She nodded. “I know. I was fighting with myself, because I wanted so badly for you to be innocent. I thought it was just wishful thinking because I missed you, and the happiness we used to have, so much.”
“But you feel differently now?” He shook his head. That didn’t make any sense. It was obvious she wanted him physically, so her original reason for being hostile was still valid. She might be justifying his actions because she wanted hot sex. “What’s changed?”
“It was the threat on my doorstep, oddly enough. I’ve been thinking about it since it happened. Even if I could stomach that you were some psychopathic murderer who took out my sister, I know how smart you are.” Her tongue darted from her mouth to wet her lips with a rapid motion as her nerves seemed to get the better of her. “You wouldn’t make a threat against me after Cal saw us together. You’d know people would assume it was you, so why put yourself in the spotlight that way?”
She was right. In an odd way, the threat exonerated him. At least for people smart enough to see why he wouldn’t have done it.
Before he could respond, a knock came at the door. “Rosie? Open up! Are you safe in there with that murdering bastard?”
Rose’s jaw hardened and she glared toward the front of the house. “Again? Seriously?” She jumped from the couch and stormed to the door, yanking it open so hard it hit the wall behind it. “Calvin Black, what the hell are you doing here? Doesn’t the Clarkston Police Force have anything better to do than interrupt me and Max?”
Without asking permission, Calvin opened the screen door and stepped inside, pushing Rose back. He glared down at Max. “I got complaints from concerned citizens.” His face was as hard with anger as Rose’s. “People started worrying something might have happened to you when they saw Kensington’s empty car out front.”
“I invited him to dinner.” She tossed her dark hair behind her shoulder. “And maybe a little sex for dessert. Gotta problem with that, Cal?”
Max tried his best not to laugh at the stunned expression on Calvin’s face. Super Cop deserved to be put in his place. Max knew Cal wasn’t out barging in anyone else’s house. He only wanted to harass Max.
Hoping up from his spot on the couch, Max leaned in to kiss Rose’s cheek. He couldn’t feel any more pleased that she’d finally stood up for him, but Calvin wasn’t going to leave them in peace. “I should be going, Rosemary. Thanks for the food.”
“Wait.” She grabbed his arm. “You don’t have to leave just because Cal keeps showing up. We aren’t done talking.”
She needed time to think about what he’d said about suspects, without being distracted by how much they wanted each other. While he didn’t like leaving her with Cal, considering the man was number two on his suspect list, it wasn’t like Calvin couldn’t have done away with her before. She’d be safe enough.
“We’re done for now. I need to get some stuff finished before I start work for Uncle Frank.” Max nodded at Calvin. “I trust the department will continue keeping such a close eye on Rose?”
Calvin’s lip curled into a sneer. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means if anything happens to her tonight while I’m off watch, after you chased me away, I’m holding you personally responsible.” He stared hard into the other man’s eyes. “And I’ll make sure you pay.”
***
Rose watched Max leave, confused. Didn’t he just tell her he thought Cal was a suspect? Why leave her alone with the man?
She stepped away from the door, closing it before turning to Cal. She’d known him all her life and didn’t quite buy that he was a killer. She figured she was safe enough to let her irritation show. “You’ve got to stop this. You can’t run over here and pound on my door every time I’m alone with Max. I decide how to live my life. I know you aren’t convinced, but he won’t hurt me.”
Calvin took a step forward, getting in her personal space like he always did. “I wasn’t trying to piss you off. I’m scared for you, Rosie. Why trust that murdering bastard? Everyone knows he’s guilty.”
“Not the judge who acquitted him,” she countered. “Not Julie Barns.”
“What will it take to convince you?” His eyebrows scrunched down and his deep brown eyes clouded over with worry. “Why haven’t you ever been able to see what’s right in front of you?”
“I can see it. He’s innocent, Calvin. You should be watching Jimmy Durant. He’s far more likely to have done this.”
