Burning Hearts

by Marci Bolden

Eva stared at him, obviously gauging his response. “That’s what you said?”

  “Yes. That’s exactly what I said.” Closing the distance between them, he brushed her hair from her face. “Do you really think I’d want the kind of woman who hits on a man right in front of his girlfriend?”

  “You’d be surprised how many men find that irresistible.”

  “I’m not one of them.” He saw the doubt playing in her eyes, and he didn’t blame her. That was quite a show Courtney had put on. “You know me well enough to know that.”

  “I do,” she said with soft affection. “You’re a good guy, Josh.”

  For some reason, saying that seemed to hurt her, but before he could push, she pulled away from him.

  “I found a camera.”

  Shit. He’d actually forgotten that was what this entire evening had been about. “Where?”

  “Underneath the table by the door.” She pulled an evidence bag out of her purse and showed it to him. “First image should be of whoever put it there.”

  “Aren’t you going to tell Courtney?”

  She stared at him.

  “There was a camera in her home.”

  “I know that. I’ll tell Neal.”

  “Neal? Eva, he—”

  “Is the president of the HOA and my client.”

  “And, as you’ve pointed out before, a possible suspect.”

  She gnawed at her lip. “Good point. I’m not telling him either.”

  “But Courtney—”

  “May blow the entire case if I tell her who I am and what I found. I need to find out who is planting these cameras first. I will keep an eye on her. Nothing will happen to her. Unless she pisses me off again.” She pulled a little black case out of her purse as she moved toward her laptop. She pushed a button to bring the machine to life, tapped in her username and password, and then opened the black case and pulled out tools he suspected were used to pry open locks.

  “Eva—”

  “Don’t, Josh. I don’t break laws.”

  “Carrying a set of lockpicks implies otherwise.”

  She looked up at him. “One of the things people hire me to do is try to break into their business to test their security. I only break into places that want me to. Okay? Now stop distracting me. I want to see what’s on this card, but I have to get it out without compromising any prints. I need to focus.”

  He snapped his lips closed as she pried the little device open and then used tweezers to pull the SD card out of the camera. Sitting closer than necessary out of his need to connect, he changed the subject. “Listen, something is off about that woman.”

  Eva snorted. “You’re telling me.”

  “No, Eva. When I told her I wasn’t interested, she was angry. She didn’t say it, she didn’t show it, but her eyes…”

  She leaned back a bit as she turned her face to him. Probably because he was too close for her to get a good look at him. “What do you mean?”

  “I can’t explain it. I just got a sense that she wasn’t used to getting rejected and she didn’t like it. At all.”

  “I’m sure she’s not used to it. You saw her. She’s…perfect.”

  “No. She’s good at faking perfect. But something is going on there.”

  Eva returned her focus to putting the card in her laptop to view the contents. “I want you to steer clear of her.” She glanced back. “Not because she wants to jump your bones but because I believe you. That there’s something wrong with her. No sane person acts that way. She doesn’t even know us. It was like she was…” She leaned back a bit.

  “What?”

  Eva smirked. “Uh. Her bedroom was…not what I was expecting.”

  He lifted his brows. “Oh, come on, Eva. You can’t leave it at that.”

  “I don’t want to violate her privacy.”

  “Seriously? She would have let me have sex with her in the bathroom if I’d asked, and you don’t want to violate her privacy?” His arrow hit the mark. Her eyes hardened and her determination to respect Courtney vanished.

  “Everything was satin and lace until I took a closer look and noticed handcuffs on the headboard. She isn’t sweet and innocent at all. Not that there’s anything wrong with bondage.” She glanced at him, and he’d be damned if her cheeks didn’t turn three shades darker. “If you’re into that. But add that with her less-than-subtle flirting, and…I’m not sure she wasn’t testing my willingness to share as much as she was testing your willingness to be shared.”

  He creased his brow. “What?”

  “She’s got some kink going on, Joshie. She was checking to see if we do, too.”

