by Diane Bator
At first glance, the names meant nothing. Rosalina de Sousa, Renata Yalof, Caroline Taylor-Smith, Cynthia Mathias, and Michelle Donovan were regular, albeit wealthy, women. Cora Lee was a receptionist. Roger Stephen’s receptionist, to be more precise.
Cynthia, Michelle, and Tanji. The names Parker mentioned to Clancy that Danny had jotted on a napkin. Bobby’s notes made no mention of a Tanji, just a Cynthia and a Michelle. Was Tanji a new girlfriend or a co-worker? Either way her life could be in danger.
When something out on the street gave a loud bang, Danny flinched.
Clancy cussed over the closed hood of his truck and tidied up his tools. At nearly nine o’clock in the morning, the day was already too hot and humid to work outside. He leaned back to release a kink in his back and scanned the quiet street.
Danny wished he’d ignored Leo’s persistence and never taken this case. So much for shutting down the agency. For now, he needed to keep it open, until both cases wrapped up and he could rejoin the police force. As long as the shrink cleared him for active duty.
His phone rang the instant he reached for his coffee cup. “Yeah?”
“You sitting down?” Bobby asked.
“From now until late tonight.” He groaned, shifting in his seat. “What’s up?”
“Roger Stephen skipped town.” Bobby’s words hung in the air.
Danny picked up his coffee cup. “Yeah, he stopped by Lucy’s house last night. He said he was taking the kids to his parents’ cottage for a few days.”
Bobby hesitated. “Were you there when he picked them up? Is there anyone else with him?”
Across the street, Clancy left the cool shelter of the garage and walked around the front of his house. His voice came over a small transmitter on the seat next to Danny. “Is this thing working? I’m going to see how Lucy’s doing and invite her out for coffee. See what she does now that she’s alone.”
Danny nodded to Clancy and spoke to Bobby, “No, he had a woman with him. I think her name is Tanji. I have a couple photos of her I’ll send you. I was parked in front of Lucy’s house when Roger picked the kids up.”
“Did Roger seem agitated or anything?” Bobby asked.
“Not when he arrived.” He frowned. “He went into the house with Lucy and by the time he left, he seemed angry. Lucy must have hit him up for money or something.”
An object the size of a breadbox crashed through one of the upstairs windows of Lucy’s house. Clancy turned and shielded his face as sparkling glass arched over the lawn like a fleeting rainbow and scattered in the grass between the house and the sidewalk.
“What the hell? I’ve got to go, Bobby. Something’s up at the Stephen house.” Danny hung up and opened his window then snapped a picture and zoomed in on the object on the grass. Her printer probably hadn’t done anything wrong, aside from a likely paper jam.
Clancy wandered over for a closer look and muttered into the microphone. “I think somebody’s losing her grip on reality.”
Danny’s gaze followed the trail of glass across the yard then up the beige brick wall. He snapped a picture of Lucy as she peered out the remaining jagged glass of the window, her face pale and frightened. For the first time in weeks, he fought the strong urge to run over and get details.
“What’s up, Lucy?” Clancy asked. “Did your printer try to eat you?”
Danny focused the camera on her face. Tired, dark half-moons shadowed her eyes like she hadn’t slept in many nights. She’d tied her hair back in a weary ponytail. The kids were gone only one night and Lucy already seemed broken.
She groaned, her shoulders slumping forward. “I didn’t mean to do that.”
“I’m sure the printer had it coming.” As Clancy stepped toward her, glass crunched beneath his boots.
“I thought it would bounce off the glass or something.” Her voice wavered. “I really didn’t think it would end up down there.”
He shrugged. “Maybe they’re just old windows.”
“We had them replaced last year, right before…” Her sentence hung in the air.
Before Roger left and moved in with some woman in Newville, according to Parker. Of course, that wasn’t Roger’s official version, but it made more sense. Danny reached for the door handle, ready to jump out in case Clancy needed backup.
“Maybe they’re still under warranty” Clancy stuck his hands in his pockets.
Lucy snorted. “I don’t think the manufacturer covers crazy writers throwing printers through them.”
