She made no move to leave. Instead, she leaned closer and lowered her voice. “That Drew guy is pretty cute.”
“I suppose. I had other things on my mind.” Okay, I’d totally noticed, but I felt guilty admitting it.
“Understandably. But maybe this was all fortuitous.”
Her words stopped my thoughts in their emotionally fraught tracks. “What do you mean?”
She shrugged and switched gears, not hiding the mischievous sparkle in her eyes. “Nothing. Okay, if you’d like to stay, I need to compose a nasty gram to Luke. I can’t believe he didn’t come back. Dating is for the birds.”
“There’s always Wesley.”
She raised her chin. “He’s out of the picture for now.”
“But he will return to this area, and I really think he’s open to seeing you again.”
Wesley had seemed perfect for Jamie. He owned an IT company, and he was a triathlete. But he’d left for a cross-country bike trip to raise money for PTSD victims, and the two had decided to take a break since their relationship was so brand spanking new when he’d had to leave. She’d been happy for a whole three weeks prior to that.
After Jamie left the station, I leaned against the wall outside Chase’s door and called hello to some of the officers I knew as they passed. Several stopped to chat for a few minutes, but a few gave me the cold shoulder. What was that about?
As a social worker, I’d worked with many of the department’s finest.
In fact, Chase and I had reconnected several years ago because of my social work and his police work. We’d gone to high school together, but I’d thought he hated me. Truth was, I’d had a crush on him for a long time before we’d actually dated. Our paths had gone separate ways until finally tangling again a little more than a year ago.
He’d been a dream come true.
And then I’d woken up, and what we’d had was gone.
Voices drifted through the door behind me.
“That’s my car,” Drew said. “I let Travis borrow it. Travis Hooker.”
Hooker? No wonder the man had made up a last name—an extremely masculine last name like Strongman. What kind of man—or woman—wanted to be a part of the Hooker family?
“How did you know Travis?” Chase asked.
“He worked for me,” Drew said. “Not directly, I should clarify. But I hire the company he works for, Dillow Mortuary Transportation, so I’ve interacted with him many times. Enough that he was comfortable enough asking to borrow my car for a date. I had no idea he was telling people the vehicle was his.”
“What else can you tell me about Travis?” Chase asked.
“He seemed to be a good employee. He was always on time. I had no complaints about him.”
“Did anyone have any problems with him?”
Silence lingered a moment. Then, “I think he was having some trouble with his boss, Ronald. Honestly, I didn’t get into it. I didn’t want to know unless it involved me.”
“None of your clients complained about him either?”
“Now that you mention it, there was one family three or four months ago who didn’t like him. But the man was in the throes of grief. His wife had just died because a drunk driver hit her. He seemed to be taking out a lot of his anger on Travis. That happens sometimes.”
“Do you remember his name?”
“I can find it for you when I get back to the office.”
I couldn’t make out the rest of their conversation. And I’d secretly wanted to make it out. I wanted to know what was going on, even if eavesdropping was the epitome of bad manners.
But it was better if I didn’t know any more details.
I needed to simplify my life. Focus on work and volunteering and church and family. Not to mention being a foster mom. Solving mysteries was no longer my wheelhouse—especially mysteries involving the death of online dates who used fake names.
Finally, the door opened, and Drew stepped out. He smiled when our gazes connected, not the least bit shy about his interest in me.
“I’m glad we ran into each other,” he said. “Unfortunate circumstances, of course. But I’d hoped our paths might cross one day.”
I pushed a curl behind my ear. “Why’s that?”
“Because from the first day I saw you at church, you’ve consumed my thoughts.”
I blushed at how upfront he was. Yet it didn’t seem creepy. Instead, he struck me as chivalrous. I was a sucker for chivalry.
Drew frowned but only for a second. “That was too honest, wasn’t it?”
“I can appreciate honesty.”
“That’s a good thing. So can I.” His smile dimmed. “I do hope you’ll come to Bible study at my place. It would be a great way to get to know each other a little better.”
“I’ll consider it.”
He half nodded, half bowed. “Have a good evening, Holly.”
As I watched him walk away, I noted the snug, tailored fit of his navy blue suit, the shine of his dress shoes, the way his shoulders were back and his steps were light and confident.
The real owner of that cherry-red Mustang seemed like a pretty interesting guy.
Not that that meant anything.
I turned to step into Chase’s office, but instead I found him standing there, almost in the doorway. We nearly collided, but his hands reached to steady me. As soon as he touched me, fire shot through my veins, and my knees felt weak.
Why did my body still react that way to him? My physical being apparently hadn’t gotten the message from my head and my heart that Chase was no longer mine. I had no right to feel this way around him.
“I’ll give you a ride home,” he said. “We can talk in the car.”
I wondered if Chase had heard the conversation between Drew and me, but I knew he had. I didn’t mention it. Instead, we walked silently outside and into his police-issued sedan. He helped me into the passenger side and then climbed in behind the wheel.
He started the car but remained in the lot, unmoving.