  “That was…bold.”

  She nodded as the program finished loading. “Some people are.”

  “That doesn’t explain her getting angry when I said I wasn’t interested.”

  “No, and I still want you to stay away. She is far too determined to sink her nails into you.” She smirked. “Literally, I’d guess.”

  He shook his head as if the idea disgusted him. The only part of the idea he didn’t like was it being Courtney’s nails instead of Eva’s. “There,” he said, nodding toward the screen.

  The camera images came to life. The darkness of a hand pulled away and revealed the country décor that had softened Courtney’s condo. What it didn’t reveal was the person who had placed the camera. All the screen showed from the vantage point under the table were dark pants that could have belonged to anyone.

  “Snoop around,” Eva encouraged under her breath. “You’re already in there. Snoop around.”

  He didn’t. He’d placed the camera, and that was that.

  “Damn it,” Eva cursed. She pushed the button to increase the speed of the replay.

  Josh swallowed. “What are you doing? We can’t watch this. This is a violation…a real violation…of Courtney’s privacy.”

  “I’m not looking to see what Miss Hot Pants is up to. I just want to see if the owner of this camera pokes his head down to check on it.”

  They sat in silence for what seemed an eternity as Courtney went about her day in high speed. About two hours into real time on the video, Courtney went to the door and let someone in. Another woman’s legs appeared on the screen, but they were too close to the table to see more than Courtney’s long skirt and a white dress falling just to someone’s knees.

  Josh widened his eyes as the legs got closer together. Very close together. “I think they must be hugging.”

  “Or something else,” Eva offered when the white skirt moved up a few inches.

  The women greeted each other—intimately, apparently—before walking deeper into the apartment. They disappeared into the bedroom.

  “Yup. Definitely something else.” She grinned as she gently bumped against Josh. “Hey, maybe she wasn’t trying to get into your pants after all.”

  “She was flirting with me.”

  Laughing, she patted his knee several times before speeding up the replay again.

  He glanced at the time marker on the screen. Almost an hour had gone by. “They’ve been in there a long time.”

  “Women have more stamina than men.”

  “Most men lose an erection after ejaculating because—”

  “I don’t care about the science, Joshie. Just pointing out that when both partners can have multiple orgasms, the show runs a bit longer.”

  He shifted as images that shouldn’t be rolling through his mind rolled through his mind. Several times. Eva had said that bit about multiple orgasms with too much authority. Like she’d tested out the theory. And that made his mind go places it shouldn’t.

  “Are you picturing me having sex with a woman, Josh?”

  “No.” Damn. His voice had cracked. “Maybe.”

  She smirked. “Good. Oh, there they are.” She turned the video to normal speed as Courtney and her lover left the bedroom. “Well. I’ll be goddamned.”

  “Isn’t that…”

  “A thoroughly satisfied Tiffany Tremant.” Le
aning back, she chuckled. “Wow. I take it back. This is way better than Melrose Place.”

  7

  Eva offered Wendi Carter a reassuring smile. The woman looked exhausted, as if she hadn’t slept in weeks. Considering that the security of her home had been so blatantly violated, maybe she hadn’t. Eva had been as patient as she could. The last time she’d called Wendi, she had piled on the guilt—she really needed to meet with Eva…before this happened to someone else.

  Wendi sank onto her plush teal sofa. “Thanks for your patience. This has been a trying week for me. I should have gone to the police. I don’t know why I let Neal talk me out of it.”

  “Can you tell me more about that? About why he didn’t want you to go to the police?”

  Sinking back onto a pile of decorative pillows in bright whites and yellows, she shrugged. “He said it would be bad for the community. He said everyone would be terrified and start turning on each other. I could see how that would happen,” she said, lifting bloodshot eyes to Eva. “I can’t stand to be here. I’ve been staying with my boyfriend. I’m only here long enough to get clothes.”

  “Well, thank you for giving me a chance to talk to you.”

