by Deborah Camp
“Hello, there, new home owner! How does it feel to call this place your home sweet home?” the smiling blond asked with a happy laugh.
“Great, but it’s all happening too fast.” Trudy turned to look at the modernistic art deco house and her heart sped up at the thought of actually residing in it. “It seems that everything in our life runs at supersonic speed.”
“Does it? Did you have a whirlwind romance, too?” Gennie asked as she slipped a key into the front door lock.
“Yes, we did.”
“He swept you off your feet, did he?” Gennie asked with a teasing twinkle in her eyes.
“We sort of swept each other off our feet. Neither one of us were actually expecting to fall in love.” Stepping into the spacious foyer, Trudy paused to soak it all in. This would be the first house she and Levi would purchase together. Although he’d added her name to the apartment deed, it would always be Levi’s in her mind because his stamp was so firmly on nearly everything in it. This place, however, would be theirs to decorate, to furnish, to decide what color to paint each room. “How did the inspections turn out?”
“Nothing we didn’t already know about on the building inspection. The exterminator said there were signs of termites, but they’re old. No new or present activity. I have copies of the inspection reports for you.” She withdrew a sheaf of papers and handed them over. “And the other set of keys that I told you about.”
“That’s great.” Trudy surprised herself by bobbing up and down on her toes in a burst of excitement. She laughed at herself as she examined the six keys. “I didn’t expect to be so thrilled. It’s not the first house I’ve bought, but it is the grandest one. I never thought I’d live in a place like this.”
“Hey, your penthouse isn’t too shabby. Will you be putting that on the market? I’d love to list it for you.”
“No, we’re keeping it.” She came back down to earth, weighted by the real estate agent’s observation. “Have you been to the apartment?”
“Oh, well, yes. Once.” She wagged her head and rolled her eyes. “You see, I met this guy who was invited to a New Year’s Eve party there three years ago. I was his plus one. I shamefully begged him. The apartment is stunning. Those views of the park and downtown Atlanta are breathtaking.”
“Yes, they are.” Trudy shrugged, at a loss. As usual, the talk of their wealth made her uneasy. In her mind, she was still middle income and careful not to overspend. In reality, she had no idea exactly how much money she had in her checking account at any given time because Levi kept adding to it every few weeks. It was rare when she checked her bank balance on her phone and didn’t gasp at the six-digit amount. “Text me your address and I’ll add you to our guest list. No need to beg.”
“Really?” Gennie’s eyes sparkled with surprise.
“Sure. We don’t have that many parties, but I’d be happy to invite you to the next one.”
“You’ll throw some parties here, I bet.”
Trudy glanced around and her imagination bloomed with scenes of people milling about with drinks in hand, a band playing in another room, and conversation and laughter everywhere. “I hope so.”
“You think you’ll be all moved in by Christmas?”
“Christmas?” She envisioned the bannisters wound with holly and a huge tree standing tall in the foyer, ablaze with tinsel, ornaments, and blinking lights. “That would be nice,” she mused aloud, then her phone buzzed to interrupt her reverie. She fished it out of her pocket and saw the police detective’s number flash across the screen. “Gennie, I need to take this call. Do you mind?”
“No, not at all.”
Trudy nodded and stepped outside. “Hello, Bill.”
“Hi. I promised to fill you in when we had anything new. We located the couple from the information you gave us. They didn’t know they’d been robbed, but we asked them not to touch anything else until we could get there. You’re right. Their safe was robbed. We dusted for prints and the whole shebang. That’s all being processed. The back door was busted. That was his entry point. So, yeah. You’re pretty good at this, I guess.”
She smiled, but kept quiet, sensing he had more to report.
“We’re liking a certain guy, but we have no firm evidence to make an arrest. So, it’s a waiting game until we can find something to hold him on.”
“Is he one of the men you showed me pictures of at the coffee shop?”
“Uh, yeah. Yeah, he is. But, like I said, it’s all hopes and hunches right now. You’ve never met Hampton, right?”
“Who?”
“Hampton. And Nelson”
She frowned. “No. Should I have? Are they with the police?” His chuckle further puzzled her. “What’s the joke?”
