Your Alibi

by Annie Dean

  Despite the relatively early hour, The Bar was jumping by virtue of being the only gathering place in town. The floors were scarred wood plank, the bar battered, and the décor borrowed from the movie Roadhouse. As for the jukebox, it was a genuine antique, not a designer replica, and it still played vinyl. While they found a table, someone fed in a quarter and Elvis started crooning Are You Lonesome Tonight?

  "Not tonight,” he said with a shy little smile.

  Ben waved at a few people they both knew, and a couple had been in the hardware store the day Addie put on a floorshow. Two men in one week ... now they'd really have something to talk about. She recognized Sandy and Emmett hunkered down in a booth near the back, looked like they were arguing, and Addie made herself look away, pretending she wasn't nosy. The waitress, a woman named Dani who had been here as long as Addie could remember without aging visibly, ambled in their direction.

  "What can I get you two?"

  "Deep dish meat special, double cheese.” She didn't even need to look at the menu. If Ben wanted something else, she'd take the leftovers home.

  "And a pitcher of Corona."

  "Nothing like knowing what you want.” Plucking a pencil from behind her ear, Dani wrote down their orders and took the ticket through the kitchen, weaving around tables and men who tried to grab her by the waist with ease a quarterback might envy.

  Hearing that gave her heartstrings a twist because what she wanted was back at the Grail, more than a little pissed off. She'd pretended she didn't notice him glowering as she went out, but what the hell, they had a business relationship, more or less. Maybe he felt like he had a proprietary claim, but he'd have to learn she didn't operate that way.

  Never again.

  When she'd promised to love, honor and cherish Eddie until ‘til death parted them, she meant those vows. And then she watched him make a mockery of everything she believed in, dragging her name through the mud. She'd never put herself in that position again.

  Those thoughts probably made her look a little grim, so she put on her game face, determined to make the best of the evening. This date served a sound purpose anyway, underlining the fact that there was nothing but sex between her and Sean and never would be. And that was exactly what she wanted. Love was nothing but heartache and bullshit.

  She offered Ben a teasing look from beneath her lashes. “You going to give yourself a Breathalyzer test before you take me home?"

  Ben ducked his head and grinned, sheepish. “I won't drink that much."

  He had a nice smile, she decided, and his eyes gleamed gray-green in this light. The uniform made it a little hard to see him sometimes, but he wasn't bad looking, although his bony face was interesting rather than handsome. If she wanted a boyfriend, she could do a lot worse, but she didn't think she could call him at midnight for some quick and dirty sex. If she was any judge of such things, Ben Fuller wanted hearts and flowers: a nice girl, two kids, a station wagon and the picket fence thing.

  Well, she definitely wasn't looking to sign on again. Plus she wasn't a fan of babies either, which was just as well since she couldn't have them. As for the car, she'd buy a convertible as soon as she could afford it, and she preferred the open spaces around the Grail. There was also the fact that any man crazy enough to commit to her would also take on Manu and Pop because she'd never leave them.

  Before the silence could become awkward, Dani delivered the pitcher and two frosted mugs, lightly salted around the rims. Addie shook her head at the offer of lime and then she poured as the waitress went off to answer a wave at another table. Another Elvis song came on; Dani's husband was a huge fan, so the selection weighed heavily in the King's favor.

  "I have to be honest with you,” she said, as he took a sip of his Corona. “I'm not looking for a relationship, so if that's what you have in mind, then I need to tell you I wouldn't object to using you for sex now and then, but I don't want more."

  Plus she thought it would be a terrible idea to let law enforcement get too close, given what she did for a living. She wasn't entirely sure it was legal and wasn't about to inquire. The money was just too good.

  Ben nearly choked on his beer. “Well, I could think of worse things."

  "Than?” Like she didn't know, but a devil insisted she make him say it.

  "You using me for sex.” Even in the dim light, she could tell he was blushing. He wrapped his hands around his mug as if he didn't know what to do with them.

