Building Blocks of Murder (20 page)

“So I guess I’ll see you when you come to pick him up,” Travis said.

Lacy hadn’t thought of that. Would she be the one who was there when he got out of jail? “I guess you will,” she said. They said goodbye and disconnected.

She felt gritty, and her exhaustion was bone deep, but she still couldn’t shower or go to bed. First she had to turn on her laptop and write the promised article for the paper. She mailed it to Len, along with the instruction to check it carefully for typos because she was so tired, and then finally, she turned on the hot water and stepped blissfully beneath the spray.

Lacy had just showered and changed into her pajamas when a knock sounded at her door. The knock was so insistent that she thought it must be Jason; he was usually the only one so desperate to see her, and usually his desperation was caused by worry or anger. She knew it wasn’t Jason, though, because Jason hadn’t been released yet.

Her grandmother was already in bed, after having baked an apple cake that she practically spoon fed to Lacy upon her return home. Not that it had taken much coaxing to get Lacy to eat. She made a mental note to run the next day to work off some of the excess calories.

“Tosh,” Lacy said, breathless from her sprint down the hall to try and silence the door before it could rouse her grandmother.

“I didn’t know what had happened,” Tosh blurted. He stepped forward and wrapped her in a hug so tight that he deflated all the air from her lungs. “I’m so sorry. When Keegan called, he said he needed some stitches. He didn’t tell me what had happened to you guys, or that you were involved. And then I showed up, and I was such a jerk.”

“Can’t breathe,” Lacy managed to gasp.

“Oh.” He let her go and stepped back, looking sad and penitent.

“Tosh, what has been going on this week? Why have you been dodging me?”

“I thought you and Keegan were, you know, into each other.”

“Tosh,” Lacy said, her tone accusing.

“Lacy, you have to understand that the women I like always go for him over me. I’ve spent most of my life feeling like a consolation prize. Why would I think this time would be any different? And you guys spent so much time together and seemed to be hitting it off. I thought I was doing the honorable thing by bowing out. But he told me about the priest thing, and then I felt like the world’s biggest idiot.”

“Tosh, that’s because you are. I would never, ever, ever do that to you. Don’t you understand that I know exactly how that feels? Men always prefer Riley to me. Even if Keegan wasn’t going to be a priest, he and I would never be anything more than friends. I would never do that to you,” she reiterated. “I would never hurt you like that.” Somehow during her impassioned speech, he had slipped his arms around her and was now holding her close.

“There’s one more thing we need to discuss,” he said. “I hate to bring this up when we’re on the verge of making amends, but it’s something you need to know.”

“What?”

“Remember how you’ve been bugging me to hire a new secretary since Marjory retired?”

“Yes,” she said, not sure why his secretary would be an issue between them. “It’s about time you found someone. Hopefully this will ease your workload. Who did you get?”

He just looked at her, and somehow she knew.

“You hired
Pearl
,” she said.

He nodded.

She tried to wriggle free of his clasp, but he wouldn’t allow it. “How could you hire that woman, Tosh? She hates me, I mean like really and truly hates me.”

“I think if you guys got to know each other you might be friends,” he said.

“You want me to be friends with the woman who chased me down the street trying to kill me?” she asked.

He nodded again. “She had nowhere else to go, Lacy. She’s sad and lonely and practically destitute. What was I supposed to do?”

“Not hire her,” Lacy suggested.

“Fine. I’ll call her in the morning and fire her. I’m sure it’s not too late for her to get on welfare. Of course, the aging mother she supports will be on her own, but that really isn’t our problem.”

Lacy pressed her palm over his mouth. “You’ve made your point.
Pearl
is a hapless victim of society and it’s up to you to save her.”

He kissed her hand before she took it away. “Just give her a chance, okay? I think you guys simply got off on the wrong foot. Things will work out—you’ll see.”

His smile was so warm and infectious that she found herself smiling in return. “I missed you, Tosh,” she said. She hugged him, resting her head against his chest.

