cheek, brushed her lips. “Now, let’s give the cars passing something to talk about.”
As his mouth claimed hers, Billy eased up onto her tiptoes and clung on.
She was super glad she’d kept looking, too.
And, yeah, she was definitely interested to hear what Fay had to say.
When they arrived at Fay Beckett’s home in a quiet town much like Point St. Claire, Billy couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but something was off.
Something felt wrong.
“When Jax called,” Fay said to Billy as she ushered her guests through, “I was like, why didn’t I keep in touch? So crazy. You know?”
“It’s a two way street,” Billy smiled. “Time just gets away.”
Fay had always been a nervous type. If she stood up front of the class and spoke, she’d turn beet red every time. Now, as an adult, Fay was pale rather than flushed. But her smile was still shaky and her words were rushed. Same old Nervous Nelly.
Or was there another reason Fay was anxious today?
Fay’s house was small and neat with pretty pink swags on the windows and brushed mauve furniture. When they moved out back, a double-story castle cubby-house complete with slide took pride of place beneath a huge elm.
Fay called out and a young girl in a flouncy lilac dress appeared at the ‘castle’ entrance.
“Alice, sweetie,” Fay said, “say hello to mommy’s friends.”
As Alice performed a regal bow, the ‘jewels’ hanging from her neck and wrists tinkled and shone. Billy couldn’t help it. She had never suspected her friend as far as the disappearance of her ruby ring was concerned, but now she sneaked a glance at Fay’s hands.
Only a sparkling engagement ring and wedding band.
Fay offered a plate of food. “Fairy bread, anyone?”
Billy took a triangle and nibbled a corner while Alice hurried up to do the same.
Jax held up his hands. “I’m good.”
“It was a long time ago,” Billy said, “but do you remember when my house was broken into. It was ninth grade?”
“I remember you saying police had come around. Something went missing, right?”
“Jewelry. A special ring. I told you about it.”
Fay chewed her fairy bread thoughtfully then shrugged. “I’m a blank.”
After Alice took a fat strawberry from another plate and disappeared back into her castle, Jax went through his usual spiel. Had Fay noticed anything unusual around that time? Were any of their friends, or enemies, acting strangely? Was there any information Fay thought might help?
“I really wish I could help. That ring sounds like something out of a dream.” Fay studied her left hand. “Noah had my engagement and wedding rings specially made, you know.”
“Your husband,” Jax noted and Fay nodded then went on.
“Ceylon sapphires. He knows they’re my favorite. I’ll pass them onto Alice when... Well, when she’s old enough.”
Billy was curious to know. “And if you have another daughter or two?”
Fay’s eyes misted over and her smile trembled before she tacked it back up, a slash of pale purple between the cut angles of her cheekbones. “Noah and I decided to marry because Alice was on the way. Best decision ever. Alice was the best baby. She’s a wonderful little girl. So patient and happy.” She clasped her hands together and looked up at the sky. “I’m so, so blessed. I wish Noah was here to see how alike they still are.”
Billy stopped. She almost didn’t want to ask. “Fay, has Noah gone somewhere?”
Had he left like Billy’s father had done when she’d been around Alice’s age?
“A year ago,” Fay began, “I saw the report on the news. That’s how I found out about the crash. That he was gone....”
Before Billy could digest the news, tell her how sorry she was, Fay hunched over and started to cry.
*
“Why didn’t you tell me Fay’s husband had died?”
Thirty minutes after leaving her friend’s place, Billy obviously still felt blindsided by Fay Beckett’s heart-wrenching outburst. It had smacked Jax in the chest as well. They hadn’t left until well after Fay had pulled it together. While Billy had consoled her friend, Jax had played around with Alice outside of her make-believe ‘castle’.
Poor little kid.
A moment ago, when he’d pulled the motorcycle up by this field, Billy had started to vent. She was upset that Jax hadn’t forewarned her about her friend’s recent tragedy. But he’d bet that Billy was more upset at herself. That she hadn’t kept in touch. Hadn’t been there when her friend had needed her most.
“I tracked Fay’s details down,” he explained, following Billy into a swaying sea of wild flowers. “I saw she was married with a child...”
He didn’t know how he’d missed that her partner had died in a wreck, particularly given Fay Beckett’s situation was a segment of his life in reverse.
Took time to get over that kind of loss.
Hell, a person never fully recovered.
“We were so close through school. Then I got caught up in my own life.”
“It happens.”
“Fay would give up her wedding rings in a heartbeat if she could have her husband back.” Billy’s expression twisted. “Do you know how that makes me feel?”
He wanted to give her a big hug, let her cry on his shoulder if she wanted. She needed to stomp around some more first.
“In the past weeks,” Billy said, lifting her face to the breeze, “I’ve found out a good friend is dead, Fay is holding it together by a thread, my aunt wanted to sue my mother, and my sister is living with a crook.”
“We don’t know for sure that Rick is behind the theft.”
“We’re kind of running out of suspects, Jax. And if Rick is the one, it’s not as if I can do anything about it. I won’t confront them, ruin my sister’s marriage. I can’t do that.”
Jax was patting down the air. “Okay, okay. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. It’s your ballgame. But you can’t undo what’s done, either. No matter how unfair. No matter how much it hurts.”
