Ache For Me_Romantic Suspense

by Hayden Braeburn

  “Ms. Everett?” Tabitha called. “I'm here.” The girl was dressed the part in an athletic top, leggings, and character shoes. She did a quick time-step. “I'm ready.”

  She led the way to the smaller studio space, this one with a ballet barre on one wall. “What did they ask you to prepare?”

  “I need to do a monologue, three songs that best represent my voice, two dance routines, and a song with dance.”

  Some things hadn't changed in the years since she went through the audition process. “Sounds about right. So, what were you thinking?”

  “I don't want to be cliché or overdone, so I wanted to find some pieces that weren't what everyone else was going to pull. I'd like to do I Hate Men, but I'm not sure it's the best showcase, ya know?”

  “Maybe So In Love would be a better choice,” she offered. “You kicked butt with that during the show.”

  If Tabitha's cheeks could show a blush, she suspected they might have just then. “As far as the other two, maybe choose something that shows your lower register. You have such an extensive range both up and down, you should show that off.” She paused. “Do they have to be musical theatre pieces, or are you open to pop or jazz?”

  “I don't know,” she stopped mid-sentence, tilted her head to one side. “Did you hear that?”

  Cam stood very still and listened. She heard the waltz Kat was playing for her soon-to-be-married couple, the scuffle and steps of the students as they clomped their way through the dance, the hum of the air conditioning, and faint beeping. Shit. That was the door open alarm. No one was supposed to be here aside from the five people in the studio. “Stay here. I'll go check,” she said as calmly as possible.

  What the hell was she doing? She swallowed. She'd promised herself she wouldn't run away from trouble anymore, but this might be a little extreme. She peeked around the corner, not knowing what she was expecting, and saw... nothing. Sure, she'd heard the telltale beep of a door opening alarm earlier, she continued down the hallway, ending at the front door, still seeing nothing—and no one—out of place. Heart hammering in her chest, she turned to return to the studio where she'd left Tabi and heard footfalls behind her. The panic rose, but she found her voice. “I'm armed.”

  “No, you're not.” The response was quick, the voice familiar.

  She spun on her heel to look into Holden Graves' face. “You scared the hell out of me. Looking for Tabi?”

  His dark eyes clouded. “You're encouraging her.”

  “Of course, I am. She's incredibly talented.”

  His expression fell. “She'll leave me.”

  Teenagers. “You guys are sixteen, Holden.”

  “We're in love.”

  She had no room to talk, she'd been completely in love with Carter when she was sixteen. “Look, she isn't planning to go far, and you have another year before graduation. Besides, aren't you looking to ride football into school? Would she tell you not to take a scholarship because of her?” Shenandoah wasn't exactly known for sports, so the chances Tabitha and Holden would attend university together were close to nil.

  His muscled frame shuddered. “I'm scared, Ms. Everett. I don't know what to do.”

  “Come with me. You can help us figure out what to sing. Tabi will nab a scholarship, and you're gonna help.”

  “Um, Ms. Everett?” the teen's voice was thready. “I need to tell you something.”

  “Sure.”

  “I'm sorry for shooting at you.”

  The blood in her head was buzzing between her ears. Sure that he hadn’t said what she thought she'd heard, she asked, “What?”

  “I thought if the show didn't go on, Tabi would give up.”

  She knew her face was twisted into a strange expression, but couldn't help it. “You were in the show. And why would shooting anyone help?”

  His shook his head. “It's stupid.”

  “And dangerous, and a bunch of other things I'm not supposed to say.” She blew out a breath. “Come back to the studio with Tabi. I need to tell the detectives no one is trying to kill me.”

  “I was just trying to scare her, ya know? I mean, you're a famous Broadway actress. What if she became like you? Would people want to shoot at her?”

  You've got to be kidding me. “Please, just go into the room.” She couldn't say anything else and was about to lose her cool. She'd been scared of a murderous person who was just a teenager with an idiot theory? She managed to live in the city for years and had never been truly scared, but a teenager with a gun—whose gun did he use anyway? —was able to send her running from her home. The end result was perfect, but there was still the fact that someone murdered Theo. She took what she hoped was a calming breath. Finding out a student—her student—had shot at her made her crazy.

