That Old Devil Moon

by Anne Logan

  Maddie suddenly bowed her head and covered her face with her hands.

  As Alex watched her tremble with grief, he felt at a complete loss. Except for two other occasions in his life—the death of his brother in Vietnam and the day that the divorce-court judge, an old friend of Joan’s family, had given Joan full custody of his daughterhe couldn’t remember feeling as helpless as he did at that moment.

  “Sorry,” Maddie whispered in a choked, muffled voice.

  “Don’t apologize. I understand.” He paused. “Look, it’s tough right now, and I know this is a cliché, but things will get easier eventually.” He reached out and gave her shoulder a brief, reassuring squeeze. “You’ve just got to hang in there and try to remember the good stuff.”

  “I know…and thanks…” With a final sniff, she cleared her throat, dropped her hands and fumbled inside her jacket pocket. Her eyes were red-rimmed and her pale cheeks were streaked with mascara. But instead of pulling out a handkerchief or tissue as he’d expected, she pulled out a white envelope.

  “Great,” she whispered, dropping the envelope on top of the table. “I never seem to have a tissue when I need one.”

  “Here you go.” Alex tugged loose a couple of paper napkins from the dispenser sitting in the middle of the table and handed them to her.

  “Thanks…again.” Dabbing at her eyes and nose, she finally seemed able to compose herself. She reached for her coffee cup, but paused when her eye caught sight of the white envelope. “Strange,” she murmured, picking up the envelope instead.

  “What’s strange’?”

  Maddie opened the envelope and dumped the brass key into her hand. She held it out for Alex to see. “A woman named Josephine Carter handed this to me at the service. She said she worked for Michael and Keller and that Michael had asked her to hold on to the key. Do you have any idea what it might fit?”

  Alex took the key and examined it, turning it over between his fingers several times. The key was larger and heavier than a normal, everyday car key or door key, but other than the number thirty-three that was etched on both sides, it was quite ordinary. “Could be to a storage locker,” he said, “like the ones they have at bus stations or train stations. Or maybe it’s a hotel key. If you’d like, I can check into it further.”

  “I hate to impose more than I already have,” she said, hesitating. “But I really would appreciate the help.”

  As Alex slipped the key back into the envelope and stuffed it into his shirt pocket, Maddie suddenly recalled a part of the conversation she’d had with Josephine Carter that she had forgotten to mention. “Michael intended to rent a safe-deposit box to keep the key in, so it must be important,” she said. “I wonder…” She looked straight at Alex. “What if there’s a connection of some kind.”

  Alex frowned. “I’m afraid I don’t follow.”

  “The key! What if someone was after the key all along?”

  “I don’t think-”

  “If someone was really after the key, they could have set Michael up—”

  Shaking his head, Alex held up a hand. “Maddie!”

  “But it’s possible…isn’t it?”

  “Anything’s possible,” he answered slowly as the pictures taken at the crime scene flashed through his head, in particular the one that showed the contents of Michael’s pockets scattered on the floor.

  Alex closed his eyes for a moment and tried to clear his mind. Maddie had a way of making him say and do things that were out of character. One minute he was thinking logically, and the next, he found himself going off on a tangent, letting himself get caught up in her whirlwind reactions.

  Deal with the facts, not conjecture, he reminded himself. After all, Maddie was the deceased’s sister, a distraught woman desperate to clear her brother’s name.

  Alex took a deep breath and opened his eyes. “Anything’s possible,” he repeated calmly, “but there’s no use speculating. It would take more than an insignificant key to get your brother’s case reopened.”

  “Reopened? What do you mean, reopened?”

  After a moment of hesitation, Alex finally answered. “That’s part of what I wanted to talk to you about. I’m afraid I have some bad news. Your brother’s case has been officially closed.”

  “What?” she cried.

  “I’m supposed to tell you that you can pick up his personal effects at the coroner’s office any time that’s convenient for you.”

