Monroe, Melody Snow - Truth and Seduction [The Callens 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Melody Snow Monroe

  She slipped her business card out of her pocket and handed it to him. “Maybe we can keep in touch.”

  His grin reached his eyes. “You can count on that.” He flipped over her card. “Got a cell number?”

  Her pulse skipped a beat. Standing in front of his locker flashed in her mind when he’d asked her out to homecoming. She’d said no then, but not this time. “Sure.” She slipped the card from his grasp, making sure their fingers touched. Heat tripped up her spine. Something was wrong with her today. She never got weak-kneed in front of the camera and certainly not in front of a man. Ever.

  She located a pen, scribbled her number on the back, and handed him the card. “Call me.”

  “I will.”

  Shane had finished with his boss. He walked over to them, but he kept glancing at the burning building, almost as if he wished he were suited up and could run in and check to see if anyone else was inside. Just then, the firefighters raced from the building as part of the roof collapsed behind them. The loud crash made her jump.

  “Excuse me.” Shane took off at a jog.

  He was too far out of range to hear the conversation with the fellow firefighters. One way or another, she’d get the scoop.

  Five minutes later, Shane returned. Only this time, he was almost dragging his feet. He turned to Cody. “You better go. I’ll need to wait until the fire has cooled before I can investigate.”

  Cody grabbed his friend’s arm. “I’m not leaving. Did you learn what happened?”

  Shane glanced at Jessie, acting as if he wanted her to go away. That wasn’t going to happen. She had every right to be there and stayed her ground.

  “Chuck spotted two bodies on the bed just as the roof was coming down, so he and the men had to get out of there.”

  “I’m sorry.” Cody’s voice sounded thick. “You’ll find out what happened to them.”

  Dear God. Andy’s parents were dead. She couldn’t imagine a worse way to die than being trapped in a burning building.

  “You got that right. If the bodies are the Tanners, I can’t imagine what Andy will do.” He ran a hand down his smoke-covered face.

  She waited for Shane or Cody to ask her to stay around. When they didn’t, she headed back to the van. Not only did her stomach churn and ache for the little boy, but from the way Shane seemed to be reining in his emotions, he, too, was battling with his demons.

  As she slipped into the van, she knew Intrigue was going to live up to its name.

  * * * *

  While Shane had investigated many fires over the years, knowing the people who’d died had to be the hardest burden to bear. Before the fire truck took off, he borrowed some heavy boots and gear so he could perform his arson investigation. Once he was convinced the structure was cool enough to go in, he carefully stepped onto the fallen boards, making sure to choose the sturdiest ones to stand on. He’d already photographed the outside and surrounding area for evidence of foul play. It would have been nice if the arsonist had left the gas can outside the front door with his fingerprints on it. Then his job would have been done.

  If he finished checking the scene before it got dark, he’d see if Andy felt like talking. He wouldn’t be surprised if the little guy was too traumatized to speak, at least for a while. When Shane was six, he’d found his mother dead in her bed. He’d shaken her but gotten no response. It wasn’t until his dad came home that he learned his mom had gone to heaven. His father told him later on that Shane hadn’t spoken another word for days. Andy might go through something similar. Poor little guy. He wished there was something he could do for him. He just hoped child services could find someone to take the boy.

  You might as well get this over with.

  Since Shane had visited Greg and Rhonda on numerous occasions, he basically knew the location of the bedroom. This was the worst part of the job. Seeing where they died always tied up his gut. As he approached, his stomach soured. The burning building smelled like sweet, rotten food, an odor he never got used to. With camera in hand, he photographed the destruction.

  When he came to the bedroom area, he pushed aside the angry thoughts swirling in his brain. The injustice of it tore him up. His father, who he’d kept at arm’s length since he graduated high school, had taught him one valuable lesson. Showing emotion was a sign of weakness. Shane inhaled and drew on his professional skills, telling himself he needed to stay focused for the sake of the Tanners.

  The roof had collapsed on top of the bed. He’d have to move the wreckage himself. While Cody was somewhere sniffing out clues, and a bunch of cops were either cordoning off the area or searching for what police looked for at crime scenes, he needed to work solo. He couldn’t afford to have any untrained men come into the burned-out shell.

  Shane donned his well-insulated gloves and managed to shove the trusses to the side. When he uncovered the bed, his heart sank. Greg and Rhonda were lying there peacefully, as if they were unaware the house had ever been on fire. To him, that implied they might have been killed before the blaze started. At least he hoped that was the case.

  He shot photos of the bodies. Something tugged at him. Greg’s hands were in a prayerlike position with the tips of his fingers nearly touching his left shoulder. Under normal circumstances, when people burned to death, their muscles shrank and the body curled up in the fetal position. In this case, Greg’s hands were together, and that wasn’t normal.

  He’d almost finished documenting the scene when he spotted some cigarette paper on the bed. In fact, part of the cigarette was still intact. The problem was that to his knowledge neither Greg nor Rhonda smoked. He bagged the stub, hoping the lab would give him some answers.

