He saw her push away her plate and was reluctant to have her leave the restaurant without setting things straight. Maybe he could offer her dessert. That would give him a chance to speak to her. The sooner he told her the truth, the better. He signaled Cyndi and asked her to bring Alexis a piece of turtle pie, the restaurant’s signature dessert.
He waited and watched as Randy, one of the bus boys, approached her with an envelope. From the look on her face, it wasn’t good news. This was probably as good a time as any to set the record straight.
He gulped down the rest of his scotch, stood, and stepped over to the table where Alexis sat. Doing as much walking as he’d done had improved his balance and fluidity.
“I didn’t order that,” Alexis said when Cyndi brought the dessert to the table. “It looks delicious though.” She seemed distracted. What was in that note? Was it a message from her uncle? He’d heard Lynette had let the cat out of the bag at the bowling alley. No doubt everyone within a hundred miles knew Alexis Pruett was in Paradise again.
“It’s on the house,” Jake answered, approaching the table. “Consider it a welcome home present.”
“Turtle pie is my favorite dessert, but this is a huge piece. Please, won’t you join me?” She smiled, but her startled response to his approach betrayed her anxiety.
Jake nodded and pulled out the chair Allan had occupied earlier. She was visibly upset about something, and he would lay odds that the note was to blame.
“Jake McKenzie at your service,” he said, waiting to see if the name would ring a bell. “Cyndi, bring another fork and a couple of glasses of the same wine Alexis is drinking.”
“How did you know that I had come home?” She forked the rich dessert into her mouth and moaned with pleasure at the richness of the pastry. “Oh, my Lord! This should be illegal.”
He laughed. “I might’ve heard that before. I’m working with the local police as a criminal profiler. It seems we’re going to be partners. I should have told you that when you checked in, but I was distracted.” Distracted hardly covered the way the sight of her had steamrollered him. “I’ve seen your bio and credentials. The photo doesn’t do you justice.” He grinned.
She nodded, accepting the implied compliment. “It was a bad hair day, what can I say? And of course, you’re not allowed to smile for official photographs. You should see my passport picture. The only thing missing are the numbers under my face.”
She’d developed a wry sense of humor. He liked that.
“I’ll bet mine is worse,” he said, leaning towards her assuming an air of confidentiality.
“You’re just being kind.”
Alexis smiled at him, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. He could almost see the wheels turning in her head, as she tried to make sense of the new information.
“I know people like to diversify these days, but I sincerely doubt that the police force has taken up hotel management.” She chuckled.
“My parents decided they would rather run an inn in the country than a bed and breakfast in town, so when this place came on the market just after you left, they bought it. They retired shortly after I came back to Paradise and signed it over to my brother and me. I do independent forensic profiling on the side. At the moment, I’m working with the Paradise Police Department. They must have told you that you would be working with a profiler. They called me in on the case after the fourth fire, the first one with a body. Now that there’ve been two more, I asked for help. I can draw you a picture of what the inside of this guy’s head probably looks like, but it’s the outside and the fires that stump me.”
“Well, hopefully, I can give you the answers you need.” She took another mouthful of pie and groaned. “This is unbelievable.” She allowed her tongue to circle her lips, licking them clean of any smidgen of whipped cream that might have escaped her fork.
Jake stared, mesmerized by the tip of her tongue, and gulped.
“Forgive me for prying, but a few moments ago, you looked like you’d just received bad news.” He took a forkful of the dessert that she seemed to have momentarily forgotten.
“Yes, you could say that,” she answered, not giving anything away. She took a healthy mouthful of wine.
He put down his fork and looked at her sheepishly. Better to get everything out there now.
“I have to come clean—the whole truth and nothing but the truth, as they say in court. You don’t recognize me, Alexis, but I knew you years ago before you ran away. In fact, I’d been working up the courage to ask you out on a date. I wanted to ask you to be my date for the spring dance. You said goodbye on Friday, and never came back to school. I was seventeen and crushed.”
Alexis paled. “I had my reasons for leaving, good reasons, but I’m sorry if you were hurt.” She tilted her head to study him. “McKenzie? Not JJ?”
He nodded and watch the surprise and pleasure bloom on her face.
“You’ve changed, but if we are going to have confession, I’ll own up to the fact that I thought you looked familiar. I could’ve said something, too. Didn’t you used to have shoulder-length hair and wear pop-bottle-bottom-thick glasses?”
He smiled and circled his eyes with his fingers. “How’s this?” he asked, raising his eyebrows at the same time.
She nodded and smiled, her even white teeth barely visible behind her lips.
While the darker hair had originally disappointed him, it suited her. Maybe she got sick of the dumb blonde jokes she’d heard time and time again in high school.
“I still wear glasses, but most of the time, I wear contact lenses. And I go by Jake now. The hair went the way of the dodo after I graduated from university and started work with the RCMP. So, is there a Mr. Michaels looking after the kiddies in San Francisco?” he asked as casually as he could.
“No, I’ve never been married. I changed my name after I left here. Husbands and families don’t go well with this job.”
