by Diane Bator
Christina knew she could never be as good a mom as Daisy was. A fabulous cook, Daisy could sew school costumes for thirty kids without breaking a sweat and had volunteered on so many advisory boards she needed three calendars to keep them all straight. “I’m the screw up daughter who ran away from home when things got tough. I’d just mess things up and my kids would all become psychopaths.”
“From what I hear, she stretched herself a little too thin.” Leo sipped his tea. “Not that I don’t believe in working hard and helping people, but from what Clancy’s told me, your mom never took much time for you guys or herself.”
Christina stared out the window. “She wasn’t home a lot. Even when I needed to sit and talk, I had to catch her at the bakery. She was either at work or off to a school meeting. I don’t want to be that way.”
“Eat your curry.” Leo winked. “It’ll help keep you warm.”
After dinner, he walked her back to her apartment with one arm draped across her shoulders. “Now that was a good meal. My buddy Guarav knows good food.”
“Thank you. That was definitely better than getting take-out.” She yawned and stretched her arms over her head, moving away from his warmth. “I really have to get some sleep though. Saturday’s one of my busiest days. Now that I no longer have anyone to run the counter, it’s even harder.”
“No problem.” Guilt fleeted across his face. “I’m heading back into the city tomorrow to do some more digging. You want me to pass on any messages to Brady?”
“I don’t think so. Anything I need to say to him, I’ll say myself.” She unlocked her door, glad to be home and gave a nervous laugh. “Thanks again. The food was amazing.”
Leo met her gaze and closed the gap between them. “And the company?”
“Interesting.” Why didn’t he just kiss her and get it over with?
“I would’ve said stimulating. Maybe even mesmerizing.” He leaned over and sniffed her hair again. “I love that smell.”
“What smell is that?” She turned, her cheek brushing against his jacket. Her heart raced as she tried to take a step back and ran into the door jamb.
“Cookies. Visions of sugar plums are going to dance through my head all night.” Leo stood so close he could have kissed her. Instead, he backed away and left a cold patch down the length of her body. “Sweet dreams, babe.”
Christina waited until Leo had disappeared down the stairs before she closed the door. All the talk about Brady had made her sad and nostalgic. Despite her heavy eyelids, she pulled out her journal and wrote all about her “date” with Leo right down to watching him walk away.
Part of her wished he’d kissed her goodnight and didn’t have to leave.
Chapter 11
Forget going to bed, Leo was too wound up to sleep. All he could think about was standing so close to Christina he could practically taste the spices on her skin. Instead, he threw his duffle bag into the car and took off for the city in the middle of the night. Thoughts tumbled through his head like kittens wrestling. Images of Christina distracted him from any logical thoughts until he ached to turn around and barge into her apartment. He’d start with asking her for the truth, then...
He stopped at his Newville apartment for a few hours of sleep, then met Shelley at the jail as soon as they were allowed to visit Brady. He regretted being there the instant he set foot in the room. “The World According to Brady” could have been a soap opera. If Leo heard one more whiny comment about prison living conditions or another whimper about needing special soap for his sensitive skin, he’d pop Brady in the nose.
Leo sat on edge of his seat. “I can’t do anything for you, Bro. You’re the one who won’t give a statement. How the hell does Christina put up with you?”
“The same way I put up with her. She’s no angel, you know.” He launched into a monologue of all the wrongs his wife had ever done against him.
Leo nodded his head toward Shelley and motioned her out of the room. Once they stood outside in the hallway with the door buffering Brady’s rant, he moaned. “What the hell was I thinking?”
She smiled. “You’re the one who wanted to be a hero and help me clear him.”
“I remember.” He thumped his fist on the wall. “If it wasn’t for Christina, I’d let the self-centered jerk rot in here, guilty or not.”
“Uh-huh, I knew it.” Shelley folded her arms across her chest. “Are you sure there’s not more too this than you’re telling me?”
Leo tightened his jaw. “What are you trying to say?”