  Addie laughed, aware that they were drawing the occasional look. She'd been wild enough on her own, and then her term as Fast Eddie's wife just guaranteed people would talk about her, long after he took off. That bothered her at first; she wanted to defend herself, but in the end, she decided it didn't matter. Anyone who judged her by Eddie's behavior or the things they'd heard, she didn't want around anyway.

  In all honesty, she didn't know what she'd have said to that, but her cell phone vibrated and she checked the number. “Crap, I have to take this.” Too noisy in here to answer an alibi call. “Excuse me."

  Dashing into the ladies room, she locked herself in the stall and managed to answer on the fourth ring. “Thanks for calling the Hotel and Conference Center, how may I direct your call?"

  "I'm looking for my husband, Stanley Kramer,” came a woman's voice.

  "One moment, I'll ring his room for you."

  Shit, Kramer. Addie put the woman on mute, and scrambled through her address book, found his cell number, and then let thirty seconds elapse before coming back on the line. “I'm sorry, ma'am, he's not answering. He might be in the shower or out by the pool. Should I leave a message in his box for you?"

  "Yes,” the lady said, sounding a little uncertain. “Remind him that Sarah's piano recital is Monday afternoon and ask him to call home when he gets a chance."

  Maybe it was just because she'd never been confronted with someone she'd deceived before Sean arrived, but this time the lie almost stuck in her throat. These were real people, real lives, and the money she made from deception felt dirty to her for the first time. “I'll make sure he gets the message, ma'am. Is there anything else I can do?"

  "No, that's all, thank you."

  As soon as she hung up, she input a quick text message to Mr. Kramer, letting him know what he needed to do and what she'd suggested regarding his whereabouts. Most men said they were in the shower; nobody tended to question that. Fairly disgusted, she stuffed the phone back into her pocket and went to rejoin Ben.

  A slice of pizza sat on her plate already, so thick and heavy it needed to be eaten with a fork, and further weighed down by piles of bacon and sausage. Addie knew it would kill you, but you'd go out with a smile. Ben hadn't started eating yet, politely waiting for her return. As he watched the game, he'd made some inroads on the beer by himself, though.

  "Everything okay?” he asked as she sat down.

  Addie hesitated. “Yeah. Just some business that wouldn't wait."

  She took a bite and closed her eyes in bliss. If the bar delivered, she'd order pizza once a week. Dani would laugh at that idea, however; to her mind, if someone wanted a pizza, he could damn well get off his ass and come get it.

  "Look who's here. You sure do get around.” Bette Boudreaux stood beside their table with a man Addie didn't recognize.

  "Pot, this kettle isn't interested in your tired old shit. Move along.” Forcing a sweet smile, she pointedly took another bite and looked away.

  Ben won some points by refusing to acknowledge them, and the guy with Bette actually looked uncomfortable when she stalked away in her five-inch heels. Telling herself not to get upset, Addie tried on a smile, but between the alibi and Bette, her mood was shot. Hopefully she could pretend well enough to get through the night.

  Apparently not.

  Because a few silent minutes later, Ben said, “You shouldn't let her get to you. There's nothing sadder than the town bike."

  That surprised a giggle out of her. “I didn't think you knew phrases like that!"


  He scowled and asked around a mouthful of pizza, “What am I, nine?"

  "No. You're just a really nice guy."

  Ben's scowl turned into a glare. “Goddamn, Addie, what'd I ever do to you? You might as well say I have a good personality while you're at it. Fucking women, you only want assholes."

  Addie grinned. She'd never seen this side of him, and it only took half a pitcher of beer to get him to loosen up. Before she could answer, Dani stopped to see if they needed anything, and the deputy waved her away. Wide-eyed, she ate another bite of pizza—chewing gave her time to think.

  "Who says being nice disqualifies you for the mattress Olympics? I am so over my bad boy phase. Bad boys run up your credit cards, screw Bette Boudreaux, and continue to fuck you figuratively, long after the fun fucking is over."

  "Best news I've had all week,” he said, grinning.