“Missed you, too. Sorry I was a jerk.” He leaned down to kiss the top of her forehead.

“That’s it?” They turned to see Keegan with his head out the window, staring at them. “You haven’t spoken in a week, and that’s how you make up? That’s pathetic. Kiss the woman, Tosh. Trust me when I tell you that you won’t regret it.”

“This is awkward,” Lacy said.

“Can you imagine him as someone’s priest?” Tosh said.

“About as well as I can imagine you as someone’s pastor,” she replied. She hugged him, standing on her toes to kiss his cheek. “Call me.”

“I will,” Tosh promised solemnly. “I’ll have my new secretary make a note. She’ll be thrilled—she’s a big fan of yours.”

“Hilarious,” Lacy said. “It’s all fun and games until I end up locked in Pearl’s closet, living on a steady diet of stale bridge mix and recycled cat water.”

Tosh laughed and reciprocated the cheek kiss. Turning, he jogged to his car. Lacy remained on the porch, waving to Keegan as he blew her a kiss. Tosh paused, looking between them with a puzzled frown. Lacy smiled at him, shrugging, and he finally got in his car and drove away.

The next morning, the jangling of her phone startled Lacy from some much needed sleep.

“It’s Travis,” he said without preamble. “They’re releasing Jason in an hour. I thought you’d want to know.”

“I do,” she assured him in a gravelly croak. “Thanks, Travis. You’re the best.”

Lacy closed her phone and jumped into the shower, determined to look good for the upcoming encounter with Jason. Forty five minutes later, she was clean and polished, and looking more like she was going on a fancy date than picking up a friend from jail.

She borrowed her grandmother’s car, but then a new thought struck her. What if he already had someone lined up to retrieve him from jail? They hadn’t been on the best of terms lately. Would he be glad to see her? Would she be humiliated if there was another car and another woman waiting to pick him up? They had never talked about the other women he saw, but Lacy knew they existed. A band of anxiety settled around her chest as she debated with herself about turning the car around. Part of her felt like she was doing the right thing—someone needed to be there for Jason to show him she cared. The other part of her felt foolish and vulnerable for taking such a big step uninvited. Would he turn her away?

Unfortunately, she arrived with ten minutes to spare. The extra time did nothing to ease her anxiety. She drummed her fingers impatiently on the steering wheel, still trying to decide if she was going to turn tail and run. Just as she made up her mind to bolt, the jail doors opened, and Jason stepped out.

Lacy’s heart squeezed at the sight of him. He looked tired and, even worse, alone. She opened the car door and took a step out. The sound caught his attention and he looked at her. He stopped walking. For a split second, they remained frozen, staring at each other. And then he smiled.

Lacy smiled in return and began walking toward him. He resumed his steps, his pace much faster now. By the time she reached him, she was sprinting. He caught her and picked her up, enveloping her in his arms. His face pressed to her neck and inhaled.

“Are you okay?” she asked, her voice a shaky whisper.

“I’m good,” he assured her. The sound was muffled by her clavicle.

Her fingers plunged into his hair, holding him close. She hadn’t admitted even to herself how afraid she had been this week. What if things hadn’t worked out? She might never have seen him again. They were making a small scene on the sidewalk, but neither cared.

Jason eased away from her slightly so he could see her face, but he didn’t set her down. Her feet dangled off the ground, her toes skimming the pavement. “Thanks for getting me out, Red.”

She smiled. “You’re not still mad that I meddled?”

“Of course I am,” he assured her. “But I’m also grateful. Later, once the euphoria has worn off, I’ll punish you most severely for almost getting yourself killed again.” The way his eyes gleamed when he talked about her punishment made her want to melt, but she held herself in check.

“I knew you didn’t do it, Jason,” she said. She pressed her palm to his cheek and smiled when he rubbed his stubbly face against it.

“You’re the only one who believed in me,” he said. “The town was ready to string me up.”

