Martinez, Mary - Classic Murder: Mr. Romance (BookStrand Publishing Romance)

by Mary Martinez

  “I’ll see, but most everything has been done, and it’s just a waiting game now.”

  “Okay, well Mom, I hope you have some projects for me then—a bored Katie isn’t a pleasant Katie.”

  “I have some mending that needs to be done.” Bonnie laughed when Katie groaned. “Oh, I forgot. You don’t like sewing of any kind, do you, dear? Well, let me think about it. I’m sure I can come up with something.”

  * * * *

  Freda had checked all the doors and windows after Adam left, even though he had done so himself. When on a case, she couldn’t be too careful. It felt odd being among Katie’s things. She knew Dottie wasn’t going to bring Oscar back until the next day after she got home from work. For tonight, she was alone. Bored, she looked through Katie’s collection of classic movies and settled down to watch Gone with the Wind, one of her favorites. She knew she wasn’t going to get a lot of sleep being in a strange bed and place, so she might as well kill the time with the four-hour movie.

  “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” Freda jumped awake at Rhett Butler’s famous words. She finished watching as Scarlet decided she’d worry about it tomorrow, then stood and turned off the DVD player and the TV. She yawned on the way to Katie’s bedroom. After she attended to her nighttime ritual, she was careful not to destroy the subtle work of the makeup artist. Most she could reapply in the morning. He had taught her the tricks to highlight, so she’d look as close to Katie as possible.

  Ready for bed, she went to the window and checked the locks again. She shivered, a ripple of unease scuttling down her spine. For some reason, she couldn’t shake the feeling someone was watching her. Pushing her face to the window, she looked down and around as much as possible but didn’t see anything.

  She pulled the drapes and crawled into bed. With the beat of her heart tattooing against her ribs, she reconciled herself to a long sleepless night.

  * * * *

  “Did you see that, sis?” The black clad figure on the fire escape flattened against the side of the building, pulse spiking when Katie’s face peered out the window. “I swear she saw me. What should I do? She looked sort of spooked, the way she got up close. I have a bad feeling, sis. I don’t think tonight’s the night. You know everything has to be just right.” The figure carefully climbed down the ladder. Before both feet hit the ground, the figure was running.

  Once safe in the apartment, the black figure repeated the earlier question. “Sis, what should I do?” Stopping to stare at the portrait hanging on the wall, he started to pace the small room. There were pictures of the women Adam had dated hanging on the walls, from more than two years.

  Freedom from the doctors had given the sibling a chance to assist Sis. God, he couldn’t believe their mother hadn’t felt the need to help. Fortunately, since her death, the doctors had gladly signed the release papers. After all, the mother had been the only one to think anything was wrong, including paying the bills.

  As soon as the institution’s doors had opened, the plans that had been only a dream began to become a reality. As long as Adam was only playing, there was no harm done. The determination to find someone to settle down with had changed everything. He belonged to the woman whose picture hung on the wall. Nothing or no one could stand in the way.

  The person stopped in front of the portrait again to brood. “I know he promised you he’d come back and marry you. You wouldn’t have given him your virginity if he hadn’t.” The pacing began again. The figure continued the dialogue.

  “I promise, sis, after I take care of Ms. Sinclair, Adam Russo will be ready to marry you, just like he promised.”

  * * * *

  The next day, Katie couldn’t take the solitude any longer. After searching, she found a closet she could clean. Katie sat on the floor amidst the scattered items around her. A grunt came from the doorway. Startled, her hand stopped halfway to the garbage bag and she turned to find Rita glaring down at her.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m going bonkers. I’m used to being at work now. So I just thought I’d help by cleaning out this closet.”

  “You said you were going to pretend this was a vacation. I don’t know anyone who likes to clean on their vacations. Do you?” Rita asked with her hands on her ample hips.

  “No,” Katie sighed. “Okay, I’ll just finish here then I’ll go do something else. If it was summer, I’d take a swim in the pool.”

