To Bedevil A Beauty (Southern Sanctuary - Book 5)

by Jane Cousins

  From the corner of his eye he caught Joanne’s slight moue of frustration. Hmm, interesting, whatever was going on with Berry’s Aunts, Joanne Granger was in on the secret. If it wasn’t for Berry getting hurt he might have found their antics amusing, but someone had shot Berry and now torched her car. This wasn’t the time for games.

  Clicking his pen, he found a blank page in his notebook. “Now, where were you last night Mrs Granger?”

  * * *

  Back in his office later that afternoon, Ramsey was staring hard at his computer screen. “Play it again.” He directed the command at Mac McKenzie who was standing next to him.

  They watched in silence as the security footage from the outdoor and camping store where the tent and sleeping bag had been stolen began to roll once more. When it finished, Ramsey noted that Mac had a matching frown on his face. “That’s not Robert Granger.”

  “No.” Mac shook his head. “Even with the hat and dark glasses, it’s not Granger. Build is wrong, too big.”

  “Maybe he put on weight.” Ramsey had really wanted the footage to show Robert Granger’s mug clear as day stealing the camping gear.

  “No, Cam checked with the prison. If anything, Granger’s lost weight since he’s been incarcerated.”

  “Damn, so who is our mystery man?”

  Mac shook his head in frustration. “He’s good, whoever he is. Knew where the cameras were, kept his face in profile the whole time, the hat, the glasses, the big coat. No identifying features, except that he’s a bit doughy, but even that could be padding. I’m working with Cam, he’s still putting together profiles of the other three prisoners still at large.”

  “Maybe who were looking at here is Granger’s errand boy… which would mean we’re probably looking at the bastard who pulled the trigger.”

  Mac’s bright blue eyes stared hard at the hazy frozen image on the screen. “I’ll circulate his photo anyway, maybe we’ll get lucky.”

  “We’re about due for a break. What about the pharmacy? They get back to you yet?”

  Mac shook his head. “No, they’re conducting a stocktake as we speak, but even then, we might never know what he stole from them.”

  “None of the other shops near the camping store reported any thefts?”

  Mac grimaced, rubbing a hand absently through his black cropped hair. “Not that they’re aware of. Even at the pharmacy I’m not sure anything was taken, but when I spoke to the woman on the register she recalls our suspect entering her store and acting suspiciously.”

  “Pity they didn’t have any security cameras.”

  “I said the exact same thing to them.”

  “What’s the latest on Berry’s car?”

  Mac shifted slightly, leaning against Ramsey’s desk. “Definitely arson. Fire chief thinks the perp opened the tank, stuffed some cloth in and lit her up.”

  “Lucky the fire didn’t spread to the house.”

  “Fire crew had it under control pretty quickly. Living in the Sanctuary, those guys are used to keeping on their toes… I mean with all the bushland and everything, gotta get on top of a small burn before it takes off.” Mac shifted as if the subject were uncomfortable. “Anyway, I spoke to Hamilton, who towed Berry’s car home after the shooting. He said he didn’t see anything suspicious out there or anything, but that was a few days ago.”

  “Damn.” Ramsey leant back in his seat. “I wish something about this case was making sense.” He flicked a glance up at Mac. “You ever meet Granger in the flesh?”

  “No, hardly anyone in the family did. Berry never bought him home. And looking back, I think she actively encouraged people not to visit her down in Sydney. Always said she was hellishly busy with her job.”

  “You think she knew Granger was one of the bad guys?”

  Mac emphatically shook his head. “Nah, I think he had Berry snowed along with his bosses and everyone else. I just think Berry had her head down and was determined not to, well, think about it I suppose.”

  “Think about what?’ Ramsey frowned, hoping like hell he was hiding how bone deep curious he was to hear Mac’s answer.

  “I think soon after they got married it became obvious to Berry that Robert wasn’t her m… match, wasn’t a good match for her.”

  “So why didn’t she get out?”