  Wendi lifted her gaze, scanning the room with the kind of paranoia usually saved for conspiracy theorists. “I loved this place. Everything about it. I decided last night that I’m going to sell. I don’t want to live here anymore.”

  Eva nodded. “I understand. Did you or Mr. Price look for additional cameras after finding the one in your smoke detector?”

  A mirthless laugh left her. “I tore this place apart. I didn’t find anything.”

  “Would you mind if I searched before we go any further?”

  “No. Go ahead.”

  Opening her bag, Eva pulled out her thermal camera.

  Wendi leaned forward, staring at it. “What’s that?”

  “Cameras, even small ones, radiate heat. This will show me a little white aura.” She gave Wendi a kind smile. “You can get one online for pretty cheap.”

  Wendi didn’t have to say she intended to buy one. A resolute light sparked in her eye, a bit of confidence that she had lacked before. She’d get one and probably spend the next six months or so scanning everything she saw, tearing small appliances apart before realizing she was seeing something other than a camera. Eventually she’d start to feel comfortable with her surroundings again, but Eva knew from experience that victims of crimes like this never quite felt as secure as they had before they’d been violated.

  “You know, there are a lot of ways to quickly scan for hidden cameras. Why don’t we set up a time for you to come by my office, and I’ll show you some things?”

  “That’d be really great.” A sheen of tears sprang to her eyes, and she hugged herself a little tighter. “I’m still a bit out of sorts.”

  “It will take a while, but that will get better.” Focusing on the tiny screen, Eva walked around the room, talking to Wendi as she did, showing her the difference in the colorations on the screen. She was almost disappointed when she finished going over the condo and hadn’t found a camera tucked away somewhere, but she wasn’t surprised.

  Whoever the culprit was, he’d know that the other camera had been found and would have collected any others he’d tucked around the area. Easing into the straight-backed chair across from Wendi’s sofa, Eva returned to her questioning. “Have you had any run-ins with anyone here that left you uneasy?”

  “Not run-ins exactly.”

  “But something did happen?”

  She shrugged, as if trying to dismiss the notion.

  Eva wasn’t so quick to let it go. “You know how sometimes when you’re walking alone at night and you get a feeling that you need to hurry, and you start rushing along but then laugh it off as soon as you’re safe inside your car? That happens because your brain has picked up something that it hasn’t quite processed yet but recognizes as potential danger. It’s called intuition, and it is a powerful thing that humans have had forever. It gives us that flight response before we even know we need it. If your intuition has told you something, no matter how small, I’d really like to know.”

  Eva sat patiently as Wendi stared at her hands.

  “I never liked the way Shane Tremant looked at me. He’s just so…open with his staring. Like he thinks every woman is on display just for him.”

  Shane Tremant. Not surprising. The comment also brought a natural turn to his wife and Eva’s need to clarify if Wendi had ever slept with the woman. If two of Tiffany’s lovers had a camera placed in their condos, that drew an even larger red arrow at Shane Tremant’s head.

  “And his wife? Did you ever have any contact with her?”

  A bitter laugh ripped from Wendi. “She cornered me in the women’s locker room a few weeks ago and told me if I didn’t stop flirting with her husband, she’d file a harassment claim against me.” She furrowed her brow as pink roses bloomed on her cheeks. “Everybody here knows what that man is like, but nobody will do anything because he is Neal’s friend and Neal runs this place. And Tiffany… That bitch knows her husband is a snake. I swear she gets off on shaming his victims.”

  “Have you ever been friendly with Tiffany?”

  “No. She’s insane. I keep my distance from both of them.”

  Eva nodded her understanding. “Did you tell her it was Shane who was crossing the line?”

  “Yeah, but she didn’t believe me. She’s not stupid. She knows what he’s like. That’s why I think she enjoys it. She enjoys the drama his behavior brings.”

  “Some people do. What about Neal Price? Have you had any issues with him?”

