Good Girls Don't

by Victoria Dahl

  But there was work. And family. She groaned and reached for the handle of her door.

  “I’ll call you later,” he said.

  “Be careful today, all right? No shootings or stabbings or anything.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  She started to get out, but he touched her arm.

  “Come by tonight? I’ll make you dinner.”

  “Do you cook?” she asked.

  “Well, I grill. And I make salad.”

  She kissed him one last time. “I’ll bring the beer.”

  “You’re a male fantasy come to life, you know that?”

  “Ha. Don’t think I haven’t heard that before.”

  She floated across her backyard, smiling at the way Luke’s car stayed parked as she dug her keys out. He’d pulled into the alley as if he was protecting her reputation. Now he was watching to be sure she made it safely inside, because 8:00 a.m. on a Wednesday was such a dangerous hour.

  Her grin held as she dropped her purse on the kitchen counter. The smile stayed in place as she walked into the dining room. And it disappeared like a popped bubble when she saw Eric standing by her couch. He was staring in horror at the White Orchid bag as if it had sprouted fangs and clawed hands. He turned toward her, mouth open in shock.

  “Okay.” Tessa sighed. “Give me your key.”

  “Where have you been?” he barked.

  “Where do you think I’ve been?”

  He gestured to the bag, his face turning bright red, his jaw working as if he couldn’t make any words come out. “Jesus!” he finally yelled.

  “Oh, for God’s sake, Eric! You have to give me the key to the house. Or at least promise to only use it in an emergency.”

  “It was an emergency! Your car was in the garage and you wouldn’t answer the door. I forgot my phone at home… I was scared to death.”

  “Eric…” She dropped her head and took a deep breath. “Look, I know I’ve never talked to you about men or dating, but I’m fine. I know what I’m doing.”

  He glanced at the bag again, then crossed his arms and edged away from it.

  Tessa rolled her eyes. “So why did you come by?” Again.

  “Jamie and I talked.”

  Her heart immediately jumped into a frantic race for oxygen. “What?”

  “He told me you two spoke about Luke Asher. I was worried about you. But…I guess my concern was unwarranted. Or maybe it was fully warranted.” Oh, he sounded bitter, but Tessa was so busy trying to calm herself down that she didn’t respond. Jamie hadn’t told him about Monica Kendall. Yet.

  “What are you doing, Tessa?” His words were heavy with disappointment.

  “I’m fine, Eric. Please trust me. When have I ever let you down?”

  They watched each other for a long moment, and she held his gaze with pride. She knew she’d never let him down. She’d made damn sure of it.

  He finally looked away. “You know how proud I am of you. I just don’t want you to be hurt.”

  “I know how to deal with pain, Eric. We all do.”

  He bowed his head. “That’s the reason I don’t want you hurt again. Isn’t it obvious?”

  “That’s impossible,” she said, even though she understood perfectly what he meant. She wanted the same thing for him and Jamie. For everything to just work out. “I’ll be hurt one day. And again and again after that. But I’ll still be happy. Anyway, I’m telling you that Luke isn’t who you think he is. Not at all. I’m not afraid of pain, but I wouldn’t ask for it.” Hell, he wasn’t even a babe magnet, just a bullet magnet.

  She heard him sigh. His shoulders stayed tight. He wasn’t moved. They would go around and around about this and he’d never give in. But then Eric shook his head and stepped forward to pull her into his arms. “Are you serious about this guy?”

  “Not serious,” she said, but when her heart lurched, added, “not yet.”

  “Give me some time to get used to it.”

  She pressed her ear to his heart. “Okay.”

  “But I’ll make him regret it if he hurts you. And I still don’t like it.”

  Tessa smiled and said “okay” to that, too. When she pulled back, she narrowed her eyes at him. “Maybe it’s time to come clean about your dating. How come I never see you with anyone?”

  “Because I’m never with anyone,” he answered, but she noticed the way his eyes slid quickly away, and wondered what he was hiding. Still, she had too many secrets to make any point of his.

