by Terri Reed
He gave her a dubious look then went inside and shut the door behind him.
Melody blew out a breath, hoping to ease the constriction in her chest. Jim would get over his upset. He couldn’t stay mad at her forever. They were partners.
But lately she hadn’t confided in Jim the way she used to. The way she recently had with Parker.
With a bit of a start she realized she’d put a lot of trust and faith in Parker.
Guilt slithered through her. For the past two weeks, Parker was the one she went to when she wanted to talk out a thought or bounce around an idea, whether it was a case or something to do with the youth center.
Parker and Sherlock showed up at the hotel every morning to escort her to the station and then would walk to the youth center with her at the end of the day. And then again showed up to take her back to the hotel at night and wouldn’t leave until Officer Truman arrived.
During the working day, they’d spent countless hours together searching for Zane. They’d tried all his usual haunts and canvassed the streets. But he’d gone to ground.
Melody hoped it meant the danger had passed, as well. This weekend she wanted to move back into her apartment. But tonight, she had a ball to attend. A quick glance at the clock hanging on the wall said she’d better get a move on. She needed to find Ally and give her some last-minute instructions about closing up.
Melody found Ally in the women’s locker room. The young woman sat on the bench, her slim shoulders shaking. Tears streamed down her pretty face.
Concern tore through Melody. “Ally, what’s wrong?”
Ally wiped at her tears. “I found this.” She held up a yellowed, crumpled sheet of paper.
Curious, she took the note and quickly read the words scrawled across the paper.
Ally,
I love you and know you deserve better than me. One day soon everything will work out and I’ll be able to take care of you. I hope you’ll always be my girl.
Daniel
Tears pricked Melody’s eyes. “Where did you get this?”
“An old purse. I’d forgotten I even had it, until I discovered it in the back of my closet. I started using it.” She sniffled and wiped at her nose with the sleeve of her shirt. “I was looking for some change for the vending machine and found that shoved in the bottom of a compartment.”
“What do you think he meant, ‘everything will work out?’”
Ally shoved her hair away from her face. “I don’t know.”
Something in the way Ally’s eyes shifted clanged an alarm through Melody. “Ally, if you know something about what Daniel was involved in before his death you need to tell. Now.”
The younger woman hesitated as if debating whether she should reveal whatever was on her mind.
Melody laid a hand on her arm. “Please, tell me.”
“Daniel had gotten mixed up with some nasty people.”
“Was he working for The Boss?”
Ally tilted her head. “I don’t think so. Daniel was trying to go into business for himself.”
A fist-size lump lodged in Melody’s gut. “So he was dealing drugs.”
Ally nodded.
“Why didn’t you say anything before now?”
“I didn’t want to get in trouble. I knew everyone would think I was involved, too. I wasn’t.” A fat tear rolled down her cheek. “And I didn’t want people thinking any worse of Daniel.”
“How was Daniel getting the drugs to sell?”
“He had a partner. I don’t know who it was. He wouldn’t tell. He wouldn’t tell me a lot of things.”
“Did he ever mention a code?”
“No.” She held out her hand, her eyes on the paper in Melody’s hand. “May I keep that?”
Melody laid the love letter into the young woman’s palm. “Of course. Ally, it’s very important you tell me anything else you know.”
Ally stood. “I don’t know anything else.”
Melody wasn’t so sure, but the stubborn jut of the girl’s chin told Melody she wasn’t getting anything else out of her right now.
Ally had confirmed the suspicion that Daniel had been dealing drugs. And added a new piece to the puzzle.
Daniel had had a business partner. Who? And had this person been the one to shoot and kill Daniel?
* * *
“You are not wearing that!”
Melody held open the door to her suite and stared at the women standing at the threshold.
Front and center was her friend, dog trainer Kaitlin Mathers, wearing a pretty emerald-green gown that heightened the green in her hazel eyes. Her honey-blond hair was loose about her shoulders and a sparkly necklace encircled her slender neck. Flanking Kaitlin on either side were dog trainer Francine Loomis, decked out in a black-and-white striped dress with more ruffles than Melody had ever seen on one person, and Officer Valerie Salgado in a flowing purple floor-length dress that accentuated her creamy skin and red hair.