  She frowned. “He’s not as obvious as Shane, but I’ve caught him looking at me in ways that made my skin crawl.” Rolling her eyes, she huffed out a breath. “I’m not trying to sound egotistical.”

  Giving her another reassuring smile, Eva said, “You are a beautiful woman, but that’s not a requirement for men like that. They aren’t interested in physical beauty as much as they are in the power they feel in knowing they make someone, women usually, feel inferior.”

  “And Tiffany? How do you explain her behavior?”

  Not that she was disappointed that Wendi hadn’t been sleeping with Tiffany, but it did take a bit of air from her sails to think the lead wasn’t as strong as she’d suspected it to be just a few moments ago. “I think she’s insecure. Scared. Addicted to drama. Any number of reasons.” She changed directions. “I have to ask a question that you may feel uncomfortable answering, but I need the truth. I promise I won’t share the information with anyone. Have you ever had sex with someone who lives in this building? Male or female? Anyone?”

  “No. I was dating my boyfriend when I bought this place. We were talking about him moving in here until this happened.”

  “How well do you know Courtney Jamison?”

  She shrugged. “Not well. Why?”

  Instead of answering, Eva said, “Someone obviously broke in to place the camera. Do you know how he gained entry?”

  “There was no damage to the door. They had to have had a key.”

  “Does the office have keys to condos? For maintenance or security purposes?”

  “Not that I know of.”

  “Have you given anyone an extra key?”

  She shook her head. “Other than my boyfriend, no. And no, he didn’t do this.”

  Eva didn’t pause before asking, “How can you be sure?”

  “He was out of town the week it happened. He left on Sunday morning for Boston to attend a conference. The battery was in the smoke alarm on Sunday afternoon. On Thursday night, there was a camera. He didn’t do it.”

  “When you go to the amenities here, the gym or the pool, where do you put your keys?”

  “Each condo is assigned a locker.”

  “And you use it?”

  “Yes. I’ve had money go missing before. Not here but another building I used to live in. I always use a locker now.” Her eyes lit. “I
lost my keys. About a month ago. At the last potluck. I set them on the table because my dress didn’t have pockets. They were missing for about twenty minutes before Cody Price found them under a chair.”

  “Cody…Neal’s daughter?”

  “The girl who always looks like she’s on her way to a funeral.”

  Eva snickered. She’d had the same assessment. Jotting notes, she confirmed in her mind that the voyeur was definitely someone within the community—not that she’d really suspected Wendi’s boyfriend, but he did have access to her condo and possibly the others. The flashing arrows continued to point to Shane Tremant and possibly Neal Price.

  “Why did you call Neal Price instead of the police?”

  “That’s the protocol. Unless it’s a situation for 911, tenants are supposed to call the HOA president.”

  “Has it always been that way?”

  She nodded. “Ever since I moved in.”

  Eva was confident she knew, but she asked anyway. “And who was the HOA president when you moved in?”

  “Shane Tremant,” she whispered, her eyes widened. “He did this, didn’t he?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “That sick son of a bitch. I’ll gouge his eyes out.”

  “Tempting as that may be, I don’t recommend it. Messier than it sounds.”

  Wendi smiled, but the amusement on her face didn’t last. “Neal knew, didn’t he?”

  “I don’t know anything yet, Wendi. I have my suspicions, but I don’t know for certain. I need you to stay away from them. I can’t accuse either of them of anything until I know for certain, and if they think that I’m on to them, they could cover their tracks more than they have already. Can you do that for me?”

  “Yeah.”

  Eva got up. “I’m sorry this happened to you.”

  Exhaling as she stood, Wendi nodded. “I feel like I’m being watched every minute of every day. I think I’ll take you up on your offer to go by your office.”

  Digging a business card out of her pocket, Eva held it out to her. “Call me anytime. Even if you just want me to come sweep your condo for cameras. I don’t mind.”

  Wendi nodded. “Thank you.”

  Eva left her to finish packing as she debated her next move.