The Baby Scheme

by Jacqueline Diamond

  “What do you like about reporting?” he said. “I mean, other than righting the wrongs of the world. Is it a power trip? An adventure?”

  “I enjoy listening to people and figuring out what makes them tick.” She thought for a beat before adding, “And, truthfully, I get an adrenaline rush when I’m on the trail of something hot. Plus, organizing a story presents a real challenge. I enjoy the writing for its own sake.”

  “Don’t you want to be rich and famous?” Kevin murmured with a trace of irony.

  Alli rested her chin on her palm. “I used to want to work for a big-city paper where I could see my name in lights, so to speak, but I’m not sure that would appeal to me anymore.”

  “You always struck me as ambitious,” he said.

  “I was,” Alli agreed.

  “What changed?”

  “I got fired.”

  “You mean on Thursday?”

  She nodded. “It’s made me take another look at who I am. You know what? I care about this community. I love the way people call and e-mail, and talk as if they know me because they’ve read my writing for so long. I like being able to cover little stuff as well as big stuff, to meet merchants with offbeat shops and students who win awards. For a while, I get to be part of their lives.”

  Alli hadn’t understood the depth of her feelings until she described them to Kevin. But this was who she’d become, a member of a community, which made it even more painful that a newcomer like J.J. had cast her out.

  “It’s like you’re part of a family,” Kevin summarized. “I never thought about a reporter that way but I can see that it’s true, in your case at least.”

  “J.J. hasn’t been in Serene Beach long enough to understand,” she said. “I’m not sure he’s been at any paper long enough. He’s famous for arriving, spending a couple of years reshaping the package, and then moving on.”

  “Any chance of him changing his mind?” Kevin asked. “I know you’ve said he buys into that kid’s flashy persona, but surely he’s got to recognize the truth sooner or later.”

  “Unfortunately, it may be much later.” Alli thought about Payne’s talent for insinuating himself into the editors’ good graces. On the other hand, nobody got lucky forever. “I’m not giving up, but if this adoption story doesn’t do the trick, I’ll have to regroup.”

  “It’s hard to regroup alone,” he said.

  Dance music pulsated from within the restaurant as the band got off to a rocking start. Enough serious talk, Alli decided. “I’m not alone,” she said. “I’m with you and I intend to take advantage of it.”

  He grinned. “You’re going to take advantage of me? Can I help?”

  Standing up, she reached for his hand. “Come on, big guy.”

  “I haven’t had my dessert yet.” He grinned, but he rose obediently to his feet. “You’re a slave driver.”

  She rested her arms atop his shoulders and regarded him directly. “Dance with me, handsome.”

  His hands closed around her waist. “I’d rather do this first.” His mouth found hers with a heat and moisture full of promise.

  Alli couldn’t resist the pleasure spreading within her. Through Kevin’s coat and slacks, her body traced the bulge of muscles as her tongue played a taunting game with his. Her core tightened with desire as his hand gripped her derriere, bringing her close enough to tease his arousal.

  The scrape of the door restored her to reality. “I can come back later,” said the waitress, who’d brought two pieces of strawberry pie.

  “You’ll leave those here, if you know what’s good for you,” Kevin growled, stepping away but holding on to Alli’s arm.

  “Yes, sir!” Smiling, the waitress scooted the plates onto their table and made her escape.

  “You don’t have a romantic bone in your body,” Alli challenged as the door swung shut. “You could at least try to act as if you preferred me to the pie.”

  “I didn’t drop you on the ground and lunge for it, did I?” he said. “Can I help it if I have a typical guy reaction to dessert?”

  “Besides which, you figure we can always continue this later, right?”

  His dark eyes glinted with humor. “I’ve been around women long enough to know that if I said any such thing, my life would be forfeit.”

  “Not your life, but possibly the use of your limbs.” Much as Alli hated to back down, however, the scent of glazed strawberries was hard to resist. “I suppose I ought to give in just to be a good sport.”