“It doesn’t hurt to call.” He shrugged. “That or you could get your husband to fix it.”
Danny sank lower into the driver’s seat, immediately aware Clancy had hit a sore spot. The glare Lucy shot him made the back of Danny’s neck prickle. “I don’t need him.” Lucy growled. “He left me for Cynthia.”
Cynthia again. Danny thumbed through the reports to refresh his memory. Sleep deprivation wasn’t doing him any favors.
Clancy raised both hands and took a step back. “No, I’m sure you don’t. I’ll bet his name’s all over the contract though and they’ d listen to him before they’d listen to you.”
“No, it’s not.” Her face hardened. “He was away and I needed to sign for everything he bought but never paid for.”
Another sore spot. Danny had the sudden stomach dropping impression Clancy was about to face Hurricane Lucy. He lowered his hand away from the handle and braced himself. Maybe this wasn’t a good time for him to intervene. He had wanted Clancy to get close to her. If he wanted to go to Java Jo’s to grab a coffee, now seemed like a good time, yet he hesitated.
Lucy let out a heavy sigh Clancy’s mic picked up clearly. “Roger knew he was leaving me before he ordered them and made sure my name was on the order. The company’s threatening legal action. Roger said he’d take care of things, but hasn’t.” The street remained quiet except for the two of them. “He used the money for the windows to take Tanji to the Dominican.”
“Lucky guy.” The instant the words slipped past Clancy’s lips, Danny winced. Second later, a small object flew out the window and caught Clancy in the left eye. Danny focused the camera on the second object on the grass. A wireless computer mouse. The temper Roger mentioned had finally surfaced. With good reason.
Lucy gasped. “Oh no. That was so stupid.”
When she disappeared from sight, Danny cringed scared she’d find something heavier. He wanted to warn Clancy to run for his life, but he was probably still seeing shooting stars and wouldn’t be able to reach safety in time anyway.
Lucy ran out of the house with an ice pack, a red bucket and a pair of work gloves. She handed Clancy the ice pack. “Are you okay? I don’t usually hit anything. Roger says I throw like a two year old.”
“Well, you’re two for two today, lady.” Danny chuckled as he snapped more photos and waited for her to tell Clancy what happened to set off her temper tantrum since she was home alone.
“Were you a pitcher as a kid or what?” Clancy asked. “You’ve got brutal aim.”
“Sorry. I hope you’re be okay.” She slipped on the gloves as she turned away from him then stooped to pick glass off her front lawn. “I can’t even send the kids out here to play when they get home or they’ll cut their feet, so will any dogs who come onto the grass.”
“Lucy?” Clancy knelt beside her. “Do your feet hurt?”
She looked down. “Oh, crap.”
Danny grinned and focused the camera on her feet. Blood trickled from a cut on the side of her left foot onto sparkles of glass and dripped onto her beat-up wicker flip-flops.
“You might want to go inside to take care of that.” Clancy helped her to her feet.
Her eyes widened as she stood, a full foot shorter than him. “But the glass—”
“I’ll worry about the glass.” Clancy tugged her gloves off. “I’m wearing steel boots.”
“But your eye—”
“I used to box, I’ve had black eyes before.” He nudged her toward the hous
e. “This isn’t the first or the last, especially if I hang around with you.”
When she opened her mouth again, he pointed to the front door. She sagged then skirted the shards of glass on her way to the house, leaving a thin trail of blood drops.
Clancy held the ice pack to his eye with his left hand as Lucy went inside and closed the door. He turned toward Danny and shrugged, keeping his voice low as he spoke into the mic under his collar. “You might as well go. It looks like we’ll be busy for a while. I’ll find out what happened and take good care of her. She’s a mess.”
Leo would be in hysterics if he saw Clancy picking shattered glass out of the grass with a cold pack clutched over one eye. Danny took one more picture then closed the driver’s window. At least if anyone asked, he could always say she’d decked him. No one but Danny needed to know she threw computer parts at him through a broken window.