  “No, I can finish. You just go enjoy yourself.”

  “Rita, you were doing something else. You are not going to finish what I started. Now go. I’ll finish this, then I promise I’ll be good.” It was going to be a long couple of days, Katie thought, as she watched the woman walk away.

  * * * *

  Freda jumped when a heavy hand landed on her shoulder. She spun around in the chair and faced a young man that fit the description of Jordan Goddard to a tee. Remembering what Katie had told her, she placed a hand to her heart and scowled. “Damn it, I promised myself I wouldn’t fall for that anymore.”

  Jordan looked at her a moment before he replied. “You okay, Katie? You sound different. Did you catch a cold while you were gone with the great one?”

  “Just a little.” Freda hoped he didn’t get any more suspicious. Her voice was a lot deeper than Katie’s. It was the only point she’d been worried of when she’d been assigned the case.

  “Well, hope you get better. Where do you want me to put these?” Jordan held up his packets and then placed them on the credenza when she pointed. He didn’t seem to notice anything else and left the office. Freda breathed a sigh of relief. Then the door opened.

  Mrs. Oakman walked in. The second test was upon her and she hadn’t recovered from Jordan. She’d use the cold explanation.

  Clearing her throat, she addressed the woman first. “Hi, Mrs. Oakman, how are you today?” With only a small pause, Freda hurried and added, “I hope you feel better than I do. I seem to have caught something while I was gone.”

  “Your voice does sound a little rough. I hope it’s nothing more serious. You know traveling clear across the ocean to Europe like that, who knows what type of germs you could have picked up.” Mrs. Oakman bustled about the office doing her daily work, not seeming to notice anything amiss.

  Finally, the woman left and Freda sighed with relief, congratulating herself on passing muster with the two main obstacles that had worried her. Before she could decide what to occupy herself with, Adam entered. Briefcase in hand, he walked around the desk, winked at her, dropped a kiss on her forehead, then continued on to his office. Freda let out her breath that she hadn’t realized she was holding when Adam closed his office door. The man packed a powerful punch with just a little peck. She wondered what it would be like with a full-blown kiss. Then she shook herself. He was Katie’s and she mustn’t forget.

  * * * *

  No sooner than Freda had shut Katie’s door behind her, someone knocked on it. After a moment of alarm, she realized it must be Katie’s friend Dottie returning Oscar. She’d plead a cold as she had all day and hopefully the woman wouldn’t want to sit and chat. She honestly didn’t know if she could pass in a close-up tête-à-tête with one of Katie’s closest friends.

  Opening the door a crack, she peered out. Dottie’s identity confirmed, she pulled the door wider, and Oscar bounded in. Turning, she started for the kitchen and called over her shoulder.

  “Dottie, you better not stay, I caught a terrible cold while I was gone. I think I’m just going to fix myself some hot lemon tea and go to bed.” Freda was careful not to let the other woman see a full view of her face.

  “Drat, I wanted to hear all about the weekend with Mr. Dreamy boss.” Freda saw Dottie turn and walk back to the door. “I have a big day at work tomorrow, so I can’t afford to get sick. How about a girls’ night next week at my house? You can fill us all in then.”

  “Just let me know what night and I’ll be there. Hugs, I don’t dare get closer.”

  Freda tu
rned back to the counter in relief. The woman had bought it. Now she could relax. It had been a long day. Doing nothing but surf the internet was exhausting.

  “Oscar, how have you been? I bet you miss Katie, but she’ll be back in no time.” Freda ruffled the dog’s fur. He cocked his head and looked at her as if trying to decide what was wrong with his mistress.

  Freda fed the dog, made herself a small sandwich—the only thing she had the energy to make. Then she took her plate in the other room to watch a little TV and hopefully unwind.

  When she finished her dinner, she glanced at the clock. It was still early, but the meal had made her tired. With the lack of sleep the night before, she wanted nothing more than an early night, so she turned off the lights and checked the door. Without thinking, she shut the bedroom door and climbed into bed. Damn, she’d forgotten to check the bedroom window. Mentally shrugging, she snuggled into the comforter. She’d locked it last night and she hadn’t opened it.

