Finding Justice

by Rachel Brimble

  His gaze drifted over her face to linger at her lips. “I bet a pound to a penny you’re still doing your best to look after everybody. I always knew you’d end up being a cop or nurse. One or the other.”

  “Yeah, well, the intention to do good doesn’t always lead to success, does it?”

  Jay looked at her bowed head, felt something shift in her demeanor. “Hey, you okay?”

  She lifted her head and when she met his eyes, she smiled but her lips trembled. “Sure.” She tossed her hair over her shoulders, all business once more. “So come on. Tell me more about Sarah. Where or from whom did you hear these rumors? Her friends? Colleagues?”

  The tiniest flicker of pain showed in her eyes, the smallest regret in the timbre of her voice and Jay knew in that fleeting second neither was to do with Sarah. He wouldn’t push her. God knows, he had enough crap of his own he intended to keep under wraps. What she told him was her prerogative...even if he did want to fix whatever pain he caused in her eyes a few seconds before.

  “It was Marian mostly. She’s like the Templeton oracle.” He blew out a breath. “Every now and then she said she heard this or that about Sarah. I didn’t believe a word of it until Sarah was found dead. Then I started to worry there was some truth in what she said.”

  “Surely you can’t believe Sarah was into drugs?” She raised her eyebrows.

  He shook his head. “I don’t know. The police haven’t stated there was anything in her system when she was found, but it would make it a bit more plausible how someone as good as the Sarah we knew might have been killed. She was a primary school teacher. She helped out in the community, kids and adults loved her. How the hell did she end up in the forest at the bottom of Clover Point?”

  Cat’s eyes darkened in concentration. “Was she seeing anyone? Any changes at the school you knew about? What about the kids?”

  Jay shook his head. The perpetual feeling of hopelessness that cloaked his emotions like a heavy blanket stole back across his shoulders. “I don’t know. I don’t know anything else.”

  She dropped back against the seat and wiped her hand over her face. “We will. Things will begin to fall into place quicker than you think once we’re thinking along the right lines.” She smiled. “Trust me.”

  Her phenomenal green eyes shone with renewed vitality, twisting Jay’s heart in a vice. “Didn’t I always?”

  They lapsed into silence before Jay looked away, shaken by the sudden need to kiss her. He knew his emotions were running high and to act on them would be selfish. Would be the old Jay.

  “The path to Sarah’s killer could lie in these rumors, you know.” Cat’s voice broke through his thoughts.

  “Well, I’m glad you think that because I’ve been sitting here wondering whether I was stupid to expect you to come all this way without a shred of evidence for us to start working with.”

  “You were stupid.”

  “What?”

  “You were stupid, because from this moment on I’m going to be on your ass expecting you to do absolutely everything I ask.”

  Jay’s gut tightened as her voice turned silky soft. His gaze dropped once more to her mouth as his own drained of saliva. Here was Cat, all grown-up, sexy and successful in a career he knew so little about. While he was busy forgetting every friend and foe and concentrating on buying up Templeton Cove, this woman was putting away criminals, killers and rapists.

  He was in awe of her.

  “You must have it all.”

  She gave a wry laugh. “I don’t think so.”

  “Men falling at your feet, a hotshot career as a female detective taking down the bad guys. That’s pretty hot.”

  “Yeah, right. I have the dream life.”

  There it was again. That flicker in her eyes, turning away to look past his shoulder. He couldn’t call her on it. He wouldn’t question her and risk her bolting straight back to Reading. Protectiveness seared through him. He’d seen the pain shoot across her face, staining her cheeks and whitening her lips. He didn’t care to see it again. He’d uncover what was wrong and put it right.

  “So, are you—” he started.

  “Enough about me.” Her gaze told him she was back in cop mode, any intimacy between them vanquished. “What is it you do now? I assume from the trousers and shirt you’ve given up singing.”

  He inched back in his seat. Fine. She had every right to hit the ball back to his side of the net. Clearly work was a safer subject for both of them. He could talk about success. Initiatives to earn damn good money he knew inside out. Love. Friendship. Intimacy... They were the things that somehow slipped to the wayside, leaving him as clueless as he was the last time he saw her.

  He cleared his throat. “This trip to London? It’s rare. I only ever go there for the occasional business negotiation. Most of the time I run everything from Templeton.”

  “So you’re the new man at the helm, right? Your dad passed the baton over to you?”

  He smiled. “Dad retired about a year ago. I took over.”

  “And took over what exactly? The last time I was here, I was twenty years old and thought your dad was the richest man in the world. He owned, what, three businesses in Templeton?”

  “About that, but I’ve added a lot more since.”

  She raised her eyebrows. “Proud of it, too, I see.”

  A flash of heat hit his face. Damn his pride. Damn his need to succeed. He’d changed. No more. No more money over everything else.

  “I never want to leave the Cove, Cat. I love it here.”

