by Diane Bator
The next morning, seven red and white candy canes hung on the tree each tied with a silver ribbon and a small white tag. Christina read them all. Peace, love, harmony, family, faith, calm, and humor. She fingered the humor tag and let out a sigh. With all that was going on in her life, it was funny how such a silly thing as an ornament on a tree made her entire day brighter—even if only for a few minutes.
She caught a tiny glass angel on the tip of one branch between her fingertips. She had no idea where the angel came from. No one had given it to her, nor had it been part of the mysterious twelve days of Christmas ornaments, yet it was her favorite ornament to date and reminded her of her mom.
These Christmas gifts had nothing to do with commercialism. Someone was thinking about her and doing things to make her smile. Her eyes welled with tears. Clancy had no such notions. He hated her. He had to. All of the secrets she’d kept from him had snowballed until he was probably ready to disown her.
Leo was the only person who’d stood beside her. In fact, he was like a little dog constantly seeking her approval and getting kicked to the curb.
She was married to Brady, a murderer. Did that make her an accessory even though she was miles away? She should go back to Newville and deal with her messed up life. Take whatever punishment she’d earned for her indiscretions. Leo deserved better than her and Brady wasn’t likely to let her go without a fight anyway. She was his life preserver.
The floor boards creaked behind her and the faint scent of soap and oranges surrounded her. She smiled, despite the tear that rolled down her cheek. “She would’ve loved this tree, you know. The tree the decorations, the gingerbread houses, no matter how awful they look.”
Leo’s hands rested on her shoulders as if to steady and comfort her. “I’m sure you would’ve done the same if she was still here.”
“Me? No, not this year.”
He stood close, warming her back with his body heat. “Why not this year?”
“Brady’s in jail and Gage is dead.” She sniffled. “My life is a disaster. If I wasn’t here, I would’ve self-destructed by now. What would there be to celebrate?”
“But you are here. And you have Clancy.”
Christina managed a laugh. “That’s like having a sheep dog. He’s lovable, but you have to watch out for the breakables and the puddles.”
Leo leaned his chin on the top of her head. “Are you breakable?”
She stared at the tiny angel and pondered his question. “I’m starting to think so.”
“You have me,” he whispered.
“Do I?” She turned to face him, fitting neatly into his arms as though she belonged there. “You’re even more of a gypsy than I am, Leo Blue. Even if Brady does give me a divorce, I don’t know that you’d be here to stand beside me.” She hesitated. “To be honest, I don’t know that I’d want you here right now.”
Hurt flickered through his eyes, but didn’t register on his face. “Then I guess we both have the same problem.”
“You don’t think I’d stay for you or you don’t want me to stay?”
“Exactly.” Leo leaned down and kissed her until her feet seemed to leave the ground and follow her heart into the starry sky. “I’m going back to Newville this morning. I’m not sure when I’ll be back. I need to talk to a few people.”
Christina forced a smile. “You’re really trying to prove Brady’s innocent, aren’t you?”
“I’ll see you when I get back.” He kissed her nose then left through the kitchen door.
She ran after him into the snow-covered alley, still in her cargo pants, tank top, and running shoes. “Leo wait. I don’t want you to go.”
“No?” He turned around, but didn’t move closer. “Then who do you want me to be: Leo, Brady, or Gage?”
Tears stung her eyes. “That’s not fair.”
“Isn’t it?” he asked. “If you want me back, you need to let go of both of them, and I get the feeling you’re not ready to do that yet.”
Her jaw dropped. She stormed back into the bakery and slammed the door. Who did he think he was? She thought he was her friend, her lover, her... But he wasn’t. He was Clancy’s friend who was nice to her for some unexplainable reason. He was also the man trying to get her husband out of jail. Nothing more.
The backdoor opened and Leo came inside. “You okay?”
“I thought you were going.” She wiped away a tear. “You’d better just leave.”
He hesitated. “Clancy loves you. He wants to know you have a good life and that you’re safe.”
