Chapter Six
That same evening, Ben and Dan walked into the Montauk Police Department.
Lieutenant John McGee met them at the entrance to the squad room.
“I need you to check out a break-in.”
Dan shook his head. “You assigned us to that hit-and-run on Montauk Highway
.” He aimed his thumb at the other detectives sitting at their desks. “Can’t you ask one of them?”
“No, I can’t, and now,” McGee removed his eyeglasses, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You’re assigned to another case.” He held out a piece of paper. “Here’s the address. The break-in occurred about an hour ago.”
Ben reached out and took the paper. He glanced at the address.
His hand shook as he passed it to Dan.
Dan’s eyes widened when he read it.
The lieutenant frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing!” Ben called out.
They ran out of the squad room, toppling a chair in their wake.
“Damned crazy Indians.” The lieutenant shook his head, righting the chair.
He watched until they were out of the room.
“But good detectives,” he muttered under his breath.
* * * *
“You’ve got quite a lump there, and that cut needs stitches.”
Carlee winced when the paramedic probed the wound on her head.
“You really should go to the hospital.”
A cold chill passed through Carlee. The lights blazed in the store while two uniformed police officers stood nearby and four more combed every inch of the interior and exterior.
One of the officers stood before her. “You’re positive you didn’t see who did this?”
Carlee winced when the paramedic dabbed something wet on the cut on her head. It stung like crazy. “It was dark. I-I can’t be sure of anything.”
“Maybe you could convince her she’s got to go to the hospital,” the paramedic told the officer while she aimed her thumb at Carlee.
“You should, Miss Davis. You could have a concussion,” he chimed in.
Carlee glanced outside and noticed another car pull into the parking lot.
The paramedic gave her an ice pack. “Here, hold this on your head. I just have to get a butterfly bandage. It’ll keep the wound closed until we get you to the emergency room.”
Carlee held the cool pack to her head, watching as two men entered the store.
The ice pack slipped from her hands.
What were Dan and Ben doing here?
The officer bent and picked up the ice pack, handing it to her, but he followed the direction her eyes took.
“Those are detectives, ma’am. They’ll just need to ask you some questions.”
Carlee groaned. “They really are the police.”
He angled his head and frowned. “Huh?”
She glanced at the police officer. “Nothing.” She shook her head. It hurt like hell. “I-I didn’t say anything.”
“Don’t move your head so much.” The paramedic told her. She applied the bandage to the gaping wound on Carlee’s head.
She couldn’t keep her eyes off Dan and Ben. Ben walked toward her, his steps wide and filled with purpose, while Dan spoke to one of the officers. Every so often, Dan would turn his attention to her. Even though he stood near the registers, she noticed that he seemed tense, his body filled with restless urgency. He continued to gaze back at her.
“Well, hello there, Ben.”
Carlee turned to see the paramedic looking at him.
“Hello, Marjorie,” He replied, but he didn’t take his eyes off Carlee.
The skin across his high cheekbones looked tight, his lips a thin, grim line.
“Maybe you can convince her that she needs to be seen by a doctor.” Marjorie patted Carlee’s shoulder. “If you change your mind about going to the emergency room, let me know.” She glanced at him and winked. “See you around, detective. Catch you at the Blue Moon.”
He didn’t reply. He waited until Marjorie walked away.
The chill Carlee had felt earlier snaked down her spine once again. She shuddered in response.
Ben reached down, removing the ice pack from her hand. He placed it on a counter, and then removed his jacket, tugging it around her shoulders.
“What happened?” His voice was tight.
She tried for some levity, hoping to quell the racing beat of her heart, and the tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
“The ‘Blue Moon’ still packs them in?”
“I didn’t come here,” he said in a low voice, “to talk about the Blue Moon. I repeat…what happened?”
Carlee looked at Marjorie, who stood chatting with another paramedic. “Known her long?” she quipped. “Or did you just happen to run into her at the uh, Blue Moon bar?” She hated the spurt of jealousy she felt.
He leaned down, placing his palms on either side of the counter, caging her in. “I came here to investigate a possible break-in, and I find you here, injured. I—”
She angled her chin at Ben. “Sorry to screw up your evening.”
“Damn it, Carlee.” He rose to his full height and ran a hand through his hair. “I didn’t mean it that way.” He softened his tone. “I need to know what happened, everything you can remember, at least.”
Carlee took a deep breath and replied. “I-I was working in my aunt’s office—”
He raised one dark brow. “At this hour?”
She blinked once, registering the censure in his voice. “Yes,” she answered, her tone defensive. “I had a lot of paperwork to go through. When I finished, I left the office and walked into the store. That’s when someone hit me on the head.”
The jacket slipped from her shoulders. Ben grabbed it before it fell to the floor, pulling it snugly against her chest. His nearness, coupled with the surly tone she heard in his voice, made her throat clog with tears. Her head ached. The last thing she needed was Ben…
Oh damn, she needed him, more than she cared to admit.
He leaned down while he zipped the jacket. She tried to shrug him off, but he made quick work of the jacket.
“Don’t fight me,” he commanded, yet his voice held gentle tones. He grabbed her hands, placing them in his own.