  Chapter Eleven

  Carter was ready to kill someone. Figuratively at least. Leanne Graves was determined to sue the estate of Theodore Richardson for back child support for Holden, no matter that she'd never informed the man of the possibility he had a son, nor had she mentioned a word to her attorney until today. “Why now, Ms. Graves?”

  “You know I worked at the club for years, Mr. Jamieson. He should've known Holden was his.”

  She was expecting a dead man to be psychic. “How?”

  “He has his eyes.” She paced the room. “If you had slept with a woman and she ended up pregnant, wouldn't you have at least asked if it was yours?”

  Of course, he would. “What I would do is not the question here,” he sidestepped. “You know I don't deal with these kind of cases, and you know I can't represent you. The estate has been distributed.”

  “I want the club.” She narrowed her eyes, giving her a very fierce appearance for a moment. “It's the least he owes me.”

  “I can't help you,” he tried again. “Even if there was something I could do legally, you know I'm involved with Camryn Everett.”

  Her eyebrows shot up. “So, it's true, then?”

  He couldn't help his smile. “I've loved her for years.”

  “Whatever.” She waved him off. “She has the club?”

  In for a penny. “After probate, yes.”

  “It should be mine,” she stated, venom in her tone.

  Taken aback at her attitude, he forced himself to ask, “You didn't kill Theo, did you, Leanne?”

  “What? No!” Her eyebrows had gone up again as her jaw dropped, but it didn't seem at all sincere. Afraid for himself and his team, he picked up the phone on his desk. “What are you doing?” she demanded, obviously agitated.

  “I'm going to call Cam, see if there's something she can work out with you,” he lied. Instead, he called Chris Delmonico's cell number, leaving a short message as if he were calling Camryn. “Hey baby, I know you inherited Club Bleu from Theo, but Leanne Graves says he was Holden's dad and she should be entitled to the club or at least some money. In fact, she wanted to sue the estate for back child support. We'll talk about it when I get home. Love you.”

  “That was a gross breach of attorney-client privilege,” Leanne remarked.

  “First, you can't be my client in this situation. Second, she is the person you'd be suing so she would have to know all the facts. I just cut the legal red tape so to speak.”

  “The Everetts are loaded,” she said as she paced the room. “How much can I get out of your girlfriend?”

  He gave himself credit for resisting shaking his head, but he couldn't help the grinding of his teeth. “Fiancée,” he corrected, barely pushing the word out. How quickly would Chris get here?

  “You're going to marry that girl?” There was shock in her voice. “She's got to be ten years younger than you.”

  “And?” He adjusted his glasses. “Yes, she's marrying me, and we're both ecstatic about it. As for when she'll call me back, I'm not sure. She's at home, but I don't know her schedule minute by minute.” He hoped Chris got the message and hurried down; he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep Leanne in his office without running into more troub
le.

  “No judgment from me, Mr. Everett. I just want what's due me.” She continued to pace. “I should've asked for support years ago, but I was too proud—and too stupid. Now, Holden will need to go to college in a little more than a year, and although he's gifted on the field, I can't bank on a scholarship, and even if I did, the chances of a full ride are small.”

  “Financial aid exists for just this reason,” he argued.

  “Says the rich lawyer,” she scoffed. “I know I made mistakes. I'm just trying to right them now.”

  “By suing the estate of a man who was just murdered.”

  “I can prove he's Holden's father.”

  “Familial DNA only goes so far, and that's if Simon agrees to testing.”

  She sucked in a breath. “Dammit.”

  Chris strode into the office then, Abby right on his heels. “Ms. Graves? I think you ought to come with me.”

  He almost felt the temperature in his office drop with the death stare Leanne Graves was giving him. He had rule against lying, but protecting Camryn was more important than anything else.

  “I didn't kill Theo,” she immediately told the detective. “He deserved it, maybe, but he didn't die by my hand.”

  Chris's gaze was sharp as he took in the room. “That may be so, but I need you to come with me. I may be able to persuade Mr. Richardson to offer DNA for your case.”