“No joke. They’re the ones who were robbed. Robert Hampton and Chelsea Nelson.”
“Oh.” She released a scoffing laugh. “And if I did know them, how would that play out? I hired the guy to break into their house and rob them so that I could report it and make myself look like I have ESP?”
“I’m a detective and it’s in my blood to be suspicious and jaded. Like I said, you know your stuff. If anything else pops up, I’ll give you a buzz and I know you’ll do the same for me, right?”
“Right.”
“You have nice day, Trudy.”
She listened to the silence on the other end for a few seconds before she realized he’d signed off. “You, too,” she murmured as she tucked her phone into her jacket pocket and went back inside.
Gennie looked up from her own phone. “Everything okay?”
“Yes, thanks.”
“I see that your husband is a guest tonight on the Sissy Franklin show.” She held up her phone. “It’s on Twitter.”
She nodded, but didn’t want to talk about Sissy or her show. “I want to get some measurements in the kitchen and dining room while we’re here.”
“Sure thing. Let’s go.”
Trudy followed the agent, but more slowly as she looked up at the beautiful chandelier and the arched doorways. If they were able to move in by Christmas, she’d be sure this place was decked out in the spirit of the season and full to the brim with love.
Chapter 10
With Stuart bathed and tucked into bed, Trudy sat on the sofa in the den and switched on the TV to watch Levi on Sissy’s show. It had been on for half an hour already, she knew, but Levi was scheduled for the last half of the program. A commercial about a men’s cologne played and she slowed it down to watch every nuance of David Gandy’s handsome face and delectable torso. That man was almost as sexy as Levi, she decided. Almost. Not quite.
Sissy’s show came on. She was all smiles, her red and black patterned blouse stretched across her ample bosom, its scooped neckline tempting with a peek of cleavage. Her slim, gold watch and diamond-studded bracelet flashed from the overhead lights and made her eyes sparkle. She did look better on TV than she did face-to-face, Trudy mused. Sissy was a good-looking woman, but there was something hard about her features. A toughness that didn’t jibe with her sugary way of speaking.
“Joining us now is one of my very favorite guests. Psychic extraordinaire Levi Wolfe. Levi, the callers are already lining up to speak to you, but you’re all mine first.” Her smile bordered on feral.
Trudy glared at her, wishing she could project eradicating beams from her eyes like that character in the X-Men comics Stuart liked to read.
The camera panned back to include Levi, who was smiling politely at Sissy, “It’s always good to see you and hear from your callers, Sissy.”
“Your new book is simply flying off the shelves, I hear.”
“Yes, and I’m grateful for that.”
“It’s about two of your most publicized murder cases, both of which you came on the show to keep us informed about as the investigations progressed.”
“Your show is a public service, Sissy. Your viewers have always been great about calling in when they have pertinent information to share.”
; Sissy addressed the camera. “Y’all remember the cases we’re talking about? Jay Yardley, that serial killer in the Florida Keys, and more recently, the New Orleans psycho serial killers Desmond Forté and Ashton Kind. Forté killed himself once he was cornered by Levi, but the other two monsters are in prison. On death row, right?”
“That’s correct . . .”
Trudy tuned out what was being said to admire her husband. His black suit fit across his broad shoulders perfectly and he’d chosen one of her favorite ties – a black one with tiny silver and red squares – which popped against his dark gray shirt. The tie bar she’d gifted him lent an extra touch of elegance. A gray handkerchief square peeked out from his jacket pocket. He gestured and she caught a glimpse of the cufflinks that had also been a gift from her. She loved buying him things she knew he’d be proud to wear. His ebony hair was perfectly coifed; just long enough to show a slight curl. Gazing at him on television gave her a strange sense of separation like she wasn’t looking at her husband but at a splendidly handsome man she knew in passing. Like before working with him in Florida when she’d tried to convince herself that he was an insufferable peacock. In truth, she’d been wildly attracted to him. She smirked, remembering those days not so long ago. She hadn’t fooled him – he knew the effect he had on women – and she’d never really fooled herself either. She’d known that if he ever touched her, caressed her, kissed her, she’d surrender herself willingly. And she had. And she didn’t regret it.