  Mac shrugged his wide shoulders. “You’d have to ask Berry. Anyway, I’m going to check in with Cam and then get the only half-assed hazy photo we have of our suspect out to the community.”

  “Great.” Ramsey watched him leave, a frown still marring his forehead.

  If Berry had no love still for Robert Granger, falling off his couch last night pretty much proved that, why then, was she so stubbornly determined to believe Granger had nothing to do with her shooting? The torching of her car couldn’t be a coincidence.

  He still felt bad about the way he’d dropped the bomb on her so hard last night, but he had no choice. He had to see her unrehearsed reaction when she heard about her car being torched. Find out if she knew anything more about what was going on than she was letting on. But all she’d done was turn pale, a shuttered, stoic mask dropping over her features. She’d abruptly excused herself and disappeared into her bedroom. He heard her pacing her room all night. Damn it, he needed… wanted, her to confide in him. Tell him what she was thinking, let him in, let him help.

  Bloody hell, he needed to solve this case, and by doing so, maybe he’d discover the key to unlocking Berry Malone and all the secrets she appeared to be keeping.

  * * *

  Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn. The word spun around in Berry’s head like a ball pinging off a wall. Someone had torched her crappy, third-hand car! A car she had yet to finish repaying the loan off on. A loan that was scandalously large because she was such a big credit risk now thanks to her ex-husband and his cheating ways. A car for which she had no insurance, because she hadn’t been able to afford the premiums.

  Goddess, all night she’d been up, pacing the floor, doing the sums. And they were not pretty. If only she and Joanne didn’t have to eat or need a roof over their heads or all the hundreds of other extraneous things that one needed money for. She prayed to the Goddess that Great-Great-Aunt Etta had left more than one trunk in Tally’s attic, because it would be a cold day in hell before she could afford to buy new clothes.

  Damn, damn, damn. And most of all, damn Robert. He’d stolen from her just as casually and easily as he’d stolen from his clients. It was all so embarrassing. She was an adult woman. One with a law degree. Why had she never paid attention to their finances when they’d been married? Why hadn’t she realised that everything they owned was leased or mortgaged to the hilt? Noticed the number of banks that sent them letters every month? Why had she left everything up to Robert?

  Because it had been easier that way… bury her head in the sand and not think about any of it. The luxurious home, too big and over decorated, that she loathed. The shiny two door expensive European car that Robert insisted she drive, that turned corners worse than a parade float but looked all too perfect in their drive way parked next to Robert’s even more expensive car.

  And then there was the man she’d married. It had become apparent all too quickly that Robert was high-maintenance. When he didn’t get his own way, he pouted. If she expressed any contrary opinion to his, he pouted. If he thought she hadn’t expressed enough gratitude or showered him with enough compliments when he gave her a gift, he pouted.

  Just when had she fallen into the bad habit of biting her tongue? Forcing a cheerful smile, even though she was upset or horrified by the amount of money he’d spent on uncomfortable all leather sofas or a sparkly necklace that if she had a choice, she’d never wear. Six months into their marriage her personal mantra had become don’t rock the boat. She’d only realised in the courtroom, as Robert was being sentenced how far down the rabbit hole she’d allowed herself to fall.

  Betraying herself. Burying herself in her work so that she could avoid going home t
o that large overstuffed house that made her feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. Avoiding Robert, because if they did talk, she might upset him. Then she’d have to spend hours cajoling him and begging for his forgiveness. Otherwise he’d pout for days, sighing softly every ten minutes or so and sending her hurt filled looks.

  She’d sworn to herself when her marriage had ended, never again. She would never be untrue to herself like that again. If she wanted to be angry, then by golly, she’d let it rip. If she wanted to express an opinion, even if it differed from the majority, then she’d stand on a chair and shout it out loud.

  Sighing, for what felt like the umpteenth time, Berry flicked open the next folder in the pile awaiting her attention. Well, if nothing else this injury and her enforced bed rest was allowing her to get on top of all her paperwork. Not to mention the major information dump Marion had shared with her when she’d delivered the files this morning. She hoped Maureen wasn’t going to get in to trouble for leaking all the details of the on-going investigation to her sister.