Billy withered down and after a moment plucked a dandelion then another. She slotted a hole in one stem with a fingernail and threaded the other stem through. Jax crouched down and plucked some flowers, too. They worked there in silence until she finally met his gaze and blew out a weary breath.
“When this is over, I’m moving to L.A. I feel as if I’m stuck in between. I need to quit playing around and get serious if I really want to break into the business.”
Jax felt his world tilt and then slide into a ditch.
Billy was leaving?
Of course, Hollywood was the center of the universe where an actress was concerned. Los Angeles made perfect sense for her, just as much as it made no sense at all for him.
Billy brought her dandelions close, drew in a breath. “Emma has a friend over there. He needs a roommate.”
Jax antennae tingled. “A man?”
“An actor. Or wannabe actor, like me. I’ll miss Lacie and Thain,” she went on. “Emma and Helene and everyone at the Point.” She looked across. “I’ll miss you, too, Jax. I’ll miss you most of all.”
As tears filled her eyes, she got to feet and started walking back to the bike, the wild flower chain wafting behind her. Jax sat there for a time, letting this latest news sink in. He and Billy shared something special. Something he’d never felt before, not even with the mother of his unborn child. The person he’d betrayed and who’d paid with her life.
Jax got to his feet and took another moment to get it together. When his heart was beating somewhere close to normal, he took a deep breath and started after Billy, who’d almost reached the road.
That’s when she turned around to face him.
The same second that a shot rang out.
A gunshot.
Chapter 11
Billy and Jax landed on the dirt, on their sides, with a bruising thud. Jax kept her flat to the ground, sardines-in-a-can close beside him, even when she tried to shove herself away.
Had he lost his freaking mind?
“Jax, what the hell are you doing?”
His arm was a steel beam keeping her pinned. Jaw tight, he was focused on the road like he expected some random apocalyptic event to come storming in any second.
“Gunfire.” He grunted. “You hurt?”
What the―? “I didn’t hear gunfire.”
“You fell. Sure you’re not hit.”
Billy froze. She wasn’t going crazy.
You knocked me down.
A noise came from the road. Jax braced himself, pinned her harder. And then it dawned. Billy understood. She would have laughed if Jax didn’t look so...
Well, so ready to kill.
She spoke softly. Reassuringly.
“Jax, that’s a car backfiring.”
The intensity in his face, in his eyes, only sharpened more. Then the noise came again and again, each time further away as an old Chevy chugged its way up the incline.
Jax stiffened before he clamped his eyes shut, hunched into the ground and physically shuddered. Then he swore under his breath and brought her so close against him, she almost winced at the force.
His breath hitched as he murmured against her hair, over and over. “Sorry...I’m sorry...so sorry...”
Billy held on, stroking his cheek, telling him it was okay. No one was hurt.
Not this time.
*
Sitting at the M Lodge cafe, finishing his fifth coffee for the day, Jax was mulling over yesterday’s events, cringing over his meltdown with Billy in that field, when he heard his name called and swung around.
Wearing a crisp button-down shirt and silk bowtie, Judge Garfield was beaming, rocking back on his heels, looking like he wanted to slap Jax on the back.
“You’re a wily one,” Garfield said, joining him and taking a seat. “I never thought I’d live to see the day. My wife certainly approves.”
The penny dropped. Garfield was talking about the anniversary party invitatio
n welcoming patrons’ partners.
“That was my P.R. manager’s idea,” Jax admitted.
“Margo’s been around a while. The former owner respected her. Clearly, so do you.” Garfield pulled out some mints, shook a few into his palm. “Eugenie went out this morning to find a new dress. She has a wardrobe full,” he smiled fondly, “but you know women.”
Jax had to bite his inside cheek, the impulse was suddenly so strong. Garfield had mentioned his wife–that was his in to ask about Billy’s ruby ring. But Jax only needed to imagine Garfield’s reaction. The ex judge might seem friendly enough now, but Garfield was an extremely private man. He would not take kindly to queries regarding his wife and her possessions. Particularly when the query related to a crime.
Garfield’s eyebrows knitted. “Have you seen anymore of her?” When Jax blinked, questioning, the older man explained. “The lass who tore around here in a waiter’s suit a few weeks back. She was after me, wasn’t she? My man spotted her hanging around the gates of my address more than once.”
Jax’s jaw dropped. All this time and Garfield knew?
He cleared his throat. “The situation that day...it was quickly contained. A minor breech nipped in the bud.”
Garfield’s eyes behind their round spectacles narrowed as he sucked the mints. “I saw you marching her out.”
Jax exhaled. “You don’t miss much.”
He shook out more mints. “What’s she after? She told you, didn’t she?”
Jax rolled back his shoulders. “Her name’s Belinda Slade. She wanted information concerning a piece of jewelry she believes to be in your wife’s possession. A ruby and pearl ring surrounded by an unusual setting.”
“A gold filigree resembling wings. My wife keeps it for special occasions.”
“My client owned a similar piece.”
Garfield’s grey eyebrows knitted. “Did you say client? From your private investigative days?” Garfield’s thoughtful gaze flicked down like he was remembering back to the reason Jax had quit. The much publicized ‘incident’ concerning a death. Then he nodded sagely. “Go on.”
“The ring was handed down through generations of Belinda’s family until it was stolen ten years ago.”