She flared her nostrils. “So what did you tell him?”
“Everything I’ve found out. I’m sure he’ll have a few questions for you.”
That was a huge understatement. Clancy would go nuts then interrogate her until she broke into pieces and cried. She sagged onto a stool. “Great. So are you telling me I have time to leave town?”
“No, I’m telling you so you have time to figure out how to explain to your brother why you became a stripper and gave up your art. Those paintings you did were amazing. Gage planned to sell them as his own and you didn’t even bat an eye, did you?”
Christina’s entire body heated to the point of boiling. “That’s none of his business or yours. Why don’t both of you just butt out?”
“Clancy loves you. He won’t let this drop until he gets answers.”
“And you?”
Leo smirked. “This from a woman who didn’t want me to leave five minutes ago. Suddenly, I’m on your hit list. What is it you don’t want anyone to know?”
Her jaw tightened.
“I’ve talked to everyone in town who remembers who you were before you left. They all loved the sassy little girl with pigtails who skateboarded up Main Street, climbed trees in the park, and baked with her mom on weekends.” He leaned against the back door and looked her in the eye. “They’re also glad to have you back and want to know what happened to that free-spirited little girl.”
Christina averted her gaze. “She got out into the real world and didn’t know how to cope School was the safest place to be, but even that sucked the life out of her.”
“And the strip club?”
She covered her face with both hands and squeezed her eyes shut. “Brady’s idea. At first, he said he wanted me to do more modeling for his artist friends and decided I needed to be less self-conscious about my body. Since he was friends with the owner of the club, he made a deal that I’d work for tips and gain experience. He thought it was better than waiting tables.”
“Was it?” Leo studied her, still standing across the room.
“It was degrading and I hated it. I went home every night to shower, but could never get the stench off my body.” She bowed her head. “But I made good tips and people appreciated me.”
“The same way people here appreciate you?” Tears dripped onto her apron. “I think you should go now.”
Leo placed his hands on her shoulders. “Look, babe, we all have to make tough decisions, that part never ends. I know you only did it to pay off Brady’s debts. He put you in a bad place. Sometimes we have to turn our backs on what’s not working and find something better.”
“Like you?” She wiped her face with the back of one hand. “What kind of choices have you had to make? Have you ever had to choose between your pride and doing something you’d regret later?”
He jammed his hands in his jacket pockets. His expression hardened like the concrete wall behind him. “I grew up with a drug addicted mother and a dad who beat me. I was twelve when I started to fight back. Thirteen when I worked in a gym in exchange for boxing lessons. A fifth degree black belt took me under his wing and taught me how to defend myself. I enlisted in the army on my eighteenth birthday and was a career soldier until I drove over a roadside bomb that killed everyone else in my vehicle to smithereens.” He paused. “I’m the only one who survived.”
Christina covered her mouth, her eyes wide and filled with tears.
His eyes w
ere hard, cold steel. “I nearly died that day and every day after. Danny came to my rescue. He needed a detective, and I needed a reason to live. Since I’ve been a fighter my entire life, I went back to doing what I know. I fight for what’s right. That’s all I know how to do.”
“I’m sorry.” Her words were automatic, but she didn’t know what else to say.
He closed his eyes for a heartbeat then met her gaze. “You need to fight, Christina. You need to find that little girl who loved life and had so much passion and talent. You need to let her live again so other people can love you.”
“What about you?” She blinked back her tears. “Did you ever find the little boy in you or are you being a hypocrite?”
“That little boy hasn’t existed since I was three and my uncle raped me. The same uncle I went to work for when I was sixteen.” He turned away. “At least you still have a fighting chance.” With that, he opened the door and left, a skiff of snow covering his wet boot print so it looked like he’d never been there at all.
Christina stared at the exit, numb to the cold. Leo didn’t have to bare his soul to her, but he had. He also didn’t have to tell her about his past, the ruins of his life.
