Which was a problem for me, because during my one and only visit to the penitentiary, I’d developed a sort of claustrophobia that kicked in whenever I stepped into anything that resembled a prison. It had been hard enough yesterday, but I’d been nervous about what Mom was saying to the cops and the distraction had been enough to get me inside without fainting. Today I had nothing to worry about except the oversexed dispatcher tackling Jake and having her way with him. I was fairly certain he could avoid that touchdown, and if he didn’t, I’d put on my helmet and intercept her myself.
Before I was ready, we were in front of the station and Jake had opened the door for me. Although the anxiety I felt had lessened somewhat with my father’s release, my chest tightened and I still experienced a moment of panic as I walked through the entrance.
I was in the process of working myself into a full-on state of alarm, when I was sidetracked by the crowd of strangers milling around the lobby, wearing odd costumes and carrying posters. I paused and nudged Jake, then pointed to a sign that read, EARTH WELCOMES OUR NEW INTERGALACTIC FRIENDS. BEAM ME UP, KHRELAN NAZE.
Jake snorted and continued his march toward the short flight of concrete stairs that led into the rest of the station. I followed, scowling when I spotted Nympho Barbie behind the counter. Jake’s luck was holding out. The dispatcher manning the desk behind bulletproof glass was the same one who had practically drooled on his cowboy boots the last time we were here together.
Seeing Jake, she licked her lips, unfastened the top button on her uniform shirt, and slid the window open. She leaned forward, exposing enough cleavage to hide an aircraft carrier, and drawled, “Well, if it isn’t Marshal Hottie.” She fluttered her false eyelashes and pouted. “I’m mad at you. You were supposed to call me for drink.”
“Was I, darlin’?” Jake rested a hip against the desk and smiled seductively. “I’m sorry if I broke my word to you. That’s not right.”
“I’ll forgive you this time.” She sucked on her finger. “’Cause you didn’t exactly promise, and I’m sure she”—the dispatcher jerked her chin at me—“keeps you on a mighty tight leash.”
It was all I could do not to tell her exactly what I thought about women like her. If I didn’t watch it, I’d end up in an anger-management class. Of course, I wouldn’t need to manage my anger if other people would just learn to manage their stupidity.
Jake shot me a smirk, then said to Ms. Boobs, “Dev here needs to talk to the chief. And while she’s busy, maybe you and I can have a little chat, too. You know, catch up on what’s been happening.”
“I might be able to arrange that.” Her sultry tone made it clear that in her mind, chat was another word for getting naked and doing him. “Chief Kincaid’s hiding out in his office. He told me to let him know when the alien hunters leave the building.”
“We saw them in the lobby.” Jake flashed her a sexy smile, his straight white teeth gleaming. “What do they want with the chief?”
“Permission to camp in the town square until ET shows up.” The dispatcher fluffed her bottle-blond curls and allowed her gaze to sweep every delectable inch of Jake’s six-foot-four frame. “Their weirdo leader was here earlier, but he cut out after the chief threatened to lock him up for trespassing on private property. Seems there’ve been several complaints.”
“Yeah. He’s been nosing around my uncle’s ranch,” Jake murmured, then said, “So how about Dev goes on back and talks to Chief Kincaid and you and I get better acquainted?”
“Sounds good.” She winked at Jake, then shook a long pink fingernail at him and said, “You stay right here, handsome.” Flipping open the counter, she pointed at me and marched off, shouting over her shoulder, “If you want to see the chief, get the lead out!”
Biting my tongue, I followed her down the hall, nearly hypnotized by the sway of her backside moving to some primal rhythm only she could hear. Once again, it had been a bit unsettling to witness Jake turn on the charm in order to get what he wanted. It made me wonder how sincere he was in our relationship.
Miss Bodacious Tatas knocked on the chief’s door, then opened it and announced, “That dime store woman is here to see you.” When Chief Kincaid grunted his okay, she turned on her heel and hurried away.