Her answer was abrupt as if he’d struck a nerve, and Jake felt her mentally preparing to get up and leave. He tried not to show how relieved he was and sought another approach.
“Tell me about it. Still, it sounds like a lonely existence. So, now that we’ve established that we’re old friends, the bad news, is it personal or related to the case?”
Jake forked another mouthful of dessert into his mouth, wondering whether or not she was going to answer him. It would make it hard to work together if she didn’t. A certain level of trust was essential between partners.
“Take a look at this.” She handed him the note and took the last mouthful of chocolate comfort.
Jake read the message, frowning as he did. Looking around the room, he saw Randy and signaled him to approach.
“What can I get you, Mr. McKenzie?” the boy asked.
“Where did you get this?” He held up the envelope.
“It was on my cart. I didn’t notice it until I picked up the tray of dirty dishes. I asked Marla at the desk if she’d seen who’d put it there and who Alexis Michaels was. She hadn’t seen who left the note, but she pointed to her.”
“Thanks,” Jake said, his frown deepening.
The Fire Angel had been here, right under his bloody nose, and he hadn’t seen him. He gazed around the room. He hadn’t paid attention to the comings and goings, stuck inside his own head. Damn! The man had been in and out of here, and no one, including himself, had seen him.
“Finish up,” Jake said, standing. “I’ll walk you back to your cabin where we can talk.”
Alexis gulped the last of her wine, stood, and reached for the navy wool jacket on the back of the chair. He was startled by the jolt of electricity that coursed through him when her hand brushed against his as he helped her with it. Judging from her sharp intake of breath, she’d felt it, too.
Alexis picked up her umbrella and flashlight.
“You don’t have to,” she said. “It isn’t that far, and I do have a light.”
“Don’t have to, want to,” he said. “We ha
ve to talk about this.” He indicated the note he still held. “I know that you like to work alone. I did read the bio and the note that your captain sent, but this is a deal-breaker. Like it or not, we’re partners. Your safety has been threatened, and as your partner, it’s my job to have your back. Besides, it isn’t often that I get to walk a pretty girl home. Cut me some slack, will you? I’ve waited twenty years to do this.”
* * *
Alexis stood in front of the fireplace in the lounge, trying to get warm, while Jake went to get his coat. She stared into the flames. JJ McKenzie. The only good thing she remembered from her last year in Paradise. She’d had such a crush on him, but like the rest of her painful memories, she’d locked it away. Now, her unruly heart was doing handsprings. He’d been going to ask her to the spring dance? She would’ve said yes in a second. Damn fate for ruining that for her, too.
The limp she’d noticed earlier was more pronounced. She felt guilty, but not guilty enough to be alone quite yet, and they did need to talk—professionally, of course. The fact that someone was out there watching her made the small hairs on the back of her neck bristle. What if she hadn’t imagined them watching her on the way over? What if they were still out there, waiting to get her alone?
“Don’t be stupid,” she mumbled, unable to keep the words inside. “He’s trying to scare me away, not do me bodily harm.”
But what if he was still out there? She’d better keep those feelings to herself. When Jake found out what she could do, he’d think her a sandwich short of a picnic or worse. Bob had called her a witch.
When Jake came back, he had a beautiful sable and white Shetland sheepdog with him.
“Meet Maya,” he said, bending down to rub the miniature collie’s head. “She’s my best girl.”
“She’s beautiful,” Alexis sighed. As much as she’d always wanted a dog, she adamantly refused to get one. There were all kinds of excuses she could give explaining why an animal, like a husband and family, didn’t fit her lifestyle. Some of the other investigators, those who’d given up the single life and stayed closer to home, often used dogs in their work, but since she traveled all over North America, having an animal wasn’t practical.
Jake snapped the leash onto the red leather collar around Maya’s neck and escorted Alexis to the door. His sheepskin-lined leather bomber and the dog weren’t the only things he’d retrieved. In his right hand, he carried a walnut cane. He must have noticed her interest in it because he shrugged.
“The leg works reasonably well on paved surfaces, but I need help over uneven ground.” He opened the door. “I may not be able to follow you through too many burned out buildings, but I’ll be standing on the sidewalk waiting for you. I’ll have your back.”
There was a familiar bitterness in his tone that she recognized, the resentment that came when you felt victimized. She’d suffered from that herself far too many times.
The wind had picked up and was stronger now than it had been earlier in the evening. It had blown away the clouds and the fog, leaving behind a sky awash with stars and an almost full moon.
She shivered and wished that she had remembered that hat and gloves.
“I guess I didn’t need this,” she said holding up the folded umbrella. “But I should have remembered how much colder it is up here.”
Despite the note and the unwelcomed memories that Allan Sinclair had raised, she was content to reconnect with Jake again. Some people just made you feel good by being around them. Hadn’t her headache vanished earlier?
The boy she remembered had fought for the underdog. More than once, he’d stood up to James, her bullying cousin, and his band of misfits, saving her from their cruel and humiliating pranks. He hadn’t made friends with her cousin or the others by doing so, but it never seemed to bother him. With his thick glasses, Jake had reminded her of Clark Kent, Superman’s alter ego. Why was it that no one ever recognized the hero behind the flimsy disguise?