Cal shook his head and took a step forward, forcing Rose against the wall. “I’m not talking about the murders or Max. Why haven’t you ever been able to see me?”
“You?” Rose’s breath hitched in her throat. Sure, Calvin flirted with her, but she never took him seriously. Now his mouth was getting dangerously close to hers.
She slid down the wall and dodged beneath his arm, fleeing through the archway and into the kitchen. “Cal, what are you doing? I think our wires got crossed.”
“Did they?” He continued looking at the wall she’d just left, not facing her. “I thought I’ve been pretty blunt, but you always pretend you don’t understand. I’m in love with you, Rosie. I have been since that first day I saw you at high school. I was a senior and you were just a freshman, but I knew you were the girl for me.”
Rose chewed on a nail, trying to stuff down her nerves. Where was this coming from? Max accused Calvin of being the murderer, and now suddenly Cal wanted to be with her? This whole town had gone mad in the past week.
“Why haven’t you said anything before?” she asked.
He sighed heavily and stood straight, finally turning to look at her. “During school you were with Max. Then, you started dating Jimmy off and on right after Max’s conviction. After that, you had your hands full with your mom. I wanted to give you space. I thought I had time.” He shrugged. “I was able to see you every day and be around you, and that was enough for me. I thought once you sorted your life out, then I’d press the issue. I never expected Max to return and complicate things. I hated hearing you’re still in love with him.”
Could that be true? Rose thought back over the years. Calvin was always looming in the background, ever since Max left. He came into the gas station every night she worked, drinking a cup of coffee slowly while they visited between her customers whether he was on duty or not.
She shook her head and took a small step toward him. “Calvin, I’m sorry. I never guessed. If I’d understood I could have...” She sighed and closed her eyes. “I’m in love with Max. Nothing will change that. You’ve been wasting your time.”
It broke her heart to tell him that. If he really waited for her all that time, it seemed seriously unfair.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered again.
“What happens when he does something else to hurt you?” Calvin’s voice was low and choked sounding.
Rose kept her eyes closed, not wanting to see his pain. “He won’t. I know he won’t.”
“I’m always going to be here for you, Rose. No matter what. When things fall apart again, I’ll be here to pick up the pieces.”
When the sound of the door creaking shut was followed by Calvin’s heavy boots on the porch, Rose let out the breath she’d been holding in and opened her eyes. She crossed to the door and locked the deadbolt.
Now she really didn’t know what to think. Did Calvin’s feelings for her make him more of a suspect or less? The only motive he could have had to kill Sage was to get Max in trouble by framing him, but that seemed extreme when he’d never even told Rose he liked her.
One thing she did know was that she wouldn’t tell Max. The two men already had a pissing match anytime they were anywhere near each other. Them fighting over her was the last thing she wanted to happen.
***
Max pulled his car down the road a short way then stopped to keep watch. It pleased him when Calvin left shortly after he did. The man didn’t look happy, but at least Max was sure he hadn’t had time to do anything to Rose.
He was further reassured when Rose appeared in her bedroom window and slid it open to allow the cool evening air in. She was safe. It had been hard leaving her with one of his suspects, but he would have stormed back in if things hadn’t felt right.
The good news was she had sent Calvin away. It reassured Max that she really did believe in him. It wasn’t something he had dared hope for after her initial reaction. At least not this soon. Now all he had to do was find the real killer, and he and Rose could get back on track. Max just wanted his old life back.
Chapter Eight
Rose set the chocolate milkshake in front of Julie Barns and glanced at the late arrival. Rose hadn’t heard from Max in almost a week since he left her standing there with Calvin. She hadn’t even seen him following her around. Now here he was, with another woman?
And why did he have to look so damn good? Max had cut his hair, shaving the sides close and spiking it on top. Her libido took a jump seeing him so put together, while at the same time she felt angry to see him here with Julie.