As I stepped into the chief’s lair, I heard her deliberately raised voice float down the hall. “Sugar, now that the ball and chain is taken care of, you and I can really get to know one another.”
It took considerable self-control not to run back there and throttle her. She was one of those folks who really needed a hug around the neck . . . with a piano wire.
Instead, I gritted my teeth and greeted Eldridge Kincaid. His uniform was as starched and pressed as if he’d just started his shift, but his face sagged with exhaustion and his eyes were bloodshot. Clearly, handling a murder and a mob of extraterrestrial chasers at the same time was getting to him.
Once I was settled in a chair facing his desk, the chief said, “What can I do for you, Dev? Did you remember something you noticed when you discovered your stepfather’s body?”
“I wish I could help you with that, but no.” I sat forward, put my palms on the desktop, and tried to use some of my own charm. “I know this case is difficult for you and I appreciate that you haven’t brought in my father. I’m afraid the people around here who still think he should be in prison would stir up trouble for him if it looked as if he’s one of your suspects.”
“I’ve been keeping that in mind.” The chief laced his hands and stretched. “But I will have to speak to him soon. I’ve just been waiting for the crime lab to finish up the forensics before I do.”
“Would it be possible to drive out to the house in your personal vehicle and speak to him there?” I asked, knowing I was pushing his friendship with my father to the limit. “Or maybe stop by the store tomorrow morning and meet with him in the storage room?”
“That would work.” Chief Kincaid rubbed the back of his neck.
“Thank you.” Despite his quarrel with my best friend and his rigidity, I liked Eldridge Kincaid. I admired his dedication to his job and his loyalty.
“I did reinterview your mother today.” The chief tented his fingers and gazed at me impassively. “Her memory is as bad as yours.”
“Maybe it’s not our memory as much as it is that we just didn’t see anything,” I countered, glad Mom had evidently stuck to the designated story.
“Yvette denied knowing anything about her husband’s business or finances, which surprised me.” Chief Kincaid tapped his chin. “I would have thought his money would be high on her radar, but she claimed that as long as her credit cards worked she didn’t care about the details.”
“That sounds about right.” If the chief thought I would try to defend my mother’s morals, he was sorely mistaken. “I’m guessing Mom didn’t have any knowledge of what Jett was researching, either.”
“Nope.” Chief Kincaid hollowed his cheeks, then blew out a breath. “Yvette said that Benedict was a history buff and loved to hear her talk about Shadow Bend’s past. Then one day he announced that they were coming here so he could access the library archives.”
“I bet she was thrilled.” I didn’t bother to hide the sarcasm in my voice.
The chief smiled, then asked, “If you haven’t recalled anything more, why did you want to see me?”
“It’s probably nothing.” I faltered before I took a breath and blurted out, “But I overheard a conversation this morning that I thought might interest you.” I told him about the country clubbers’ opposition to the library, adding, “I know it’s not much of a motive, but it does show that there were people who had a grudge against Jett and who wished he was out of the picture.”
“Interesting.” Chief Kincaid dipped his head. “I hadn’t heard that. Anything else?”
“Uh.” I paused, realizing Jake and I hadn’t discussed whether to share Nadine�
��s comment with the chief. Hurrying, before Chief Kincaid realized I was holding something back, I added, “The funding for the library still hasn’t come through.”
“No one has mentioned that, either.” The chief made a note. “I’ll have to check on it with the city council.”
While he was in a grateful mood, I asked, “Did the medical examiner determine the time of death yet?”
“The victim suffered an extensive cranial hemorrhage sometime between twelve thirty and one.” The chief fingered his shiny brass nameplate, then raised his head and said, “Which was pretty close to when you and your mother must have arrived. Are you sure you didn’t see anyone on the street or near the building?”
“Not that I noticed.” I shrugged. “I wasn’t paying attention.” Of course, in truth, I had arrived later. Had Mom or Dad seen anyone?
“Too bad.” Using his handkerchief, the chief rubbed off the mark his thumb had made on his nameplate, then looked up at me and asked, “Anything else you overheard or want to share with me?”
