“Yeah, Jeff? You have something for me? Uh-huh. Steel? Like thumb rings? When will you get the results? Thanks.”
He hung up and said nothing for a minute. Even Cody hadn’t moved.
“What did he say?” Cody finally asked.
“This case is getting stranger by the minute. Apparently, Greg had metal, steel to be exact, embedded in the bone on both thumbs, like he’d worn matching thumb rings.”
“Maybe you could ask the people Mr. Tanner worked with at the feedstore if they remembered him wearing that kind of jewelry.”
Shane shook his head. “I can’t imagine Greg into rings. He was a burly guy who complained all the time about having to shave every day.”
An alternative explanation came to mind. She’d seen some wild shit in Denver, but this was out there even for the large city. “I went out with some policeman once, and he took me on a raid of a sex club. They had the man in thumb cuffs and were doing some rather unimaginable things to him.” She didn’t want to explain how one man was whipping the poor guy then proceeded to fuck him in the ass, while the other demanded a blow job. After that date, she didn’t go out with the cop again.
Shane’s chest puffed out. “Greg and Rhonda weren’t into kink.”
Her mouth gaped open. “How do you know?” She slapped a hand over her mouth. “Unless you were—”
His brows pinched. “No. I wasn’t involved in a ménage relationship with them if that’s what you’re thinking. They were monogamous. Intrigue might embrace a lot of different sexual orientations, but the Tanners loved only each other.”
Her cheeks heated. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”
Shane must have realized he’d reacted a bit too strong. “Sorry, I’m still not myself.”
She wasn’t convinced the loving couple wasn’t into something kinky that went terribly wrong. If Shane couldn’t handle the discussion, too bad. She was here to get to the bottom of the situation. “This might be too much information, but I went out with a guy who I later found out visited sex clubs all the time. I had no idea he was into domination.” She held up a hand. “What I’m trying to say is that sometimes a person can hide things, even from the woman he claimed to love.”
Cody held her gaze for too long then slammed down the rest of his beer. “What else did the ME say?” He acted like her admission that she was in love with some strange guy meant nothing. That was an interesting note for her Cody file.
“The doctor is running a tox screen on them now. He said the bottle next to the bed was cough suppressant.”
“Maybe they took too much and fell asleep.” She usually didn’t draw conclusions without more facts, but Shane seemed to need answers.
“Perhaps. Stuff like that has conked me out in the past, but I can tell you I’d wake up in a hurry if the house was on fire.”
He had a valid point. “Could they have tied each other down, and when the fire occurred, they couldn’t get loose?” She waved a hand. “Never mind. That was stupid. If they were both tied down, they couldn’t have lit a cigarette.”
Cody got up and grabbed another beer. He stepped past her. “Do you smoke?”
“No.”
“I don’t either, but I imagine if you’re so sick that you need to take cough medicine, you wouldn’t be smoking.”
She dragged her gaze back to Shane. “So what’s your theory?”
“Hell, if I know. I’ll wait for the tox screen to come back, as well as see if any of the materials around the bed were soaked in something.”
“I trust they weren’t shot.”
“I’m leaving that to the medical examiner to figure out. The bodies were too burned to tell.”
“I’ll do some more digging to see if I can find out if anyone would want them dead.”
Cody twisted toward her. “Leave the townsfolk to me. You’re a newcomer. You might do well using Internet searches, but the people around here will be more open with someone they know.”
She didn’t doubt that, but it hurt to be considered an outsider. She was born and raised in Intrigue.
When they’d exhausted their theories, she decided not to overstay her welcome. It was after eleven, and she needed to get her rest. To be honest, as depressing a topic as the Tanner deaths were, she’d enjoyed herself immensely. These two men had passion and commitment, two traits she found terribly sexy.
The big question was how could she get them interested in her?
She turned off the recorder on her phone, slapped her thighs, and stood. “We’ll have to do this more often, but I can see I have a big job in front of me.” She faced Shane. “Please let me know when you know what started the fire.”
