Winner Cake All

by Denise Swanson

  “Shoot!” Dani buried her face in her hands. “So we’re suspects?”

  “More like persons of interest right now.” Spencer stroked Dani’s back.

  “How about the people who were already under the tent?” Dan demanded. “They had the same opportunity to kill her as we did.”

  “True.” Spencer nodded. “But we’re more suspicious because we entered a dangerous situation with no good reason. Police do not trust altruism as a motive.”

  “Great.” Dani would still have helped rescue people, but it really was true that no good deed went unpunished.

  “The cops will get around to the guests who were already under the tent once they confirm it was a murder and start looking for a someone who wanted Yvette dead.”

  “You mean like an ex-husband who was taken to the cleaners financially in the divorce?” Dani tensed. “Or like someone dating that ex-husband?”

  “Don’t worry.” Spencer hugged Dani. “Christensen won’t suspect you. He knows you have no reason to kill my ex. Why would you be jealous when she was marrying someone else? And you were catering her party, which suggests that you didn’t have any negative feelings toward her.”

  “How about you?” Dani shuddered. “You and Gray aren’t exactly pals.”

  “No. But he’s an honest cop and I have nothing to gain from Yvi’s death. Her dying won’t get me my money back, and I’ve never made threats, so I should be fine.” Spencer blew out a breath. “Although, I do need to tell him first thing in the morning that she was my ex.”

  “Before he finds out on his own and wonders why you hid it from him.”

  “Exactly.” Spencer rose from the love seat and helped Dani to her feet. “Now we’d better get downstairs because I think I smell smoke.”

  Chapter 10

  The fish was crispy instead of soft and the pasta was a tad over al dente, but the eight of them were so hungry they shoveled the food in their mouths with no complaints. Not even Dani’s usually picky palate protested as she cleaned her plate.

  She was happy that the girls hadn’t needed to do anything to the desserts except put them on a tray and set them in the center of the table. At least that part of the meal would be delicious and not just filling.

  When every scrap of the entrées was gone, the eight of them sat around with their dirty dishes pushed to the side and sipped coffee. Everyone seemed to be in a food coma and Dani was wishing they’d all leave so she could go to bed.

  Unfortunately, as Ivy ate her second, okay, fifth bombolone, the sugar and caffeine roused her from her stupor, and when Spencer put down his cup, she speared him with a sharp look and said, “Although I’m positive you’d love to get Dani alone for some sexy times, my guess is that you followed her upstairs for a less fun reason.”

  Spencer and Dani were seated side by side and exchanged glances, then they both shrugged. It wasn’t as if Yvette’s cause of death would be a secret for long. It would probably be all over the internet as soon as the autopsy was completed and the medical examiners’ results were filed.

  “There’s a good chance that the woman who hired Chef-to-Go to cater her party was murdered.” Unwilling to caffeinate at this time of night, Dani had opted for tea and she dunked the bag of Black Cherry Berry repeatedly into her cup of hot water.

  “How?”

  “Why?”

  “Seriously?”

  A chorus of rising voices questioned Dani’s statement and Spencer finally put his fingers into his mouth and whistled. Dani put her hands over her ears and glared at him, but he just shrugged unapologetically.

  When everyone quieted down, Spencer outlined his suspicions and told them how he’d come to his conclusions. He held back a few choice tidbits of information, the ones about why he and Dani might end up as prime suspects, and stuck to a bare-bones explanation of the facts as he saw them.

  Robert grinned, then leaned across Dani and thwacked Spencer’s shoulder with the back of his hand. “You used AG’s app, didn’t you?”

  “I did.” Spencer gave Robert a fist bump. “I’ll have to let her know how well it worked and thank her for providing it to us.”

  “She’ll be stoked.” Robert beamed and added, “Especially if you end up recommending it to other U.S. law enforcement agencies.”