  Her mouth flattened into a line for a moment. “How do I know you're sincere? Mr. Jamieson here surely lied to me.”

  The detective smiled. “Ms. Graves, he's a lawyer. They don't make those jokes for nothing. Now, come with me, and we'll get this straightened out.”

  She flashed Carter another hard look but went without trouble with Chris. Crisis averted or at least passed onto the next guy. He was happy to go home to Camryn and relay what he had learned. Holden Graves was Theo's son! No one guessed that one, although it wasn't the strangest thought. Leanne had run the club for years before leaving to take the general manager position at Templeton's. Carl and Corey ran a tight ship and a high-end place, so the assumption was she'd left for the money. Maybe she'd just left to get away from Theo. He ran a hand over his hair. It wasn't his job to figure out Leanne Graves' motivations nor her history. He’d leave that to Chris and his team.

  He walked out to Abby's desk to check his calendar and found his assistant doodling while staring into space. “Abby?”

  “Oh, Mr. Jamieson, I didn't expect you so soon!” she squeaked as she shoved her notebook under a few files on her desk. He'd have thought the flush in her cheeks was cute if he hadn't caught a glimpse of what she'd been scribbling. Abigail Jamieson. She'd tried to hide it but wasn't fast enough. Combined with her odd reaction to his engagement, it wasn't looking good for her employment. The worst of it was she was a damn good assistant.

  “Do you have any messages for me before I leave again? Barring any other emergencies, I won't be in the office until next week.”

  “I remember, Cart—Mr. Jamieson.” She nodded, pulling several yellow slips off her spindle. “There are a few, but I don't think anything is urgent. I'm happy to call them myself, and set something up for next week or later.”

  “That's great Abby. Thank you.” She blushed again, and his stomach dropped. “If you need me, call, but please don't need me.”

  “We always need you,” she answered quietly, “but we'll be fine.”

  He really had to reassign the best assistant he'd ever had. He was supposed to be intelligent, but he'd missed a lot with Abby Reed. He adjusted his glasses, nodded at her, and headed out.

  ~*~

  “Holden is my nephew?” Simon asked again, and Chris had to answer, again. He hated answering questions more than once.

  “So says Leanne Graves.”

  “Leanne was hot as hell back in the day. Of course, Theo hit that.”

  Just give me the cheek swab and shut up. “That's what she says at least. In order to prove that, she'd like your DNA.”

  “So, she can, what, lay claim to the measly estate my brother left?”

  “She's aiming to take the club from Camryn Everett, but there's no chance of that,” Chris answered, playing his cards as well as he could. He had Leanne Graves in another room waiting for Simon to comply. His two top suspects in Theo's murder were here, and he needed to make the one who'd pulled the trigger angry enough to implicate themselves without entrapment, and he had to make it stick. No pressure.

  “Camryn promised me my job. She doesn't need the place, but I'm not giving it to my teenage nephew.”

  “You think it's true?”

  “Why not? Theo liked to keep his dick wet. Doesn't surprise me he was screwing the help.”

  Don't punch the man. “So, you'll submit to the test? To be sure?”

  “Nah. Get me a court order and we'll see what I can do.”

  Shit. “You'll make it come to that?”

  “Not my fault my brother kicked it before he should've. Way I see it, Leanne should've asked for money long ago. Shit, if he'd known about the kid, maybe he would've left the place to him instead of some pretty little singing heiress.”

  He couldn't fault the other man's logic, even if he was an asshole. “Sit tight for a minute.”

  “You can't have more questions, man. You've asked and asked, and I've told and told. I didn't call my lawyer since I don't need him. I didn't kill my brother, and I don't know who did.” He tilted his head. “You look at Leanne? She kill Theo?”

  “She says the same thing you do.”

  “She didn't do it, huh? See, at least I know I'm not lying.”

  “I hear the same thing from her, too. Maybe you're both telling the truth.” He paused. “Maybe not.”

  “My brother wasn't my favorite person sometimes, but I didn't kill him—as I've told you over and over again.”

  “Like I said, sit tight for a minute. I'll be right back, and you can go on about your day.”

