Best of Intentions

by Michelle Cary

  Tori gave her a look Tess couldn’t quite interpret. “There’s lots of thing you don’t know about me.”

  ****

  Tess was still pondering Tori’s declaration when they drove into the parking lot. What the hell had she meant by it? Of course if she were being completely honest, there were a lot of things about herself Tess hadn’t told Tori either. Still, she wasn’t the one carrying around a bag of medical supplies in her car.

  Tess walked past the storage room in the basement where Eric’s crew worked surveillance. Then shuffled into the locker room where the time clock was. She hung her coat inside her locker then clocked in with Tori behind her. “Where are you working today?”

  “Labor and delivery,” Tess replied.

  “Lucky. I’m down in the cancer ward again. As much as I end up there, I swear Casey doesn’t like me.”

  Tess made a face. “That’s absurd. Casey puts us where she needs us and tries to play on our strengths. Because you’ve got such a great rapport with God, she probably feels you do your best work there because those people are facing their own mortality.”

  “Yeah, maybe. Sometimes it gets to be a little much though.”

  They stepped into the hallway and Tess stopped short. “You know, I really should go to the bathroom before I head up. I’d hate to have to pee right in the middle of a delivery. Why don’t you go on up, and I’ll catch up with you later.”

  Tori nodded. “Okay. Maybe we can have lunch.”

  “Uh, yeah, lunch sounds good.” Tess raced back into the locker room and headed for one of the stalls. She locked the door and waited until she was sure Tori would be on her way upstairs, then scrambled down the hall to the storage room. Using the key Eric had given her, she unlocked the door and snuck inside.

  Eric looked up from his paperwork. “Tess?”

  “I know I shouldn’t be here, but listen to me. I don’t know if it matters, but I found a bag full of syringes and bottles of medication in the floorboard of Tori’s car. She put the bag in the trunk when we got here.”

  Eric frowned. “Did you ask her about it?”

  Tess nodded. “She said it was for the East Side Free Clinic where she volunteers, but I’ve never known any facility to allow you to carry supplies like syringes and meds without some way of protecting them.”

  “Are you telling me you think Tori's the killer?”

  Tess shook her head. “No. I mean I hope not, but you told me if I noticed anything out of the ordinary to let you know. Well, this is out of the ordinary.”

  “Okay, I’ll have the team investigate the clinic and run a check on Tori.”

  ****

  Devin hobbled off the elevator and gimped his way to his lawyers' 20th floor office. He hated having to pretend to still be injured, but explaining his quick recovery wasn’t an option. He switched the cane from one hand to the other, opened the glass door scribed with the lawyer’s names in gold leaf, and entered. A petite brunette looked up from her computer and smiled. “Can I help you?”

  Devin nodded. “I’m here to meet with Andre Thomas.”

  “Have a seat,” she replied, then flipped her chestnut hair from her shoulder and picked up the phone.

  Devin eased down into one of several the plush chairs and picked up a Money magazine. Barely a paragraph into an article on ’How to make the most of your savings accounts’, he looked up to see Andre walking toward him.

  “Devin. How the hell are ya? It’s good to see you’re up and moving around. How was the drive?”

  “The drive was okay. A little hard on my foot, but nothing I couldn’t handle.” Putting on a good show, Devin gingerly pushed up from the chair, grabbed his cane and hobbled next to Andre. If there were a down side to being a witch, it would have to be the need to hide the obvious to protect his secret. “So how’s it looking?”

  Andre smiled. “No worries, they have no desire to become the Big Bad Wolf.”

  Andre held open the glass door and motioned for Devin to enter. He stopped inside the doorway with a jolt. Not only were two lawyers representing the record company sitting across the table, but so was Eddie.

  The smug expression on his face made Devin want to throw his cane to the side, jump over the table and beat the living shit out of the guy. The bastard. It was his fault Travis and the rest of them were dead. All he had to do was give the order, and they could have been off the road and into some hotel rooms, somewhere-anywhere. There were few people in Devin’s life he flat out hated. For as long as he lived, Edward Fairchild would remain at the top of that very short list.