  Despite Spencer’s earlier assurances, Dani studied Robert as she sipped her tea. Was he the employee dating this AG person? And if so, was Starr aware of that relationship? Maybe that’s why he stood her up.

  No. There was no reason that Spencer would lie to her about his staff’s love life. And Robert seemed devoted to Starr.

  “So why all the need to talk to your girlfriend in private?” Tippi’s deceptively sweet voice broke into Dani’s thoughts. “It’s not as if that woman’s cause of death will be a big secret for very long. At least not once the autopsy is done.”

  It wasn’t surprising that out of all of them, Tippi was the one to figure that out first. Her mother was a judge and Tippi was studying to become a lawyer. She’d grown up seeing how criminal investigations and cases worked and was fully aware what the police could and couldn’t keep confidential.

  “I wasn’t sure it was appropriate to share my conjectures with too many people until the police released the news,” Spencer hedged, then popped an entire Baileys Irish Cream–filled bombolone in his mouth.

  Dani could tell he didn’t want to talk about Yvette being his ex, but she doubted the girls or guys would let him get away with dodging the issue. She nibbled on a bombolone stuffed with matcha custard as she waited to see who would be the first to try to wheedle more info from him.

  Although he’d been quiet throughout the discussion, Caleb had obviously been listening intently to what everyone had said because he was the one to ask, “What changed your mind?”

  Caleb was a true Texas gentleman. His Stetson was never far from his reach and his boots were always polished. His skin was ruddy, as if he’d been out riding the range, and his jaw was square.

  “Yeah.” Laz had also been silent, but now he slowly finished his pumpkin-cream-filled bombolone, then licked his fingers and said thoughtfully, “If your real intention had been to wait for the police’s conclusions, you wouldn’t have told us so easily.”

  Dani hid her smile. Spencer should have realized that their young friends were all too smart to be satisfied with a partial truth. Who would prod him for more information next?

  When Spencer didn’t respond to either Caleb’s or Laz’s questions, Ivy narrowed her eyes. Dani had a good idea of what was coming. She should have realized that, as Spencer’s niece, Ivy would have recognized Yvette as his ex-wife. She may not have encountered the bride-to-be before the event started, but Ivy probably got a good look at her as she served the appetizers.

  Dani was a little surprised that Spencer hadn’t thought of that and said something to Ivy before the engagement party. No matter how short the marriage, surely his niece would have at least seen pictures of the woman he married, if she didn’t meet her in person.

  Dani squeezed Spencer’s leg in warning. He flicked a questioning glance at her and she jerked her chin in Ivy’s direction. His niece ate the last bite of her bombolone with a smug expression, then lifted her brows as if to say your move.

  Comprehension dawned in his eyes just as Ivy crossed her arms and smirked. “You know that I know the real reason, so spill it.”

  A stubborn look settled on Spencer’s handsome face and he shook his head. Dani reacted by pinching his thigh harder. Surely he realized the benefit of being the one to tell the story?

  He gave her an annoyed scowl, then defiantly put another bombolone in his mouth. His entire focus appeared to be on chewing.

  “Dude,” Ivy snorted. “Don’t make me share with the class. You know it’ll come out. There’s no way to hide any skeletons in your closet with the internet around. You are th
e one with the superagent app that lets you spy on all students in your kingdom.”

  “Fine,” Spencer mumbled, then swallowed and blew out a long, irritated breath. “But you all need to keep quiet about this for the next twenty-four hours so I have time to talk to the police. Which is why I was trying to keep it quiet.” He glared at Ivy. “I forgot that there was a spy here who would be willing to sell me out.”

  “Oops.” Ivy covered her mouth with her hand, then leveled a threatening stare at all of her friends. “If anyone blabs, you’ll answer to me.”

  “Me too.” Dani crossed her arms and met each of the guys’ gazes. “No more free food for anyone who snitches.” She turned and gazed on Tippi and Starr. “And if either of you let it slip, you’ll be assigned to baby shower duty on a permanent basis.”

