by Diane Bator
“Your poor girlfriend.” Lucy glanced toward the gate and wished Mitch would return from his quest for more alcohol soon.
Clancy cleaned close and whispered, “I don’t have a girlfriend. Don’t tell Mitch or he’ll probably hit on me next.”
She laughed so hard the wine rippled in her glass. “I really shouldn’t be sitting here drinking. I’m not setting a good example for my kids, am I?”
Cripes. She wasn’t very good at being a seductress and wouldn’t blame him if he ran for home. No sexy woman steered the conversation back to her children at every turn. She took a large gulp of wine.
“No, you’re not setting a good example.” He settled back in his chair and seemed at home in her backyard. “You work too hard, are totally stressed out and probably never do anything for yourself.”
She straightened up and stared, eyes wide. “Is that what you think? Don’t hold back now, just let it fly. Tell me what you really think about me.”
He shifted and licked his lips, after a long moment, he looked her in the eye. “When’s the last time you had any quality time to yourself? No laundry, no dishes, no cleaning, no kids.”
What business was it of his how she spent her time? “Every night between nine p.m. and six a.m.”
“You get up at six in the morning? Are you nuts?” From the disbelief on his face, she guessed he’d never get out of bed that early for anyone.
Her face burned. “That’s what time Gina used to wake up.”
“Six o’clock every morning? Sounds rough. Have you ever considered duct tape?” Clancy shook his head. “So what do you do in your spare time?”
Lucy bowed her head and toyed with her glass. “She sleeps later now, but I still get up early to write until the kids get out of bed. I try to spend the whole day with them then write when they go to bed. Sometimes until one or two in the morning.”
Clancy peeled back the label on his beer bottle and smirked. “Sounds rejuvenating.”
“And what would you suggest I do, smart guy?” She folded her arms across her chest. “In case you weren’t listening, Roger moved out and I don’t have any help with the kids. I can’t afford a sitter, but I need time to write and that’s when I get my quiet time. At least Roger’s taking the kids to his parents’ cottage next week so I’ll get all the ‘me’ time I want.”
She’d be alone for the entire week. Tears filled her eyes. The thought had never seemed more real until she’d said the words aloud. That she’d be alone probably wasn’t a good thing to tell her single, handsome neighbor. She wanted to spend the time working, not scraping off some smouldering Romeo.
Clancy dropped the torn bits of beer label into an empty beer bottle. “Lucky you. So you’ll have a whole week to spend glued to your computer and not do a single nice thing for yourself. Good for you.”
“And what’s so bad about that?” She folded her arms across her chest as anger bubbled in her belly. Who was he to judge? “What makes you such an expert on me anyway?”
He sighed, still not looking up at her. “Look, I’ve watched my mom work in the bakery, cater to my dad, and never take time for herself. Every time she sat down to relax, somebody needed something. When’s the last time you went out and got your nails done or got your hair cut or even just went shopping?”
She grimaced. “I hate having my nails done, I like my hair long and I hate shopping. What are you, a private detective or something?”
“Actually?” Clancy flinched and actually met her gaze. “Yeah, it’s a hobby.”
Lucy’s eyes widened. “I thought you were a tattoo artist.”
“I am. I also happen to have a wild side though.”
She hesitated, not sure if she should laugh or take him seriously. “So why tell me? Wouldn’t you want to keep that secret in case you have to go undercover?”
“Too much beer and respect.” Clancy turned to face her. “Look, Lucy, you and I got off on the wrong foot. I think it’s a good idea for us to start fresh.”
She sipped her wine then nodded. “Sounds fair. I could use advice from a detective. Are you any good?”
Clancy’s grin made her heart flutter. “Baby, I’m the best.”
When Lucy growled deep in her throat at the innuendo, he winked and flashed a smile that made the soles of her feet tingle. He did have great eyes, broad shoulders, and sat so close she could reach out and—
“I’m back. Anybody miss me?” Mitch flung open the gate and strolled into the yard with a case of beer.
“Yeah. We did.” Lucy blew out a long breath and nodded in relief.