  “You think I didn’t notice you sniffing the breeze?” Kevin retorted.

  Their eyes met. By unspoken mutual consent, they bolted to their seats and dug into the strawberries.

  In no time, the pie disappeared. Then, hearing the band in full swing, they headed for the dance floor.

  Alli missed the excitement of their kiss, but this was, after all, a semipublic place. Besides, she’d already assessed the danger of getting involved with Kevin and decided it didn’t merit the risk, no matter how appealing he seemed.

  As they entered, the music shifted to a slower piece. Alli had been looking forward to a workout, but when her companion held out his arms, she nestled into them with a sense of belonging.

  Kevin’s gentle strength surrounded her. Closing her eyes, she buried her face in his neck and let the song carry them once again into their private world.

  The two of them moved with an instinctive rapport. I like this man, she thought as he whirled her between two other couples.

  She liked the way he hummed along with the music, sending a vibration rumbling into her. She liked the way they could relax and put their joking manners aside. She liked his scent—civilized and elegant with a hint of musk.

  She knew it was risky to think about Kevin this way. But if you never took chances, what was the fun of living?

  “Hey! Wow! Imagine running into you two!” exclaimed a male voice.

  Go away, she thought fiercely.

  “Hello. Harry, isn’t it?” Kevin responded with forced politeness.

  “Larry,” corrected the newcomer. “You know Adrienne, don’t you?”

  “For years.”

  Larry had a date with Adrienne? Matters were certainly progressing. Alli raised her head.

  Two perky faces regarded her, Larry’s freckled and friendly, his date’s cheerful and inquisitive. Although she was pleased to see them together, Alli wished he hadn’t picked such an inconvenient moment to show up.

  There might still be hope. “Great to see you both,” she said. “We wouldn’t dream of interrupting your date.”

  “No problem!” Adrienne sang out.

  “I’ve got a lot to tell you.” It didn’t seem to occur to Larry that standing in the middle of the floor forced other dancers to dodge around them. “Where are you sitting?”

  With a sinking feeling, Alli muttered, “Outside.”

  “Great idea!” Larry waved toward one of the indoor tables. “We’ll retrieve our drinks and join you.”

  After they had moved out of earshot, she whispered, “I don’t suppose there’s any subtle way to get rid of them.”

  “Not one that comes to mind.” Kevin’s arm tightened around her waist. “It’s too bad we have to quit now. I was starting to get some insights into Dr. Graybar’s operation, just as you promised.”

  “You were thinking about Dr. Graybar?” she demanded.

  “Wasn’t that the idea?” Before she could sputter a reply, he pulled her close and cradled her against him.

  He’d been joking, she realized, embarrassed at having fallen for it, until the music and his nearness swept away all other thoughts. They finished the number at their leisure while the other couple waited beside the dance floor with drinks in hand.

  “That’s a great song, isn’t it?” Larry said as the four of them trooped outside. He and Adrienne seemed perfectly content to have waited.

  “It’s one of my favorites,” his date said. “I like the jazz influence.”

  The two of them
radiated contentment. This didn’t seem like a first date, so she presumed they’d spent most of Sunday together.

  Alli remembered Betsy telling her that Adrienne was a kindergarten teacher who’d once dreamed of becoming a stand-up comic but had discovered her jokes were too tame. Her five-year-old audience turned out to be much more appreciative than grown-ups.

  She and Larry certainly seemed to be the right audiences for each other. Before he’d met Adrienne, Alli had never seen him this comfortable with a woman other than a casual friend.

  “What did you want to tell me?” she asked as they reached the table, where the waitress had cleared their plates.

  Kevin switched her drink to his side. Taking a hint, Alli sank down beside him.

  “Things are pretty intense at work,” Larry said. “The police chief came by in person to talk to J.J. He’s bent out of shape because Payne implied he’s not doing his job. Apparently, racketeering investigations aren’t the police department’s jurisdiction.”

  “We know,” Kevin said.

