Tart of Darkness

by Denise Swanson

  “My cousin is driving me nuts about the damn thing. She calls all the time.” Kipp’s voice was as annoying as an unoiled hinge. “Listen, Dani. I’ll hire you. Whatever your going rate is to cook a meal, I’ll pay you that to take the time to unpack your boxes and find it.” He looked at Spencer. “Can’t get any fairer than that, right, bro?”

  “It’s not up to me, bro.” Spencer raised his eyebrows. “It’s up to Dani.”

  “Fine.” Dani wanted to get Kipp out of her hair. “I’m busy tomorrow, but I have an opening Thursday afternoon and I’ll look for the book then.”

  “How much does he owe you?” Spencer remained behind Kipp, trapping Dani’s ex between the porch and sidewalk.

  “I’ll give him three hours of searching for a hundred and seventy-five dollars.” Dani narrowed her eyes at Kipp. “But I want the cash up front, and if I find the book sooner, I still get to keep the full amount.” She stared at her ex. “Is it worth that much money to you?”

  “I’ll go to the ATM right now,” Kipp snapped. “I’ll be back in half an hour.”

  “Fine. I’ll wait with Dani.” Spencer stepped around Kipp to stand by Dani. His smile was predatory as he lifted the leg of his jeans to show an ankle holster. “I can use the time to clean my Glock.”

  “You do know that firearms kill people.” Kipp’s tone was condescending.

  “If guns kill people”—Ivy moved next to her uncle and stared down Kipp—“then pens misspell words, cars cause accidents, and forks make people gain weight.”

  Kipp opened his mouth, then closed it and stomped away.

  Once her ex was gone, Dani glanced at Spencer. Why had he stopped by? A part of her would like to ask his help looking into Regina’s murder, but she wasn’t sure if that was a good idea or not.

  After hugging Ivy, Spencer looked at Dani and asked, “Who was that guy?”

  “Dani’s creeper ex.” Ivy pretended to gag. “He’s an ER doc and thinks he’s irresistible.” She made a face. “He hid that he was engaged to someone else the whole time he was dating Dani.”

  “Your uncle isn’t interested in my history with an old boyfriend.” Dani’s cheeks burned. Could she look like any more of a loser? “When his mom died, Kipp gave me a book from one of her boxes, which, it turns out, was promised to a relative. I told him he could have it back, but since I haven’t completely unpacked from my move, I don’t know where it is and—”

  “And, big surprise, Dr. Dipstick thinks his needs and wants are more important than anyone else’s.” Ivy finished Dani’s sentence.

  Spencer grinned at his niece, then turned to Dani and said, “All the more reason for me to stick around until that bozo gets back with your money.”

  “There’s no need. As I said before, I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.” Dani ignored the little voice in her head screaming at her to shut up. “I’m sure you have better things to do than making sure Kipp comes through with his part of the bargain.”

  “Nope.” Spencer took a seat on the wicker rocker and set the chair in motion. “It’s a nice night and I can’t think of any way I’d rather spend it than with my favorite niece.”

  Dani shuffled from foot to foot before she decided to go with the flow and asked, “Would you like some coffee and dessert?”

  “One of your mocha cupcakes?” Spencer arched a dark brow.

  “Not this time.” Dani grinned at his hopeful expression and said, “But I have homemade banana pudding.”

  “Wow. I haven’t had homemade since I was in grade school and Mom discovered store-bought pudding cups.”

  Dani smiled and hurried into the house. Emerging a few minutes later, she heard Ivy telling her uncle about their evening.

  As Dani put the tray of coffee and dessert on a table next to Spencer’s chair, he said, “So you had Regina’s fiancé to dinner?”

  “It seemed like the least I could do since he was nice enough to return Ivy’s necklace.” Dani joined Ivy on the porch swing.

  “And you could pump him for info about his dead wife-to-be.”

  “We chatted about her a bit.” Dani couldn’t tell if Spencer was amused or annoyed. “But mostly, Laz apologized about his own behavior during the party.”

