by Gerri Hill
She forced a quick smile to her face. “I’m fine. Tired,” she said, which was the truth. She’d gotten so used to CJ being in her bed that she’d woken up before four that morning. The coolness of the sheets indicated CJ had been gone a while. She’d tried, but she couldn’t fall back to sleep, the bed glaringly empty.
Paige knew CJ was a little freaked out about what had happened in the Wicker house, but she wondered if that was all that was bothering her. She had seemed a little distant and the fact that they hadn’t had a chance to talk, a chance for a real goodbye, left her questioning things.
Maybe…well, maybe CJ was tiring of their relationship. Maybe she missed going out to the bar, missed her one-night hookups. Paige felt a tightening in her chest as she imagined CJ in another woman’s arms, imagined CJ making love to someone else. If CJ wanted to end things, God, what was she going to do? She’d fallen too hard, too fast.
She mentally shook herself. She was jumping to conclusions and she knew it. Instead of the doubt that was creeping in, she recalled the look in CJ’s eyes instead, that dreamy, almost wistful look after they made love. That look was not the look of someone who had tired of their relationship. That look was…the look of someone in love.
She bit the corner of her lower lip. Was that the problem? Had it caught up with CJ too? Had love caught CJ in its net as well? She closed her eyes briefly, hoping that was the case. She’d hate to be the only one feeling this way.
But they were working now. She pushed thoughts of CJ away, needing to focus on the case instead. She’d already programed the neighborhood into the GPS on her phone and had directed Billy to head east on Interstate 20. The international airport was located between Odessa and Midland, and it was larger than she expected. The two cities, while small, had prospered with the latest oil boom. Midland appeared to be the more metropolitan of the two.
“Take the next exit,” she said. “We’ll take the loop—250—to the north.”
“There’s a lot of traffic,” he commented.
She smiled. “After driving in Houston, can you really say that with a straight face?”
He laughed. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Five o’clock traffic is relative.”
Traffic on the loop was lighter than the interstate, and he kept a steady speed as they headed north.
“Exit to the right,” she said. “Andrews Highway. We’ll come upon the hospital. You’ll take a left there on Midland Drive.”
“What’s the neighborhood we’re looking for?”
“Wedgewood Park,” she said.
Once past the hospital and surrounding clinics, they entered into a more residential neighborhood.
“Take a right on Neeley,” she said.
Traffic was nonexistent as they entered the neighborhood. Older homes and mature oak trees were the norm. It appeared to be a mix of homeowners and renters, judging by the contrast of the houses and yards. Some were neat and well-kept, while others were in various stages of neglect.
“There’s McDonald,” she said. “Take a left.” A few blocks later they found Suncrest, their destination.
“The neighborhood is kinda shabby,” Billy noted.
“Yes. I was thinking the same thing.”
Billy parked on the street in front of the house where Edith Krause’s mother lived up until last year. Their hope was that the neighbors were the same and would remember if Edie and her husband were here and for how long. She only hoped they found people at home. They were prepared to hang out until after five for those working normal jobs.
Luck was with them as the first house they tried, the door was answered quickly.
“Yes?” The woman appeared to be in her mid- to late-sixties and she opened the door cautiously.
Paige and Billy immediately held up their FBI credentials. “Special Agents Riley and Calhoun,” Paige said.
“Oh, my.” The woman tried to tidy her hair as she opened the door wider. “Is there something wrong?”
Paige smiled. “No, ma’am. We just have some questions, if you have a moment.”
“Questions for me? From the FBI? Do I need an attorney?”
Billy laughed quickly. “No, no. You’re not in any trouble. We’re needing some information,” he said.
“From me? Well, I can’t imagine what information I would have.”
Paige was going to ask if they could go inside, but the woman seemed nervous enough without that intimidation.
“What’s your name?” Paige asked.
“Maggie Helms. Margaret,” she clarified, “but I’ve been called Maggie my whole life.”