  “Also, the scuttlebutt is that LeMott’s attorney called to demand a retraction,” Larry went on. “I think the editors turned that one over to the paper’s attorney.”

  “How’s Payne handling the pressure?” Alli inquired.

  “He claims he’s got evidence to back up his speculations,” the photographer replied. “Do you suppose that’s true?”

  “He doesn’t even have speculations to back up his speculations,” Alli told him. “He stole those from me, remember?”

  “Oh, right.”

  “He’s such a jerk!” Adrienne sympathized.

  “J.J. might be starting to wonder what he’s gotten into,” Larry confided. “Madge heard him asking Payne when he conducted the interview with the mayor that he keeps quoting from. LeMott’s attorney denied they’d ever spoken.”

  The newsroom gossip mill was obviously running full speed. “What did Payne answer?” Alli asked.

  “According to Madge, he claimed he ran into LeMott outside city hall and asked him a few questions, which didn’t sound very convincing,” Larry said. “To make matters worse, when J.J. wondered why he hadn’t interviewed the vice-mayor, he said, ‘He’s been avoiding me.’ He didn’t even know it’s a woman!”

  “He’s an idiot. But then, so’s J.J. for not pulling him off the story,” Alli commented, and then, suddenly, she realized what their next step had to be.

  The others went on talking about the dissatisfaction in the newsroom. Alli listened with only half her mind.

  Her reporter’s instincts were baying like hounds. She could hardly wait to get started.

  KEVIN OBSERVED the secretive smile playing around Alli’s mouth. She’d hit on something.

  It must have been the dancing. It had definitely worked a spell on him, although not one likely to help with their case. Or with his peace of mind, either.

  All evening, his yearning for Alli had grown by jagged leaps. And he’d relished every minute of this feeling. He’d enjoyed prolonging the ache, something that he couldn’t recall happening before. Although he’d always tried to be a gentleman, long buildups weren’t his style.

  He didn’t intend to sleep with Alli Gardner. He’d never met a woman more utterly wrong for him. But he hadn’t minded the luxurious sensuality that wove through their dancing like a glittery thread. Strangely, he found that wanting a woman and knowing he couldn’t have her could be pleasurable even while it drove him crazy.

  At last Larry ran out of tidbits about Payne, and he and Adrienne went on their way. When Alli smothered a yawn, Kevin suggested they go home.

  “Good idea,” she told him. “I’ve got things to do.”

  What things, at this hour? he wondered.

  She refused to let him pay her share of the bill. Although he supported the idea of financial equality, Kevin wished she’d give in gracefully. Holding the purse strings made him feel in control of a situation and, besides, she didn’t have an income. However, he acquiesced gracefully.

  In the car, Alli hummed the tune the band had been playing as they left. Her throaty contralto caressed Kevin like a massage.

  He reminded himself that sex would be a bad idea. Unfortunately, he felt too tired to remember why.

  “What’s this stuff you’ve got to do tonight?” he asked as he steered.

  She tore her gaze away from the passing shops. “For one thing, I need to figure out what questions to ask the vice-mayor tomorrow.”

  “So that’s what you came up with.” He remembered that Mrs. Rodale’s daughter was a client of Graybar’s. “I should have thought of that. It’s a bit late to call her tonight.”

  “I’d rather show up without calling to make it harder to put me off,” Alli said. “She has a real-estate office but I’ve heard she usually works from home in the mornings. You can meet me there if you like.”

  “Why would I have to meet you?” Kevin asked. “We can drive over in my car.”

  “That’s because of the other thing I have to do tonight.”

  “What?”

  “Pack.”

  Oh, right. He’d evicted her. “And it’s against your new policy to nag me about letting you stay.”

  She stifled another yawn. “Correct.”

  His pride ordered him to stick to his guns and let her go. But this late in the evening? And back to a place that had been stalked by thugs and invaded by Payne Jacobson?