  The rest of the meal passed pleasantly enough, but she was glad she didn't get any more calls. Sometimes the phone rang off the hook, and sometimes it sat quiet for days. At her request, Dani boxed up the rest of the pizza and Ben paid the check.

  "You want to finish the game here?” She really didn't mind.

  "I can catch the final score on the news. I'm pretty sure they've got it in the bag.” But when he stood, he grabbed his chair to balance.

  Catching his elbow, she steered him toward the door. Ben slung an arm around her shoulders, leaning more than embracing, and she peered up at him, a frown pulling her brows together. “Whoa, you sure you're okay to drive?"

  He shook his head, as if to clear it. “I'm thinking ... you better take me home."

  "Why, Officer Fuller, is that a line?"

  "I wish,” he said, as she helped him into the car. “It just means I'm a dumbass."

  Addie quirked a brow as she went around to the driver's side, wondering if she could get away with running the siren and lights. She was pretty sure that was against the law without an actual crime or emergency, but there was nobody on the roads. Ben buckled in and leaned his against the window, looking more than a little ill.

  "What's wrong?” she asked, pretty sure it was more than just the beer.

  "If I think I might be nervous, I take this little pill,” he said, alarmingly vague. “My therapist prescribed them for social situations; I have that anxiety thing ... guess it doesn't mix too well with beer."

  "Shit.” As Addie pulled onto Main Street, she eyed him with alarm. “Should I take you to the hospital or something? Do you need your stomach pumped?"

  "Nah. I'm just ... impaired.” He waved a hand as if his wrists had become boneless. “Shouldn't drive."

  "Okay,” she said, none too sure of his judgment. “Where do you live?"

  "I'm out on Otay Valley Road. You know the..."

  "Yeah, I can find it."

  That's really the middle of nowhere. She stifled a sigh, wondering how she'd get home. Might have to wait until he can take me in the morning. Dammit, this is why I don't date. It sure wouldn't help her reputation if Ben Fuller's patrol car went missing and turned up at her place. As she drove, it occurred to her that more than one person was going to be really pissed when she didn't come home tonight.

  Ben was asleep by the time she left town, drooling delicately in his sleep.

  Chapter Nineteen

  "I blame you,” Lem said over a bowl of Grapenuts. “You're an agent of chaos."

  "Beg pardon, sir?” In his line of work, Sean had met his share of nutballs, but Lem Buckley belonged near the top of the list. He was in no mood to be lectured, but that didn't seem like it was going to stop Addie's dad. Manu sat across the table, broad shoulders hunched over his breakfast while he glared.

  What a fucking morning.

  Warming to his subject, Lem gestured with his spoon, slopping milk around his bowl in an oddly artistic manner. “Some people, they just shake things up, wherever they go. Introduce changes to a static environment just by virtue of their presence. That's you. Things like this just never happened before you got here."

  The Samoan spooned up some cereal with a fist the size of a small ham. “That's true,” he said. “It didn't."

  Sean felt a headache coming on, and his left eye wanted to tic. “I'm sure she's fine,” he said through clenched teeth, somewhat amazed that two grown men would go searching for Addie instead of making their own breakfast. He'd wound up setting out the cereal, even put frozen blueberries in it, not that it won him any points.

  He didn't want think to about why she'd been gone all night, and he was going to be pissed if they made him spell it out. Yesterday they'd spent an enjoyable afternoon swimming and lazing around the pool, although she kept her cell phone nearby, and took a few calls. Grudgingly, he had to admit she handled her business adroitly.

  "It's not our business if she wants to spend the night with Ben Fuller,” Lem decided, as he finished eating. “I just wish she would've called. Then again ... I guess when you get caught up in the moment..."

  "Exactly.” Of course, that was what he didn't want to think about, and now he couldn't rid himself of the mental picture: Addie swarming over the long, lean deputy, maybe wearing nothing but his hat. Why it should bother him, he had no idea. It wasn't like they had any claim on each another.

  Manu's expression said he blamed Sean, however irrational, for Addie's wildness. “Like Lem said, nothing like this ever happened before you got here."