“Maggie it is, then,” she said. “It’s about a former neighbor of yours. Mrs. Manning. I believe she lived here until last year,” Paige prompted.
“Norma Manning, yes. Her daughter put her in a nursing home finally. Poor thing couldn’t remember her own name anymore.”
“Do you know Edith Krause?” Billy asked.
“Edie? Oh, yes. She came to live with her mother years ago. I thought she would stay, but she left after she moved her mother. She said she was going back to East Texas.” Maggie glanced to the house in question. “The new neighbors are kinda standoffish,” she said. “Younger folks. They both work. No kids. I’ve tried to be neighborly and take them pies and such, but they’re not very friendly.” She lowered her voice. “They’re not from around here. Oil business brought them to town.”
“What about Edie’s husband,” Paige said. “Did he live here too?”
Maggie frowned. “Her husband?” She shook her head. “No, no, I never met him. From what I hear, they divorced before she moved here.”
“So he was never here? Did Edith mention him?” Billy asked.
Maggie shook her head. “Never once talked about him. Norma is the one who said they divorced. They lost their only child. I think it must have taken a toll on their marriage.”
Paige thought back to what Lizzie Willis had told them. That Edie and Herbert had driven away from the trailer park early one morning. That Herbert had allegedly run off with a young woman he’d met here in Midland. Maybe they should try another neighbor. Surely someone would have seen Herbert, even if he was only here a short time.
She smiled politely at Maggie. “Thank you for your time. Do you know if there were other neighbors who were here back then? Back when Edith first came to live with her mother?”
“Mrs. Axel, across the street,” she said, pointing to a well-kept home. “She’s lived here thirty years, at least. She and Norma were good friends.”
“We’ll pay her a visit too,” Billy said. “Thank you again.”
“Is Edie in some kind of trouble?”
Paige shook her head. “No. Actually, we’re trying to locate her husband.”
“Oh. Well, like I said, he was never here. Edie never once mentioned him to me.”
They headed across the street, toward Mrs. Axel’s house. Billy leaned closer.
“Old Herbert is a mysterious guy.”
“Yes he is. Maybe Mrs. Axel will remember him.”
Chapter Eighteen
After CJ and Ice had finished their report on their two-day stay in Cleveland and after they’d given Deputy Brady a call, they stayed to brainstorm with Howley again on more plausible theories for dumping the boy. Unfortunately, they couldn’t come up with any. For some reason, CJ couldn’t get the drunk driver scenario out of her head.
“Let’s get out of here,” Ice said as the clock ticked close to five. “I’ve had about as much speculation as I can take.”
“Beer?”
“Or three,” he said with a grin.
They drove separately to the only bar they ever visited. They recognized the faces of local cops and CJ nodded as they lifted a hand in greeting.
“We know practically everyone in here by face, but we don’t really know any names,” she said. “Why don’t we ever go introduce ourselves? We’ve been coming here for years.”
“Because everyone is doing the same thing we are
. Letting off steam and talking about cases. There’s not a lot of mingling between tables,” Ice said.
They had barely sat down before April brought over two cold longnecks. Ice slipped her a five-dollar bill, knowing that would keep her coming around. They touched bottles in a silent toast before drinking. The beer was as cold as it looked.
“Man, this is what I’m talking about,” he said. “We come to this bar all the time. They know what we drink. April brings it over without asking. There’s no small talk.” He shrugged. “Doesn’t get any better than this.”
CJ smiled but couldn’t help but look at the two empty seats at their table. She’d done a good job of putting Paige from her mind all afternoon, but here, right now, she missed her. Ice would be baiting them, and they would tease and flirt with each other. She could almost hear Paige’s laughter, reacting to something outrageous CJ said.
“Is now a good time to bring it up?”
CJ looked at him. “Bring what up, baldy?”
Ice leaned a little closer, meeting her stare. “You and Paige.”
CJ had a moment of panic. She knew Ice was suspicious, but she didn’t really think he’d come right out and ask. “What about us?”