“Uh.” Should I mention Nadine? No. Jake and I should talk to her first.
“Dev?” Chief Kincaid adjusted the leather blotter so that it lined up more perfectly with the edge of his desk. “Did you remember something?”
“No.” I shook my head. “But I’ll keep thinking.” Maybe tomorrow, when he came to the store to interview my father, I’d tell him about Nadine’s comment.
Seeming reluctant to let me go, the chief said, “That trace of glittery dust I pointed out to you at the crime scene was a magnesium alloy. Any idea why your stepfather would have that in his possession?”
“Something about his health?” I guessed. “Don’t people take magnesium for lots of medical reasons?”
“Not this form.”
“Then I have no idea.” I wondered what else contained magnesium. Maybe it had something to do with preserving rare books.
After several more minutes of idle chitchat, I stood up and edged toward the door. Saying good-bye and promising to keep him in the loop, I made my escape.
I found Jake and the sexpot at the dispatch desk, laughing together. When she spotted me, she narrowed her heavily made-up eyes, heaved a dramatic sigh, and said, “Looks like your warden is back.”
Jake ignored her comment and said, “Thanks for your help, darlin’.”
“Anytime.” She licked her overly glossed lips and said, “Now, don’t be a stranger.”
She glared as I took Jake’s hand and tugged him down the stairs and into the street.
Swallowing my jealousy, I pasted a smile on my face and said to Jake, “How did it go?”
“The police don’t have any witnesses, but the dispatcher did tell me that the fragment of paper in the vic’s fingers wasn’t from this century.”
“Oh?” I raised my brows.
“It was a hundred and fifty years old.”
“It must have been from the archives Jett had been researching.” I stopped and stared at Jake. “What in the world did he find?”
“More importantly.” Jake raised his brows. “Was he killed for it?”
CHAPTER 14
Jake had parked his truck in front of my store, and as we approached it, I said, “I think we should go see Mom before tackling Nadine.”
“Why is that?” Jake opened the pickup’s passenger door and helped me inside.
“For one, I promised my father I’d check on her.” I fastened my seat belt and dug through my purse, looking for my cell.
“You could just call her.” Jake swung into the driver’s seat and backed the F250 out onto the street. “What’s the real reason?”
“Chief Kincaid reinterviewed her, and I want to find out exactly what she told him.” I tapped the messaging icon on my phone, then looked up from the screen to give Jake Mom’s address. “Do you know where that is?”
“Sure. One of Tony’s pals lives in that same complex.”
“Great.” I turned my attention back to my cell, selected Noah’s number, and typed, JAKE AND I ARE GOING TO TALK TO YOUR MOM RE AN OVERHEARD COMMENT SHE MADE ABOUT JETT. HOPE YOUR PATIENT IS OK. LUNCH TOMORROW?
I looked up just as Jake glanced at me. He evidently assumed I was texting Noah, because he frowned.
Tucking the phone into my purse, I asked, “Find out anything else from your new girlfriend?”
“Jealous?” He grinned, then said, “Bambi mostly told me everything the police don’t know. For instance, there were no usable fingerprints and no weapon was found.”
“Time of death is between twelve thirty and one thirty, and the glittery stuff they found at the scene is a magnesium alloy.” I tilted my head. “Any ideas about that?”
“One type of alloy is used in engine parts, rockets, and missiles.” Jake twitched his shoulders. “But there are lots of different kinds of magnesium.”
“Crap! I should have asked for more specifics.” I shrugged. “But I doubt the chief would have told me. He wasn’t too impressed with the info I had about the country clubbers opposing the library.”
“Hard to pin something like that down.” Jake turned the truck into the condo’s parking lot. “It’s too nebulous to be very useful.”
“Yeah. He did perk up about the delay in the library funding.” I waited for Jake to give me a hand down from the pickup. Then, as we headed inside, I added, “I didn’t mention Nadine.”