  “Can you wait fifteen minutes while I shower? We can get that breakfast we talked about.”

  She’d been trying to avoid him, but that had been a mistake. Half an hour later, they were digging into their diner breakfast when Tessa dared a question. “Have you ever met Graham Kendall?”

  “No. Why?”

  “I ran into him the other day. At Starbucks.”

  “Oh? Did he say anything about why his father won’t take my calls?”

  “No, but we spoke about Kendall Flight a little. Have you heard of it?”

  “Sure.”

  “It seems like maybe it’s another good opportunity for us. He’s going to send me some numbers.”

  “Great. Let me know when you get them.”

  He continued eating, his eyes still distant and dark.

  “He also suggested a sponsorship of—”

  “You know what? I don’t even want to hear about another deal with a Kendall Group company until this bastard gets back to me. I’m beginning to think these people are just screwing around with us.”

  She swallowed a suddenly cementlike piece of pancake. “Are you having buyer’s remorse?”

  “I’m sick of this. Maybe I should’ve taken the hint from the start. If I didn’t think this was the best path to expansion…”

  There. There was one small crack in his unwavering support for this deal. There was that tiny bit of promise she’d been hoping to grab on to. If she kept a tight hold, and tugged it carefully…

  “Then maybe you shouldn’t worry,” she said. “Maybe it’s a sign. If he backs out, he backs out, and we’ll concentrate on an even better opportunity.”

  “No, I’ve put too much work into this. He’s just being inconsiderate. As usual.”

  “I’m not sure we can trust him,” Tessa said on a rush, surprising even herself.

  He shrugged. “That’s what airtight contracts are for.”

  “He’s slimy.”

  “Regardless, people are excited about his airline. And when will we ever have an opportunity to get paid to advertise our beer to a captive audience of new customers?”

  That was just it. The brass ring she couldn’t reach with any other company. Yes, there were other opportunities, but they were only opportunities to squeeze Donovan Brothers beer onto the shelf next to a hundred other bottles.

  “Well, we’re doing fine,” Tessa said quietly. “Everything’s good, with or without Roland Kendall.”

  But Eric didn’t respond, he only scowled at his phone as he scrolled through something on the screen. Something work-related, obviously. As far as she knew, he didn’t have a life outside the brewery, but maybe he was as good at keeping secrets as she was.

  She nodded her head toward his phone. “Hot text message from your new girlfriend?”

  “No, it’s an email from—” His head whipped up and he narrowed his eyes. “Very funny.”

  “You should think about getting laid. Then maybe you wouldn’t be so focused on my sex life.”

  “I am not focused on your sex life. That’s ridiculous. And creepy. And I’m not… That is…” He shook his head. “Never mind.”

  “What?” she pressed, curious now, despite her teasing.

  A heartbeat passed in silence, then two. “Let’s go,” he said abruptly, pushing the bill and some cash closer to the edge of the table. “The brewery won’t run itself.”

  Their father had said that. Not often, only on the rare days when he’d been too tired to be excited about hi
s business. That place won’t run itself, he’d say with a wink and hard stretch. Now she couldn’t believe he hadn’t been dead tired all the time. There were three of them running the place now. He’d had only himself and the ghost of his brother.

  Then again, after the accident, Eric had only had himself and ghosts, too. She’d been amazed by him as a teenager. Now she was in awe.

  She bumped her shoulder against his arm as they walked out of the restaurant. “Why don’t you take some time off next month?”

  “We’ve got the brew show in Santa Fe next month, then the Denver one after that.”

  “So? That’s two long weekends.”

  “Plus all the prep work.”

  Tessa sighed, wondering when he’d last taken a vacation. She couldn’t remember. Hell, she couldn’t remember when she’d last taken one. A few days here and there. A few side trips during brew shows.

  She slid into Eric’s car. “Maybe I should go to the beach.”

  Eric got in and closed the door. “Did you say something?”

  “No,” she answered without hesitation. “But you know what? You should go to the beach. Florida.”