“Will do.”
Cody stood. “Are you sure you have to leave?” His brows rose.
A thousand thoughts raced through her head about what he wanted. Was he interested in merely catching up since high school, or was he more interested in a physical liaison? If she wanted to have a meaningful relationship with these two, she didn’t need to be jumping in the sack right away. “I’m not leaving town anytime soon.” She tossed him her sexiest smile and headed to the door.
Cody followed her out. “When can we see each other again?”
Her throat turned dry, but her panties made up for it. “You’ve got my number.”
She turned her back, unable to look him in the face and not kiss him. As cool as she could, she walked to her car, aware that he hadn’t yet closed the door. She slipped in the driver’s side, rolled down the electric windows, and waved.
For the whole way home, the smile never left her face.
* * * *
When Jessie’s taillights disappeared, Cody went back inside. “So what do you think?”
“I’m wondering about her agenda.”
Shane was talking crazy. “What do you mean?”
“I know what you’re asking. You’re wondering if she might be the one. Right?”
“Yes. She’s everything we want in a woman. She’s making a good living, I bet, so she won’t be after me for my wealth.”
Shane got up and headed into the kitchen. He came back with an apple and a beer. How Shane lived on the odd combinations of food he ingested, he didn’t know.
“Jessie always hated wealth. Now that she has a good job, she seems to have changed her tune. Did you see her expensive clothes? Even her hair was highlighted with blonde streaks. She’s changed.”
“You’re just tired.”
“Maybe, but I’d keep an eye out for her.”
Cody leaned back in his chair and flipped on the TV. “If you don’t want her, I do. I bet she’d be hot in bed.”
“Don’t get me wrong. I’d almost be willing to hang up my fireman boots to sink my cock in that ass, but let’s see where her moral compass is pointing before we team up.”
Cody shrugged. “I’ll give her a few days. Then I plan on asking her out. Maybe I’ll take her to the Labor Day festivities this weekend.”
“I might be up for that with you. We’d get to see the real Jessie.”
“As opposed to the aggressive reporter?”
“I like the aggressive reporter in her. Let’s see how she handles the information I gave her.”
His head spun. “You think she’d put the off-the-record information you gave her online?”
“I’m worried she might twist my words.”
“I’m betting she won’t leak anything you told her.” Or at least, he hoped she wouldn’t. He’d watched her eyes and saw the concern in them. “She really seemed to want to get to the truth, even if it meant there was no story.”
Shane bit into his apple. “I say let’s stay close to her. People can’t hide their real nature for long. The question I pose is, will she forsake her core beliefs for the job? Or is she the same Jessie we knew and wanted?”
“All I know is that I sure as hell plan to have fun while I find out the answer to that question.”
Chapter Three
Jessie spent the whole
next day working on the Tanner fire story but wasn’t able to uncover anything that appeared suspicious. Cody must have either worked long into the night or gotten up extra early this morning, because there was an article on the fire in the Intrigue Sun. The Tanners only had two neighbors, and neither of them had seen or heard anything according to the paper. That was one downside of living on a thousand acres far from anyone.
“Hey, Jessie.”
She looked up from her desk. Walt Mitchell, her boss, was standing over her. Every time she saw him, the image of Ichabod Crane came to mind. This man looked nothing like Johnny Depp, the last actor to play him in Sleepy Hollow, but rather a more gaunt version she’d formed in her mind. While Walt always dressed in a neat, black suit, his greasy, slicked-back hair and pitted skin made him look like he belonged more in the nineteenth century than the twenty-first.
“What’s up?”
“We loved your piece on the Tanner fire. Nice job.”
“Thank you. I’m waiting for the arson report, so I can do a follow-up story.”
He waved a hand. “Oh, I don’t think there is anything more we need to cover. I have a new assignment for you.”