Hearing Sissy’s husky laugh, Trudy focused on the screen again with a scowl. Should she tell Levi how much she detested Sissy? So much that she wished he wouldn’t appear on the woman’s show? No, that was petty. Levi wasn’t doing anything wrong. The show was a public service and had rendered some useful information. Hadn’t it?
She furrowed her brow in contemplation. For the life of her, she couldn’t recall one bit of information that had assisted her or Levi in tracking a killer. However, he did help people who called the show to ask him about missing persons in their lives or to help them with guilt or regret concerning a loved one who had passed. But he did that on many other television and radio shows. He didn’t need Sissy for that. Yet, she did have a big audience, especially when Levi was a guest. Seemed more like Sissy needed him.
With a huff of discontent, Trudy crossed her arms against her chest and glared at the TV and the flirty way Sissy was looking at Levi. Then she did that thing that made Trudy want to howl with aggravation. She reached across the small desk and rested her hand on Levi’s.
“I know that you’re a foster father now,” Sissy cooed, then turned to the camera. “Levi has taken into his home a boy whose parents were murdered in cold blood.”
Trudy sat straight on the couch, her temper flaring. She saw Levi stiffen, too, and a muscle in his jawline pulsed. Why was Sissy announcing this private matter? Trudy fumed. If she said Stuart’s name, she’d . . . she’d slap the crap out of her!
“Let’s take another call, Sissy,” Levi said, his tone crisp, if not chilly.
“Oh!” Sissy arched her brows, clearly receiving Levi’s displeasure at her turn of conversation. “Okay. Our next caller is Gretchen from Tupelo, Mississippi . . .”
Trudy fell back against the cushions, her mind reeling. Sissy had no right to discuss their personal business like that! And she hadn’t missed that Sissy had noted how Levi had become a foster parent with no mention that his wife was also being part of that parenting unit. Not that she wanted Sissy to talk about her – ever – but she knew it had been a dig at her. The bitch.
Her cell phone buzzed and she snatched it up off the table. It was her sister calling. “Hey, Sadie. How’s it going?”
“Hi, Trudy Lou. I’m watching your hot husband on TV.”
“Yeah, so am I.”
“I’m surprised that Sissy said that about you fostering Stuart.”
“She shouldn’t have. She should keep our private affairs off her show. I could tell that Levi was pissed about it.”
“Yep. He looked none too pleased with her. But, man oh man, she practically eats him alive with her eyes! Doesn’t that get to you? Seeing her fawn all over him like that?”
Trudy fell back against the couch cushions, feeling helpless against the stab of possessiveness. “It does. I’ve told you that I can’t stand to be around her.”
“So, why do you let Levi hang with her?”
“Let Levi? Sadie, I’m his wife, not his mommy. Do you let Bryce do things?”
“Yeah, I do sometimes.” She sounded smug. “He asks me if it’s okay if he goes fishing with his buddies and stuff like that and I give him the ‘go ahead.’ I’ve even told him not to do things like have a beer two or three times a week with the guys. I said that had to stop. If he wanted a beer, he could drink one with me at home.”
Trudy doubted that it went down exactly like that. There was probably some shouting and then a compromise of some kind, knowing her sister and brother-in-law as well as she did. “I won’t tell Levi not to be on Sissy’s show. I will, however, tell him that I’m not pleased with her talking about us fostering Stuart. She went over the line there.”
“She goes over the line a lot. You should tell her to keep her cotton pickin’ hands off your man.”
“I wouldn’t give her that satisfaction,” Trudy rejoined. “She’d love to know that it bothers me. That would delight her to no end.”
“She’s a bitch troll.”
“A bitch troll deluxe.”
“You ever need me to come there and kick her ass, just say the word.”
Trudy laughed. “I would like you to come here and visit me. Ass kicking won’t be required. Did Mother tell you that the house is ours? We closed on it.”
“Yeah. That’s exciting. The video you sent of it was so cool.”