Clancy reddened. “Of course, Mitch, you’re the life of the party.”
Mitch flopped onto a chair across the table. “Good. Lucy, darlin’, why don’t you go put on a bikini and some music and we’ll get this party going.” He glanced around the yard. “You’ve done a lot with this place, Luce. The yard used to be a desert, Clancy, but Lucy’s great at making all kinds of things come up.”
Lucy stood abruptly, her face warm. “Excuse me. I need to check on the kids.”
“I’ll help ya.” Mitch set down the case of beer.
Clancy waved him off. “Relax. She’ll be fine .”
Mitch snorted, but held his tongue.
Lucy went inside and closed the door then stood motionless, just out of their sight and held her breath. She didn’t want to miss anything.
“So you’re hot for her, huh?” Mitch chuckled. “Can’t say I blame you, she’s one sexy mama. A milf.”
Clancy cleared his throat. “A what?”
“A mother I’d love to—” Mitch’s words cut off abruptly. “Get your hand off my mouth. I’m not blind, Romeo. Well, at least you’re single and can do something about it. Do you want me to leave so you two can be alone?”
She leaned her head toward the window and hoped neither man saw her. “Excuse me?” Clancy sounded surprised. “Actually, we were just—”
“Scared of the kids, huh? Don’t be.” Mitch paused. “They’re good kids and Lucy’s a great mom. Sometimes she gets a little carried away with all the gushy stuff, but if my wife were as hot as her, we’d still have a good marriage. Of course, I guess that didn’t save hers and Roger’s.” His chair creaked. “You gonna tell her why you’re single?”
“Maybe we should change topics.” Clancy hesitated. Did he know she hovered close by? “April can hear you through the open window.”
And I can hear you through the open patio door. The entire neighborhood would probably hear yet another argument that night. She’d have to close the kids’ bedroom windows before they picked up any new vocabulary.
“So let her hear. What does it matter? She might as well have something else to nag me about.” Bottles rattled as Mitch took one out of the case and cracked it open. “Must be some big secret. I know you have lots of women in town dying to go out with you.”
“There’s no secret.” Clancy’s voice was tight. “I run a business, look after two homes, and my mom’s fighting cancer. I don’t exactly have a lot of free time.”
An empty bottle fell over and rattled across the deck. “That’s just as well. Lucy’s happier sitting at her computer all night anyway. To tell you the truth, I don’t think she’s really a writer. I’ve never read anything she’s written. I think she’s one of them phone sex girls. She does have a great voice.”
Lucy’s face burned and she tiptoed away from the doorway before hearing anything else that made her want to vomit. First, Mitch wanted to give her an exorcism now he wanted her to…
One of the kids shouted and an argument broke out in the basement. She ran downstairs to smooth things over. Before she returned to the patio, she stopped in the bathroom to check her reflection. Her face and chest glowed red from the sunshine. She added another coat of sunscreen and blew out a sigh. Clancy wasn’t even in the house, yet she was sure his gaze was on her. She desperately needed something to cool her down. She grabbed three ice cream bars from the freezer and opened the patio door.
Clancy glanced up from his cell phone and raised his eyebrows. “Careful, you’re spoiling us and we might not leave.”
Mitch snorted. “Nah, she doesn’t have enough beer. How are the kids?”
Lucy sat next to Clancy and pretended she hadn’t overheard their earlier conversation. “The boys are playing a video game and Gina’s asleep on the couch in the basement. It’s nice and cool down there at least. Maybe we’ll sleep down there tonight.”
“Sure, I’m game.” Clancy grinned.
A surge of heat shot from her lips to her feet, completely bypassing her brain. Once she got over the initial surprise, she hit his arm and shook her head.
He winked. “I warned you.”
“More wine?” Mitch stood up.
“No, thanks.” She laid her head back against the padding and groaned, closing her eyes to the sunshine. While she savored her ice cream, Mitch refilled her glass anyway. “If I have any more wine, I’ll need to go curl up with Gina on the couch.”