  An investigation it seems that still couldn’t pinpoint a suspect, nor for that matter, a motive for the shooting and the subsequent arson involving her car. Okay, so yes, she was the only common factor. But that didn’t mean her escape felon of an ex-husband was behind the attacks. Thankfully Ramsey wasn’t so caught up in his determination to blame Robert that he was ignoring other channels of investigation. Biting back another sigh, Berry determinedly returned her attention to her pile of paperwork. She only lasted a few minutes before snatching up the calculator once more to crunch the numbers again.

  Maybe if she found a second job?

  Chapter Eleven

  “What’s this?” Ramsey waved a piece of paper under Berry’s nose Friday morning as she sat at the dining room table, nibbling on some toast.

  “It’s my schedule.” She kept her eyes firmly focused on her breakfast.

  “For?” Ramsey sat across from her.

  “My life.” She gulped down some coffee, determined not to look at him.

  “You expect to go to a party Saturday?” Ramsey raked fingers through his wet, fresh from the shower, hair.

  “Not a party, it’s just afternoon drinks. To celebrate my cousin Eli’s birthday.”

  “Berry.”

  She could almost hear him grinding his teeth. Biting back a smile she finally looked up at him only to wish she hadn’t. Damn, the man looked fine in a uniform. “Yes?”

  “You can’t go swanning about town. Someone is trying to kill you.”

  “So you say.” She acknowledged politely. She needed to stay calm, stay in control. Doing so would keep Ramsey Hughes at a distance, just where she wanted him to remain.

  “So says the glaring bandage on your arm. Going to a party, being out in the open… that’s madness.” Ramsey studied the slim bandage exposed by the short sleeve of her teal green silky dress.

  “Take a breath Chief. That’s why I gave you the advanced notice. I thought maybe you’d like to weigh in on an appropriate venue.”

  “Berry.” He practically growled out her name.

  “Honestly. Are you not a morning person? Not enough sleep maybe. How late did you get home last night anyway? I’m trying to be reasonable and co-operative here, and you are completely failing to meet me half-way.”

  “Who said I have to meet you half-way? This is your life we are talking about.”

  “And locking me up in this tower for the rest of it, is not a solution.”

  “I’m letting you go to work today.”

  Berry inhaled sharply, the polite, genial façade dropping from her face as colour rushed to her cheeks and sparks danced in her eyes. “Letting me? Letting me?”

  Ramsey fought the urge to kick himself. Damn, he needed to watch his wording in the future. But currently that was beside the point, couldn’t Berry see he was only trying to protect her? Though despite his blunder he preferred the animation in her face that her anger bought forth rather than the carefully blank shuttered looks she’d been giving him all morning. He was also appreciating the fact that due to her injuries she was unable to wear her hair up in that excruciating tight looking bun she favoured. Today she’d pulled it back with a simple clip, dark curls spilling over one shoulder.

  “You know it’s not just me that needs to be co-ordinated Berry. My men are not at your beck and call just because you want to go to a party. The logistics of providing protection for you could potentially be nightmarish.”

  “Hah, potentially… exactly. That’s why I gave you the schedule. That’s why I asked for your input on the location. If you don’t like where it’s currently going to be held then the girls have all said they would happily re-locate to a more secure - Chief approved - venue.”

  “Chief approved, huh? I think I could get used to that.”

  Berry rolled her eyes. “Well don’t. Your input in my life will end the moment the lunatic who took a pot shot at me and torched my car is caught.”

  “We’ll see.” Ramsey smiled her way.

  Berry fought hard the urge to return his smile. She’d warned him about flirting with her, could the man not understand simple instruction? “There’ll be no ‘we’ll see’. Once this is over I’m back to Tally’s place, house-sitting and getting on with my life. You’ll soon be a faint distant memory.”