  “Oh?” Spencer picked up the bowl and dipped his spoon into the pudding.

  “He explained, but I’m not sure that I should share his personal information.” Dani watched as Spencer ate the entire dessert in three or four huge bites.

  “Laz said it in front of all of us.” Ivy glanced at Dani. “So I really doubt he’s trying to keep it a big secret or anything.”

  “He’s an alcoholic who fell off the wagon and got blitzed.” Spencer licked his spoon, then leaned back in his chair.

  “How did you know?” Ivy demanded, stopping the swing’s movement.

  “Because your uncle found out that Laz was in rehab.” Dani shot Spencer a knowing look. “I thought you were only looking into Detective Mikeloff. Did you investigate all the partygoers’ backgrounds?”

  “Just the ones that you all told me were close to Regina.” Spencer poured sugar in his coffee, stirred, and took a cautious sip. “The intimate method used to kill her leads me to believe the murderer was someone in her immediate circle of friends or a relative. And Regina doesn’t have any family within a thousand miles of Illinois.”

  Dani was silent. She’d bet her brand-new Vitamix blender that Spencer had also run her name past his resources. She really didn’t have anything to hide. Well, except for the Homestead Insurance incident. And none of that mess was her fault.

  “Did you find out anything else interesting, Uncle Spence?” Ivy asked.

  “Mikeloff has a reputation for being mean.” Spencer paused, then added, “He likes having people in his debt and gets off on exacting revenge if he feels like he’s been betrayed. Rumor has it he’s framed a few people to get payback.” Spencer looked at Dani. “Is there any reason he would feel the need to retaliate against you?”

  “I never met him before yesterday,” Dani said.

  Her mind flashed to the detective’s resemblance to someone she knew. She really needed to find out who he looked like. If it was someone from her previous job, she’d have to come up with a way to tell Spencer about the detective’s conflict of interest without violating the contract she’d signed.

  “I also heard that Regina’s ex-boyfriend went to prostitutes for drugs and rough sex,” Spencer said staring at his niece.

  “What? Vance? Ew!” Ivy wrinkled her nose and held up her hand to Spencer. “I don’t even want to know how you found that out.”

  “Wouldn’t that make him a good suspect?” Dani asked, ignoring Ivy’s antics.

  “It would be if Regina had been killed in a different way.” Spencer sipped his coffee. “But an insulin overdose doesn’t really fit that kind of person. I’m not a profiler, but I took the course, and strangulation during erotic asphyxiation or a whipping that got out of control would seem more his speed.”

  “And I’m out of here.” Ivy jumped to her feet and dashed into the house.

  “Shit! I’d better go check on her.” Spencer rose from his chair. “She’s so damn smart that I forget how young she really is.”

  “She’s fine. Just a little embarrassed.” Dani recalled some of the conversations about sex she’d overheard among Ivy, Starr, and Tippi. “It’s not the topic so much as it is having her uncle talk about it.”

  “Sorry.” Spencer blew out a breath. “Too many years in law enforcement.”

  “I imagine it’s difficult to change your habits,” Dani murmured.

  “It is.” Spencer’s voice deepened. “I hope I didn’t embarrass you.”

  “Nope.” Dani shook her head. “My job in HR wasn’t quite as bad, but as you can imagine, it would be hard to remain too innocent.”

  “I suppo
se.” His blue eyes sparkled. “But somehow, I think you’ve managed to cling to the best part of innocence—the willingness to trust people and the sweetness that makes you want to help them.”

  Dani’s breath hitched as she stared at his handsome face. The porch light’s yellow bulb cast a pale glow that left the corners in shadow but created a halo around Spencer, making him seem almost magical. His assertion was the nicest thing anyone had said to her in a long, long time. Her stomach fluttered. Did he really see her like that or was he playing her so she’d let down her guard?

  She chose her words carefully. “Well, that’s certainly very flattering.”

  Her track record with men stank. Her father, her boss, and her boyfriend had all ended up mistreating her. None of them had ever physically harmed her, but they sure as heck had wrecked her emotionally.