  “But they can’t do that! You can’t do that. Michael is innocent.”

  Alex nodded. “I know that’s what you believe, and honestly, I was beginning to have my own doubts about the original ruling, but since I’m not officially on the case—”

  “Wait a minute. What do you mean, you’re not officially on the case?”

  Alex could have kicked himself for blurting it out. Now he had no choice but to continue. “I’m not officially on your brother’s case,” he repeated. “I never was. You just assumed I was, and since you were so upset at the time, it seemed easier to let it slide.”

  “But you—I—” Maddie clamped her mouth shut. Earlier, she had also assumed that Alex was attending the funeral services to be there for her, to support her. In reality, he was simply there to inform her that the case was closed and that she could pick up her brother’s things. Just business. Nothing else.

  Maddie felt the heat of embarrassment creeping up her neck. Foolish, foolish woman, she thought. Will you ever learn? Cops can’t be trusted.

  Maddie gathered her dignity about her like a cloak. She raised her chin. “I appreciate all you’ve done, and I apologize for putting you on the spot. But it was as much your fault as mine that I made wrong assumptions. Now, if you will excuse me, I’ll go call a taxi.”

  Feeling close to tears and unable to shake the feeling that Alex had betrayed her, Maddie shoved back her chair. But before she could stand, he reached out and caught hold of her arm.

  “Please, Maddie. Not so fast. You’re absolutely right. It was my fault, as well, and for that, I apologize.”

  Maddie stared at his hand around her wrist. Her first impulse was to jerk free of his hold, to get away from him before she did something totally humiliating, like bursting into tears again. Then she looked into his eyes—warm, dark eyes filled with compassion—and the cold, tight knot in her stomach began to loosen.

  “There’s no need to call a taxi,” he continued quietly, his gaze holding hers as he eased his grip. “The least I can do is drive you to the coroner’s office.”

  It was hard to think about the coroner’s office or anything else with Alex still touching her, his thumb gently rubbing back and forth along her skin. Then he released her, stood and shoved his hands into his pockets.

  “Thank you,” she said, feeling shaken from the disturbing encounter. “But if it isn’t too much trouble, could we go back to the cemetery first?” she asked. “I just want to make sure the tomb is sealed properly.”

  Ten minutes later, they were in Alex’s car driving toward the graveyard. Neither spoke. Alex was having a hard time trying to get a grip on his emotions. What had for him started out as a simple gesture of reassurance and comfort had quickly escalated into something altogether different, something akin to desire, yet more than just desire. He’d felt the same sensation at the grave site, but what he couldn’t understand was how simply touching Maddie could trigger such a strong response—a response he felt was totally inappropriate given the circumstances.

  And equally as puzzling was his growing obsession with her brother’s case. No matter how many times he told himself that the case was closed and that Michael Johnson’s guilt or innocence wasn’t his concern, he couldn’t stop thinking about the pictures taken at the crime scene.

  It was tempting to tell Maddie that he would look into the evidence again, but he knew better than to build up her hopes on something that was unlikely to resolve anything. Wisely, he decided against saying anything.

  But logic eluded him when he tried to sort ou
t his feelings for Maddie. If it had been only a physical response, he could have understood, but the physical response was just a part of what he’d felt. And he had no idea how he was going to deal with it.

  When they got to the coroner’s office, a clerk checked off a list of the contents of an envelope containing the items found on Michael at the time of his death. Satisfied that everything was there, Alex motioned for Maddie to sign the necessary papers. When he finally handed over the envelope, Maddie couldn’t control the tremor that shook her hand when she touched the package.

  On the drive back to the French Quarter, she clutched the envelope tightly to her breast and wished with every ounce of her being that she’d had one last time to hug her brother, one last time to tell him how much she loved him. And she thought about the promise she had made at his funeral, a promise she intended to keep, she decided. Somehow, she would find a way.