  “Okay,” Andre began. “We all know why we’re here, so let’s get started.”

  Two hours later, Devin stepped out onto the sidewalk a free man. He glanced over his shoulder as Andre joined him. “So I think we have reason to celebrate.”

  Andre smiled. “I agree. There’s a great bistro about three blocks up. You think you can make it with your bum leg?”

  Devin couldn’t help the smirk engulfing his face. “Please. In the mood I’m in, I could practically dance there.”

  Andre slapped a hand to Devin’s back as they began walking. “I know there were a few concessions you didn’t really want to make, but as you know, this kind of negotiation is all about give and take.”

  Devin nodded. “Yeah, and it’s usually them doing all the taking. No way am I going to complain about the deal.” He grinned. “Did you see the look on Eddie’s face when the lawyers said they weren’t going to push for the talk show tour he’d suggested?”

  Andre chuckled. “For all my years in this business, I’ve never seen anybody turn that shade of red. I swear for a minute, I was afraid he'd choke on his own tie.”

  “Would serve him right if he did.”

  They began to walk, skirting around the open vents spewing steam from below ground. “I have to admit, I’m still not sure about agreeing to you playing again. Honestly, Devin do you really think you’ll be ready in six months?” Andre asked.

  Andre’s concern was valid. Six month’s wasn’t a long time for Devin to get his chops back, but if he had to do anything in front of a television, playing was preferable to talking. And if he wasn’t ready, he’d simply recruit help. He shrugged, “I should be, and if I’m not, I’ll still have it covered.”

  Andre arched a brow. “You know, I’m not even going to ask.”

  Devin paused at the crosswalk and waited, glancing up at Andre he smiled. “You’re probably better off.”

  The light changed and immediately they were swept into the crowd crossing the busy intersection. Taxi drivers honked, impatiently waiting for the crowd to pass so they could turn down the side street.

  “So what do you think of my other situation?” Devin asked. He hoped to spend the afternoon working out the preliminaries with Andre on the purchase before heading home. Home! Devin smiled at the image of him walking through the door into Tess’s waiting arms. She too would have her concerns over his performing again, but with a little reassurance, he knew he could pull it off and in the end have it all.

  “You mean buying the music store?” Andre asked, his voice cutting into Devin’s thoughts. “I think it’s probably a good investment, though without all the pertinent data, it’s hard to be sure.”

  “I don’t want to tie this up for months analyzing it, Andre. I need a preliminary agreement to take back and present to the owner when I leave later today.”

  “Listen, Devin. I know you’re eager to jump on this opportunity, but from what you tell me it’s not as if the man has other buyers beating down his door. I think it’s a little foolish for you to hop into this without checking everything out first.”

  “So was running off to California to be a rock star, but it worked out.” He paused. “Well, until the accident anyway.”

  They rounded the corner and Andre pointed. “The bistro is two stores up.”

  Walking past a jewelry store window display, Devin stopped to gaze through the glass. Winning his freedom
from the record company was certainly something to celebrate, especially since Tess had been so concerned about the way the deal would go. He couldn’t think of a better way to punctuate the finality of the situation than by asking her to marry him.

  “Devin?”

  Devin glanced up to see Andre staring at him. “If you don’t mind, I want to go in here for a few minutes.”

  “Sure, but why?”

  “I want to buy something for a special girl.”

  Devin pushed on the door and the bell above it chimed. Taking his time, Devin scanned the cases, passing over displays of solid gold earrings, necklaces with diamond pendants and rings adorned in the various colors of the rainbow. A young woman with long red hair and a large toothy smile sidled up behind the case, eager to make a sale. “Can I help you?”