“What I mean is, I understand you took this on as a good-will gesture even though you just met Christina a few days ago. You never even met Brady until the other day.”
“And I already don’t like him.”
“Yes, you do.” Shelley smirked. “While you may not be his biggest fan, there’s a reason you keep interrogating him to tears. I’m not sure if you want him to be innocent, but you sure as hell don’t want him to be guilty.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.” Leo stared down the hallway, avoiding her gaze.
Shelley stood on her tip toes took his chin in her hand, and forced him to look her in the eye. “Are you sleeping with his wife?”
A jolt went through his stomach. “What? Are you nuts?”
“Honey, I’m his lawyer I get paid to be here. What’s your excuse?” she asked. “I majored in psychology before I went into law. The way you talk about her, the way you study her pictures, your behavior tells me you think very highly of her.” She paused. “Maybe you’re even in love with her.”
“I’m doing this for her brother. You’re reading too much into things.” Although Leo couldn’t argue with her logic, he could deny Shelley’s accusations all he wanted. She’d still win. He was glad there were no mirrors in the hallway, he’d probably break one to keep from seeing the guilt smeared across his face. “I want justice to be served so everyone can live happily ever after.”
“Liar.” She raised her eyebrows. “I don’t know what you’ve heard, but unless we catch the real killer, that’s not going to happen.”
Leo scowled. “It will if I have to drag the whole story out of Brady by his hairy ankles. He and Christina have a lot of unfinished business.”
Shelley rested a hand on the doorknob. “Seems to me all their business was taken care of the day he left her for another man.”
“You mean the man he supposedly killed?”
She snorted, then they walked back into the interrogation room in silence.
Brady droned on like they’d never left. Once they’d settled in their chairs and Shelley resumed taking notes, Brady suddenly stopped talking and looked smug. “Do you thinks she’s sexy?”
“Who?” Leo leaned back in his seat.
“Rose. Christina. Whatever she wants to be called this week.” Brady smirked. “You know I could get an annulment because she used an alias when we got married.”
He scowled. “She didn’t use an alias, she used her middle name, which she happens to like better. Don’t tell me you married someone without checking their I.D. first.”
Brady’s face reddened. “That’s not funny.”
“It wasn’t meant to be funny.”
“You never answered my question.” He flared his nostrils. “Do you think she’s sexy?”
“I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t.” Leo chuckled. “Why would I answer?”
He folded his arms across his chest. “I just want to know if you’re doing this for me or for my wife.”
“Her.”
Brady smiled a Cheshire Cat grin that gave Leo goosebumps. “Do you really think getting me out of jail will get you in her good graces? Or are you trying to crawl into her bed?”
Leo’s jaw tensed. “She’s a friend. This has nothing to do with perks.”
He let out a deep, throaty laugh. “So, what’s in this for you, then? Good karma? I already know Shelley’s not paying you.”
His lawyer’s face broke into red blotches an
d she shuffled her papers.
Rather than leave the room, Leo sat back and rested his boots on the table. “I’m not sure where this attitude came from. As far as I know, I’m the only person trying to get your sorry ass out of here. You might want to kiss my size elevens rather than spit on them.”
Brady shrank into his chair. “I don’t owe you anything.”
“No, but you will.” Leo stared him down. “Considering my history versus yours, I’m the last person you’d ever want as an enemy.”
“Did you hear that?” His gaze darted toward Shelley. “He threatened me. I want him barred from the interview room.”
Leo ached to mock him, but took the high road. “If that’s what you really want, I’ll leave. You can stay in jail and rot. I’m sure you’ll have a lot of real close friends by the time you get out of here. What’s the going rate for first-degree murder these days?”
“Alright, enough.” Brady slammed his palms on the table and jumped out of his chair. “I don’t care what you do with Rose, just get me out of here.”
“Then tell me who else was in that apartment with you the night you shot Gage,” Leo said.
On the opposite side of the table, Brady paced the room. “No one.”
Leo clenched his jaw. “Who else was in that apartment?”