He was driving her crazy, plain and simple. She couldn’t figure him out. She’d planned on stopping over at the garage after work tonight to catch him and find out what was going on. Judging by the looks of things with Julie, maybe he didn’t want to be caught.
Struggling to keep her face in a neutral position, she nodded at him. “Do you want a menu, Max?”
He shook his head. “I’ll just take a cheeseburger and fries, plus a strawberry shake. Thanks.” He turned his attention back to Julie, barely seeming to notice Rose.
Were they on a date? What the hell was with the man? They almost stripped each other down six days ago, and then she heard nothing from him. She didn’t understand and was starting to lose patience. At this point, it didn’t matter if he was innocent or guilty. If he didn’t want to spend time with her, all he had to do was say so, not bring in another girl to flaunt in her face.
She filled two water glasses and returned to the table, setting them down with exaggerated care to keep from slamming them down. “Your food will be out soon.”
“Yeah, okay.” Max kept his eyes on Julie and leaned closer to her. “Tell me more about this. You’re not in any danger are you?”
Rose spun on her heel and fled the pair, escaping to the heat and relative privacy of the kitchen. She was confused and out of sorts, and didn’t like the feeling. It seemed Max had decided Julie was in danger and moved on to protecting her, totally ignoring Rose. Maybe she’d overplayed things, getting carried away last week and wanting to go to bed with him. He seemed to want her at the time, but maybe it scared him off.
His hot and cold attitude was getting out of hand. He claimed he wanted to clear his name and get her back, but every time they moved one step closer together, he ran ten steps away. Now he dated Julie.
In a way, Rose could see how Max would feel indebted to her, since it was her testimony that got him freed from prison. Did they form a deeper connection because of that?
Though she didn’t want it to be true, Rose was very afraid she might have blown her chances with Max by not believing in him. How could she have ever thought he could kill someone? Looking back, she should have realized from the beginning that it wasn’t true. She had hurt too much to think about anything rationally, however, and after that she was kept busy with work and her mom.
“Is Rose back there?” called the high-pitched voice of Tammy, the other day server.
“She’s here,” the cook confirmed.
Rose grimaced at him, but pushed away from the wall and waved at Tammy through the order hatch. “What’s up?”
“Calvin Black just came in. He requested you as his waitress.”
Sighing, Rose made her way to the dining room. It was impossible to know if Cal was there keeping an eye on her or Max, but it didn’t really matter. He always tipped well. True, that was before she rejected him, but maybe he wouldn’t hold that against her paycheck.
She approached his table. It didn’t escape her notice that he’d positioned himself so he might overhear what Max and Julie talked about. “What can I get you, Cal?”
“A dinner date with you?” He grinned broadly and winked. “But for now a soda would be great. Maybe an order of chicken strips?”
Looked like he hadn’t been discouraged by her unenthusiastic response to his declaration of love. He hadn’t been in for coffee at the gas station all week, so she figured she’d offended him. Maybe he just bounced back quickly. Cops could certainly be cocky and all swagger, and Cal fit in with the most stereotypical of them.
“I’ll put the order in for chicken.” It would be best to ignore his request for a date.
As she passed Max and Julie’s table, Max’s arm darted out, and he grabbed her wrist.
“Did Cal just ask you out?” Max’s deep voice had a dangerous edge that shot adrenaline down Rose’s spine.
Although his intensity was somewhat alarming, she wasn’t about to show her intimidation. She lifted an eyebrow, putting every ounce of challenge in her gaze that she could. Max didn’t own her. If he was free to date, so was she. “Unlike some people, Calvin isn’t hot and cold in his feelings for me.”
She yanked her arm from Max’s grasp and walked to the order hatch, calling through Calvin’s food request. As luck would have it, Max’s burger and shake were ready.
Certainly everyone in the diner saw her jerk away from Max, and the story would circulate the rumor mill quickly. Time for damage control, or she’d receive more unsolicited advice from well-meaning but irritating acquaintances from town.