She wasn’t close to putting away the Tanner investigation. “What is that?”
“Several of the children have had their bikes stolen from the school yard.”
She waited for him to tell her that one of the parents confronted the thief, and the man shot the parent. “Isn’t that the job for the police department?”
He let out a sigh. “Yes, but find out what they know.”
She was about to say she wasn’t a newspaper reporter, but decided to keep her mouth shut. Getting fired the first week on the job wouldn’t be smart. “Sure.”
As soon as Ichabod walked away, she picked up the Intrigue Sun and noted the number to call for information. Cody had said he had a few staff members, so she was surprised when he answered.
“Cody Callen.”
The smooth way he said his name made her toes curl. She had contacted him for one purpose, but a new thought entered her brain. “Hey, it’s Jessie.”
“What can I do for you?” His tone was upbeat, and he actually sounded excited to hear from her.
“Do you, or can you, get a hold of photos of the Tanners?”
“Why?”
Ichabod walked out of his office and was within earshot. “Would it be possible to meet with you?” Her station was on the edge of town, whereas the Intrigue Sun sat in the center.
“Sure. When?”
“Now? I could drive over.” Since he’d answered the phone, he was at the office.
“I’ll be waiting.”
She picked up her purse and headed out. If she needed to shoot any video, her iPhone was her best friend. If her boss saw her, he’d think she was on the way to either the police department or the school to investigate the bike thefts. He couldn’t have been further from the truth. Her real destination was the Siren Lounge sex club, hopefully with Cody Callen in tow.
When she entered the Intrigue Sun office, Cody came barreling toward her as if he couldn’t wait to see her. Most likely he thought she had a new lead and wanted to share it with him. For her own ego, she decided he was excited because he got to see her again. “Hey.”
“What’s up?” He stood close enough for her to smell his yummy, woodsy, pine-scented cologne and see the green and brown flecks dotting his penetrating blue eyes.
“Did you find the photos of the two deceased Tanners?”
“Yes. Follow me.”
He wrapped an arm around her waist, and his strong touch ignited her back. Tingles exploded up her spine. If she wanted to be able to focus on her job, she didn’t need to have this distraction, but she could no more step away than two polar opposite magnets could break apart on their own.
The main area of the newspaper office had four desks no more than five feet apart from each other. One of the four sat empty. A phone rang at one of the desks, but its owner wasn’t there. The clang of presses sounded in the background. That was odd since they wouldn’t be printing anything this late in the morning. Maybe times had changed.
Cody led her over to a middle-aged woman. “Wanda, do you have the obit pictures for the Tanners?”
She blinked a few times, as if she wasn’t used to having the boss actually come up to her desk. “Yes.” A second later she stood, waddled over to a file cabinet, and pulled out a file. She extracted two photos and returned. “I was able to locate Mr. Tanner’s mother. She had photos of both her son and daughter-in-law.”
Jessie touched Cody’s arm. “Can I borrow these? Or at least get a copy?”
“Sure.” He turned back to the obituary worker. “Can you make a copy and bring it into my office?”
“Yes, sir.” Her hand shook as she took back the pictures.
Cody led Jessie past the other desks into a glass-walled office. “Have a seat and tell me why you want their photos.”
This was going to be the hard part of the conversation. “I didn’t know the Tanners, but I wanted to explore the kinky sex slant.”
Cody’s jaw lowered as he tilted his chin downward. “Why?”
“I’ve been doing some research. If the metal on Greg Tanner’s thumbs was a result of thumb cuffs, that could mean they were either into some kink or had been involved in drug trafficking. According to my sources, the Colombian drug cartel uses such tactics.”
Cody leaned back and laughed. “You are something else. This is Intrigue, remember? We don’t have men with AK-47s walking around or Colombian drug lords.”
She knew she’d get this reaction. “I thought you wanted the truth.”
He blinked. “I do.”
“Then why not exhaust every avenue?”