  * * * *

  Dressed in black, the hood of a jacket covering his face, the figure watched from the fire escape. A grin appeared when the door closed, blocking out the dog. When Katie began to snore softly, it was time. Planning and timing was everything. The window had been jimmied for access long before Katie arrived home. One black leg went over the sill. The figure stood and stilled to wait to make sure there was no change in Katie’s breathing, indicating she’d heard anything.

  * * * *

  A firm hand clamped over her mouth brought Freda fully awake. Cursing herself, she realized she’d closed the door. There would be no help from Oscar. Shadows covered the figure that loomed over her. Gleaming eyes reflecting the moonlight streaming in from the window, stared down at her. Twisting her head, she tried to pull away, but the assailant, though small, was stronger than hell. The abrupt yank on her arm gave her no choice but to quickly climb out of bed. A gasp stirred the hair above her ear.

  “You’re not her,” a raspy voice accused. Before she could think, the person pushed her and she flew backwards to bounce on the bed. The covers tangled her legs, imprisoning her. By the time she’d managed to scramble free to look out the window, the figure was down the ladder. She squinted, but all she could see was the racing figure disappear around the side of the building.

  Cursing out loud, she raced into the living room, trying not to trip over Oscar who jumped up and down, barking in agitation. He clearly sensed something was wrong. She grasped the phone, but before she could dial, a loud banging from Mrs. Newcomb’s apartment rumbled through the room.

  Frazzled to the brink, she raked a hand through her already mussed hair. She couldn’t believe the guy had caught her unaware. She felt like a complete idiot. Finally managing to get a dial tone, she called the station.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  The rat-a-tat tapping of the keys filled the air as Logan worked on his laptop. Katie, curled on a chair, tried to read. The sound of her dad’s fingers while he worked hypnotized her, and she found her eyelids kept drifting shut. The deep voice of her father startled her awake. She jumped and the book to flew to the floor.

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you, honey. You have an email from Adam.” Logan’s news caused excitement to race through her veins.

  “I do?” Katie crawled out of the chair and raced to the desk. She shooed her dad out of his chair so she could sit down.

  “I’ll go see what your mother is doing. Hurry though, I have a lot of work to do.”

  “Okay, Dad,” Katie answered distractedly, already reading the email.

  She was disappointed it was so sterile and to the point. Maybe Adam was worried someone might hack into his computer to see his emails. There was always the possibility. She was eager for anything to do, so she deleted the email, just in case. She went to find her dad.

  In the hall, she grabbed her jacket. Too impatient to search, she called out. “Dad, where are you?”

  Logan and Bonnie both came into the hall from the living room. They looked at her with identical worried looks. Katie realized they must think something was wrong.

  “Sorry, nothing’s wrong, I just need to borrow the car,” Katie said.

  “Why? I thought you weren’t supposed to leave here.” Logan glanced down at his wife, and she frowned in return. Katie hoped they weren’t going to be stubborn about it.

  “It’s okay. Everyone is gone from the building. Adam needs me to come and pick up a file to go over. He probably didn’t want me to come to his house in case someone was watching. He left it on his desk. All I have to do is go pick it up and return. I’m so edgy staying here with nothing to do, at least the work will be a distraction.”

  “I don’t like it. I’ll take you.” Logan reached for his coat.

  “No, you just said you had a lot of work to do. I’ll be fine, I promise. I’ll be back in no time.”

  “Dear, your dad is right. You shouldn’t go alone. I’ll go with you and sit in the car while you run in.”

  “Mom, Dad, I’ll be okay. Both of you just stay home and rest.” Katie held her phone up to show them. “I’ve got my cell phone. I’ll call if I need you. And, I can dial 911 if it’s an emergency. I’m a big girl. I can retrieve one file from the office.”