When Melody had heard the knock on the hotel suite door, she’d expected to find Parker ready to escort her downstairs to the ball and her pulse had responded in a manner she’d come to accept. When she’d opened the door and saw these three women she didn’t know what to do. “Excuse me?”
“Can we come in?” Kaitlin asked.
“Why not.” Melody stepped back and allowed the trio to enter.
Francine gestured up and down with one pink-tipped finger. “What you have on is not appropriate for tonight.”
Melody glanced down at the black tailored pantsuit that she considered her best outfit. It was designer and had cost her a pretty penny. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”
“This is a formal affair and you’re going with a handsome date.” Francine’s tone suggested Melody should already know this.
“It’s black. Black is formal. And it’s not a date.” Melody couldn’t even believe they were having this conversation. “Where’s Parker?”
“Rehearsing with his group,” Valerie offered.
“So he asked Charlie’s Angels to escort me?”
“Ohhh, Charlie’s Angels.” Francine pressed her hands together like she were holding a gun, cocked a knee and struck a pose. “I’m the Demi Moore character.”
A smile tugged at Melody. “Uh, wasn’t her character the villain?”
Francine’s expression fell. “Oh. Right.”
“If you’re not dating Parker then what’s going on?” Kaitlin asked.
“Our bosses assigned him the task of keeping me safe.”
Worry wrinkled Francine’s brow. “From what?”
Melody told them about the break-ins and the threatening note. “I think it has something to do with Daniel’s murder and Rio’s disappearance.”
Anxiety darkened Kaitlin’s green eyes. “You’ll be careful, right?”
Touched by her concern, Melody squeezed her friend’s hand. “Yes. Of course.”
“Well, if you have to have someone watching your back, Parker’s a good candidate. And cute, too,” Francine remarked.
“Parker feels protective toward you,” Kaitlin said.
Valerie’s smile reminded Melody of the Cheshire Cat. “I don’t think it’s only his protective instincts.”
Melody narrowed her gaze. “Why do you say that?”
“Woman’s intuition.”
Right. A nervous flutter hit her tummy. What had Parker said to give Valerie that impression?
Melody grabbed her purse from the sideboard table in the entryway. “Let’s go.”
The three women exchanged glances and didn’t budge.
“What?” Melody arched an eyebrow.
Kaitlin smiled. “Honey, wouldn’t you rather put on a dress?”
“I don’t own a dress.” Her closet was full of pantsuits and button-down poplin shirts. She did have a couple pairs of jeans and some T-shirts for her days off.
“We can remedy that.” Kaitlin considered her for a moment before walking to the phone sitting on a table beside the l
eather couch. Kaitlin dialed the concierge and asked for the hotel’s boutique. “How late are you open? Oh, good. I have an emergency. Do you have anything formal in a size...?” Kaitlin’s hazel eyes grazed over Melody. “...six? And shoes?” Kaitlin cupped the receiver to say, “What size shoe do you wear?”
Bemusement prompted an answer. “Eight.”
Kaitlin repeated that into the phone. “Good. Pull everything you have. We’ll be right down.”
Melody glanced at the clock. “The ball starts in a half hour.”
Kaitlin waved away her concern. “That’s plenty of time.” She tucked her arm through Melody’s. “Let’s go, Cinderella. Time to get ready for the ball.”
It wasn’t Charlie’s Angels who’d come to visit but three fairy godmothers. Melody laughed at the irony and followed them out the door. At least she would be well protected with her entourage.
NINE
“That is perfect,” Valerie declared when Melody stepped out of the dressing room wearing one of the many dresses that Maggie, the manager of the hotel’s chic boutique, had pulled out for her to try on.
Melody could hardly believe she was staring at herself in the mirror. The reflection looked more like a storybook princess than a cop. She fought the urge to twirl. The silky blue sleeveless dress clung to her curves, making her look sleek and svelte. And daring silver heels with peek-a-boo toe cutouts flashed from beneath the hem of the dress. The neckline was modest, yet she felt like she was exposing way more of herself than she was comfortable with. But how often did a girl get to be Cinderella?