  None of them liked serving at baby showers. The high-pitched screams and oohing and ahhing over diaper disposal machines, not to mention the embarrassing games like pin the sperm on the uterus, made the girls do almost anything to get out of working them.

  When everyone had promised their silence, Spencer said, “Dani’s client, Yvette Joubert, was my ex-wife. We were married for less than a month, but the divorce proceedings took years.”

  Dani studied the various expressions around the table. Tippi and Starr exchanged troubled looks while Robert’s swarthy skin paled.

  With the exception of Starr and Ivy, the others were all either pre-law or in law school, but Robert’s mother was the Normalton Police Chief and his father was a colonel in the army. While the rest had an idea of Spencer’s problematic position as Yvette’s ex, Robert doubtlessly had firsthand knowledge that his boss might be in big trouble when Spencer’s relationship with the victim was revealed.

  No one had much to say after Spencer’s disclosure, and once the kitchen had been cleaned and the dishes washed and put away, the guys headed to their cars. And after their boyfriends were gone, the girls said their good-nights and went upstairs.

  Spencer was the last to leave, and as he and Dani stood at the door, he took her in his arms and gave her a lingering kiss. The satiny feel of his lips moving over hers was intoxicating, but even that couldn’t stop Dani from yawning. She was beat.

  With a resigned chuckle, Spencer brushed his mouth against hers one more time, then turned to go.

  Placing a hand on his back, Dani stopped him and said, “Call me after you talk to Gray.”

  Spencer turned and, although his smile seemed a little forced, he brought two fingers to his forehead in a mock salute and said, “Will do.”

  Dani kissed his cheek. “Just don’t forget that I’ll be waiting to hear how he takes the news.”

  “It’ll be fine.” Spencer gave her a hug.

  She squeezed him back, then gently shoved him out the door. Once she was sure the mansion was locked up tight, Dani trudged up the three flights of stairs to bed. She loved having a floor all to herself, but when she was this exhausted, she sure wished that it wasn’t the top one.

  Chapter 11

  Spencer was halfway home when he realized that he should be with Dani when Christensen came by the next day to talk to her. No way was he allowing her to be interviewed alone for a second time. Spencer knew exactly the kind of tricks the detective might use to make her blurt out something she didn’t want to say.

  Without considering that she might have already gone to bed, Spencer swung his truck around and returned to the mansion. He’d only been gone a little while, but it was clear by how long it took her to answer the doorbell that she’d been upstairs. He could see the exhaustion etched into her pretty face and he felt guilty for dragging her all the way down from the third floor.

  He should have just texted or called her. And he probably would have chosen that option, but after everything they’d been through, he really needed one more kiss to assure himself that she was safe and sound.

  For an instant, when Dani had disappeared under the collapsed tent, Spencer thought his heart had stopped. He couldn’t even call for her to come back because when his heart started beating again, it jumped into his throat, choking off any words he might have tried to utter.

  In the few seconds it had taken him to follow Dani inside the disaster area, she’d vanished. The chaos had completely swallowed her up.

  Then, before he could look for Dani, an elderly woman had cried out for help, and by the time he’d freed the octogenarian, another victim needed his assistance. Then another and another.

  Now, as Dani stepped aside to let him into the foyer, the memory of almost losing her overwhelmed him and Spencer could only hug her. They stood silently for several seconds before he could bear to release her.

  Her brow wrinkled in concern and she asked, “Are you okay? What happened? Why did you come back?”

  Instead of telling her how he felt, Spencer blurted out, “I don’t think you should see Christensen alone tomorrow. I should be here with you.”

  “Seriously?” A beat went by, then Dani narrowed those pretty whiskey-gold eyes of hers and huffed in an I-can’t-believe-you-said-that-to-me tone, “I’m an adult and I can handle the detective’s visit without supervision.”