“No one.” He panted like he’d just run a marathon.
Shelley rolled her eyes. “Stop being so damned stubborn. We’re both trying to help you. Why don’t you sit down and help us out?”
Leo cracked his knuckles and cradled the back of his head. “Relax. He’s the one looking at twenty-five to life, not us. We’ve got all the time in the world.”
Brady’s face darkened from red to purple. “Angel and Jakova, two of the girls from Marty’s club. They left when I got there.”
Shelley leaned forward. “Did they leave for good or did they come back at some point?”
“They left. I think.” He sat and dropped his head into his hands. “I don’t know. At first I thought it was just me and Gage there, but maybe I was wrong. I thought I heard a noise at the door then...”
Her gaze met Leo’s before she turned back to Brady. “Did you tell the police that?”
Brady let out a long, loud breath. “I don’t know what I told the police. I couldn’t think straight from the drugs.”
“Drugs you took or drugs someone gave you?” Leo dropped his feet to the floor.
“Both.”
Shelley pulled a sheet of paper from a folder. “They did blood work at the hospital. Here’s a list of the drugs they found in his system.”
“Sounds like a fun party.” Leo mused. “Twenty-five to life doesn’t sound worth it.”
Brady slumped into his chair. “Just catch whoever did this. I want out of here. Forget the people at school. You might want to talk to some of the girls she works with.”
Leo narrowed his eyes. “At the bakery? I hate to break it to you, but she works alone.”
“Not at the bakery, although I’m sure her family has a zillion questions.” Brady sat back in his chair. “She never talks about them to me and, since I’ve never met them, I’m sure they don’t know about me either.”
“Fair enough.” He exchanged glances with Shelley. “So where does she work when she’s in Newville?”
Brady smiled. “A little club on Knight and Seagull called Rascalz. You know it?”
Leo froze and his stomach sank. Rascalz was a strip club formerly owned by one of his father’s brothers. An uncle who played a major role in a part of Leo’s life he’d rather forget about. Christina working there explained the costumes he and Shelley had found in Brady’s apartment. “Unfortunately, I do. What does she do there?”
“Peels her clothes off for men who go home and wish their wives looked like her.” Brady wiggled his eyebrows.
Shelley’s mouth dropped open. “Your wife’s a stripper?”
Leo flared his nostrils, positive Christina would never stoop that low unless someone dragged her down and tied her to a rock. “Why?”
“The money’s good and gets us what we need to survive. Rose gets to play dress up and have all the attention she wants.” Brady shrugged and picked at a cuticle. “My buddy Marty Upshaw owns the place and helps us make connections. He takes good care of her and makes sure she doesn’t get ripped off or attacked.”
Leo clenched his fists and vibrated in his seat. “Will Marty vouch for you?”
“Marty, Jakova, Angel, they all know me and Christina. We party together and the girls all model and get the odd acting gig. Most of them like photographers better than painters, but, hey, it’s whoever’s willing to pay the big bucks, right?”
Leo didn’t like the change that came over Brady since they’d left the room and had half a mind to search him for drugs. “Is that how Christina met Gage?”
Brady’s smile twisted. “You’ll have to ask her that. I wasn’t there when they met.”
Shelley gritted her teeth and touched Leo’s arm. “Can I speak to you in private again?”
“Gladly.” He pushed his chair back, fighting the urge to throw Brady through a wall.
“For some reason, my throat’s really dry. Could be all this talking I’m doing while I cooperate.” Brady rocked his chair on two legs. “Bring me a soda when you come back.”
“Don’t count on it.” Leo stood, then leaned on the table and glared.
Shelley grabbed the back of Leo’s shirt, dragged him out of the room, and shut the door behind her. “I don’t know his wife and I already don’t like her.”