  A glass bottle sat on the nightstand. He picked it up and placed it in another evidence bag. Maybe they’d been poisoned. That would explain why neither moved when the house caught on fire. But if so, why would the killer leave the evidence behind? Nothing was adding up, and yet so far, he saw no sign of arson. There weren’t the usual fire lines associated with an accelerant. Regardless, he took samples of what was left of the bed and drapes and would ask the lab to analyze it. The bedroom clearly was the origin, but how the fire started confused him. To someone who didn’t know the Tanners, they’d conclude the cigarette caught the bed on fire. Even if that were the case, two people would not watch the bed go up in flames and not move. Nope, this case was anything but cut-and-dry.

  By the time he actually finished, it was almost too dark to see. He spotted Cody on the other side of the house talking to one of the cops and made his way over there.

  “I’m through here for now.”

  Cody finished his questioning, joined him, and scrunched up his nose. “You stink.”

  “The hazards of the job. You’re no sweet peach either.”

  Cody shrugged. “You want to get something to eat?”

  Shane laughed. “Like this? What planet are you from?”

  “I meant after you and I clean up, dork.”

  Cody’s teasing was his way of lightening the mood. His roommate knew all too well that after a fire investigation, he’d be in a bear of a mood. “Works for me.”

  Shane took one last look at the house. Half of the structure still stood, but the roof was mostly gone. Good thing Andy’s room was on the side that was still standing. If Jessie hadn’t spotted the fire when she did and called the department, Andy would be dead.

  With the arson investigation on hold until he got the lab results back, he let his mind wander to the now-grown-up woman. He smiled. She never knew it, but she’d been the one who’d changed his life.

  Chapter Two

  Shane and Cody watched the late-night replay of the Tanner house burning down. Seeing the horror from the cameraman’s point of view brought more dismay. A few more minutes of hesitation and Andy might have been dead. Flames had shot out the window just as Andy had jumped.

  Shane leaned forward and kept close watch on the background to see if anyone might have been lingering, admiring his han
diwork. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d caught sight of the offender waiting around to see the panic ensue.

  He bet his best pair of boots that if someone had set the fire, the arsonist never would have expected a news team to be nearby. Working during the daylight hours made sense. A fire at night would have been noticed sooner.

  The story on the TV changed to the citywide Labor Day festival this weekend, but he didn’t listen to the details.

  “What’s bugging you?”

  Cody always could read him. “What were Greg and Rhonda doing in bed in the middle of a Saturday afternoon?”

  His roommate leaned back in his chair. “What do you think two people do in bed in the middle of the day?”

  He knew his favorite pastime. Of late, he and Cody had been so involved in their jobs, they hadn’t engaged in any sharing activity. Duh. “They were having sex.” Shane rested his elbows on his knees. “Could they have been so caught up in the act that they didn’t notice the flames licking the bed?”

  Cody polished off the rest of his beer. “Hard to believe.” He turned back to the tube and nodded. “She looked good, didn’t she?”

  Shane didn’t need to ask who she was. He also appreciated Cody’s attempt to get his mind off the horrific situation. “Jessie was hot in high school.” That was why they’d both asked her out. Too bad she wanted nothing to do with the rich boys, as she called them. “Still is.”

  Cody shook his head. “We should have worked harder to win her back then.”

  Jessie was the type of woman they’d both wanted. She was beautiful, smart, and aggressive. Because she was raised by a single mom who held two jobs, Jessie worked harder than most people he knew. She said she’d be a success someday, and apparently she was right.

  Shane looked up. “It’s never too late.” When he’d asked her out, she’d turned him down and told him it was because he’d never understand her. She claimed that he had his life handed to him and that he didn’t know what it was like to be poor.

  Those words resounded in his head for years. Then when he overheard his father say that only twenty percent of the money received for his Save-The-Orphans Foundation actually went to the kids, Shane knew Jessie had been right. His father was basically a thief, and his dad hadn’t earned much of their wealth.

  After high school he spent years getting trained as a firefighter. As soon as he landed the job, he’d divorced himself from his father and started to live on what he earned. She’d never accuse him of not understanding what poor meant now.

  Okay, that wasn’t totally true. He lived in Cody’s elegant home, but at least he paid rent.

  Cody waved something. “I have her card. Do you think we should call her and let her know what you found out?”

  Shane couldn’t remember seeing the suave and sophisticated roommate so eager to go out with a woman. Cody usually had to fend the ladies off with a stick. Maybe that was because he had everything—charm, good looks, and money.

  But deep inside, he knew Cody wanted more. He longed for the stability and kind of love his parents had. Hell, Shane was barely able to remember his own mom and longed for what Cody wanted, too. Maybe that was why he spent so much time at the Callen ranch, enjoying the wonderful family dynamics.

  It was clear the woman Cody wanted was Jessie, someone Shane could see both of them sharing. “Call her, though I’m not sure what I can tell her, on or off the record.”

  “Maybe she did some digging today and can fill in some of the blanks. You didn’t know the Tanners that well. There might be something they kept from the outside world.”

  “True.” Shane glanced at the clock. “It’s after nine.”

  “So? Reporters don’t sleep.”

  He hadn’t seen Cody this wired in a long time. “Go for it.”