  "For Christ's sake,” he snapped, pushing away from the table. “What're you two going to do when she remarries?"

  Lem cocked his head like an egret, obviously astonished. “She never will, swore it after she booted that no-good Eddie. But if she did, then her fella would just have to move in here and put up with us because we're her family."

  Though he didn't say so, he thought that pretty much guaranteed she'd never remarry, right there. He managed a polite nod and got out of the kitchen before he did something about the anger still simmering in Manu's eyes. With the mood he was currently enjoying, he wouldn't mind a brawl, but for two things; it would piss Addie off and the Samoan was big. If not for the second, the first reason was enough to go ahead with it because he sure wasn't in any mood to please her.

  As he headed to his room to change into swim trunks, he pinpointed the reason he was mad. He wanted to spend the week with her, not her weird male relatives. But for obvious reasons, he couldn't include great sex as a reason he wanted to help her.

  It was almost noon when he heard a car pull into the drive, crunching on gravel. He'd applied sun block three times and swam about a hundred laps by then. She wasn't kidding when she said it was restful, which also translated to ‘absolutely nothing to do here.’ Manu was banging away at something upstairs, right overhead, and probably had selected whatever it was just for the annoyance factor.

  "Bye, Ben! Thanks for the ride,” Addie sang out.

  Sean didn't pull himself out the pool, just kept swimming, and through the patio doors, he heard the muted sound of an argument. He guessed that would be Manu as the pounding had stopped.

  "...don't care if you're mad at me,” she was saying. “You're coming with me to Lorene's later, like it or not. You stay home too much and it's making you crazy. If you had something else to think about, you wouldn't care who I'm sleeping with."

  He couldn't make out what the other man said, his low tones didn't carry as well as her sharp, indignant ones. That's right, we're supposed to be going to a party tonight. With everything going on, he'd forgotten about it entirely.

  The question of what she'd been doing all night simmered on low, and he wrestled with it as he climbed out of the water because he knew he didn't have the right to ask. Wrapping a towel around his shoulders, he padded across the cement to the terrace doors and stepped into the kitchen. The conversation stopped at once, making him think they'd been talking about him.

  "Tell Manu he has to come with us,” Addie said with a look of appeal.

  "I don't think my endorsement would help.” He brushed past them,
determined he wouldn't reveal how nettled he felt.

  "We need you to run the grill,” Sean heard her telling the other man.

  Resolving to put the woman out of his mind, he took a quick shower and then headed to his room to tinker with the beginning of the article. Although he had all the facts downs, the lead just wasn't working. So he powered up his laptop and took another crack at it, trying to ignore the raw, angry feeling in his stomach.

  Maybe half an hour later, someone tapped on the door and he knew perfectly well who it was. So he ignored it and kept working. She wouldn't go away, though. The knocking just kept getting louder.

  "Look,” she called, “your car's out front, so I know you're in there. Open the door or I use my master key. If you make me do that, I hope you're naked."

  Christ, the woman had no shame. Jaw clenched, he stomped over and opened the door. He didn't step back so she could come in, though, instead filling the doorway with his body. “What? I'm trying to work."

  Eyes wide, she feigned a shiver. “What's wrong with you?"

  "Your dad says I'm an agent of chaos,” he muttered, refusing to acknowledge his real grievance. “That you didn't start staying out all night or disappearing without warning until I got here."

  She grinned. “That's true, actually. I've been responsible and solid for years. Maybe you are an agent of chaos."

  That did it. He started to shut the door on her.

  "Hey, I was kidding!” She stuck her foot in the gap.

  Luck wasn't with him today. The woman just didn't intend to leave him alone, no matter how obvious he made his preference. Sean sighed and folded his arms, hating that she could look so adorable, even after a night with someone else. He hated the fact that he minded too.

  Apparently immune to his mood, Addie stretched up and kissed him on the cheek, then picked up a pail full of cleaning supplies. If possible, that torpedoed his frame of mind further, because it looked like she'd only come to clean his goddamn room. She nudged her way past him, blue bucket in hand, and headed for the bed.