She’d never understood why James backed down when JJ told him to, because to her, he had seemed as defenseless as she was. Today, she realized bullies were cowards and would back down when confronted, but back then, JJ had been her only friend, and she’d been afraid to let herself feel any more than that for him, because in the end, he hadn’t been able to protect her and keep her there.
What would her life have been like if her parents had lived? Would she and JJ have been more than friends? Would they have fallen in love, gotten married, had children?
“A penny for your thoughts,” he said.
Startled, Alexis stalled. She couldn’t very well tell him that she was thinking of having his babies.
“You don’t have pennies in Canada, and my thoughts aren’t worth a nickel.” She pointed to the sky. “You can see so many stars here. At home, even though I live outside the city, you never see this many, nor are they this bright. I suppose the city lights even at a distance make a difference. When I’m on a case, I try to get away for a few hours here and there to enjoy the scenery and get my thoughts organized. I have some awesome pictures on the walls at home.”
“I know what you mean. I never tire of admiring something beautiful,” Jake said, but he was looking at her, not at the sky.
Her cheeks burned.
“When I was in Afghanistan, I saw incredible skies and all kinds of shooting stars. It’s at times like these that I remember all the things I can’t do anymore, but I’ve learned not to dwell on those and focus on the ones I can still enjoy.”
“I didn’t realize you were a soldier,” she said, about to ask him why he could no longer do certain things when she realized how dark the walkway to her cabin was. She stopped and stared.
“I wasn’t. I was there training others in profiling techniques. Here we are,” he said, stopping beside her. “You really should have turned on the outside light before you left. I know everyone wants to conserve energy, but this isn’t San Francisco—no streetlights. It’s dark out here. The neon really isn’t all that bright. You could easily trip and hurt yourself.” He flipped the switch on the small LED flashlight he took out of his pocket.
Alexis’s heartbeat tripled as they approached the cabin. Her breathing grew shallow. The yellow bug light that had glowed so brightly when she had locked the door was dark.
“I did turn it on,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “I know I did.”
Jake reached for the key in her shaking hand.
“There’s nothing to worry about, I’m sure,” he said, trying to reassure her, but nothing could—not after that note. “Maybe the bulb burned out while you were at dinner.”
He inserted the key into the lock, turned it, and opened the door. Like the outside, the inside of the cabin was dark, the only light coming from the faint glow emitted by the fireplace’s pilot light.
Alexis gripped his hand tightly, standing as close to him as she could. Someone had definitely been in here.
Jake reached up and flipped both the outdoor and indoor switches. Bright white light shattered the darkness.
“Well, it isn’t burned out. Are you sure you turned it on?”
Instead of answering, she stared at the outdoor light as if it were some kind of alien object. Her breathing grew more erratic. Rather than abating her fear, the light had increased it.
“What’s the matter, Alexis?” He grabbed her by each shoulder and turned her to face him. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. What the hell’s going on?”
She opened her mouth, but couldn’t speak, and tears of terror she couldn’t hold back rolled down her cheeks.
He pulled her tightly to him. The steady beat of his heart reassured her, and as she slowed her breathing, she relaxed. He was here with her. She would be fine.
“When I turned on the outside light earlier,” she began, her halting voice slightly muffled by his chest. “It was yellow.” She moved her face away from his body to look up at him. “Now ... now it’s white. Someone changed the bulb. Someone’s been in here, Jake. I l
eft the lights on, I know I did.”
“I believe you,” he said, slowly disengaging his body from hers and leading her over to the sofa. “Just sit here while I check the cabin.”
Alexis stood beside the couch too frightened to sit.
Cane in hand, Jake moved around the room. First, he turned on the lamp on the desk. Her computer bag was still sitting there where she’d left it, and the gift basket, minus one banana, was on the coffee table. He flipped the switch bathing the kitchenette in bright light, but nothing was amiss. He repeated the action in the bathroom before moving into the bedroom, first checking the closet, and then moving over to the bed to turn on the lamp on the side table.
“Mystery solved,” he called, stepping back into the sitting area, carrying a small chrome tray with a couple of chocolate mints on it.
“I’m sorry you were so frightened. Minette must’ve come over while you were at dinner and turned down the bed. She knows that you’re a special guest and turn down service is something she offers on occasion. Knowing her as well as I do, she probably turned off the lights to save power. No matter how often I remind her to leave at least one light on, she rarely does. ‘They can turn them on when they come back in’ is her motto. I’ll bet she replaced the outside bulb, too. A yellow bug light would have been an old one. We keep a supply of bulbs under the bathroom sink.” He smiled and shrugged. “Min carries a powerful LED lantern and most likely, she forgot to turn the outside light on again. I’ll speak to her when I get back and make sure she leaves the lights on for you, I promise.”
Not convinced, Alexis went into the bedroom to see for herself that the sweater she’d left on the bed was now on the bureau, her duffle bag on the floor next to it, and the moss green bedspread had been folded back to the foot of the bed exposing beige sheets, blankets, and two pillows. She shook her head. She really hadn’t handled this well.
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