“I’ve missed you, Holly,” he started, his voice raspy and sincere.
It took everything in me not to fall into his arms and pick up right where we left off. I’d wanted to spend forever with Chase. But he wasn’t offering me forever. I was still having trouble coming to terms with that fact.
“I’ve missed you also, Chase.” The emotion those words caused made my throat and eyes burn. Tears threatened to pool in my eyes.
“Are you doing okay?” His voice took on that intimate tone, the one I’d heard so many times before. Usually when I was in his arms.
I thought about his question before nodding, wondering how much to say, to share. “I’ve been busy. You know I bought my own place?”
“I remember you saying you were going to do that. How do you like it?”
“Honestly? It’s a little lonely. I might get a roommate, but that makes it more difficult when doing foster care.”
This was my first time living alone, and I wasn’t loving it. But it was time for me to branch out on my own. It was past time, but when my dad had gotten cancer and then died, I’d stuck around to help out my mom. I knew I couldn’t live with her forever. On the other hand, I craved people. Family. Community.
“I’m sure you’ll figure it all out. How many kids have you fostered so far?”
“Seven.”
“Seven? Already?” Surprise tinged his voice.
“I’ve been doing respite care, so nothing that’s been long term. The longest any of the children have stayed with me has been two weeks.”
He shifted to face me, visibly relaxing. “Do you like it?”
I remembered all those sweet little faces who had passed through my home. Many of them had fear in their eyes—heartbreaking fear. But my time with them had been well worth the emotional struggle I felt as I tried to ease their brokenness. Those kids needed someone to be their advocate, needed someone who’d offer a shoulder to cry on.
“It’s hard work,” I said. “It’
s heartbreaking work, and rewarding work, and exhausting work, and it’s a million other things that’s hard to put into words. But I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.”
“Good for you then. You’re a natural when it comes to stuff like that. I know you’ll make a difference in their lives.”
The honesty in his words filled me with an unreasonable delight and satisfaction. “Life is short, right? We’ve got to make the best of it while we can.”
“I can’t argue with that. You’ve always been inspiring like that.”
I crossed my ankles and turned toward him. I wanted to see his eyes so I could determine if he was telling the truth or not. “How about you, Chase? How are you?”
I really wanted to know. He had demons from his past that I knew he struggled with, including drugs, alcohol, an ex-wife, and his brother’s murder. He’d also taken some flack after our last investigation for breaking the police brotherhood and turning in some unethical officers. I knew he took the brunt of their hostility since he worked around these people every day.
His face took on a more somber expression. “I’ve been working a lot and staying busy.”
I waited for more.
He said nothing.
Finally, I nodded, accepting that I wouldn’t get any more information, but disappointed that he wasn’t going any deeper. I wanted more details, more emotion. But things weren’t like they used to be.
“I see,” I said.
The deep breath he released hinted at his inner turmoil. “I guess I should get you home so I can work on this case.”
“Probably.”
“One more thing I wanted to mention. If there’s anything else that you remember, call me. Don’t trust anyone else.”
My muscles went rigid. “What do you mean?”
“It’s no secret you made some enemies within the department, Holly.”
I remembered that cold shoulder a few of them had given me earlier. Was that what this was about? “You really think I can’t trust them? That they’d take it that far?”
“It’s a possibility. And, until we know for sure, I want to be your point of contact. Understand?”
“I do.” As I said the words, I glanced around. There was that feeling again. The feeling of being watched.
Was it a scorned officer, waiting for revenge? Waiting to prove a point? Or was it my overactive imagination?
I wasn’t sure. And wasn’t sure I wanted to find out.
Chapter Four
“This is my place,” I told Chase ten minutes later, pointing in the distance to the little white bungalow I now called home.
Returning to this empty house had little appeal to me, especially after the events of today. But—again—I was a big girl. I could do this.
Chase pulled up to the curb, put the car in park, and leaned back. He acted as if he was in no hurry, and I wasn’t sure how to interpret that.
“It looks nice.” Chase ducked down so he could peer out the window. As he did, I got a whiff of his woodsy cologne. At once, memories filled me. Memories of being in Chase’s arms.
As a knot formed in my throat, I pushed those thoughts away.
“It’s coming along,” I said, staring at my home sweet home. It was a simple craftsman-style house with a wide porch and white clapboard siding. The flowerbeds needed some work, as did the lawn. The sidewalk had some cracks in it as well. But I knew the structure and property had all the right bones to one day make it gorgeous, and it had an incredible view of downtown. “It’s going to take a while to get it in shape and make it truly my own.”
He glanced up and down the street. “Not the best neighborhood, though. Have you thought about a security system?”
I was in an area known as Price Hill, which had once been beautiful. But in recent decades the allure of the neighborhood had waned as people abandoned city living to spread out to the suburbs. Crime had moved in, and it wasn’t unusual to hear about this area on the nightly news—when the reporters were talking about shootings and other such things.
Frustration pinched at me at Chase’s suggestion, but I held my ill feelings at bay by squeezing the life out of my purse instead. “I’ve considered one.”