  “Florida? Me?”

  A sudden image flashed in her head of Eric strolling the beach in a black Speedo. “Okay, maybe Oregon. Or Maine.”

  “Yeah,” he said. “Maybe.” But his tone said there was no chance. He was already back to worrying about the brewery.

  Weren’t they all.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  SIX HOURS. THAT WAS how long it had taken them to track down one measly thief. Six hours of knocking on every damn door of every place he’d been rumored to hang out. Finally, Luke and Simone had doubled back to his grandmother’s house and found him eating macaroni and cheese and homemade corn bread.

  The grandmother had seemed neither surprised nor dismayed to see them again. She’d just shrugged one shoulder and shouted, “Frankie, the cops are back!”

  He’d bolted. They’d chased. And now he was slumped over the table of the interview room, one hand pressed to his skinned forehead.

  “I think you’re going to live, Frankie.”

  “Why’d you have to throw me into that stupid fence, man?”

  “You made my partner run. Not cool.”

  “I didn’t know she was pregnant! What am I under arrest for?”

  “You’re not under arrest. Yet.”

  Frank Valowski looked up and met Luke’s eyes. “I’m not?”

  “Not yet. But you’re on probation, so this could all go south for you real quick.”

  “Look,” Simone said, her voice understanding and soft, “you can call your lawyer and clam up. That’s your right. But we know you’re not the brains behind this operation.”

  His eyes widened by the smallest fraction. His fingers began tracing circles on the table. “You saying I’m not smart enough?”

  “No. Are you saying this robbery was your idea?”

  “What robbery?”

  Luke smiled. “We’ve got surveillance tape connecting your car to a robbery at Donovan Brothers Brewery. Does that ring any bells?”

  Oh, yeah, it did. Frank’s fingers pressed hard against the scarred tabletop. “I want my lawyer,” he grumbled.

  “You got it. But when she brings up the idea of a deal, I suggest you listen carefully.”

  Despite his own words, even Luke was surprised when Frank’s lawyer and the D.A. reached a deal within the hour. If he cooperated fully in the investigation, his probation would be extended two years, but he’d see no jail time. Fair enough. All they really had was proof that Frank had gotten his hands on the keg somewhere. They certainly couldn’t pin all these robberies on him. But in the end, the deal led to nothing but mystery.

  “I never saw the guy. He called and asked me if I wanted in on a deal. Said he got my number from a mutual friend. Normally I wouldn’t go for something like that, but…”

  “But what?” Luke asked.

  Frank shrugged. “I don’t know. It seemed like nothing. He said when I got there, the door would be unlocked and he’d give me the alarm code.”

  “When did he call you with the alarm code?”

  “That night. Told me to head on over.”

  Luke leaned closer. “Did you recognize his voice?”

  “Nope. Just sounded like a regular white guy, I think. Nothing special.”

  “How did he pay you?”

  “Said he wanted the computers and I could keep anything else, and I figured that was good enough for an easy job. But there wasn’t anything else. Not even twenty bucks in the till. That fucking keg was my whole payment, and then I saw the story in the newspaper and I thought, ‘Shit, I’ve gotta get rid of this, too.’ I should’ve dropped it in the creek, but I figured if I left it in the alley, some loser would take it home.”

  “He did,” Luke said.

  “So what the fuck happened?”

  Luke smiled. “Bad time for a traffic stop.”

  “Shit,” Frank groaned.

  Simone gave him a few seconds to wallow in his misfortune before she spoke. “How did you make the drop?”

  “The what?”

  Luke gritted his teeth in impatience, but Simone was as cool as always. “How did you deliver the computers?”

  “There’s a fence behind the brewery. The guy had already loosened the boards. I just pulled them off, put the computers on the other side and jammed the boards back up. I guess he picked them up from there.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Luke asked.

  “Nope. I told you it was easy. I didn’t even need a truck.”

  The lawyer cleared her throat. “All right, I think Mr. Valowski has been more than cooperative here—”

  “We need the phone number,” Simone interrupted.

