My Private Detective

by Rebecca Winters

  “Nevertheless, I think it might be better if we went back to my apartment. We can order pizza, if you’d like.”

  “I’d like.”

  Relieved that she’d offered a compromise, one that meant they’d be spending the rest of the evening together, he started the engine. They drove to her apartment in silence. She didn’t seem inclined to talk. It didn’t matter. He needed time to gather his thoughts.

  Meeting her had already changed his life. He knew it from the way he’d felt when he’d gotten out of bed this morning. A heightened sense of well-being. An awareness of new possibilities.

  Suddenly he found himself contemplating a future he hadn’t even dared to dream about since his early twenties, when he was a rookie cop in New York. He had no intention of losing Heidi Ellis at the starting line.

  A few minutes later, he was following her into the apartment. He’d only caught a glimpse of the interior earlier.

  Now he looked all around, taking in the white walls, framed photographs and Impressionist prints. She had dozens of interesting books on art and literature in a tall narrow walnut case that went to the ceiling. An Italian credenza rested against one wall.

  Two matching striped French-provincial chairs flanked a large square glass coffee table. In the center was a copper pot filled with shocking-pink azaleas. Other trees and plants were placed in corners and niches.

  A comfortable-looking dark-red sofa with a pile of colorful pillows dominated the other wall. Hardwood floors were covered by an Oriental rug with a small floral design that tied all the colors of the room together.

  If she wasn’t a schoolteacher, he bet she could make her living as an interior decorator. The furnishings in her classroom were an extension of what he could see here.

  “I feel like I’ve walked into a trendy New York loft on the upper west side.”

  She looked pleased by the comment. “No one’s ever told me that before. But then, I’ve never known a native New Yorker.”

  “I’m a Southern Californian by now.”

  “You still have a slight accent. Don’t ever lose it.”

  They were dancing around each other, beginning the ritual of getting to know each other. It wasn’t just the words. They were communicating on so many levels Gideon felt an exhilaration he could scarcely contain.

  “What do you like on your pizza?” she asked.

  “Everything but anchovies.”

  “I’ll phone from the kitchen. Can I bring you some coffee or a cola?”

  “Cola sounds good.”

  She nodded. “I’ll be right back.”

  After she’d disappeared, he walked to the coffee table and picked up an oversize book comparing the pyramids of Egypt and Mesoamerica. Intrigued, he sat on the couch to thumb through it.

  When she returned and set his drink on the table, he glanced up. “Have you traveled to both places?”

  “Yes. I went inside the pyramid you’re looking at right now.”

  “That must have been an incredible experience.”

  “It was—in more ways than one.” She sat at the other end of the couch, holding her drink. “I almost died of the heat. It was 135 degrees in the tunnel, and the odor was horrendous. Part of the time, you had to bend way down while you walked. In some spots a man your size would’ve been forced to get down on his hands and knees.”

  His lips twitched. “I would never have guessed.”

  “Me, neither,” she said in a wry voice. “I’m afraid that when we reached the inner chambers of the tomb, our guide’s explanation washed right over me because I was weaving in and out of consciousness from lack of air. I bought this book so I could see what I’d missed, but I don’t admit that to my students.”

  Everything she said and did charmed him.

  He closed the cover and sat back against the pillows with his drink. “What about the New World pyramids?” he asked.

  “You climb them on the outside in 130-degree heat and suffer vertigo before you reach the top. Choose your poison.”

  The word reminded them both of the class assignment. She returned his smile.

  He finished his drink and put the glass back on the table. “Heidi…I want to apologize for my son’s behavior.”

  She shook her head. “It’s not necessary.”

  “I think it is.” He sat forward. “Because of my career, Kevin’s always worried that something might happen to me. I’ve taken him to therapy to help him overcome his fear.

  “Now that he’s older, he’s doing a lot better in that department. However, after tonight’s demonstration, it’s obvious he’s developed another problem.”

  “You mean he hasn’t had trouble sharing you before now?”

  “No. I haven’t remarried, but I’ve had several relationships with women over the years. He accepted their presence in my life. You have to understand that his rudeness to you came as a tremendous shock to me. I’ve never seen that kind of behavior from him before.”

  “Did he have any idea of your plans for this evening?”

  “No.”

  “Then I can see why he was upset. It was one thing to watch you interact with me in class. But quite another to—”

  “To discover me escorting you in public,” he broke in.

  She avoided his eyes and took another sip of her drink. “I have no doubt that when you explain the reason you took me to dinner, he’ll be reassured.”

  Gideon shook his head. “What if I want to take you out to dinner tomorrow night?” he asked quietly. “And the night after that?”

  MORE THAN ANYTHING in the world, Heidi had hoped to hear those words from him. She just hadn’t expected such candor tonight. Yet she shouldn’t have been surprised. Gideon’s inquiring nature compelled him to drive unrelentingly until he found the answer he sought. It was professional curiosity, she told herself yet again. Nothing personal.

  “If I’m moving too fast for you, I won’t apologize,” he murmured. “I know in my gut you’re not indifferent to me. That’s why Kevin fell apart tonight. He sensed the chemistry between us and feels threatened by it.”