“We might move in by Christmas. We decided to get some major refurbishing done before we move and then do little changes here and there afterward. We’ve been picking out tile and kitchen fixtures.” She smiled. “It’s fun.”
“And will Stuart move with you?”
“Yes. We’re going to let him choose which bedroom he wants.”
Sadie was quiet for a few beats. “Are you going to adopt him, Trudy?”
Trudy sucked in her breath, even though the question wasn’t one she hadn’t already pondered. But to hear it spoken aloud seemed to make it more real, more pressing. “I d-don’t know. That’s a big step.”
“When we were kids, you always said you were going have some babies and adopt others.”
“Right, and I said I wanted eight kids back then, too. Things change.”
Sadie laughed. “Eight! I’d forgotten that. You were always ambitious. Seriously, though, you must have considered adopting Stuart. Unless he’s too much to handle.”
“No, no. He’s wonderful. I just . . . well, I haven’t given up on having a baby or two.”
“You can have a baby and adopt Stuart.”
Trudy smiled and shook her head. “I don’t know if I’m that ambitious.”
“So, if you get pregnant, you won’t even consider adopting Stuart?”
“I . . . I don’t know, Sadie. This is all premature. I’m not pregnant and Stuart has only been with us a few weeks.”
“You could be pregnant right this minute.”
“I’m not.”
“You could be.”
“No, I took a pregnancy test this morning. I’m not.”
“You thought you were pregnant?”
“No. I hoped I was.”
“Oh, my God, Trudy Lou! You’re obsessing over this, aren’t you? Take a chill pill. You’ll get pregnant, so stop worrying about it.”
“You’re so sure, huh? Levi said I would be Fertile Myrtle, but his psychic sense was on the fritz, evidently.”
“Or it takes a bit more time for your body to adjust and get ready to grow a kid,” Sadie suggested. “That’s how it goes with us Tucker women.”
Trudy frowned. “How does it go?
”
“It takes us a few months . . . sometimes as much as a year . . . to finally allow a sperm to wiggle into one of our eggs. Mom was that way and so am I. You’re obviously not an exception to delayed conception.”
Trudy groaned at her word selection, making Sadie giggle. She realized she was staring at the TV, but a different program was on now. “I missed the end of the show. I assume Levi was brilliant and left them clamoring for more.”
“You know it. Seriously, sis. Don’t fret about getting pregnant. Levi has the goods and you’ll wind up with a bun in the oven. In the meantime, think about making Stuart a permanent part of your family. I’ve only face-timed with him, but I can tell he’s a keeper.”
“You all have to come visit us and meet him.”
“We will. It’s so hard to get away from here with kids and work. Are you coming home for Thanksgiving?”
“Uh . . . I don’t know. Probably.”
“We can all meet Stuart then. I’ll tell Mother and Daddy.”
“No, don’t. Not until I check with Levi. We haven’t discussed where we’re spending Thanksgiving yet. He might have other ideas.”
“If he does, tell him to can them. You need to be here for Thanksgiving. You owe us because you weren’t with us last year.”
“I know. Just hold off telling anyone we’ll be there.”
“Okay. Is everything else fine and dandy there in Atlanta?”
“Yes. How about in Tulsa?”
“It’s all good. Call me and let me know about Thanksgiving as soon as you can.”
“I will.”
“Talk to you later, sis.”
“’Bye, Sadie.” She ended the call as thoughts of Thanksgiving with her family warmed her and brought a blissful smile to her lips. She pictured them all around the table, this time with Stuart, and she hugged herself as contentment purred inside her. After reveling in the homey images for a few minutes, she came back to herself and switched off the television. That’s when she heard the whine. A high-pitched sort of wail.
Trudy rocketed up from the couch and went toward the bedrooms. If she wasn’t mistaken – and she wasn’t. It was Stuart. She’d left his bedroom door slightly ajar and she opened it farther and stepped inside. A nightlight that looked like Saturn allowed her to see Stuart thrashing back and forth and sobbing. She crossed to him and rested her palm against his hot, wet cheek.