“Come on, CJ. I’m not blind.” He picked at the label on his bottle. “What’s going on?”
She took a long swallow from her beer, stalling for time. Hell, they knew they couldn’t keep it a secret forever. She slid the empty bottle to the middle of the table.
“What is it you’re asking, Ice?”
Ice shook his head. “Are we going to keep answering questions with other questions? Because it’s annoying.” He turned, getting April’s attention. He held up two fingers.
She shrugged with a nonchalance she wasn’t feeling. “What do you want to know?”
“Are you guys…you know…more than friends?”
“Is that what you think?”
He leaned back. “Hell, CJ, I don’t know anymore. I see the way you look at each other. But hell, I don’t know. It’s the same…yet it’s different.”
She nodded her thanks as April brought them fresh beers. “The whole Hoganville thing, we got to know each other a little better,” she said. “We’re…we’re better friends now.”
“And that’s all?”
She met his steady gaze, wondering why she wasn’t coming clean with him. He was her partner. She trusted him with her life. She should be able to trust him with this.
“No. No, that’s not all.” She paused, looking away, then back at him. “We’re lovers.”
He looked shocked. Maybe because he hadn’t expected her to admit it. He took a swallow of beer before commenting.
“So…you’re having an affair?”
She arched an eyebrow. “An affair? Yeah, I guess that word applies here.”
“What the hell happened? You two could barely stand each other.”
She shook her head. “That is so not true. We avoided each other. Because we were attracted to each other. It was safer.” She took a swallow of beer, trying to decide how much to tell him. “We had a…we had a one-night stand. Last, I don’t know, January, I think it was.”
“Are you serious? Paige doesn’t do one-night stands.”
“No. She doesn’t. But I do.” CJ twirled the bottle between her hands. “Or at least I did.”
“So does this mean, like, you two are dating?”
CJ smiled. “Dating? I think we’re past dating. We lived together in Hoganville. Since we’ve been back, we spend nearly every night together.”
“Man…I mean, I suspected, but…man.” He rubbed his bald head. “So what happened? I mean in Hoganville?”
“Hell, we shared a bed, Ice. It was a one-bedroom cabin. We were pretending to be lovers, pretending to be a couple. And the line got blurred between play and reality.” She let out a sigh. “Honestly, I thought that once we got back here, I thought it would end.” She met his gaze. “For her, anyway. I’m so out of her league, you know. But I’m in over my head,” she admitted.
“Are you in love with her?”
CJ’s heart was beating nervously, nearly choking her. Admitting it to herself was one thing. Admitting it to Ice…well, she felt exposed. And vulnerable. And—
“Yes. I’m in love with her.”
He laughed quietly. “Damn, CJ. I didn’t think I’d ever hear those words come out of your mouth.” He shook his head. “You normally don’t even remember their names.”
“That seems like a lifetime ago. I’d go to the bar, I just wanted to forget. Forget everything. Forget our case, forget my past. Forget everything.” She leaned back, trying to relax, trying to get past the nervousness. “I didn’t like that person I’d become. But I couldn’t seem to shake her. But at Hoganville, I talked and Paige listened. My past…you know some of it. Not all,” she said vaguely. “I told Paige all of it. And she didn’t judge me. Not once.” She took a deep breath. “We became friends…and lovers. I don’t have any friends, Ice. You, that’s it. And the women from the bar, I wouldn’t call them lovers. There wasn’t any lovemaking involved,” she admitted. “It was just down and dirty sex with a healthy dose of tequila tossed in.”
He watched her but didn’t say anything.
“I don’t know when I fell in love with her, but the game we were playing in Hoganville became real. And now, I’m so scared she’s going to break my heart.”
“You haven’t told her?” he guessed.
She shook her head. “No. I’m afraid to. What if she doesn’t feel the same? What if this is just an affair to her?”
“There’s only one way to find out, CJ.”