“Christina’s not the problem. I don’t think she’d work in a strip club by choice. Not when she’s working at her family’s bakery under a false sense of guilt.” Leo flared his nostrils and let his frustrations fly. “Imagine the notions Brady could put into her head. He’s all about the money, forget morals and pride and trying to make ends meet. We’re trying to help this guy and he keeps giving us a dozen more reasons to want to strangle him. Frankly, I think Christina would be far better off if the jerk was locked away for life. Guilty or not.”
Shelley paled. “Is he a danger to her?”
“Physically? I’m not sure. Mentally, I think he’s got her convinced she’s not worth much. They supposedly got married because they both got dumped in Vegas. She says they started drinking and woke up in a honeymoon suite with rings on their fingers.”
She raised her over-plucked eyebrows. “You don’t buy that?”
Leo shook his head. “I think it was Brady’s way of eliminating the competition. If she was going to school, working nights, and married, she wouldn’t be a hot commodity anymore and he’d get the modeling jobs with Gage.”
Shelley made a face. “So he married her to get more modeling jobs? That’s insane. Have you seen him? The guy couldn’t get a job modeling clay.”
He leaned against the wall and jammed his hands in his front pockets. “Have you seen his full portfolio?”
“Yeah. I wonder what went wrong?”
Leo shrugged. “Drugs, according to Christina. I’ve got a few more questions for the dough boy before I go.” When he sat across the table once more, Leo met Brady’s arrogance. “Do you love Christina?”
Shelley sat down and took notes.
Brady’s head bobbed back and he frowned. “What kind of question’s that? I married her, didn’t I?”
Leo placed his palms on the table and refused to let up. “Do you love your wife?”
“She’s my best friend. My soul sister.” He shrugged. “I guess in one way, I do love her. She’s the only person who never gave up on me when I came out.”
“So, you rewarded her loyalty by marrying her then having affairs because she’s not a gay man.” Leo sat back and folded his arms across her chest.
Brady’s face reddened. “It’s an open marriage. She’s had her share of men too.”
Leo nodded. “So you have a marriage of convenience. When you need her, she’s there so she can’t be with anyone els
e.”
His nostrils flared and he leaned over the table. “Did she even tell you why we got married in the first place?”
Leo’s heart raced and he stared, not indicating either way if he did.
“We went to Vegas and got dumped by our boyfriends. The two guys we’d gone with hooked up and took off together for the rest of the trip. Christina was convinced she’d never find a good man. We drank cheap champagne and compared dating horror stories then...” Brady wiped a tear from his eye Leo doubted had even existed. “I remember that night vividly. I convinced her the kind of love we had was better than no love at all and she agreed.”
Leo already knew the rest. Brady and Christina got married in a little chapel by an Elvis impersonator, then went home without telling anyone they got hitched. “Is that what she wanted?”
“She said she did.” Brady smirked. “We’ve been married for two years and she’s never asked for a divorce. That says something, doesn’t it?”
“It doesn’t mean she’s happy.” He frowned. “Just afraid to be alone.”
“We have an open marriage.” Brady sat back and folded his arms across his chest. “If you want to have a go at her, go right ahead.”
“That doesn’t sound like a man who loves his wife, or one who treasures his best friend.” Leo flared his nostrils and narrowed his eyes. “Tell me, how often do you go around the bar and offer her to anyone who’ll pay for her?”
Brady ran his hands through his hair and growled. “You’re not married, are you? What makes you such an expert on the way things should be? You have no idea how hard it is to make a relationship like ours work. To get past the thought of your wife sleeping with other men.”
“Yeah, especially while you’re sleeping with the same men.” Leo’s entire body vibrated as he fought the urge to leap across the table and beat Brady into the floor. “You’re right. I don’t. No wife of mine would have to hear about me taking a lover, let alone killing one. Nor would she have to sleep with other men just to pay my bills.”
When Brady looked to Shelley for backup, she shook her head and shrugged. “Sorry, hon. I’m siding with Leo on this one and so would any jury. If you think they’ll let you off with that sob story, you’ve got another thing coming. We need to make you look like you’re not a cold-hearted knucklehead or they’re gonna fry you on principle.”