  The guy offered his cell phone, but they all knew it was hopeless. A man who’d put that much thought into a robbery would’ve used a disposable cell. Even the dumbest criminal knew that much.

  “Did he ever call again?”

  “I wish. This shit’s been nothing but trouble, and I’d like to give him a piece of my mind. I’m out, man. I’m straight from now on.”

  Likely story. Even Frankie’s lawyer rolled her eyes.

  Luke had one last question before they cut him loose. “Who’s the friend who hooked you two up?”

  “He didn’t say.”

  Simone and Luke left Frankie and his lawyer to work out the details with the probation officer.

  “Jesus,” Luke muttered. “That was a waste of a fucking day.”

  “At least we know the guy’s method now,” Simone countered. “It wasn’t a complete waste.”

  “Maybe we should look at the employees again. It sounds like someone on the inside helped out. The lock and the alarm code… Then again, it’s not as if there’s a common employee that links all these businesses.”

  “Maybe the guy has a way with people. Or maybe he blackmails them into helping.”

  Luke frowned as they reached their desks and sat down. “Too much exposure, though. He’s careful not to put himself at risk. No real contact with the accessories. No chance he’ll trip an alarm and get caught. No way anyone will stumble upon him crawling out a window with the stolen property. He’s good. I can’t see him leaving a different witness at every site.”

  “Yeah.” Simone leaned back in her chair, resting her head so she could stare at the ceiling. A burst of laughter exploded from one of the offices. She scowled. “It’s too damn noisy to think in here.” Luke watched the way she rubbed at her holster where it cut into her shoulder.

  He was surprised by the sergeant’s voice when it came, but not as surprised as Simone. “It’s time for you to think about desk duty, Detective Parker,” he said from past Luke’s shoulder. Simone wrenched forward, her chair squealing in protest as her eyes popped open.

  “Excuse me?” she gasped.

  “You look tired.”

  “It’s this chair that’s hurting my back,” she snapped
. “I’ll go on leave when it’s time, but I’m not going to volunteer to sit on this torture instrument for eight hours a day. Sir.”

  Luke kept his mouth shut. He didn’t like to see Simone mixing it up with criminals, either, but he knew better than to step into that mess. Simone was quiet, and her bite was way worse than her bark.

  Maybe the sergeant had realized his mistake, because he stayed silent behind Luke before he finally walked away. Luke sighed in relief. Simone closed her eyes again.

  “So what are you thinking?” Luke asked.

  “I don’t know. One more month. I’m not waddling like a penguin yet.”

  “No,” he said startled. “I meant…” He let his words trail off. Was she really talking to him about this?

  “Plus, it knocks them off guard,” she added.

  “Who?”

  “The suspects. Haven’t you noticed?”

  Yeah, he’d noticed. Of course he had. It was exactly what he liked so much about her. She wasn’t big and tough and threatening, and she worked it to her advantage.

  “Listen,” Luke said. “I’ve got to call Ben Jackson in Denver and find out what the hell’s going on with these files. Then why don’t we check out of here on time for once? We’ll head to my place and brainstorm for an hour. Like we used to.”

  She rubbed her temples and shifted uncomfortably in the chair. “Yeah. Let’s do that. I need a milk shake.”

  “What?”

  “I’ll stop and get one on the way. I’ll see you there.” She pushed up awkwardly and stretched again. “You want a shake?”

  “Um. No, thanks. I’m fine.” Fine was a good word for it. Simone was finally opening up. Sure, it wasn’t much, but it was something. Luke found himself smiling down at his desk for a good ten seconds, and then he picked up his phone and got back to work.

  “COME ON, WALLACE!” Tessa shouted over the loud male voices that surrounded her. “Jamie did not say your stout was garbage! Calm down!”

  “He implied it!” Wallace yelled back. “You think I don’t know what I heard?”

  Jamie threw up his hands. “All I said was that I thought the end note was a little bitter. Pull back on the chocolate, man.”

  “Fuck you!”