“Probably best.” Jake cupped my elbow as we walked down the hallway to Mom’s unit. “We’ll get more information from her if she hasn’t already been questioned by the police. Plus it gives you another piece of info to trade.”
“Good point.” I pressed the doorbell, and Mom answered wearing a short black-and-white Diane von Fürstenberg wrap dress and strappy white sandals. Her hair was carefully arranged around her shoulders, and her makeup was flawless. If this was how she dressed for a causal evening lounging around the house alone, I’d hate to see what she put on to go out on the town.
Yvette stepped back, put her hand to her chest, and said, “Dev, I thought you were . . . uh . . . the take-out guy.” Her eyes flickered from my face to Jake’s, and she said, “This must be Tony Del Vecchio’s nephew.”
I made the introductions, and she invited us inside. An ultramodern white modular sofa, matching chair, and metal-and-glass occasional tables occupied the living room. The condo was furnished like an upscale hotel. Beautiful, but about as welcoming as a hospital room.
Once we were seated, I explained, “Dad asked me to make sure you were okay. Did you get a new cell yet?”
“Jett always had a couple extras.” Yvette picked up a notepad and pen from the coffee table and scribbled something across the page. Handing me the paper, she said, “Here. Give the number to your dad.”
“That’s not a good idea. As I told you yesterday, it’s best if you and he aren’t seen together until Jett’s murderer is found. We don’t want to give Chief Kincaid a reason to be any more suspicious of you two.”
“I wasn’t suggesting Kern come over here just to give me a call. I’m not stupid.” Yvette made herself comfortable on the chaise, adjusting the flap of her skirt as she scooted back. “Eldridge has never been one of my biggest fans. He’d love to throw me in jail.”
“Glad to know you realize the consequences of your actions.” I bit my tongue to keep from pointing out that in the past she hadn’t always been so cautious. “We don’t want you or Dad behind bars.”
“I suppose your boyfriend knows all about our little deception?” She glanced at Jake and narrowed her eyes. “Is that wise?”
“Jake is a retired U.S. Marshal and is helping me look for Jett’s killer.” Shit! I hadn’t decided whether to reveal Dad’s presence at the crime scene to Jake, but I could tell by his expression that now I would have to come clean. “He’ll be cool.” At least I hoped he would, since now there was no way to ke
ep it from him.
“Good.” Yvette didn’t look entirely convinced. “Anything else?” She glanced at the clock above the mantel, then at the front door.
“I heard the chief talked to you again.” I wondered why she was so nervous. Maybe takeout wasn’t all she was expecting. I was fairly certain Mom hadn’t been in love with Jett, but it surprised me that she didn’t even try to pretend she was mourning her husband’s death. “How did it go?”
“He sent an officer to pick me up in the middle of my yoga class.” Yvette frowned. “I think Eldridge did that deliberately to rattle me.”
“Did it?” I knew she would hate being seen in public all sweaty.
“No.” Yvette pressed her lips together. “I just kept repeating what we rehearsed. And I denied knowing anything else.”
“Is that the truth?” I asked, fairly sure my mother would want to know where the money was coming from and how much there was to be spent.
“Pretty much.” Yvette’s smile was self-satisfied. “Jett’s family is in the oil business. He had plenty of cash, and he kept me in the manner I had grown accustomed to, which is all that mattered to me. Whenever he had a business meeting, he sent me shopping.”
“Of course that kept you happy,” I muttered. It sounded as if my stepfather had kept his wife and his wheelings and dealings far, far apart. Was it because she had no interest in how he earned a living, or was it because he had something to hide?
“Hey. I know you think I marry my husbands for their money, but that’s not true.” Yvette lifted a slim shoulder and giggled. “Money is why I divorce them.”
When I didn’t respond, my mother continued. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that regardless of how sizzling a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place. And for me that something else is cash.” She shot a look at Jake, then added, “Something you should consider when choosing between Mr. Hot and Steamy here and Noah’s kind of security.”
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