  * * * *

  Jessie had just jumped out of the shower and was drying off when her cell rang. Wrapping the towel around her body, she rushed out to the kitchen to answer the call. When she worked in Denver, she’d get calls at all hours. She smiled when she saw the name on the screen.

  “Cody, hello.” She was a bit shocked when her pussy dampened. She pulled off the towel and ran it through her legs, deciding the moisture must have been from the water.

  “Shane just got back from investigating the fire. We thought you might like to stop by and hear what he has to say.”

  It was after nine, but she didn’t mind if it meant she got to see those two hunks and get a lead at the same time. That was a win-win to her. From Cody’s calm delivery, she couldn’t tell if this was strictly business, or if he meant it as a date. She had given him her card and told him to call her. Either way, she wasn’t going to pass up the chance to reunite with them again. “Sure. Where?”

  He gave her his address and she scribbled it down. “Can you give me forty-five minutes?”

  She wanted to look her best.

  “We’ll be here.”

  Yes! If the two men lived together, they couldn’t be married. Coming home to Intrigue may have been the smartest thing she’d done in a long time.

  Yikes! She had to dress to attract, but she didn’t want them to think she was on the prowl. These men were used to sophistication, and that was what they would get. Jeans and boots seemed to be the norm in Intrigue, but a silky blouse, a casual hairstyle, and modest makeup would do the trick. She spent a bit too much time getting ready but arrived only ten minutes later than promised.

  The large homestead didn’t surprise her. After all, the Callen family owned half the town. Despite the chill in the air, her palms were sweating when she rang the bell. She bounced up and down until the door latch clicked. Then she inhaled and blew out a calming breath.

  Cody opened up the door and her heart stilled. She’d just seen him a few hours ago, yet the open-throated, button-down shirt tucked into low-slung jeans showed off his enticing body even more.

  “Come in.” His smile caused fluttering in her stomach.

  Maybe mixing business with pleasure wasn’t such a good idea. Both men, she knew from experience, had a way of jumbling her brain cells. Apparently, the eleven years she’d spent working on her career hadn’t prepared her well enough for these two hunks.

  Shane got up from the chair. His hair was still damp, but the rest of him was on fire.

  Focus. This is about the job.

  While neither man commented on her carefully put-together outfit, Cody’s dilated pupils implied he liked what he saw. He motioned she sit on the chair opposite the sofa.

  Shane moved toward the kitchen. “You want something to drink? Beer? Soda? Water?”

  “Soda would be great.” She didn’t need to be getting tipsy and do something she’d regret. Shane returned and handed her a cold can of Diet Pepsi. “Wow. You remembered.” Her heart sped up until she realized he didn’t know she was even in town until today.

  “Well, not exactly. Cody’s sister likes them.”

  Was this awkward or what? “How is Samantha? Or were you talking about April?” She couldn’t remember the youngest sister’s name. They didn’t run in the same circles.

  “April. She’s doing great.”

  Shane pulled out a folder that had an official seal on the front. Apparently, he wanted to get down to business and told her what he found.

  Before he got too far, she lifted her iPhone from her purse. “Mind if I record this?”

  “Go ahead, but I don’t think what I say will be fit for the news. I’ve found no evidence of arson yet.”

  “But you suspect it?”

  “Again, this is not for publication.” He glanced to the recorder.

  “I understand.”

  He told her about his belief that the Tanners didn’t smoke. “It’s highly possible they were in bed making love at the time the fire occurred.”

  “I don’t have kids, so I guess I’m not one to judge, but maybe they locked their door to keep Andy out in case he came looking for them. When they tried to get out, the lock jammed.”
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br />   Shane took his time before answering. “Even if that were the case, the bodies were on the bed when I found them. If the lock had malfunctioned, I would have found their bodies by the door.”

  He had a point. “Maybe they were tied to the bed.”

  His eyes sparked, as if he appreciated her insight. “I thought of that. I looked for some rope or cuffs but saw nothing. With the fire being so intense around the bed, if the killer did tie them down with a scarf or used plastic tie wraps, the material would have burned up. I’ll see what the lab can find on the composition of the ashes. It’s a good thought.” He smiled and her body tingled all over.

  Forcing herself to focus on his words and not on what he did to her body, she sipped her drink. “That would be a long shot, I bet.”

  “I agree.”

  She turned to Cody, not that looking at him was any better. “I did a little background check on the Tanners this afternoon. Mr. Tanner worked at the local feedstore, and Mrs. Tanner worked as a secretary at a security firm.”

  Cody scooted forward on the sofa. “Their jobs weren’t a secret. What would their occupation have to do with their deaths?”

  “If this was arson, it implies someone wanted them dead. I wanted to see if their jobs would give me a clue.”

  “And did it?” She wasn’t sure why his lips had turned up. Damn him. He knew she had nothing.

  “No, but I won’t stop looking until Shane tells me it was a clear case of negligence on the part of the family.”

  Shane’s cell rang, and he retrieved the phone from his pocket. “It’s the medical examiner’s office. I need to take this.”

  It was after ten at night. It seemed as if the people of Intrigue never stopped working either.