  She kissed both of them on the cheek and took the keys from her dad. From the looks on their faces, they still weren’t convinced she’d be okay. She admitted to herself she was a tad uneasy. She comforted herself with the certainty that Adam wouldn’t ask her if he thought there was any harm.

  * * * *

  Eerie quiet and dark met her at the office as she entered. A shiver scurried down her spine, and she suddenly wished she’d let her dad come with her. Her hand in her jacket pocket curled around her cell phone. She had put it on her parents’ number, just in case. She decided if anything happened she would just press “send,” then they could hear everything and tell the police. Feeling a smidgen better, she flipped the switch and the lights filled to the corners of her office.

  She walked straight to Adam’s door, automatically turning the light on before reaching his desk. As usual, it was clean and orderly. She frowned, realizing there wasn’t a file in sight.

  Okay, what had the email said, exactly? She closed her eyes a moment to concentrate. Did he leave it on her desk? Retracing her steps, she looked through her pile of files, but there weren’t any new ones. Freda hadn’t moved a thing, for which she would be eternally grateful.

  Her back to the door, she tried to decide what to do about the missing file. It was odd for Adam to send her on a wild goose chase. Oh, God, had she walked into a trap?

  Tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, as if electricity had run through her body. Standing perfectly still, she sucked in her breath. She knew she wasn’t alone anymore.

  She spun on her heels and came face to face with Jordan. Letting out a sigh of relief, she placed her hand on her pounding heart.

  “God, you scared the shit out of me.” Katie let her head hang for a moment, then looked back at the office go-fer.

  “Sorry, I saw the light on. What are you doing here?”

  “Adam asked me to pick up a file, but I can’t find it.”

  “You sound better. Your cold went away pretty fast.” Jordan looked at her strangely.

  “My cold?” Katie asked. Damn, Freda must have said she had one. “Yeah, I went home and had some chicken soup and that did the trick.”

  “I’m glad. Can I help you find the file?”

  “I wouldn’t know what to tell you to look for. Adam just said the file was on his desk. He didn’t give me a name.”

  “So what are you going to do?”

  “I guess I’ll just lock up and go home. I’ll call Adam and let him know I couldn’t find it.” Then she really looked at Jordan. Why was he at the office this time of night? Not to mention the fact he was acting strangely. Swallowing her unease she said, “Duh, I can just call him from here.”

  Katie reached for the phone on her desk, intending t
o call Adam’s home. Jordan placed his hand over hers, not giving her a chance to pick up the receiver. She turned to frown at him as fresh unease filtered through her to her tummy. There was a crazy gleam in his eyes she’d never seen before. Pulling for nonchalant, she removed her hand from beneath his and stepped away.

  Once facing him, she saw he was dressed entirely in black. A shiver ran down her spine. Bile rose up her throat and lodged there. Jordan fit the description Nan Thomas had given perfectly.

  Katie swallowed and placed one foot behind her to inch her way toward the door. “I think I’ll just leave the file and head on home now.”

  “I don’t think so, Katie. I have something to show you.” Jordan stepped closer and grabbed her arm.

  She looked down at his hand. “Jordan, what are you doing?”

  “You’ll find out soon. Come on, I don’t have all night. I have to get home to my sister.”

  “Sister? I didn’t know you had a sister.” Katie figured it was best to distract him.

  He ignored her question. He led her out of the office, not letting go of her arm. He held her left arm, which was the same side where the pocket held her cell phone. She could hardly reach around her body and punch in the call. He may become suspicious. Ya think, Katie?

  She didn’t have a choice but to follow him as he led her to the back of the building, to an elevator she hadn’t known was there. He pushed the button that said “roof.”

  Time to think. Charade had more than one murder. Which one was he trying to copy? So far he’d done nothing from the movie. She racked her brain for anything he could be copying. It was the only way to prepare herself and a defense. The answer dawned like lightning.

  “To Catch a Thief,” she said in triumph.

  “I know you went to Paris. It probably would have been more suitable to do Charade, but I’ve always loved To Catch a Thief.”