He studied her for a moment. “You have a point. Where do you want to start?”
She stilled. “I was planning on showing the photos to the workers of the Siren Lounge.” While she’d never been in that establishment, she’d heard all the tales about the bizarre sexual exploits that occurred there. One could either pay to watch people have sex or participate and get paid.
“You want to go into the Siren Lounge?” His smile grew with each word.
A knock sounded and the door creaked open. Wanda stuck her head in. “I have what you asked for.” She glanced from Cody to her.
Cody jumped up and took the copies from her. “Thanks.”
She ducked back out.
He faced Jessie. “You ready to investigate?”
She stood. “You don’t have to come along.” Being in a place where there were naked people and having Cody by her side might overload her senses.
“I’m a reporter. I want to get to the bottom of this, too. If the Tanners were murdered, I want to be the first to find out.”
She grinned. “Hope you don’t mind being second.”
He laughed. “You ready to see the seamier side of Intrigue?”
“Kink is not necessarily seamy.” Oh, God. Had she really said that? Now he’d think she wanted to be tied down and spanked. She closed her eyes tightly for a second and pushed aside that delicious thought.
She’d never had a ménage relationship before. In her heart, she knew she was waiting for Shane and Cody to come into her life.
His hand seemed firmer on her waist as if he didn’t want her out of his sight. “I’ll drive.”
That worked for her. His truck wasn’t new by any stretch, but the inside was clean. She pressed the window button to get some air. Being in such a closed space with him jumbled her brain.
“So, you’re thinking the guy at the front desk will recognize these two as regulars, tell you about it without a warrant, and you’ll eliminate the drug cartel as a suspect?”
When he put it that way, her idea did seem a bit stupid. “I guess that was my thinking. Lame, huh?”
He shrugged. “I figured you knew that, but you contacted me because you wanted to see me again.” He winked and her face heated up.
H
ad he developed X-Ray vision into her mind? “No. I needed their picture for not only the news, but also in case something else turned up.” That sounded reasonable.
“Uh-huh.” He grinned, and her body seemed to catch on fire.
She said nothing more. Fortunately, the sex club was less than a mile away. He parked in front. “You sure you want to go in?” His tone held concern as well as something she couldn’t put her finger on. Here she’d prided herself on reading people. She guessed Cody had a secret stash of Kryptonite in his pocket designed to keep her off balance.
“Yes.” The daylight did not show the club in the best condition. It needed some paint and a new door. It looked like someone had smashed a hand through one of the panels. The trash on the sidewalk was anything but inviting.
“Come on then. You’ll be safe with me.”
She wasn’t sure if he meant he’d keep her safe from the unsavory elements inside or he wouldn’t put the moves on her.
Once inside, her eyes took a moment to get used to the dark. There was a desk at the entrance where a short, stubby man sat behind.
“Cody. Little lady. You come for a little viewing or a little doing?”
The man raked his gaze up and down her. She was about to little lady him when Cody had the nerve to chuckle. He nudged her to produce the photos. “Do you recognize these people?”
Wait a minute. This guy knew Cody? Was it because he was a regular or because he ran the only newspaper in town?
“The Tanners? Sure.”
Her heart raced. “Do you remember the last time they were in here?”
The stubby man leaned back. “They ain’t never been in here. I just knew them. Nicest people in the world. In fact, my son did some contracting work for them. Installed the solar panels on their roof.” He waved a hand. “It’s a shame you came all the way out here for nothing.”
Damn. “Thanks for your time.”
He cleared his throat. “If you want, you’re welcome to take a peek around. It’s a little dead now, but come Friday or Saturday night, I bet you’ll find something that strikes your fancy.” He winked, but his overture did nothing for her. “We have women on women, men on men, and my personal favorite, two or three guys on one girl.” He grinned. While the light was dim, his teeth glowed yellow.
Monroe, Melody Snow - Truth and Seduction [The Callens 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 3