“Any more beer and I’ll join you.” Clancy chuckled. “You’re not much of a drinker are you?”
“What gave you that idea?” She rolled her head to face him.
He licked his lips and studied her. “Wild guess.”
Lucy turned away, her cheeks blazing.
“This is some party, Luce.” Mitch laughed. “We need music though.”
“Music. Oh, crap. I forgot to turn on the stereo.” When she stood up, her head spun. She grabbed the arms of her chair and ended up grabbing Clancy’s hand instead. “Whoa, I think I’ve had more to drink than I thought.”
“I’m sure that doesn’t help. Be careful.” Clancy gave her hand a squeeze. “Don’t hurt yourself.”
“I’m fine.” Rattled, by his touch, she turned and walked straight into the patio door frame with a loud bang then sank to her knees on the wooden deck as everything faded to black.
Chapter 9 ~ Danny
In between clearing cobwebs, tearing out filthy carpets, and taking down old fixtures, Danny had called Clancy several times all afternoon, but got no answer. He hoped everything was okay with Clancy’s mom. Finally, he phoned the one person he knew would answer.
“Reinforcements. What can I do for you?” Leo gasped, breathless.
Danny brushed wallpaper chips off his clothes. “You’re not funny.”
“You didn’t hire me to be funny or I’d wear a red nose and floppy shoes.” He paused and took a breath. “What’s up? You have one minute before my next client shows up.”
“Roger Stephen called earlier.” Danny stared at the six layers of multi-colored paper which had built up over the years. Every color in the faded rainbow. “He’s taking the kids away for a week so Lucy will be alone. We might finally get some action on this case.”
There was silence at the other end before Leo sighed. “Good for you. So why are you calling me? I’m busy looking over the files Bobby gave you and following the gym rats on my own case. Do you know what lowlifes those guys are? They’re so dirty I have to scrub in a hot shower every time I leave the gym. I’m starting to get alligator skin.”
Danny rubbed his jaw. “I can’t get hold of Clancy. Have you heard from him?”
“Last I heard, he was going to his neighbor’s for a beer,” Leo said. “Aren’t you parked across the street? Just go crash the party.”
“I’m at my house. Clancy said he’d keep an eye on Lucy so I could get some work done and actually live here one day.” The peeling wallpaper and stained hardwood didn’t make that a promising possibility. Neither did the rat scurrying across the floor.
“Nice.”
Danny grabbed a broom and chased after the rat, which slipped into yet another hole that needed to be patched. At least it wasn’t another raccoon. “I asked him to get closer to Lucy. There has to be something she’s hiding. Everybody has at least one skeleton in the closet.”
“Not me, Bro.” Leo chuckled.
He snorted, leaning the broom against the wall. “You most of all.”
“You know me so well. What do you want me to do?”
Danny sat on the dusty sawhorse and peeled away a strip of the sickly green flowered wall paper on the living room wall. One more task to take on right after the bookshelves and before he painted the house from top to bottom. “I don’t know yet. Part of me believes Roger, but I’ve watched Lucy for days and there’s nothing out of the ordinary going on. There’s something about him that bothers me, but I can’t quite figure out what.”
“Did you check out his background?” Leo asked.
Danny nodded. “Yeah. Realtor, humanitarian, the works. He’s been all over the bloody society pages for years with all the high profile deals he’s done and all the women he’s escorted to charity events. I find it ironic five of the women he hobnobbed with are now dead.”
Silence. “So you think he was the one sleeping around and his wife got jealous?”
He blew out a long breath. “I don’t think anything. I came out to work on the house just so I don’t have to think.”
“Do you want me to find out more about him or something? I could hack both their computers.” Leo hummed.
“Could you really do that?” Danny asked.
“Do raccoons live in your attic?”
He scowled. “That’s not funny.”
“From where I sit, it is actually.” Leo didn’t bother to hide his amusement. “You may want to patch the roof before they bring more relatives.”
Danny didn’t share his sense of humor. “I already did. Twice. Why don’t you come by one day and give me a hand? You could strip wallpaper and slap on some paint.”