  She jumped up from the couch. “Your son adores you. Much as I might enjoy your company, he has a prior claim. I think it would be better if we only saw each other during class.”

  “Unless this is your way of telling me you’re involved with someone else, I refuse to accept that.”

  His blunt honesty was as shocking as it was thrilling. With a few succinct words he’d established ground rules that required she be equally candid. He wouldn’t accept anything less.

  “Th-there’s no one else, but—”

  “But nothing,” he cut in with almost forbidding finality. “That’s all I needed to know. Kevin’s going to have to come to grips with the fact that his father has a personal life—”

  A knock on the door interrupted them.

  “I’ll get it.” With effortless agility he intercepted her and paid the delivery man for the pizza. “Where do you want us to eat?”

  “In the dining area. We’ll be more comfortable there. I’ve made a salad, as well.”

  He followed her through the living room to a roomy white-and-yellow alcove with a bay window, where she’d hung two large baskets of flowering plants. The square oak pedestal table stood near a matching hutch, complete with hand-painted pottery. The room’s warm sunny feel delighted him.

  “You have superb taste,” he said when they’d settled down to enjoy their pizza and salad.

  “I can’t take any credit. My mother’s family has dealt in furniture and antiques since the early 1900s. One of the perks of being her daughter was that my best friend and I started working at the warehouse from the age of fourteen.

  “When something came in that we felt we couldn’t live without, we worked all the overtime they’d give us to pay for it. If you think my apartment’s interesting, you should have seen Dana’s…before she was sent to prison.”

  There. She’d been waiting for the right opening. Now it was out.<
br />
  Gideon flashed her a lightning glance, then put down his half-eaten piece of pizza.

  “She didn’t kill Amy!” Heidi blurted. Tears sprang to her eyes. “Her family lives next door to mine. We grew up like sisters. I know her as well as I know myself. She’s dying in that prison, Gideon.” Her voice trembled. “I’ve got to get her out of there or my life’s not going to be worth living, either!”

  “Lord,” she heard him whisper.

  “When I found out that the retired head of San Diego’s Homicide division was teaching a criminology class in my room, I considered it a godsend. That’s why—”

  “You don’t need to explain,” he interjected.

  “You’ll never know how grateful I am that you let me join the class. Already I’ve learned so much, and I know vital evidence was overlooked in her case. The other night I phoned John Cobb, Dana’s attorney.”

  “He’s one of the best around.”

  She sucked in her breath. “I hope you’re right, Gideon. He believes in Dana’s innocence, but he said that unless we come up with compelling new evidence, he won’t be able to get the case reopened.”

  “That’s because he knows how difficult it is to do that.”

  “But surely it’s not impossible….”

  He reached out to squeeze her hand. Warmth spread through her body. “No. Nothing’s impossible if you want it badly enough.”

  “I want it for her parents, too. It’s so awful, Gideon. They spend their days between visiting the prison and the cemetery where Amy’s buried.”

  With her pulse pounding in her ears, she said, “Do you thi—”

  Once again they were interrupted, this time by Gideon’s cell phone. Frowning, he let go of her hand and pulled the phone from his trouser pocket.

  Not wanting to appear too curious, she started clearing the table. It sounded as though he was trying to appease someone. Heidi had an idea who that someone was.

  Judging by Gideon’s sober expression when he put his phone away, she was expecting the worst. He didn’t disappoint her. “That was Kevin,” he said. “He was sobbing so hard I could hardly understand him.”

  Heartsick, she rested her hip against the counter. “I’m not surprised.”

  He shook his head, frowning. “Frankly, I am. Do you know that boy left the restaurant, caught the bus to my house, let himself in, and has been waiting for me?”

  “Like he’s the parent?” she teased, trying to lighten his burden.

  “Exactly. But he crossed a line tonight. To make matters worse, his mother has no idea he’s not with Brad. He swore his friend to secrecy, but secrets have a way of getting out. If she hears what happened, she’ll punish him by curtailing his visits with me for a while.”

  “Can she ignore his visitation rights?”

  His eyes met hers. “No. The judge would tell her she’d have to discipline him another way, but I don’t want to give her the opportunity to make trouble. I’m afraid I’ve got to go. The sooner I get Kevin home, the better.”

  “I agree.”

  She didn’t want him to go, but it couldn’t be helped. His son needed him, needed his reassurance.

  “I’ll call you tonight, no matter how late it is.”

  She nodded, feeling his reluctance to leave. He wheeled around abruptly and left her apartment.

  After she heard the front door close, she hurried into the living room, toward the shuttered window, and peered out through the slats. As she watched him dash toward his car, she couldn’t stop her heart from chasing after him.

  “ARE YOU MAD at me?”

  Gideon gripped the steering wheel a little more tightly as he backed the car out of the driveway and headed for Mission Beach. “No. I’m angry at myself.”

  Kevin’s head jerked toward him in surprise. “How come?”

  “I broke a rule I learned from Daniel.”

  “What rule?”

  “Never assume anything.”

  “I don’t get it.”