  Spencer persisted. “But he might—”

  “Stop!” Dani interrupted him, then she put her hands on her lush hips, stuck out her cute little chin, and drawled, “Do I need to remind you that I am better able to deal with Gray than you are? That he and I are actually friends? And considering we have no idea how he’ll react to your revelation about your relationship with Yvette, you being here could be like pouring water on a grease fire.”

  “You win.” Blowing out a defeated breath, Spencer gave up, admitting to himself that if he had thought the matter over and not acted on impulse, he would never have made the suggestion. What was it about Dani that turned his mind to mush?

  “Of course I do.” Dani’s smile was smug, but she allowed Spencer to steal that extra kiss he’d been craving, so he forgave her for it.

  “Sorry I dragged you back downstairs.” He opened the door and headed for his truck.

  Before he got inside the pickup, Dani called out, “Be careful tomorrow with Gray. I doubt that he’s going to take the news that you’re Yvette’s ex very well.”

  Spencer grunted his agreement, then backed out of the mansion’s driveway. As he drove down the college town’s mostly deserted streets, he wished that Dani was in the passenger seat beside him.

  No. Not just next to him, but still in his arms. He loved the feel of her soft curves and the smell of her lemony vanilla scent as it wrapped around him. He needed to have Ivy find out the name of Dani’s perfume so he could surprise her with a bottle.

  Spencer’s smile faded and he smacked the steering wheel with the heel of his hand. This was not at all how he had planned for the evening to end, and he was sick of things getting in the way of him spending time with Dani.

  Yes. He shouldn’t be worried about his own happiness when so many people were banged up and Yvette was dead, but, if he was brutally honest with himself, that’s how he felt. All the injuries had been slight and Yvette, well, she was a lot like the criminals he’d encountered. It wasn’t if she would come to a bad ending; it was when, and how many people she’d bring down with her.

  When he’d first met Yvi, she’d seemed so vulnerable. She’d aroused all his protective instincts and it had felt so good finally to have someone sweet and good in his life. Too bad most of that persona had been an act. Yvi had seemed like the Little Mermaid and turned out to be a lot more like the Sea Witch.

  Shaking his head at having ever become involved with the evil woman, he returned his thoughts to Dani and smiled. He’d been hoping to take her out for a drink and a bite to eat after she finished working. He knew she’d be tired and hungry, and he’d found the perfect little restaurant where she could relax.

  Once he’d given up fighting his attraction t
o his sweet caramel-haired Miss Cupcake, he couldn’t get her out of his mind and spent hours thinking of ways to make her happy. It was just too bad that she was so damn independent and stubborn.

  From the little that she’d shared about her childhood, he understood that she wasn’t used to being anyone’s priority. Her father had punched massive holes in her self-esteem, then her asshole ex had come along and added a few blows of his own.

  Spencer intended to change all that. He would be the one man in her life who appreciated her beauty, intelligence, and strength. He would never let her down or do anything to make her think less of herself.

  This business of her insisting on meeting with Christensen alone drove him nuts. On one hand, he could see that she was perfectly capable of handling the detective on her own and probably in a better position with the man to do so. She was probably right about Spencer not being the best person to have around just a few hours after he confessed that Yvette was his ex-wife. But what if things went south?

  Spencer wanted to be there to look after her. Even if she didn’t need it.

  Thumping his head against the back of the pickup’s seat, Spencer stared out the windshield at the empty street. It was a good thing that he was only a few miles from his town house. He was nearly as tired as Dani and his eyes kept trying to close without his permission.

  Spencer rolled down the window, hoping the cold air would keep him awake. Why was everything always so damn complicated?

  He’d been so happy that things with Yvette were finally settled. He’d been thrilled she was out of his life for good. Why had karma allowed her to turn up in his new hometown and end up dead?

  That night when Yvi had shown up during his date with Dani, he’d come closer to losing his temper than in all the times he’d dealt with her during their marriage and divorce. The minute he saw her smirking face, he’d wanted to hit something. Her standing there, as if she belonged, had nearly ripped away his famous self-control.