  “Dani.” Spencer scooted his chair until it faced the swing where she sat, then leaned forward and took both her hands in his. “I’m not trying to charm you or smooth talk you into anything.” He waited for her to stop staring at their fingers and to look at him before he continued, “I promise you I won’t lie to you.”

  “That would be a refreshing change,” Dani blurted, then quickly added, “What I mean is, a lot of people either fudge the truth or omit the relative facts and tell themselves they aren’t liars.”

  “I can’t argue with your assessment of our society.” Spencer chuckled. “But between us, let’s have a no-bullshit policy.”

  “Whenever possible,” Dani qualified, then eased her fingers from his grasp. There were matters she couldn’t discuss and she certainly didn’t owe Spencer any explanations.

  “Okay.” Spencer continued to stare at her. “But I think we both want the same thing.” He raised a brow. “To make sure Mikeloff doesn’t set up either you or Ivy for Regina’s murder.”

  “Agreed.” Dani nodded and told him about her morning visitor. She didn’t see how telling him about the reporter could be an issue for her, and sharing that information with him might lull Spencer into trusting her more.

  “There are two ways to approach the problem.” Spencer tapped her knee, refocusing her attention. “One, we get Mikeloff removed from the case.”

  “By proving he’s a dirty cop?” Dani asked, then recalled her other idea. “Or suggesting some kind of conflict of interest?”

  “Yes, but it probably wouldn’t work. A lot of suspects claim the cops are targeting them unfairly and we don’t have any concrete evidence to prove he’s really doing that to you.” Spencer’s nostrils flared. “I can put a bug in the chief of police’s ear, but even if she believes me and investigates, Mikeloff could really jam up you and Ivy in the meantime.”

  “So what then?” Dani asked, annoyed that what she thought were two pretty darn good plans apparently wouldn’t work.

  He didn’t answer. His lips pressed together as if he had tasted something bad.

  “You don’t want to say it,” Dani prodded. “But the best way to clear my name and prevent Ivy from becoming Mikeloff’s next target is—”

  “For us to figure out who killed Regina,” Spencer said, finishing Dani’s sentence.

  “And you hate the idea of civilians interfering with a police investigation,” Dani guessed, then added, “But you’re a civilian too.”

  “Yes and no.” Spencer crossed his arms. “I may no longer have a formal connection to a law enforcement agency, but I do continue to have some ties. And I also have the training to deal with bad guys. You do not.”

  “Still,” Dani argued, “I’m the one with the most to lose if Mikeloff frames me for the murder.”

  “True.” Spencer inhaled deeply, then added, “And even more than I hate involving a private citizen, I hate the idea of someone who’s innocent being convicted and someone who’s guilty getting off scot-free even more.”

  Chapter 12

  Spencer had slept poorly. An unrelenting drip-drop-drip from the kitchen’s leaky faucet, noisy neighbors—the curse of a town house in a college town—and unsettling thoughts about Dani had kept him awake all night. He’d tossed and turned, alternating between staring at the ceiling and the digital clock on his nightstand.

  He’d finally given up on the hope of sleeping, and by 5:00 a.m., he was already showered, dressed, and leaving for work. It looked as if yesterday’s weather had been a signal for a change from the pleasant temperatures they had been enjoying. Today was predicted to be hot and even more humid, which meant the security force would be miserable in their polyester uniforms. Another issue for Spencer to address on his unending list of changes that needed to be made.

  Along with their discomfort about their personal attire, the security staff would have to deal with another sticky problem. In the summer, the students spent a lot more time outdoors on the quad, and they often wore a lot less clothing than their parents would appreciate.

  Girls in tiny shorts and barely-there tank tops mixing with boys high on testosterone and other less legal substances were a bad combination. The consequences of such a dangerous combo were one of the principal reasons Spencer had been hired. An important part of his job was to make it clear there was no excuse for sexual assault—no means no—and to enforce a zero-tolerance policy on or off campus.

  The university administration wanted abusive students held accountable and potential victims protected. By employing someone like Spencer to beef up security’s presence and outline appropriate prevention and responses, the college had proven its commitment to its students’ welfare.