  Despite his stubborn streak, Kevin wasn’t cruel. Or foolish. “It’s more efficient if you stay one more night.”

  “I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you,” Alli replied.

  “Don’t push your luck. I gave in, okay?”

  She smiled. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Uncomfortably, he noted that an absence of nagging meant he had to pay closer attention to Alli’s needs. It might even force him to be more accommodating in the first place.

  Did there have to be a downside to everything?

  When they got home, he realized with a start that he no longer minded the mess in his living room. It was worth it, because it meant Alli was going to stay until tomorrow.

  Kevin didn’t care to examine his feelings. He preferred to chalk them up to seductive music and the unpredictable effects of strawberry pie on his nervous system.

  “I’ll see you in the morning,” he said, and made his escape with what dignity he could muster. He couldn’t fall asleep for a long while, and when he did, he found himself reaching out in his dreams for someone who wasn’t there.

  Chapter Eleven

  Cathy Rodale lived in a neighborhood of sprawling ranch-style homes near Serene College, on the east side of town. Clipped hedges and rosebushes in full bloom separated the houses, each of which was painted in muted earth tones probably vetted by a homeowners’ association.

  Mentally, Alli reviewed what she knew about the vice-mayor. Long divorced, she’d raised her daughter alone and earned a comfortable living selling real estate. After serving as a PTA volunteer, she’d been appointed planning commissioner and, five years ago, won election to the city council.

  Known for her energy and outspokenness, Cathy was considered by many to be a potential candidate for the state legislature. That put her directly in Klaus LeMott’s path, and when they’d come face-to-face a few months ago, he was the one who’d walked away with the mayor’s job.

  She couldn’t feel happy about that. If her daughter’s adoption had been threatened and she saw a connection, Alli hoped she’d get angry enough to tell them anything she knew or suspected about her rival.

  On the other hand, she might simply order the two of them off her property. Cathy was no novice when it came to avoiding the press. She’d declined to talk to Alli previously about her reasons for yielding the mayor’s seat and, although she’d always acted friendly at council meetings, in private she answered only factual questions and never volunteered anything.

  As usual, Kevin parked a few doors away to a
void notice. Even so, since theirs was one of only three or four cars on the street, it seemed to Alli that their footsteps echoed as they walked to the front.

  She rang the bell, which chimed a classical melody. After a moment, a curtain rippled on one of the windows as if someone was peering out.

  “We should have made a backup plan in case she refuses to talk,” Kevin said.

  “Like what? Returning disguised as Girl Scouts selling cookies?” Alli quipped.

  “Like talking to her daughter first,” Kevin replied.

  Before she could respond, she heard the snick of the bolt and Cathy appeared in the opening. Her short dark hair, usually faultless, lay rumpled and uncombed. Instead of a designer suit, she’d thrown a short-sleeved sweater over slacks. Even so, the woman projected an air of authority that Alli knew she’d acquired the hard way during her fifty-five years.

  She didn’t bother with a greeting. Instead, she surveyed Kevin and said, “You look one heckuva lot better than your picture.”

  “What picture?” he inquired.

  “The one in the paper.”

  “You mean the one three years ago?” Alli asked.

  “Excuse me?” The vice-mayor blinked in confusion.

  “Maybe we should start over.”

  Kevin produced one of his cards. “Kevin Vickers. I’m a private investigator.”

  “You’re not Payne Jacobson?” Cathy said. “Why is a PI working for the newspaper?”

  “He isn’t. Neither am I. They fired me,” Alli explained. “It’s a long story, but that’s not why we’re here.”

  The vice-mayor studied them as if weighing her options. “You’re not here about the investigation of Mayor LeMott?”

  “We’re here about threats to adoptive parents,” Kevin replied. “The victims are afraid to contact the police because there’s a chance they could lose their children.”

  “And you think I know something about this?” Her manner remained guarded.

  “Your daughter adopted twins from the El Centro Orphanage,” Alli said. “We don’t know if she’s been threatened, but we hoped you might help us.”