She sucked in a sharp breath and turned toward the mixer, her motions mechanical. She had a long day ahead and the onslaught of tears that flowed down her face wouldn’t make her job any easier. Rather than fight her emotions, Christina sat and unleashed the backlog of tears she’d stored.
Chapter 19
Leo cranked the radio to drown out the thoughts that catapulted through his head. He had a long list of people he wanted to talk to, including some of Christina’s professors who knew both her and Gage. Despite his persistence, they all claimed to know nothing. By late afternoon, he was ready to give up and head to the airport. Brady could solve his own case. Leo was heading for Tibet.
One of the teaching assistants handed Leo a note on his way out the door. “Rascalz Club. See Jakova.” Yet again, Jakova’s name came up. Leo ran back into the building, but the assistant was long gone. Hiding somewhere just in case he returned.
Frustrated, he headed for Rascalz.
“Oh, hey.” Angel sashayed over to him, her feathered wings waving from side to side as she blew him a kiss. “What brings you back here? I didn’t think I’d see you again so soon.”
“Yeah, well, I’m still doing some digging around into Gage’s murder and had a few more questions.” He scanned the crowd, his hands deep in his jacket pockets. “Is Jakova here?”
Her face seemed to pale beneath her stage makeup. “Oh. I think she’s done for the day and was heading out with friends. Is there anything I can do?”
He shrugged. “Not really. If you have her address, it would save me some trouble.”
“I might know where she lives.” Angel’s nostrils flared and she licked her lips. “But it’ll cost you.”
Leo took a fifty out of his pocket and waved it in front of her. “Write it down.”
She grabbed a cocktail napkin and a pen from a server. As she wrote, Leo memorized the address just in case she reneged on their deal. “Ok, lover boy. I’ll give you what you want, if you give me what I want.”
“And what do you want?” He feigned innocence.
“I keep all my cash close to my heart.” Angel pulled the front of her top out with one finger. When Leo held out the fifty, Angel stared him down until he tucked the bill into the top of her dress. She grabbed his hand and leaned against him. “Be careful, Leo, she bites.”
Leo knocked on the door, surprised Angel had given him the correct address, which made him wonder just how friendly the two women were. At work, they seemed to be enemies. Was there something that drew them together?
“What do you want?” Jakova opened the door and groaned. She wore nothing but a lacy black bra and a short, spandex skirt. “I just got home from work and I’m late getting to a party.”
“I just need a couple minutes.” Leo tried not to stare as she pulled a slinky, black mini dress over her head and smoothed the fabric over her curves. “I saw Brady earlier and have a couple more questions.”
Jakova arranged her chest in the dress, making sure his gaze was on her. “I hope you told Rose that Marty’s getting mad she still hasn’t shown up for work. He’s had to hire two girls to replace her. At least he doesn’t have to worry about Brady hanging around anymore.”
Leo stepped back while she primped. Why would she lie about Marty getting mad at Rose? “You were one of Gage’s model’s, weren’t you?”
“Who wasn’t?” She grimaced, but her face paled as she sauntered into the tiny bathroom. “Gage loved to paint. He also loved models. The prettier you were, the more he’d use you. If he didn’t like you, he’d mess with you.”
“Mess with you how?”
Jakova shrugged. “Drugs. Booze. Make you hang out and sleep with all his dumb friends who only hung around with him because he had potential and they didn’t.”
All the things he’d apparently done to Brady. Gage hadn’t loved Brady, he’d humiliated him and, in the end, blacklisted him with the other artists.
“I’m not surprised Brady killed him. Gage badmouthed him all over town and made sure no one would hire him as a model. He even lavished Brady with food. I can’t believe how much weight he packed on in such a short time. It made him far less attractive, since being Rubenesque is not a trendy thing.”
“Rubenesque?”
“Gage called Brady fluffy. I called him fat.” Jakova licked her lips. “Either way, he wasn’t nearly as hot as you. Are you sure you don’t want to come to a party? You look like you need to cut loose for a while.”