  Pulling into his reserved parking spot, Spencer’s thoughts were on the safety strategy he’d been creating for the upcoming rally against gender-based violence. As he marched down the sidewalk toward the heavy metal doors of the campus security building, he jerked to halt and frowned at the empty beer can and used condom sitting on the lawn. Clearly, he needed to have a chat with his staff about including their own perimeter in their routine patrols.

  Spencer jotted a reminder to himself in his ever-present notebook, then proceeded to his office. The room was tiny, with barely enough space to walk from the desk to the file cabinet to the bookcase. When he’d come on board, he could have claimed one of the large conference rooms, but since he hadn’t planned on spending much time sitting on his butt behind a desk, he was fine with the smaller area.

  Once he was settled and working on the plan, his mind wandered back to the previous evening. Forcing Dani’s asshat ex to leave her alone had felt fantastic. Urging Little Miss Cupcake to investigate Regina’s murder, not so much.

  Seeing that scumbag manhandling Dani had brought out every one of Spencer’s protective instincts. He didn’t like the obnoxious doctor breathing her air, let alone touching her.

  And he liked that she was on the radar of a corrupt cop known for his vengeful behavior even less. What was he thinking encouraging a civilian to become involved in a police matter? Had he completely lost his fricking mind?

  Although, as Dani had pointed out, he was now a civilian too. It was times like these that he missed his badge. He sure didn’t miss being undercover, but the authority that came with his shield would have been mighty handy right about now.

  If he were still in law enforcement, he would have never agreed to team up with Dani. But when she’d outlined what she had learned about the vic and her friends, he had to admit that, in a short amount of time, his Little Miss Cupcake had gathered an impressive amount of insider information. He doubted that the fiancé or the reporter would have been as open with either Spencer or the cops.

  He frowned. Come to think of it, a journalist willingly sharing info was strange. He’d never met one he could trust. Most likely, the woman was using Dani. He needed to check out Frannie Ryan.

  Dani had said the woman was from Scumble River. A community in which Spencer had spent some time undercover as a member of a motorcycle gang. And a place where he just h
appened to know the chief of police.

  Spencer had kept in touch with Wally and his pretty wife, Skye. In fact, he still had the birth announcement containing a picture of their babies wearing T-shirts that read DADDY, I’VE GOT YOUR 6. The card was tacked to the bulletin board above his desk at home and he smiled every damn time he saw it.

  Shaking his head, Spencer added a note to call Wally about the reporter to his to-do list, then tried to concentrate on the sexual assault awareness training seminar he was designing for his security team. But a few minutes later, he threw down his pen and stared out the window. What was it about Dani that attracted him so much?

  Sure she was pretty and smart. But he was surrounded by good-looking, intelligent women, and none of them incited the intense lust or genuine warmth he felt toward Dani. Maybe it was exactly what he’d told her. Maybe it was her sweetness that drew him to her.

  Last night, as they’d sat on her front porch, it had been rough ignoring the voice inside his head that insisted he ask her out. Insisted that he let her know he was interested in her as a woman not just as his niece’s friend. Insisted that he move closer.

  But in the long run, he knew it was better to keep Dani at a distance. That way, he wouldn’t be lured into trying for something he’d already messed up once before. Something too fragile for the likes of him. Something out of his reach.

  Relationships never worked for him, and his Little Miss Cupcake didn’t seem the type who would be satisfied with just hooking up for a few nights of wild sex. Actually, if Spencer was totally honest with himself, neither was he. At least not anymore.

  In the long years since his divorce, he’d played the field. Never seeing a woman more than once or twice. Never waking up in her bed or allowing her to visit his place. Never making it about anything but a fun, fast, and meaningless physical release.

  But deep down in his soul, Spencer knew that he wanted what Wally and Skye Boyd had together. It was a damn shame that he was too much of a coward to risk opening up his heart again to find it. No. It was better to keep an emotional distance with Dani than go through the pain of another breakup.