  Devin nodded. “I want to buy an engagement ring.” On his drive into Philly that morning, he’d spent a lot of time trying not to think about the meeting or the band, instead choosing to dream about opening up the music store and recording studio while starting a family with Tess. He’d always assumed their future included marriage, but up to this point hadn’t given it serious consideration. Obviously, if it were going to happen, he’d have to ask her first. Staring down into the jewelry case at the plethora of choices, he knew it was the right time.

  “Okay, what size and style stone were you looking for?”

  Devin shrugged. “I don’t have a clue.” He really didn’t. Tess wasn’t a flashy, materialistic type of person, so she wouldn’t want a large stone. She favored the traditional over modern elements. "Maybe something like...that one.”

  She opened the back of the case and removed a ¾-carat princess cut solitaire for him to inspect. “It’s a traditional piece, elegant yet beautiful.”

  Devin couldn’t agree more and was about to take it when his gaze caught the front row of the case. “That’s the one.” He pointed.

  She exchanged one ring for another and handed it to him. A teardrop shaped one-carat diamond in a platinum setting. Devin nodded. “That’s the one.”

  Andre leaned over his shoulder. “Why that one?”

  “It’s for all the tears she shed while waiting for me.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Tess placed the last dish in the washer, closed the door and set it to run later in the evening. She looked out the kitchen window and couldn’t help but wonder how Devin had made out in the meeting. More than once during the previous night, he’d assured her it would be fine, still she couldn’t help but worry.

  Added to her concern for Devin was her suspicion of Tori. Having time to think about things, she now regretted telling Eric about what she’d found. How could she call herself Tori’s friend and suspect her of such a horrible thing?

  With her mind racing from one topic to the next, there wasn’t any way she would be able to sleep. She lifted a hand to the necklace and wondered if she could use it to contact Devin, then thought again. He would be back soon, and she didn’t want to freak him out by trying to make a psychic connection with him while he was driving.

  She glanced around the room, deciding on what to do next. The floor could use a good mopping, and a pile of laundry sat on top of the washer, awaiting her attention. Anything involving water would be time consuming though and if she did suddenly grow sleepy, she wanted to be able to drop into bed with out worry. Instead, she headed to the closet and grabbed the vacuum cleaner from inside.

  She plugged it in and flipped on the switch. The white noise from the motor drowned out all the other sounds as she moved the cleaner back and forth over the living room rug.

  What if the record company executives had bullied Devin into making another album? He’d have to go back to California, and she’d be left behind once again. What about the music store? During last night’s discussion, he’d been adamant about buying the store. If the lawyers flexed their muscles, he’d probably have to leave that dream behind also. Of course, he didn’t need to live in Mechanicsburg to own a store there, and it would be a good investment. Either way, it would still leave her alone again.

  Maybe Eric had been right when he voiced his concerns about letting Devin back into her life. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind he loved her, but his first love had always been the music. Deep down, she knew he’d never leave the lifestyle behind. Once again, she’d simply end up being collateral damage in his quest to reach his dream.

  A hand landed on Tess’s shoulder. Her body jolted and she screamed as she spun on her heels to face her intruder. Eric let go of her and stepped back, holding his hands in the air. She shut off the vacuum. “Are you out of your mind?”

  “I’m sorry, but I’ve been knocking for ten minutes. I finally got concerned and used my key. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  Tess put a hand over her chest and struggled to regulate her breathing. “Okay, I forgive you, but why didn’t you call first?”

  “I was on my way home from dinner when I got a call from one of the other detectives working the case. Since I was close, I figured I’d swing by.”

  “I thought you said you weren’t coming back as long as Devin was here.”

  “I know what I said, but I found out information about the clinic Tori’s volunteering for, and I wanted to talk to you about it.”

  Tess dropped down onto the sofa. “Okay, you talk and I’ll try to convince my heart not to beat out of my chest.”

  Eric sank down next to her and rubbed a hand along her back. “I’m really sorry, hon.”

  She shook her head. “It’s okay. Now tell me your news.”