She blew out her breath. “I know. And when I work up the nerve to say something, I will.” She slid her empty bottle to the middle, joining the others. “You can’t say anything, Ice. If Howley finds out, who knows what he’ll do.”
“I don’t think Howley suspects anything,” he said.
“Billy?”
“Oh, yeah.” He laughed. “So what about the…the gift we sent you guys? I expected you to bust my balls for sending it. You never even mentioned it.”
She leaned closer. “The dildo? Oh, yeah, I need to thank you for that, baldy. Paige has a little bit of a naughty side to her.”
Ice’s ebony skin turned a lovely dark red as he blushed.
Chapter Nineteen
“So what did Howley say?” Billy asked as soon as Paige put her phone down.
“He’ll try to find his last whereabouts,” she said. “Fourteen years ago—I’d say that’s going to be virtually impossible.” She glanced at his empty plate. “Good steak?”
“Oh, yeah.” He stared at her plate, the remnants of her baked potato and steamed veggies pushed around. “Sorry they didn’t have shrimp on the menu.”
“I’m not supposed to eat shrimp, remember.” She sipped from her glass of water, wishing they’d had a decent bottle of wine on the menu.
“So do we still have to go to the nursing home tomorrow?”
“No. I told him that by everyone’s account, Norma Manning hasn’t been coherent in over a year. We can try to get an earlier flight out,” she said. And she hoped they could. She was ready to get back. One day away and she was already missing CJ. She looked up, feeling Billy watching her. She could tell by the look on his face that he was struggling to say something.
“Can I…can I ask you a personal question?”
Paige raised her eyebrows. Over the years, she’d kept her personal life private, even from Billy. She never told him she was gay. She just assumed he knew, especially when she and CJ played the games they did, flirting with each other incessantly when the guys were around. And they still did that. Now she wondered just what it was he wanted to ask. So she nodded.
“Okay.”
He stared at her for the longest time, opening his mouth to speak but closing it before words spilled out. He finally shook his head. “Never mind.”
She planted her elbows on the table, resting her chin on
her closed fists. She sensed what he wanted to ask. Maybe she was inviting trouble. Or maybe she just wanted to tell someone, so she pushed him a bit.
“What do you want to ask me, Billy?”
It wasn’t a question that came from his mouth. “You’ve been different,” he stated.
“What do you mean?”
“Ever since Hoganville. CJ’s been different too.”
She leaned back slightly, her hands folding together, fingers crossing and uncrossing as she tried to think of an explanation other than they were lovers.
“It was quite an experience, seeing everything we saw. There was so much—”
“That’s not what I mean,” he said, interrupting her.
She took a deep breath, pausing to sip from her water. She met his gaze head on. “What is it you want to know?”
She saw him visibly swallow and thought she saw a slight blush on his face. Again, he struggled with the words, and she wondered if he was too embarrassed to ask. She could let it go. She could change the subject. He wouldn’t push it. But she decided she didn’t want to let it go.
“Do you want to know if we took our roles in Hoganville…our undercover assignment…do you want to know if we took that assignment literally?”
“Did you?” he asked quietly.
“Would it matter if we did?” She gave him a quick smile. “You and me, we’re the same. We’re partners.”
He shrugged. “I thought we were. But on this one—”
“That’s just kinda how it worked out on this one, Billy. But you and me, we’re partners. CJ and Ice, they’re partners.”
He stared at her, blinking quickly several times. “So does that mean…yes?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
He leaned back, his eyes wide. “Wow.”
“It doesn’t change anything with us, Billy. Just because I’m…I’m having a relationship with CJ outside of work, it doesn’t change anything. You and me, we’re still the same.” She laughed lightly. “There is such a thing as too much togetherness, you know.”
Billy smiled too, but it left his face quickly. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
“Because we were afraid they’d break up the team. We thought it was safer this way. We were already under a microscope because of what happened at Hoganville. We didn’t want to take a chance of anything else coming out and breaking up the team.”