  She smiled. “Hey, there’s no need to explain that to me. How many twenty-year-olds still vacation with their parents? Every time they said they were coming down here, I came. I love the Cove, too, Jay. Always have. Always will. Your dad must be really proud of you.”

  Now, maybe. But the pain still lingers in his eyes. “He is.”

  She turned back to the vista ahead of them and sighed. “I must admit, I’m really looking forward to seeing all the places where I spent time with you and Sarah. I didn’t realize how much I missed the Cove until now.”

  Jay watched her profile. Seeing her again was another reminder of what his life could have been if his drug habit hadn’t taken over and screwed it all up. Damn it to hell. Why had he let it all go wrong?

  He pushed to his feet. “Shall we go inside?”

  “Sure.”

  She stood and Jay took her hands. “You loved Sarah as much as I did. Even though these next days or weeks or how ever long it takes will be tough—”

  Her shoulders tensed. “Days, Jay. We’ll find her killer in days.”

  He smiled. “Great. Days. With you leading this investigation, the bastard who killed Sarah will be locked up in no time.”

  “Or bitch.”

  He flinched. “A woman? No way.”

  Her gaze bored into his, a dart of concentration spearing between her brows as she studied him. “Why do you say that?”

  He shook his head. “Jesus, if a woman could do that...”

  Cat lifted her shoulders. “Why not?”

  His cheeks heated. Her suspicion was clear in her eyes. She was questioning him. He was a suspect. He swallowed against the ball of frustration that lingered bitterly in his mouth. “Well, I suppose a woman could...but God, I hate to think any woman capable of such a degree of violence. To actually choke the life from someone?”

  She continued to stare awhile longer before she slowly eased her hands from his. “I’m
saying these things because we can’t afford to dismiss any possibility. Between us, we’ll find out what happened. He or she will not get away with killing our best friend.” She closed her eyes. “I can see her, Jay. I close my eyes and I can see Sarah laughing and joking on the beach, or running around with her beloved dog, Scruffie. Now she’s gone. Dead. No white wedding. No kids. No future.”

  She opened her eyes and rubbed her fingers at her temples. “Let’s go inside.”

  As they walked, Jay fought the urge to take her hand knowing she was in pain. He sensed her mind was working, her shoulders had yet to drop down from her earlobes. She was a cop. She needed time to think and he wouldn’t be the one to disturb her. They reached the front door and he slid the key into the lock and pushed open the door.

  “After you.”

  She laid her hand on his forearm. “I think we need to start with these rumors.”

  He shook his head. “It’s a dead end. When I found out she was killed, I went to the local drug haunts—”

  Her eyes widened. “How would you know about drug haunts?”

  Shit. Suspicion flared in her eyes once more. He lifted his shoulders. “I don’t know the places. I just assumed them.”

  She stared. “Like where?”

  “The park. The housing estate toward Marchenton. You know, the seedier places around the Cove.”

  “Did you find out anything?”

  “Nothing. No one claimed to see her hanging around or talking to anyone. I’ve spoken to people at The Harbor pub, the shopping center, Caroline’s Coffee Shop. They all mentioned she might be involved in drugs somehow, but it didn’t sound like Sarah at all.”

  “Why? What did they say?”

  “That she was different. Edgy. Jumpy. Losing weight. But no one had seen her high or out of control. I just don’t get it. The fact I hadn’t spoken to her in months is like a lead weight on me, Cat. I didn’t know what she was going through. I didn’t know her at all.”

  She dropped her gaze to the ground between them. “There’s something I should tell you. Let’s go inside.” She looked up.

  Jay’s unease hitched up a notch. Words battled on his tongue as questions whirled in his mind. Had she gained access to police information? Did she know more than he did and purposely kept it from him? Did she think him entirely guilty and intended arresting him? Nausea swirled in his gut. He gestured toward the open door. “After you.”

  Cat walked into the open plan living room ahead of him. Jay tossed the keys onto the table by the door and then joined her. He inhaled a shaky breath. “Cat?”

  She faced him, her face inscrutable. “The day you rang me asking me to come, I was afraid to commit to anything straight away. I needed time to get over the shock of Sarah being killed before I could view her death as a murder investigation.”

  “And?”

  “I started finding out what I could about her life before she died. I’m glad to say I uncovered—”

  “Wait a minute.” Jay held up his hand and cut her off as disbelief stabbed at his affronted ego. “You knew about Sarah’s state of mind when she died and didn’t tell me? We’ve spoken for over a week, Cat. Why bother pushing me for information if you already knew about her?”

  Her green eyes darkened. “I’m doing my job, that’s why. I needed to know I could trust you, needed to believe you’ll be as honest with me as I’ll be with you.”

  Jay stared. “You’ve been in cop mode this entire time?”

  “Jay, come on. Why are you looking at me like that? Isn’t that why you asked me here in the first place?”