Kaitlin came up behind her and unclipped the barrette at her nape, then fluffed her dark hair around her shoulders. “We’ll run over to the hair salon and add a few curls with the hot iron and you’ll be set.”
“I don’t know that we’ll have time,” Melody said. “Parker will be wondering where we are.”
“The man will wait. Besides, once he sees you, he’ll think the extra few minutes worth it,” Francine predicted.
A spurt of anticipation and anxiety made Melody’s heart pound. “This is not me.”
“It is you,” Kaitlin insisted. “The blue in the dress makes your eyes almost translucent.”
She couldn’t argue with that. Even though blue eyes were a family trait, her eyes looked especially bright right now. It had to be the shop’s lighting and not the excitement bubbling up from deep within. She smoothed a hand down the sleek lines of the dress. She felt sophisticated and feminine and pretty. What would Parker think? Why did she care?
Maggie stepped up with a mascara wand in one hand and a dark eyeliner pencil in the other. Nearing fifty, the fashionable woman looked like she could be in a magazine rather than tending shop in Sagebrush. “Let me darken your lashes.”
Melody held still as Maggie applied the mascara and then the liner.
“A little lipstick,” Maggie said as she stroked a tube of a velvety color over Melody’s lips. “And a touch of gold.” She snapped open a black case with a variety of eye shadows. Using the small brush she dusted a shimmering gold powder over her lids. When she stepped back, Melody was able to see the effect.
A nervous laugh escaped. The gold shadow and dark liner emphasized her eyes. The red lipstick stood out in stark contrast to her light skin.
She hardly recognized herself. “I don’t know... I feel like I’m playing dress up in my mother’s clothes.” Though honestly, she couldn’t remember her mother wearing anything as glamorous.
Valerie tsked. “You’re just not used to it. You are absolutely beautiful and you’re going to knock the socks off Parker Adams.”
Melody couldn’t deny the heady anticipation of seeing Parker’s reaction. Not that what he thought mattered in the grand scheme of things. Tomorrow this sparkly version of herself would be tucked away as a nice memory. Nothing more.
But she planned to enjoy tonight.
* * *
When Melody walked sedately through the hotel’s lobby, Parker did a double take. His core ignited in a burst of flames. He forgave her tardiness in a quick heartbeat. “Wow. You’re...uh, hmm...”
He already thought she was a knockout. Now she’d transformed into a vibrant butterfly. Her dark hair curled around her shoulders. Her flawless skin provided the perfect backdrop for the carefully applied makeup that enhanced her features. The dress, well, the dress showed off her figure to perfection, leaving him tongue-tied.
The shy smile and the uncertainty in her vivid blue eyes touched something deep inside, making him want to pull her into his embrace and show her how gorgeous she really was, with or without the accoutrements.
He jammed his hands into the pockets of his tux. “You’re beautiful.”
“Thank you,” she murmured, her gaze ducking slightly. “I feel a bit awkward. I’m not used to wearing...” She gestured toward herself.
“It suits you,” he said and grimaced at the lame words.
She arched an eyebrow. “Better than my suits?”
He chuckled. “I think you’re beautiful no matter what you’re wearing.”
Her eyes widened. “Really?”
“Yes, really.” And the less he said on that subject, the better. Determined to keep his attraction to her on a short leash, he held out his arm. “Ready?”
She glided forward and took his arm. “As ready as Kaitlin, Valerie and Francine could make me.”
“Ah, you had not one but three fairy godmothers. That’s appropriate considering your penchant for all things Disney.”
A rueful laugh escaped her ruby lips. “You noticed that?”
“Hard not to.” He steered her toward the elevators. “I especially liked the huge Cheshire Cat.” Belatedly, he remembered the cat had been ripped to shreds during the break-in.