  ~*~

  “He won't give you DNA without a court order.”

  Leanne eyed him from her seat at the steel table. “How do we get that?”

  “I have no reason to ask for one on my end. You need to convince an attorney your case has merit, and then they would have to petition the court for DNA.” Her thunderous expression could put even the most hardened criminals to shame. “I'm sorry you didn't confront him when he was alive and could help. There's not a lot anyone can do now.”

  “You have me here because you think I killed Theo.” She stated it plainly, and he couldn't deny it. “You're telling me now that since he's dead and I can't prove he's Holden's father, I'm entitled to nothing.” Her brows dropped. “Or worse, my son is entitled to nothing.” She stood then, looked him straight in the eye. “Why would I have killed him?”

  He thought for a moment to remind her she had a right to an attorney which she had waived, but instead played along with her questioning. “Hate? Greed? Anger?” he offered. “Unless you've been acting, you didn't know how any of this worked regarding paternity or distribution. You're telling me I should rule you out as a suspect because Holden wouldn't get an inheritance, but you didn't know that, Leanne.”

  She blew out a breath, sending her bangs flying and giving her a softer look for a second. “I didn't hate him enough to kill him, Detective.”

  “No?”

  “He's my son's father. There was a time I loved him or at least thought I did.” She scraped the chair across the floor before sitting again. “I asked Carter Jamieson to sue the estate because now that Theo is dead I'll never have the chance to confront him, or give Holden anything.”

  He believed her and hated that he did. Believing her meant she was no longer a suspect, and although this paternity issue made it more interesting, it didn't help him find whoever had murdered Theo. He mentally sighed. He was so fucking tired of murder. “Don't go anywhere, but I believe you didn't kill him.”

  “Thank you.” She stood. “I'm free to go?”

  “You are,” he ans
wered with a nod. “Don't leave the area, but I won't keep you here.”

  ~*~

  “You shot at Miss Everett and Mr. Jamieson?” Tabitha's question ended on a note better suited to dogs, causing both Camryn and Holden to wince.

  Holden looked at once distraught and dejected. “I told you it was stupid.”

  “Why would you do that?” Tabi asked as she leaned against the barre. “Where did you get a gun?”

  He hung his head, shaggy golden hair covering in his eyes. “I thought if you thought Miss Everett was in danger you wouldn't want to leave.”

  Stupid isn't a strong enough word. Idiotic. Dangerous. Horrifying. She shook off her thoughts. “I'm just glad you weren't trying to kill me.” Camryn had to cut off the teenage couple's conversation. “I'm here to help Tabi get ready for her audition, and that's what we're going to do.” She pointed at Holden. “Since you're here now, you get to help.”

  His mouth gaped for a second. “What?”

  “Why are you here, anyway?” Tabitha asked.

  “I wanted to take you out.” He hesitated with the answer, causing an uneasy feeling in the pit of Cam's stomach.

  Tabi rolled her eyes. “I told you I was working with Miss Everett.”

  Holden's lips tugged up at one side. “I know. I wanted to take Miss Everett, too.”

  The boy might be underage, but he was a giant. Reminding herself she was being jumpy, she aimed for calm, keeping her tone cool. “We're going to work on something for Tabitha, and then we can go out.” She nodded at the piano bench. “Park it.”

  He looked like he would resist for a moment before complying. “I just wanted to make up for scaring you. I only wanted to make Tabi stay.”

  “That's still the stupidest thing I've ever heard,” the girl muttered. “Now, gimme a song to sing and choreograph, and we'll be set.”

  Shoulders slumped, Holden gave an answer that surprised Cam, “I think you should do Fever.”

  Overdone perhaps, but fun nonetheless. “Not a bad choice.”

  Much later, Cam couldn't focus any longer, and she begged off going anywhere afterward. She knew Carter would be furious she left the house but comforted herself with the fact she'd been in a safe place. Watching Tabitha and Holden leave hand-in-hand, she let out a sigh. She had to tell Carter about Holden, and he would not react as reasonably as she had. No, he'd go to the crazy, alpha place she'd rarely seen. The idea made her heart beat a little faster.