With a deep breath, she put on her best waitress smile. She didn’t want to provide more amusement for anyone. Beaming, she made her way to the table and placed Max’s food in front of him. “Can I get you anything else? Mustard and ketchup are on the table.”
He shook his head, his eyes touching on hers briefly before dancing away. “Julie and I aren’t on a date,” he said in a low voice that she almost didn’t catch. “You do realize that, right?”
Relief flooded through her. He hadn’t traded her in for a younger model. Still, Max absented himself from her life all week, so she didn’t know what she was supposed to say now. In fact, the more she thought of it, the angrier she felt. Why had he been ignoring her? Even if he was busy at his new job, surely he could have stopped by the gas station to see her for a few minutes in the evenings.
She leaned close to his ear. “Who you date is none of my business.” After straightening up, she raised her voice so the other patrons could hear. “Enjoy your meal, Max. It’s so great to see you getting your life back to normal. Tell your mom and Uncle Frank hi from me.”
Her knees only trembled slightly as she made the rounds to check on her other customers.
***
“Maybe meeting here wasn’t the best idea, Max.” Julie clasped her hands in front of her, as though forming a shield against the curious eyes surrounding them. “Everyone already hates me for telling the truth. I shouldn’t give them more reasons by being seen with you. Besides, we pissed Rose off.”
“Don’t worry about Rose. I’ll explain things to her later. She has a hot head, but she doesn’t hold a grudge.” He should know. The fact that she’d even consider being with him again after everything that happened proved that.
“Sure. I hope she listens. I know how much you care for her.” Julie hunched down in her seat further, seeming to shrink in on herself.
Max hated seeing her so upset. Julie had always been a bit high strung and nervous, but her pretty face was now ravaged from an obvious lack of sleep. She constantly licked her lips and glanced around the room as though expecting an attack at any moment. When she did speak, her voice was so timid and quiet that Max strained to hear her.
“What’s going on, Jules? Has someone done something since the retrial?”
Julie glanced next to them where Calvin Black sat and then shook her head slightly. “It’s fine. Nothing I can’t handle.”
“Then why did y
ou ask me to meet with you?”
“I know you’ve been looking for the real killer.” She leaned in. “Jimmy’s telling anyone who will listen that you sent a letter to Sage. I argued with him about it. Told everyone how Sage left with me that night, and Jimmy was nowhere around. How would he know she got a letter?”
Max nodded. He heard that before when she explained it to the judge. She made a credible witness and the judge could tell she told the truth. “Maybe he sent it to her?” he asked, trying to act as though that might not be the truth, just in case Julie reacted badly. Not everyone would be receptive to Max accusing Jimmy of being the killer.
Her blue eyes turned even brighter as tears pricked the corners of them. “Sage was supposed to stay at my house that night. I was sleeping so soundly, I never heard her leave. It wasn’t until morning that I discovered her missing.”
That news made him as angry to hear today as it had at his last trial. Julie’s parents must have known Sage went there that night and therefore Jimmy lied about the note. Why didn’t they step forward and save him all those years in prison? It would have negated Jimmy’s claims and the cops could have searched for the real killer. He ground his teeth together and counted to ten silently, hoping Julie couldn’t sense his agitation.
Her parents died in a car accident two years earlier; she didn’t need to hear anything bad about them. Their death was probably the only reason she finally stepped forward with the truth, and now Clarkston’s residents hated her for it. In some ways, she’d had as tough a life as he had since Sage’s murder.
“You can’t blame yourself,” he finally made himself say. “Sage should have told you she was leaving and who she went with. She always was impulsive.” A lot like her older sister, he thought, watching Rose circle the dining room, refilling water glasses and murmuring polite conversation.
“I always thought of Sage as fearless, not impulsive.” The admiration was clear in Julie’s voice. “I loved her so much. All I ever wanted was...” She broke off and shrugged.
Murderous Lies Page 6