Her smile faltered. “My father gave that to me when I was eight. He’d taken Sierra and me to Disneyland. Those were the best five days of my life.” She bit her lower lip for a moment. Sudden tears glistened in her eyes. “Two weeks later, he left us.”
A fist grabbed Parker’s heart and squeezed. “I’m sorry for bringing it up.”
“Nothing for you to be sorry about.” She blinked rapidly. “It makes me so mad when I think about someone breaking into my apartment and ruining everything. And for what? Nothing.”
He pulled her into an alcove and gathered her close. “You have your memories. Those can’t be destroyed.”
She laid her cheek against his tux and rested her arms lightly around his waist. “Thank you,” she whispered.
The fresh clean scent of her hair teased his senses. She felt warm and pliant in his embrace. His chest filled with tender emotions that both scared and thrilled him. Getting attached to her wasn’t part of his assignment. He should let her go, should set her away, but he couldn’t bring himself to break the contact. He liked holding her. More than he should, more than was wise.
She lifted her head and leaned back to look up at him. The fire in her eyes caught his breath. Blue fire. The hottest flame. Apparently, she wasn’t immune to the attraction flaring between them. The intoxicating thought swirled through him. Her gaze searched his face, lingered on his mouth then lifted back to his eyes. Her lips parted. The yearning to lower his mouth to hers exploded within him. Pressure built in his blood. He tightened his hold as his resistance floundered.
“We should probably go,” she said softly.
“Probably.” But he didn’t want to leave the privacy of the alcove. Or to let her go. He wanted to explore the look in her eyes, to feel her body pressed close, to lose himself in the wonder of Melody.
“Parker?”
The slight tremble in her voice slammed into him, forcing reality to the forefront of his mind. As attracted to Melody as he was, kissing her wasn’t part of his plan. Or part of his job. He had let her sorrow and his attraction to her muddle his objective. He needed to stay professional, keep their relationship strictly business. For her sake. As well as his own.
Blowing out a condensed breath
, he released her and stepped back. Parker reined in his emotions and vowed to keep a physical distance from his very beautiful and very tempting coworker.
As they left the alcove, Melody visibly tensed. She slowed and looked around.
Concern arced through him. “What is it?”
“I don’t know.” She tugged on her bottom lip with her even white teeth. “It felt like someone was watching us.” She gave a shaky laugh. “Probably just my nerves.”
Or her instincts.
Forget keeping a distance.
He couldn’t forget someone out there had threatened Melody’s life and trashed her apartment. Her life was in danger. And it was up to him to protect her. Even if he’d rather be kissing her.
* * *
Parker guided Melody toward the elevator. His hand, placed at the small of her back, created sparks of warmth to spread through her much like his words had. When he’d said she was beautiful, she’d believed him. And that made her feel...beautiful. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt like this.
Several other elegantly dressed partygoers crowded inside the small compartment with them, forcing Melody to step back against Parker’s broad chest. He slid an arm around her waist, making her a bit weak in the knees. Ever since that moment when she’d thought he was going to kiss her, her whole being hummed with anticipation.
The close quarters in the elevator only heightened the energy racing through her.
When they stepped out of the elevator, she expected Parker to move away from her, but to her surprise, he didn’t. He kept his arm around her, molding her to his side, his hand resting lightly at her hip. The possessive gesture made her feel cherished. Something she could honestly say she’d never experienced. The crush of people forced them even closer. Heat coming off him made her head swim. Overwhelmed by his nearness, she had to concentrate to put one foot in front of the other.
They jostled their way into the grand ballroom and paused inside the entryway. The opulence of the elegant Victorian-inspired space stole Melody’s breath. A large ornate brass chandelier hung from a high vaulted ceiling. Hardwood floors, polished to a radiant shine, stretched across the length of the long room. Grandiose gold-framed mirrors and exquisite artwork enhanced the solid walls to the left while to the right floor-to-ceiling windows allowed the fading evening sun to stream through like beacons from heaven. Above the main floor of the ballroom, suspended balconies provided perfect places for guests to observe those below. A stage set with a band sat at the far end, while long tables filled with appetizers and desserts lined the far wall.