“Just a recommendation.”
“Of course.”
He cut the engine. “I’d feel better if I could check out the inside of the house before I left.”
Alarm coursed through me. I hadn’t expected that. Travis’s murder was random, and my involvement was coincidental, so I shouldn’t be in danger. No one was going to convince me otherwise. That feeling I had of someone watching me? It was just paranoia.
“What’s that mean?” I asked.
“I mean, most likely this crime isn’t in any way connected with you. But, until we have more answers, I’d feel better if we took some precautions, just to be on the safe side.”
Unease shifted inside me. “Okay. If that’s what you think is best.”
He climbed out and, before I could follow his lead, Chase was at my door, helping me out. He walked beside me in awkward silence across the lumpy yard.
When it got warmer outside, I really needed to fix the lawn. But I had other things to worry about first. I was still painting. I might refurbish some more furniture. But spending so much time and money on the lawn and decorating seemed so frivolous, especially when I considered there were people in this area without food to eat.
Perspective.
My hands trembled when I reached the door and tried to insert my key in the lock. My nerves were showing. Wasn’t that just wonderful?
I supposed I didn’t want Chase to know how much he’d hurt me. Part of me wanted him to think I had everything together and that I was unaffected by our breakup. But that was crazy and prideful, two things I didn’t want in my life.
“You got it?” Chase asked, standing a little too close and leaning toward me a little too much as I fiddled with the lock.
“Of course.” I gave the key one last shove. It went into the lock this time. I twisted the handle, and the door opened.
“Wait here while I check things out,” Chase said.
I stood back against the wall in my living room, waiting for him to return, waiting to hear his thoughts on my new place, ready for him to leave yet wanting him to stay. In other words, I felt like a mess. Like a tidal wave had ripped through my emotions and left a disaster that was impossible to clean up.
Finally, he emerged and met me by the door. “Everything is clear.”
“Good to know.”
He continued to linger, glancing at my walls and furniture. “Your place looks nice.”
I shrugged, like it wasn’t a big deal. “I’m trying.”
He shifted, his hesitation unmistakable. “I should go, I guess.”
I stared at him a moment before nodding. I was instinctively drawn to him. I wanted to reach my arms around his neck and give him a kiss goodbye.
After all, he’d been my first kiss. I’d been saving it for the man I was going to marry. I’d thought that man was Chase.
“If you need me, call me,” he said. “I mean it.”
“I will.”
He hesitated another moment before nodding and stepping away. “Good night then.”
“Good night, Chase.”
He stepped outside and walked to his car. As he reached it, I closed the front door and latched all the locks. Then I stood there, trying to catch my breath, closing my eyes against the memories that began to pummel me.
Breaking up with him had been the right thing, I reminded myself. It had been prudent, and now I needed to move on. No more moping about it.
I sucked in a deep breath and opened my eyes.
I just needed to go to bed. It had been a long, long day.
And the image of Travis continued to haunt me, as did the feeling that I was being watched . . . even now.
I couldn’t sleep. I wanted to. Desperately. But my mind kept replaying the events of the evening, each time ending with the body
of Travis Hooker falling onto the ground.
Finally, I gave up on my quest for slumber and pulled myself out of bed. I walked across my small bedroom and hopped on the computer. I’d set it up on a little corner desk that I’d found at a second-hand store. Some white-chalk paint and distressing on the edges had made it look brand new—in a shabby sort of way.
I’d been watching way too many episodes of Fixer Upper lately during my sometimes sleepless nights with my foster kids.
I typed in the name “Travis Hooker” and waited while my computer considered sharing its results with me. The reveal offered surprisingly very little information. For a man who liked to toot his own horn on the dating website, Travis certainly remained low profile online. Though he had a few pages on social media, they virtually offered me no new information.
All I saw were pictures of Travis on lavish vacations, in front of fancy cars, or holding tickets to expensive concerts. How many of those things were even real? Or had he photoshopped those pictures, just like he’d altered his real name?
This was all another sign I should stay out of this.
I stared at the screen, stuck a lemon drop in my mouth, and contemplated the wisdom of what I was considering doing next.
Operation Get Over Chase was in effect. It was better to start an operation like this while I was still sleepy and delusional instead of starting it later when I was lucid and would talk myself out of it.
Out of curiosity, I typed in “Drew Williams.”
I nibbled on my lip as his results popped up at me. Mostly, his online presence revolved around Wilford Funeral Home.
The man’s picture stared back at me on the welcome page. I quickly scanned his bio.
Drew Williams took over Wilford Funeral Home from his grandfather four years ago. After graduating from Walnut Hills High School, he attended the University of Cincinnati. He knows how critical these final moments are in the lives of loved ones of those who’ve passed, and he strives to give the best experience possible as families and friends offer goodbyes to loved ones.
I leaned back. That sounded awfully kind and considerate.
Random Acts of Fraud (Holly Anna Paladin Mysteries Book 5) Page 3