  “Well,” he extracted his hand from her and leaned forward to rest his forearms on his knees. “Our suspect also worked at the clinic up until three months ago, when management said they suspected him of stealing drugs and let him go.”

  Tess’s eyes grew wide. “Mitch worked at the clinic?”

  Eric nodded a smiled crept across his face. “I doubt he put the clinic on his resume when he applied at the hospital.”

  “I bet your right. No matter how short-handed we are, there’s no way they would have hired somebody who’d been accused of stealing drugs.” She wrinkled her brow. “So what about Tori?”

  “She was telling the truth. She’s been working there for the last three months and actually started right before Mitch left.”

  “And the syringes I found in her car?”

  “According to the clinic, she’s been making house calls to patients too sick to come to them, so the syringes are legit.”

  Tess leaned back against the cushions and lifted her hands to her eyes. “I can’t believe I even for one second suspected Tori of being the killer. What kind of friend am I?”

  Eric patted her knee. “You’re the kind of friend who is willing to look past the friendship when necessary.”

  She moved her hands and looked at him. “Yeah, well, I feel horrible for doing it, and I can’t even apologize to her because she doesn’t know about the investigation.”

  “And because she doesn’t know, she’s unaware you ever suspected her, so there’s no need to apologize.”

  She cocked a brow, her mouth agape. “Do you hear yourself? I accused my best friend of killing people, and you’re telling me to simply dismiss the guilt I now feel.”

  He twisted on his hip and grasped her hands in his. “Honey, I don’t mean for this to sound the way it’s going to, but you’ve always been a bit overemotional about things. I mean look at your situation with Devin.”

  Overemotional? “I’m overemotional? At least I have emotions, Eric.” She ripped her hands from his and pushed off the couch.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  She snatched the vacuum plug from the wall and began wrapping it around the base. “It means when it comes to emotions you could give Mr. Freeze a run for his money.”

  His brow knit and his face twisted into a frown. “I’m not cold, Tess. I’m practical.”

  She laughed. “You call it practical, I cal
l it callous.”

  “Callous?” he yelled. “How can you say that? I was there for you when you lost the baby, and I was there when your parents were killed in the car accident.”

  Tears burned her eyes and she blinked hard, fighting them back. The last thing she wanted to do was cry in front of him. He’d simply use it as another example to prove his case. “Physically you were there, but do you remember what you kept saying to me?”

  “No.”

  “Well, I do. When my parents died, all you kept telling me was they wouldn’t want me to mourn for them and at least they didn’t suffer.”

  “I was trying to bring something positive into a tragic situation.”

  “Why couldn’t you hold me and let me cry for them, instead of telling me to suck it up and deal? Even when I lost the baby, you kept telling me it wasn’t meant to be and I needed to move on.”

  His jaw dropped. “It was the truth.”

  “That may be, but it wasn’t what I wanted to hear. I was heart-broken and you basically told me to get over it, that because it wasn’t something tangible to you, it didn’t matter.”

  “Honey, I know you were crushed, but you were nineteen. It wasn’t like you weren’t going to get another chance to have kids.”

  “I wasn’t.” She paused, her gaze dropping away from his. “Not with Devin anyway.”

  The silence in the room was palpable, and the tension rose with each passing second. “Is that why you never wanted to have kids with me?” he finally asked.

  The sound of the door opening caused Tess to look up at him. “I’m sorry,” she whispered before turning her attention to the hallway.

  Devin closed the kitchen door and dropped the keys on the table.

  “Thank goodness. I was starting to worry.”

  He gathered her in his arms and kissed her forehead. “No worries, hon. All is good.” His body stiffened and she looked up to find Devin and Eric exchanging looks. “Eric.”

  “Devin. Good to see you’re doing better.”

  “Thanks. How’s the investigation coming?”

  “We’re making progress. Well, I should get going.” He reached for the door handle. “Thanks for your help this morning.”