  He drew in a deep breath. “It doesn’t matter. The important thing is that over the last couple of years you’ve changed from a boy into a teenager. It happened without my really being aware of it…until tonight. Long ago I should’ve had the talk I’m going to have with you now. It would’ve prevented what happened at the restaurant earlier this evening.”

  His son lowered his head without saying anything.

  “I’m a man who believes that if you’re in love with a woman, you don’t live with her the way a lot of men do. You marry her.

  “Over the years I’ve had a series of relationships with women, but when it came right down to it, I realized I wasn’t in love with any of them. That’s why I’ve been single all this time. It’s the reason you’ve never questioned my living alone.

  “Where I made my mistake was not telling you that I’ve always wanted to get married again, provided I meet the right woman.”

  “But that would ruin everything!” Kevin exploded.

  Something twisted unpleasantly in Gideon’s stomach. He could see this was going to take time. Above all, he needed wisdom and patience to help his son understand it wasn’t the end of life as he knew it.

  “Kevin, you know I love you more than anything in the world.”

  After a long silence, the boy muttered, “I thought you did.”

  Gideon recognized that it was his son’s anger talking. He’d always had to compete with his stepfather for his mother’s love.

  “You’re in love with her, aren’t you!” he accused unexpectedly. “All the guys saw your arm around her.”

  Dear God. More damage had been done than he’d realized.

  “Let’s just say I’m very attracted to Heidi. However, no one knows what the future holds. I’m planning to spend more time with her to explore what might be between us. But whatever happens, nothing’s going to change my relationship with you. It couldn’t. That’s because you’re my son and we’re a team. We always will be.”

  Kevin didn’t say another word the rest of the way home. When they pulled up to the curb in front of Fay’s house, he got out of the car without giving Gideon a hug. That was a first.

  It hurt like hell.

  When Kevin turned to shut the door, his eyes glittered with a combination of anger and pain. “I thought I was going to live with you when I turned eighteen, but I won’t if you marry her. I hate her, and I don’t want to go to your class anymore.”

  Long after he’d run into the house, Gideon sat there in pained disbelief as his son’s words reverberated in his head.

  IT WAS TEN AFTER ELEVEN when Heidi finished correcting the last test to hand back to her students on Monday. She was grateful for something to do—something to distract her so she wouldn’t go crazy waiting for the phone to ring.

  Though Gideon had told her he’d call later tonight, she wasn’t really counting on it. His son was upset. No telling how long it would take to calm his fears.

  Her experience as a teacher had shown her how unpredictable the early teenage years could be when hormones were raging and problems could no longer be solved with a hug from Mom followed by a batch of her homemade cookies.

  She turned off the TV, which had provided background noise, and got ready for bed. No sooner had her head touched the pillow than the phone rang.

  Sitting up, she reached for the receiver. “Hello?”

  “Heidi? It’s Gideon.”

  She willed her heart to slow down. “How did it go? Is he feeling better now?”

  “I’m afraid not.”

  The bleakness in his voice worried her. “I’m so sorry.”

  “So am I. But I don’t want to talk about that right now. What are you doing tomorrow?”

  She swallowed hard. “I had plans to visit Dana.”

  “Why don’t I pick you up and we’ll go together?”

  “You mean it?” she cried. Meeting Gideon would breathe new life into her friend, she was sure of it.

  “I was going to look at her case on Monda
y, but I’d prefer to talk to her first and form my own impressions without any bias.”

  A sob escaped her throat. “You don’t know…you can’t imagine what this will do for her.” Heidi couldn’t prevent her emotions from spilling over.

  “I’ll be by at ten. We can stop for lunch on the way.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you.” You have no idea what this means to me.

  CHAPTER SIX

  THE RINGING OF A PHONE seemed to be part of Gideon’s jumbled dream. But when the sound went on and on, he realized it couldn’t be. Half-awake, he reached for the phone at the side of his bed. “Poletti here.”

  “How come you didn’t tell me Kevin rode the bus clear out to your house after the birthday party last evening?”

  Fay.

  According to Gideon’s watch, it was only five-thirty in the morning. He jackknifed into a sitting position. “What’s wrong?”

  “We’re at St. Anne’s emergency room. Kevin woke up with a bad pain in his stomach, but the doctor couldn’t find anything wrong with him. It really angered me when he suggested my son was having psychological problems and ought to get counseling. We’ve been there and done that.”

  Gideon’s eyes closed tightly.

  “They gave him a mild sedative. It seemed to calm him a little. That’s when it all came out—about seeing you at the restaurant with some redhead you couldn’t keep your hands off. Why couldn’t you have shown a little discretion in front of him and his friends?”

  Whenever Fay was frightened, she either exaggerated or got nasty. But this time she’d gone too far. Bristling with rage, Gideon rose to his feet.

  “I’m on my way.”

  “That’s good, because Kevin refuses to go home until you get here. He has this idea that you don’t love him anymore, and he’s afraid he’ll never see you again.

  “Frank can’t do anything because Kevin doesn’t respond to him. Our marriage has been fine until now. I tell you I can’t handle this, Gideon! You caused the problem. Now you’ve got to fix it.”

  He had a temporary solution. In her highly vulnerable state, she might just agree. It was worth a shot.