Lucy returned wearing gloves and an old pair work boots with no laces. Rumpled and sweaty, she dragged a metal garbage can from the garage and knelt in the grass near the house.
Danny smiled. She looked like he felt after a day of renovating his house.
“So what exactly did your printer do to deserve the economy flight?” Clancy squatted on the sidewalk to pick up shards.
“It jammed while I printed an e-mail from Roger.” She frowned and she looked away. “Pretty symbolic considering I was choked.”
“Ah, so you got mad and threw out the messenger.” He sat back on his heels.
“Roger’s not here for me to shove out the window.” Lucy stared at Clancy and chewed the inside of her cheek. Probably thinking of ways to maim him next. Finally, she let out a long breath and returned her attention to the grass.
With Clancy’s microphone recording every word, Danny called Leo to set up a meeting then went to grab a cup of coffee on his way to his own construction zone. Whatever Roger wrote had upset her enough for her to trash a printer. He hoped Clancy knew enough to stay in her good graces before he needed to pay hospital bills. She was the most violent writer Danny had come up against so far.
He strode into Java Jo’s and ordered a coffee and slab of carrot cake. When he turned to add cream and sugar to his coffee, his step faltered.
Katie sat at a table in the corner with a notebook spread on the table before her. A veil of thick red hair covered one side of her face as she scribbled furiously.
He walked toward her, itching to take her somewhere private and run his hands through her hair and over her curves. As he neared her table, he cleared his throat. “Taking the day off?”
Katie glanced up and smiled. “No, I got tired of listening to people argue so I told Ray he was in charge of the store and left.” She sat back, closing her notebook. “What are you doing here? I thought you were on a case?”
Danny sat across from her. “I got tired of watching Clancy get beat up by a tiny housewife.”
Katie snorted and burst into laughter. “Now this sounds like a story I want to hear. Have a seat.”
“Not here and not now.” He sipped his coffee. “If you’re trying to disappear, why don’t you come with me to the house and we can talk.”
She narrowed her eyes and toyed with her ceramic mug. “Sounds like you’re trying to bribe me to do some work.”
Danny reached for her hand. “Just asking. Bribing would involve me buying you lunch and a romantic dinner later.”
“Make it Thai food and I’m in.” Katie gave his hand a squeeze.
Danny kissed her knuckles. “Sounds great. You want to get a cup of coffee to go?”
“Sure. Thanks.” Her cheeks reddened as she tucked her notebook into her purse.
He bought Katie a coffee and a muffin to go then walked her to the Honda. “I’m glad you agreed to join me. I’ve missed you.”
She flashed a coy smile and nudged him with her shoulder. “Maybe you should buy books more often.”
On the drive out to his house, Katie filled him in on all the latest news from the bookstore. She sucked in a sharp breath when they drove into the yard. “Oh, Danny. I still don’t know what you were thinking. This place looks worse every time I see it.”
Danny parked near the split-rail fence then gazed at the house. He recalled exactly what he’d been thinking. Home. Wife. Kids. Future. “I know, but if I replace the shutters, fix the roof, rebuild the porch and get Nate to redo the trim, it won’t look nearly so bad.”
“That’s a pretty long list.” Katie patted his thigh. “Leaving a candle burning near the ugly orange curtains when you leave tonight might help too.”
“You’d rather I burn the house down rather than fix it up?” His voice raised an octave and his shoulders tensed. Destroying the place was something he’d thought before, just not in detail. “Thanks for your support.”
She kissed him then rested her head on his shoulder. “You know, the shutters would look great painted bright blue.”
“Actually, I was thinking black.”
“Of course, you would. You’re a man. I guess black would work, or a nice deep brown.” She got out and followed him into the house. Her mouth dropped open and eyes widened at the sight of scattered tools, paint cans, and lumber. She sucked in a sharp breath. “So. Where do we start?”
“Where do you think we can make the most progress?” He groaned and stepped over a pile of shredded newspaper and wallpaper. His roommate, the raccoon, was back and had left a few small messes he’d have to tackle first.
“My vote’s still for the candle and curtains.” Katie chuckled.