Heat enveloped her fingers.
He didn’t let go.
She needed to break the tension. “So you’re the police.”
He nodded, but didn’t reply.
Carlee glanced at Dan, who was still talking to a uniformed officer. “And what’s he doing here? Is he along for the ride?”
“Dan and I are detectives for the Montauk Police Department.”
“Well, fuck me,” she replied. She blew out a breath. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“I want you to listen to Marjorie; I want you to go to the hospital.”
She squirmed in the chair, but each time she moved, a dull ache mushroomed inside her head, an explosion of throbbing pain.
“If she doesn’t, I’ll carry her out of here myself.”
Dan’s surly voice pierced the veil of pain surrounding her fuzzy brain.
She looked up to see him standing next to Ben.
Pain, fear and the feeling she was badly outnumbered won out.
“All right,” she muttered. “You two win.”
“Little warrior.” Dan shook his head. A corner of his mouth lifted. “We always do.”
* * * *
The following morning, Carlee sat on a wide, comfy chair in the den of Ida’s old house, her feet on a footstool.
Marlene fussed with two pillows behind Carlee’s head. “There, is that better?” she asked. “Do you want some tea?”
Carlee snuggled back against the pillows. “You don’t have to stay here, I’m fine.”
“Nonsense!” Marlene shook her head. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.” She sighed. “Why didn’t you call us last night when it happened?”
“It was late. I didn’t want to
bother you or—”
Marlene raised a brow. “What?”
“Nothing.” Carlee swallowed. “M-maybe I will have that tea.”
“Coming right up.”
Marlene walked out of the room. Carlee switched on the television set and heard the announcer’s voice.
“Last night, there was a break-in at the popular Davis Poultry Farm. The owner, Carlee Davis, was injured when an unknown assailant attacked her in the store after hours. Ms. Davis was not available for comment…”
Carlee switched off the television set.
The doorbell's chime was quickly followed by raised voices and the sound of footsteps.
Marlene stood before her a few seconds later. She cleared her throat then spoke.
“There are um, two Indians here to see you.”
Carlee hid a smile when she saw the shocked look on Marlene’s face.
“They say they’re Montauk Police department detectives. They claim they were at the poultry store last night. I-I saw their badges, but…Indians?” She shook her head.
Carlee blew out a breath. “Ben and Dan are detectives, and they were at the poultry store last night.”
“They want to talk to you.” Marlene sniffed, lifting her nose in the air. “I said you weren’t up to it.”
Carlee sat up straighter in her chair, adjusting the woolen throw Marlene placed across her lap earlier. “It’s okay. I-I’ll see them.”
Her heart pounded in time with her head.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea. You still look pale.”
“Tell them I’ll see them.”
A few minutes later, Dan and Ben entered the room. Carlee’s nipples peaked against the fabric of her t-shirt. She pulled her hoodie-style sweatshirt across her chest, hoping they didn’t notice her body’s reaction to them. Alternatively, she hoped they would. Damn, but she was getting so mixed up! Maybe her brain really was addled.
Her desire for both men didn’t fade, even after all this time, but she was a grown woman, and it was time to act like one.
“How are you feeling?”
Dan’s deep voice washed over her. She squirmed in the chair, her thong growing damp, her clit pulsing.
Carlee kept her voice steady. “I’m much better, thank you.”
Ben folded his arms across his chest. “You should have stayed in the hospital for a few more days.”
She picked at a piece of lint on the blanket covering her legs. Raising her eyes to both men, she replied. “The doctor said I could go home, just as long as someone stayed with me.”
Ben opened his mouth to reply when Marlene made her entrance, bearing a tray filled with goodies. “I believe these are still your favorite." She gestured toward the cookies on a dish.
Carlee looked at them and smiled. “Yes, they are. Carob chip, applesauce, nut—I love them.”
Ben screwed up his face. Carlee almost laughed at his pained expression.
“Marlene, these are detectives Ben Strong and Dan Swift. Detectives, my cousin Marlene.” She held out a hand toward Marlene.
Marlene placed the tray down on the table in front of Carlee, her hands shaking, her face pinched. It was the usual look—one Carlee knew well. Her mother, Ida and Beatrice had always done that when they thought someone was of a lower class.
Damned judgmental family!
Carlee’s hackles rose, hoping Marlene wouldn’t say something untoward.
Marlene aimed her nose at both men. “I’ll just leave you to discuss...” she waved a hand in the air. “ Whatever it is you need to with my cousin.” At the door she said, “I hope you find who did this horrible thing.”
She exited the room, leaving Carlee alone with Ben and Dan, and her traitorous hormones.
Ben watched Marlene's exit from the room, waiting until she was out of earshot before saying, “Your cousin seems to think you’re not up to visitors.”
Carlee leaned over and poured some tea into a cup. “She’s just protective, that’s all. We were friends long before we were cousins.”
She saw Dan take a small pad and pen out of the pocket of his jacket. He flipped open the pad and started writing.
Carlee craned her neck to see what he wrote, but he lifted the pad from her prying eyes.
A chill ran down Carlee’s spine when she saw Marlene’s name.