  By the time Alex pulled alongside the curb in front of the apartment the unpleasant thought of walking into her brother’s empty apartment again was enough to tempt Maddie to ask Alex to come up for a while.

  But remembering her foolish notions about him and her previous reaction, she changed her mind. There was no point in laying herself open to more humiliation.

  Still clutching the envelope with one hand, she released the seat belt with the other. Intent on simply thanking him for giving her a ride, she turned to face him.

  “What will you do now?” he asked before she had time to speak.

  “I suppose there will be things I’ll need to take care of before I leave,” she answered. ”Something has to be done about the apartment and about Michael’s belongings. There’s also his share of Crescent Antiques that has to be dealt with.” She paused thoughtfully as an idea began to take root.

  Since the police had closed the case, Michael’s name would never be cleared if she returned to Nashville. But if she stayed in New Orleans, maybe there was a way to find the truth.

  Why not stay? she asked herself. She had nothing but time on her hands, anyway, nothing to lose by doing so, and it wasn’t as if she had a job to go back to— Judd Cameron had seen to that. For a while, she could live just as cheaply in New Orleans as she could in Nashville.

  Maddie shifted in her seat. “How would someone, say, someone like me, go about continuing the investigation?”

  The stunned look on Alex’s face was anything but encouraging. He began to shake his head. “You can’t. There’s nothing left to investigate.”

  “I disagree,” she said heatedly. “As far as I’m concerned, his case is still open. And whether you or anyone else likes it, I intend to prove that my brother is innocent.”

  Alex was still shaking his head. “You have no idea what you would be dealing with.” His voice rose. “For one thing, Caroline St. Pierre’s family is one of the most wealthy, influential families in New Orleans. If you start digging and making accusations, they have the power to make your life miserable.”

  Alex paused then reached out and firmly cupped her chin with his hand. “Maddie,” he said, toning down his voice to a quieter, more persuasive volume. “Even you admitted that Caroline and her family were at odds, but did you ever ask yourself why?” Alex didn’t wait for an answer. “The reason was your brother. Caroline’s parents never approved of her relationship with him. The talk around the precinct is that her engagement to Michael was an embarrassment to them. And they certainly won’t hold with his sister nosing into their business and dredging up all the painful memories that cost them the life of their only daughter. One way or the other, they’ll crush you. You have to let go. Let go and get on with your life.”

  On one level, Maddie was listening, but on another level, all she could think about was the warmth of his fingers on her skin. It was a disturbing sensation, one that made her wonder how his hands would feel caressing other, more intimate places on her body.

  Realizing the direction of her thoughts, she pulled away. Swallowing hard, she willed herself to block out everything but the issue at hand. Then suddenly, the full impact of what he’d just said hit her and red dots of pure fury danced before her eyes. “And what makes you think that I give a damn what those snooty people think or approve of, anyway,” she said, her voice quivering with anger. “Wealthy, powerful people don’t scare me,” she said defiantly. “You forget that in my work, I deal with powerful people all the time.” She hadn’t let Judd Cameron intimidate her and she wasn’t about to let some strangers scare her off, either…not when her brother’s good name was at stake.

  “Oh, yeah, right.” Alex’s tone was laced with sarcasm. ‘’But we’re not talking about a bunch of flaky show-biz people. We’re talking about established, oldmonied people who wield a hell of a lot of influence in this city. I should know. My ex-wife’s family were the same type.”

  Maddie didn’t miss the bitterness in his voice, but at the moment she was too furious about his remark about flaky show-biz people to have any sympathy for him. Shoving the car door open, she jumped onto the sidewalk. Still clutching the envelope with one hand, she slapped the frame of the door with her other one and leaned down for a parting shot. “I made a promise,” she told him. “A promise I intend to keep, and no one—not you or anyone else—no matter how much money they have—is going to stop me.” With that, she slammed the door with a force that vibrated throughout the vehicle. Without a backward glance, she stalked off.