Leo snorted. “I do not paint. I do not strip wallpaper. And I do not, I repeat, I do not work with small, furry rodents.”
“You’re in luck then.” He tore off another strip of wallpaper. “Raccoons aren’t small.”
“All the more reason for me to keep my distance, Bro.” Leo hung up.
Danny tried to reach Clancy again, but still got no answer. He set the phone on the sawhorse, gave up on the walls and returned to work on the bookshelves. While his hands sawed wood, his brain worked overtime. He was stupid to leave Clancy in charge of watching Lucy while he frittered the afternoon away in the house. He should leave and check up on them both.
Setting the wood aside, he reached for his laptop. What research they’d both done on Roger Stephen was superficial at best since Roger had paid Danny to follow Lucy and find dirt on her. The problem was, he had no Internet access at the house and needed to go to Hannah’s house. On the upside, Leo wasn’t the only one who could do some electronic digging.
Hannah and the boys were in the garden picking strawberries when he arrived. Danny waved and feigned interest in the assorted bugs his nephews had imprisoned in glass jars on the front porch. After all the time he’d spent in his car doing surveillance in the heat, he took pity on the bugs. His first impulse was to release them, but the kids had other ideas.
Up in his room, the first website he checked was the society pages of the Newville News. Roger had his share of pretty dates for all sorts of charity events. What bothered Danny most was the lack of information about Lucy, aside from a blog she kept and a Facebook page.
The photo on her blog showed a dark-haired, golden-eyed woman with a pen in one hand and a frying pan in the other. From the angle, he guessed one of her kids took the picture. He read through the entire blog, a year’s worth of entries which revealed her frustration at receiving one rejection after another. Little about her kids and even less about her husband. A woman of secrets.
Danny bounced around the Internet and ran into one dead end after another. Aside from the fact she wrote murder mysteries and several magazine articles, he learned little about Lucy Stephen. He sat back and ran a hand through his hair. Murder mysteries. Was Lucy capable of doing hands-on research or did she rely on her computer and books for everything?
He reached for the folder he kept all the print versions
of the files Bobby sent. There had to be a link somewhere. Leo’s comment about Roger sleeping around and Lucy’s jealousy had merit. Was she capable of strangling another human being? At five foot two, Lucy stood shorter than all the murdered women and would need a means to get some leverage unless she’d strangled them as they lay on the floor.
Outside, his nephews argued over one of the bug jars. Danny stood at the window and watched until Hannah waved then told both boys to release their captives. He sucked in a sharp breath.
Lucy hadn’t left the kids alone since he’d starting watching her. No babysitters. No visitors. Nothing. If Lucy didn’t leave her kids alone, or trust anyone else with them, there was no way she’d leave town without them to kill anyone.
Danny crossed Lucy Stephen off his list of suspects.
One by one, Danny taped the photographs and notes all over the wall of his makeshift office. Before long, the patches of bare wall were covered and a headache seized hold of his brain. While he’d effectively eliminated Lucy as a suspect, the one person he couldn’t brush aside so easily was her husband Roger.
He picked up the phone and scrubbed his face with one hand while waiting for an answer. “Hey, Bobby, you interviewed Roger Stephen for those murders, right?”
There was a brief pause then a door closed at the other end of the line. Bobby sounded tired, yet rushed. “Yeah, of course we did. Why do you ask?”
“Just a hunch.”
“He’s one of the few people who seems to know all of the vics. You’ve been watching his wife, right?” Sirens erupted in the background. “Does she seem capable of killing them?”
“No.” Danny shook his head more for his own benefit than Bobby’s. “She’s a single mom with no support system. She has no car, no social life, and not much money. Besides that, I get the impression she’d never let those kids out of her sight without a fight.”
“Then Roger Stephen is looking better and better for these murders.” A surge of energy infused Bobby’s voice. “That’s what I needed to hear. We’re rounding up our top suspects and he’s at the top of the list. I’ll talk to my team and let you know what else I find out. Keep in touch.”