Danny threw a paintbrush in her direction. “What do you say we work on the livingroom walls? Nate picked up some paint for me yesterday.”
She studied one of the cans and winced. “Miami Spice. Who picked that? It looks like the rust on the Honda.”
“You don’t like it?” He winced.
“I’ll let you know in a second.” She grabbed a screwdriver and opened the can then hesitated. “Wow, I do like it. The color reminds me of the clay pots Hilda uses for her plants. Good pick. Let’s get...”
She was cut off by the rattle of a muffler out in the yard as a big blue box truck rolled to a stop. Nate Diggley hopped out then disappeared around to the back of the truck.
Danny prepped two paint trays. “Thanks, Katie. I really appreciate the help. Things have been a little crazy lately.”
“So you said. How’s Clancy?” Katie dipped a roller into the paint.
Danny lifted his brush to meet the wall. Drops of rust-colored paint dripped onto the tarp below. “He’s still juggling his shop, keeping an eye on his mom’s bakery, helping me keep an eye on Lucy, and taking care of his parents’ house.”
“That’s a lot of stuff on his plate. Do you think he can handle everything?” She frowned. “Is his mom still in the hospital?”
“Yeah. He says she’s getting better and coming home soon, but her tests say otherwise. He and his dad are trying to track down his sister before his mom dies. I don’t think he’s had much luck. She doesn’t seem to want anything to do with the family.”
Danny’s brother-in-law Nate, sweat dripping off his round face and soaking his XXL shirt, strode into the house carrying a big, red tool box. “Got the wood you asked for. Those bookshelves will be done and up by lunch. Hey, Katie, glad to see you out here. Who are we talking about today?”
Danny glanced at Katie. “One of my friends.”
“Clancy. The tattoo guy.” She rolled her eyes. “His mom has cancer.”
“Daisy from the bakery? Wow, that’s tough.” Nate picked up a piece of wood and approached a set of shelves that lay on the floor. “Not easy dealing with a sick parent and a missing sibling. You helping him look for her?”
Danny dipped his roller in the tray. “No, he doesn’t want my help. He wants to find her on his own.”
Leo walked through the front door behind Nate, a scowl on his face. “When you said you wanted to have a board meeting, this isn’t what I pictured.”
�
��Oh, suck it up, princess.” Katie flicked her brush and sent a spray of paint in his direction. “Did that guy you two clowns were waiting for ever show up to pick up his kids?”
“Yeah. It wasn’t pretty.” Danny nodded. “I think his wife might have a broken toe or two kicking her lawnmower. From what I was told, I expected her to get dressed up and go crazy partying. All she’s done since the left is sit in her room at her computer. I feel kind of bad for her.”
They’d be far more interested to hear about her flying printer and the black eye she gave Clancy, but he kept that story to himself. First, he needed to listen to the recordings of what went on between Lucy and Clancy.
“Clancy’s keeping an eye on her today?” Leo kicked aside a board and leaned in the entrance to watch everyone else work.
“He was working on his truck, which may start a war,” Danny said. “She hates hearing him revving the engine and dropping tools. I think he planned to ask her out for coffee later to make nice.”
Nate handed Leo a board and a tape measure then folded his arms across his chest. “Is this lady someone I know?”
“Probably not.” Katie wiped excess paint off her brush. “She’s just someone the guys have under surveillance. She’s new in town, isn’t she?”
“Relatively.” Danny stared at the wall where the fresh rust-colored paint met the washed out purple beneath. A definite improvement. “She’s supposed to be this wild woman who had a bunch of affairs and tore apart her family, but I don’t see it. It feels like we’re missing something.”
Leo sat on a sawhorse. “I hacked her computer last night.”
“You did? How?” Danny raised his eyebrows. “Never mind, I don’t want to know, it’ll probably incriminate both of us. What did you find?”
“She likes video solitaire.” He set aside the board and tape measure.
Danny grimaced. “That’s it? No on-line gambling? No porn?”
Katie groaned. “Those are guy things. A woman would haunt shopping sites, shoes or lingerie. Something they could own.”