  “I don’t know about that. You are the local magistrate. I am the Chief of Police. I should imagine our paths will continue to cross. Especially if members of your family carry on with their lead footed ways on the road.”

  “Maybe I’ll just raise the speed limit.” What was she saying?

  Ramsey laughed. “Now why would you go to such an extreme?” He leant across the table, making his presence felt. “Unless I’m getting to you.”

  “You are not getting to me! Quit it with the looming would you. And I’ve warned you about the flirting. Go practise your lascivious ways on some poor simple country girl and leave me alone.” She frowned as Ramsey laughed loudly.

  That’s twice now she’d accused him of flirting and not only was she right, Berry Malone still wasn’t running for the hills. Damn, he liked this feisty woman. “You know until you, I don’t think I’ve ever been accused of being a flirt.”

  “It must be all this sea air.” Berry commented drily. “Whatever the cause, you need to lock it down.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  Berry’s eyes narrowed at his casual dismissal. The man appeared to be oblivious to just how serious she was. “I could always pass a few new laws banning flirtatious ways.”

  “In this town? You’d be hauling in your own grandparents for kissing in public by sun up. This town is one touchy feely place.”

  “Again, it must be the sea air. Now, where were we? Oh yes, you were about to say you’d check out the location for the party and let me know sooner… rather than later, if it is suitable.”

  Ramsey blinked. “I’m reasonably sure that isn’t what was just agree here. In fact, I’m pretty sure I stated categorically that you will not be attending any parties this weekend.”

  Berry huffed out an exasperated sigh. “Do not try and throw your macho weight around here Hotshot. If you are not willing to compromise on the small stuff, then you and I are going to have a problem.”

  “Yeah?” Ramsey couldn’t help the smile of amusement that tugged at the corner of his lips. “And just how would you solve a problem like that?”

  “Simple.” Berry beamed a confident, superior smile his way. “I will call my mother…”

  “You’d run to your mother?”

  Berry quirked an eyebrow in his direction. “You didn’t let me finish. My mother would then call my grandmother, who would call her sisters, who would call…”

  “I’m not scared of your family Berry. They’re a little on the nutty side, but what can they do to me?”

  Berry shook her head in pitying amusement, finishing her coffee she pushed her plate away. “You’ll be calling me by lunchtime… morning tea, if the
cousins get involved.” She got to her feet. “I need to get to work.”

  “I’ll help Gideon escort you.” Ramsey rose to his feet also. “Do you have a jacket? The sun’s out but it’s still a little cool out there.”

  Berry gestured at a breezy little short black opera jacket she’d found in her wardrobe. Perfect for throwing over her shoulders and not annoying her injured arm. She frowned as Ramsey scooped it up, moving to stand only inches away from her as he swung it over her shoulders.

  “What are you doing?” Goddess, why did her voice sound so husky?

  “Helping you with your jacket.” Ramsey grinned down at her, fastening the large button that held the short cape jacket together.

  Berry gave him a frown, before abruptly swivelling on her teal green mary-jane stiletto pumps and heading for the door and the promise of distance from the all too compelling, all too overwhelming Ramsey Hughes. “Hands to self, Hotshot.”

  “Now what would be the fun in that?” Ramsey bought up the rear, enjoying the view of Berry stalking away from him in that silky dress that clung to soft curves and oh God… shoot him now, were those stockings with a seam up the back? He wanted to throttle her, and at the same time grab her and carry her into the nearest bedroom but he was pretty darn sure Berry Malone wasn’t teasing him deliberately… but knowing her now like he did, he guessed she’d think that was a side benefit.

  Damn, that peach coloured silky robe outfit from their first meeting and now the image of her wearing stockings… and not much else. Bloody hell, he was never going to sleep again, let alone in the room next to hers.

  Thankfully his day couldn’t get much worse.

  * * *

  It was just after two in the afternoon. Berry was in her office, reading through a wad of official documents. Her intercom buzzed and Marion’s voice sounded loud and clear.