  Inside her brother’s apartment, Maddie threw the dead bolt then leaned her forehead against the door. Someday, her temper was going to get her into more trouble than she could handle, she thought. And the only good thing about her lightning-swift outbursts was that usually within minutes, they passed…and usually she regretted having such a short fuse…like now. After all, she thought, Alex had meant well. And if she was smart, she should probably take his advice. But a promise was a promise, and this was the last one she’d have to keep to Michael forever.

  ALEX SAT IN THE CAR staring at the doorway to the apartment long after Maddie had disappeared inside. If he could find a way to bottle her fiery loyalty and devotion, he could make a fortune, he thought. In the world that he lived in and dealt with, a world filled with drug dealers, murderers and thieves, those qualities were rare.

  The idea of Maddie playing detective would have been laughable if it hadn’t been so disturbing. He’d meant what he’d said about the St. Pierres. Maddie had no idea of the power people like the St. Pierres wielded. Just as he’d had no idea of the power Joan’s family had possessed, he thought bitterly, a power and influence that had cost him custody of his daughter, the one person who he loved more than life itself.

  Reaching down, he shifted into drive, and with a glance over his shoulder to check traffic, he pulled back onto the narrow street. He also hadn’t meant the crack he’d made about flaky show-biz people—at least he hadn’t meant to say it out loud. He definitely owed her an apology for that.

  But he’d been right to discourage her. She was an amateur in every sense of the word, and she didn’t have a ghost’s chance of turning up anything that hadn’t already been discovered.

  But you do. You have access to everything and the badge behind you to back it up.

  Alex grimaced. Thoughts like those were nothing but trouble. He’d do well to take his own advice. Instead of becoming obsessed with Maddie and with the circumstances of her brother’s death, he needed to concentrate on preparing for Carla’s visit.

  The spare bedroom wasn’t going to clean itself, the refrigerator and cupboards were empty, and he still had to figure out just what the devil he was going to do with his rebellious fifteen-year-old daughter over the next few weeks.

  Even though she was his flesh and blood, Carla had become almost a stranger during the past few years. A lot of the time he felt guilty. He blamed his demanding work schedule, but he blamed Joan more. If he had been able to, if Joan had allowed him to see Carla more, maybe scenes like the one he’d witnessed Tuesday could have been avoided And if
Joan hadn’t been so involved in her social-climbing activities, maybe she would have concentrated more on being a mother.

  Alex was hoping that with Joan out of the picture, he and Carla would be able to develop a strong relationship. And he was equally sure that with a little loving discipline, his daughter would once again become the sweet girl she’d been before the divorce.

  After checking into the station and spending a couple of hours on some long-overdue paperwork, Alex took off early. Back at his apartment, he peeled off his clothes and pulled on a T-shirt and a comfortable old pair of sweatpants. He picked up the shirt he’d discarded, but as he wadded it up to stuff it into the laundry bag, a crackling noise caught his attention.

  Fishing inside the breast pocket, he pulled out the envelope that Maddie had given him at the coffeehouse.

  The key.

  He reached inside the envelope, pulled out the key and stared at it. Maddie’s hypothesis about the key nagged him, and as before, the image of the crime-scene photographs danced behind his eyes. Even if Maddie hadn’t planted the notion in his head, he knew that the key was significant in some way. He also knew that since Maddie’s brother had been in the antique business, a business that involved both importing and exporting, he could have been involved in illegal activities. Smuggled goods, drugs or drug money were a few of the possibilities that came to Alex’s mind. Any of those items could be hidden somewhere, just waiting for someone to come along with the key.

  Alex spent the rest of the evening cleaning the spare bedroom, and arguing with himself. But no matter how many times he told himself to back off, to leave it alone, he couldn’t stop thinking about the key he’d left on top of his dresser. And thinking about the key automatically brought Maddie to mind, which in turn had him wondenng about other, more intimate things. Maddie was a volatile woman with volatile passions.

  What would it be like to make love to such a woman?

  CHAPTER SIX