“I’m good.” Leo backed away from the bathroom, not willing to turn his back on her. “Were you at Gage’s apartment the night he was shot?”
“Nope, but I did stop by on my way to work to drop off his key. I was done with him for good and couldn’t wait to be rid of the slime ball.” She raised her tight skirt another inch and sauntered toward him. “I thought Brady was caught red-handed and the police had their man.”
“Kind of.” He backed away toward the door. “Enjoy the party.”
Jakova lunged to block his path. “Wait. I’m sorry, I guess I should take this more seriously, but... Gage treated me...treated everyone like crap. It was inevitable someone would kill him sooner or later. To be honest, I was surprised Brady even tried. He was always such a pussy.”
Leo gave a slow nod. “So if Brady didn’t kill Gage, who do you think did?”
“Since Rose was out of town? I’d say Marty. He had the most to lose if Gage started talking.”
The hairs on the back of Leo’s neck stood up. “Why do you say that?”
Jakova smirked. “Are you kidding? Gage didn’t only steal Brady, he stole Rose. He wanted her to quit dancing for Marty and be his muse full time. God, you should’ve seen the look on Angel’s face when she heard that. She was so jealous, she yelled at Gage for getting her hooked into his crazy lifestyle, then tossing her aside like a dish rag.”
“Were you there?” He tilted his head.
“She was already there screaming at Gage when I stopped by.” Jakova trailed a finger down Leo’s chest. “Angel told him to stay away from Rose before he ruined Rose like he’d ruined her. Brady came through the door just as I managed to drag Angel out.”
“Like he’d ruined her? What did she mean by that?” Leo pried her hands off his wallet.
“Didn’t you notice? Marty told me you used to work at Rascalz. You should know better than anyone.” Jakova smiled. “Angel’s an addict. She’s got more tracks than a train yard.”
Leo’s next stop was Shelley’s office. “You got a minute?”
Shelley poured over a thick folder, her hair disheveled and her eyes red-rimmed from lack of sleep. She snorted. “It’s about damn time you put in an appearance. I thought you were going to help me out, not go to a titty bar then disappear for a day or two at a time.”
He stuck his h
ands in his coat pockets. “I need to see Brady.”
“Yeah, well, I need to put a smoking gun in someone else’s hands.” She blew out a breath that made her lips flutter. “All these video surveillance films, all the interviews, all the character witnesses and... I’m stumped. Everybody wanted to be around this guy and be just like him, but nobody really liked him.”
Leo sat across from her. “I’m down to three main suspects, if that helps.”
Shelley’s penciled-in eyebrows rose. “Are you sure?”
“Three people Christina worked with at Rascalz. They all had reason to hate Gage and aall had reasons to want Christina out of the way. I think at least one of them had hoped to put Christina behind bars, not Brady.”
She nodded. “So was he a mistake or a bonus?”
“That depends on who you ask. Jakova’s more than happy to be rid of both Brady and Christina. Marty’s a bit miffed he won’t get his money back any time soon. Angel...” Leo frowned. “I’m not sure about what her motive would be. She hasn’t admitted to caring one way or the other, but something about her keeps me on edge.”
“Like what?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “The fact she was supposedly Christina’s best friend, yet she hasn’t called since Christina left Newville. She’s also a junkie, according to Jakova.”
“Do you think Angel wanted to frame Christina, but had to settle for Brady?”
“That’s what I want to talk to Brady about.”
Chapter 20
The phone rang, jarring Christina out of a restless sleep. She stared at the screen and frowned. Leo Blue was the last person she wanted to talk to at one in the morning, yet the only person she wanted to talk to. Lately, her life made no sense at all and her stomach churned as she answered.
“Are you asleep?” Leo asked.
“I was.”
He chuckled. “You should turn your phone off at night, you know.”
Christina let out a deep sigh. “Thanks for the advice. What do you want?”
“Marty Upshaw says hi.”