Ben took a step toward her. “We won’t stay long, but we need to investigate what happened last night.”
“Someone broke into the store, I-I guess they tried to rob it, and—”
“No one broke in.”
“Huh?” She screwed up her face.
Ben took a seat across from her. He raised her chin just a bit, the tip of his finger caressing her jaw. He studied her face for a few seconds, his eyes traveling to the bandage on her head.
“Someone tried to make it look like it was a break-in or a robbery,” he dropped his hand. She felt bereft at the loss of contact. “We found a broken window in the back of the store—”
“You see?” she interrupted. “It was a robbery. Or an attempted robbery.”
Dan eased his tall frame into a chair. “Whoever attacked you broke the window from inside the store. We found most of the glass on the pavement, right outside the window. It means they smashed that window from the inside, hoping to make it appear that someone broke in.”
She didn’t like where any of this was heading. She took a big gulp of tea, swallowing hard.
“You could be wrong,” she told Dan, then looked at Ben.
Ben shook his head. “We’re not wrong about this. I feel it in my gut. Someone planned this attack on you.”
Her head started to ache again. She massaged the bandage over the cut.
“We questioned the workers who were in the store yesterday. One of them said, they saw you speaking with a man. It looked as though—” Dan leafed through his notebook. “As though you were having quite an angry exchange.” Their gazes locked. “Did you?”
Carlee rubbed her forehead. Then she tossed the woolen throw off to the side and rose from her chair. Pulling the sweatshirt around her body, she said. “I think you both should leave.”
Ben glanced at Dan; they rose to their feet.
The room suddenly felt too small. Carlee started to shake.
“What’s wrong?” Dan reached out a hand toward her.
She batted it away.
“Did you have an argument with someone yesterday?”
She dug her toes into the plush carpet beneath her feet.
Her voice was barely above a whisper. “Yes, with my cousin, Todd.”
Dan scribbled something in his pad.
She wanted to snatch it from his hands, rip it to shreds.
“What was it about?” Ben questioned, his voice gentle.
Damn, why did he have to be so nice now?
“Todd feels he should be running the Davis Poultry Farm.”
She glanced toward the open door, walked over to it and shut it.
Dan frowned. “Why’d you do that?”
“Marlene is married to him.”
Ben and Dan exchanged glances.
“I-I don’t want Marlene to hear this.” She tucked some hair behind her ears. “Last night, when I was going through my Aunt Ida’s paperwork, I found a bill for a cruise. Marlene's name wasn't on it. Instead, it was for Todd and a…let’s just say a female friend.”
Dan continued to write.
“Yesterday, in the store—is that the only time you’ve seen Todd since you’ve been home?” Ben asked.
She shook her head. “I saw him again last night.”
Ben raised a brow.
She folded her arms under her breasts. “He came to see me while I was in my Aunt Ida’s office. We…had another argument.”
“Over the same thing?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
Carlee plunked down into a chair. “I-I can’t believe that he would do something like this, or that he would hurt me.” She blinked back tears then glanced toward
the closed door. “And if Marlene knew, it would kill her.”
Chapter Seven
Later that week, Ben and Dan sat in Lieutenant McGee’s office.
“So, where do we stand on the Poultry Farm case?”
Ben answered. “We questioned the workers and staff at the poultry farm and store; we’ve gone over the entire place.”
“We questioned the family, too, particularly Todd Davis, that cousin of Carlee’s.” Dan added.
McGee drummed his fingers on his desk. “And where has all that gotten us?”
Ben sighed. “Absolutely nowhere, Lieutenant.”
“But you told me Miss Davis argued with Todd Davis and…” McGee frowned. “Why in hell are all the cousins named Davis?”
A corner of Dan’s mouth lifted. “Three sisters married three brothers. The Davis brothers, in this case. They owned a poultry farm in Canarsie—in Brooklyn. They moved out here back in the nineteen fifties and tried their hand at poultry farming here in Montauk.”
McGee got up and poured himself a cup of coffee. He took a sip and winced. “Lousy crap.”
“Huh?” Ben frowned.
“I meant the coffee.” McGee put his cup on his desk then sat down again. “My wife’s friend did that—she and her sister married two brothers.” He grunted. “Unfortunately, they’re just not as rich as the Davis bunch.” He picked up a pencil and tapped it on the desk. “What about that cousin of hers, Todd Davis? She argued with him about the money, right?"
“She did.” Ben got up and started to pace. “But there is this: We questioned Todd and Marlene Davis’ neighbors to corroborate Todd Davis’ story about being home by nine thirty that evening. He admitted being with Carlee, even owned up to the arguments, but…”
“Go on. Tell me.”
“One of the neighbors claims he was walking his dog that evening at nine fifteen.”
“The neighbor saw Todd Davis pull into his driveway.” Dan stated. “Carlee Davis was attacked at ten o’clock.” He flipped through his notebook. “That’s when she managed to hit the panic button in the store.”
“And this neighbor is sure it was Todd?”
Dan nodded. “Positive. He even stopped to talk with Todd.”
“About?” McGee raised a brow.
“Just general chit-chat.”
Kissed by the Sun Page 4