  Defensiveness raged in her eyes like a gathering storm. Any intimacy he thought he saw or felt between them was entirely of his own doing. God, was he that self-involved? Clearly he was, and clearly Cat didn’t see him as anything more than a mutual friend of Sarah’s, intent on avenging her murder. What the bloody hell did he expect? He hadn’t called her to the Cove thinking anything would happen between them. It wasn’t her fault he’d wanted to touch her from the minute he saw her.

  “Jay, are you listening to me? I said I’ve already made a few discreet enquiries.”

  Her voice jerked him from his paralysis and icy-cold fingers tip-tapped up his spine. Cat was intelligent, savvy and determined. He had undoubtedly destroyed any hope of her believing him innocent given his past. A past it looked as though she’d known about all along.

  “What did you find out?”

  “I found out you and Sarah haven’t spent any time together for over four years.”

  He met her questioning gaze but said nothing.

  “Why would two friends who’d known each other their entire lives suddenly stop talking unless something major split them apart? Tell me what happened. If you hold things back from me, what am I supposed to think?”

  She didn’t know about his drug problems.

  Tell her. Damn well tell her. Tell her how you ruined your friendship with Sarah while out of your head on cocaine. Tell her how people now look at you in the Cove.

  Heat stole through his gut, burning hot and unwelcome. “I... We...”

  She closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them, her gaze was softer, more concerned than accusatory. “I’m not here to cause you grief... God knows, I’m not even here to relive a time when I felt my whole life would be like a summer holiday forever. All three of us were so young then. I grew up, Sarah grew up. I thought you had, too, but the way you’re clamming up now...”

  The insult to his maturity struck at his pride like a knife through weakened flesh. He shook his head and gave a wry laugh. “Do you think I’ve had everything given to me on a plate since you left?”

  “What? No, I—”

  “Dad didn’t give me any different opportunities than he’s given every other employee, Cat. If you think differently, you don’t know him at all.”

  She squeezed her eyes shut. “Jay, for crying out loud. This isn’t about you. This is about—”

  “I learned the business from the bottom rung to the top. There were never any shortcuts as far as Dad was concerned, and now I understand why. You cannot understand the wants and wishes of people around you unless you’ve walked in their shoes. That’s the bottom line.”

  When she opened her eyes again, they blazed fiery green with anger. “Well, you haven’t walked in mine or Sarah’s, so why don’t you cut the crap and tell me what was going on between you and her?”

  Jay stared at the two bright red spots of color flaming her cheeks as heat burned in his own. Her breasts rose and fell with each breath and her hands were balled into fists at her sides. Fine. She wanted to know about walking in people’s shoes? He’d damn well tell her.

  “If we find out Sarah was involved in drugs, I’ve not just walked in her shoes, I’ve hiked in them. Up until four and half years ago, I was a coke addict. You name it, Cat, I took it.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “WHAT?” CAT STARED and fought the panic running through her veins.

  He closed his eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to blurt it out like that.”

  “You...you’re an...” Cat clutched a hand to her throat.

  “Well, look who we have here.”

  The booming, jovial voice came from behind Jay, making Cat jump. She snapped her gaze over his shoulder, her heart pounding. George. Oh, God, not now.

  Trembling from the shock of Jay’s admission, she forced a wide grin onto her face. “George. What are you doing
here?”

  He opened his arms. “Well, I work for Jay now. His father is off around the world enjoying his retirement, so Jay here makes good use of me instead.”

  “I don’t believe it. You’re Jay’s handyman now?”

  His expression changed to feigned insult. “Of course. Do you think this boy could find anyone else to match my caliber? I think not.”

  Cat forced a laugh, words lodging in her throat as tension hummed on an invisible cord between her and Jay. George was clearly oblivious to the shockwaves ricocheting from the walls around them. She glanced at Jay and his eyes lingered on hers for a heartbeat before he turned and moved away to stand at the fireplace.

  She snapped her gaze back to George, her smile wobbling. “It is so good to see you.”

  He beamed. “Little Catherine.” He stretched his arms wide. “What a sight for sore eyes you are.”

  Cat stepped into his embrace and closed her eyes. It had been far too long since she smelled George’s comforting combination of tangy, old-fashioned aftershave and the mint lozenges he perpetually had tucked into his cheek.

  Nausea burned hot in her stomach while fondness for George swelled her heart.

  Jay was a recovering addict.

  Her blood boiled hot in her veins as confusion, hurt and disappointment rushed through her heart and soul, branding her with Jay’s betrayal.

  George pulled back and held her hands at arm’s length, an expression of soft adoration on his face, tufts of silver hair shining at the sides of his otherwise bald head. Whenever she’d spent time at Jay’s family home, George was her summertime guardian, a man who made her feel just as loved as her father had. She forced a smile once more. “You look wonderful. You haven’t aged a single day.”

  He chuckled. “Well, you have.”

  She pulled her face into an expression of mock offense. “Don’t you know it’s rude to say that to a lady?”