“Not true,” she said. “You shouldn’t listen to the vocal minority. Lots of people had their doubts. And lots of people believed for sure you were innocent.” He gave her a dubious look, and she continued. “My grandparents believed in you. So did Travis. Even Tosh had his doubts.”

His brow crinkled at the mention of Tosh, but then he smiled and shook his head. His eyes skimmed her face, tracing her features. “I can’t seem to get enough of you, Red. Why is that?”

“I don’t know,” she said peevishly, irritated by his grudging tone.

“Even when I want to throttle you I want to…” He let the thought trail off. “Anyway, I had a lot of time to think while I was in jail. I’ve decided to make peace with the times I don’t want to wring your neck.”

“What does that mean?” she asked.

He didn’t answer. Instead, his eyes caught hers and held, making her squirm with his unspoken meaning. Nervously, she cleared her throat. “Are you up for an adventure?”

His arm tightened on her waist, and Lacy realized he was still holding her aloft. “What kind of adventure?” he whispered.

Aware that they were quickly in danger of becoming a public spectacle, Lacy wriggled away from him until he set her down. “I want you to come see my building.”

“What building?” His puzzled frown reminded her that she had forgotten to tell him.

“I bought the Stakely building.”

He turned to look at the jail. “How long was I in there?”

She laughed and grasped his hand. “Too long. Come on.” She was practically giddy with relief. Jason was free, and he was happy to see her. Beyond that, she didn’t want to figure anything out, but apparently Jason did. He stilled her hand when she attempted to start the car.

“You keeping running from me,” he said.

She licked her lips nervously and settled back against the seat, staring through the front windshield. “My fiancé, Robert, was everything to me. I gave myself to him completely and without reserve. He crushed me,” she whispered.

“Lacy.” She turned to look at him. “I’m not him,” he said. He brought his hand to her face and cupped her cheek.

Why was it so easy to tell Tosh she wasn’t ready for commitment, and so difficult to tell Jason? Maybe because Tosh didn’t look at her with the same intensity. Jason, with his dark hair, kaleidoscope eyes, and roguish beard stubble, looked like a wayward pirate. His devilish good looks, combined with the tender tone he was now using, were almost too much for Lacy to resist.

“You don’t want commitment, either,” she reminded him.

There was a long pause before he answered. His thumb gently caressed her lower lip and he stared at it while he thought. “That’s always been my motto,” was his cryptic reply.

“Can’t we just enjoy whatever is between us without putting labels or constraints on it?” she asked.

Again he took a long time to answer. “Lacy, when you run, it makes me want to pursue.” His mouth spread into a slow smile. “And I like chasing you.”

Lacy watched, mesmerized, as he slowly leaned in and kissed her. The press of his lips on hers jogged her out of her trance, and she responded full force as she always did when he touched her. Eventually, he pulled himself away and tried to steady his ragged breathing. He rested his forehead on her shoulder.

“Dang, Lacy, for someone who doesn’t want commitment, you sure kiss like you mean business.”

“You have that effect on me,” she said before she could think of something less revealing to say.

He laughed, and the low rumbling sound went straight to her gut, causing it to clench and pitch. She rolled her eyes. Apparently even his voice had an effect on her.

“The feeling is mutual,” he assured her. He pulled away and sat up. “Let’s go see your building.”

 
 
The ride to the Stakely building was silent, but the silence was comfortable. Jason laughed when they pulled up in the parking lot.

“I can’t believe you bought this thing,” he said.

“They were going to tear it down,” she said defensively.

“And you’re the patron saint of lost causes.” The way he said it, then leaned over and caressed her cheek again, made her wonder if he was referring to more than the building. But surely he wasn’t talking about himself, was he? Jason was anything but a lost cause.

“Come inside,” she invited.

“Are we sure it’s safe?” he asked.

“Don’t make fun of my building. I had it inspected, and it’s thoroughly safe as long as you don’t use the wiring, plumbing, wood floors, or roof,” she answered, suppressing the unpleasant memories from the night before.

“What exactly can we do in there?” he asked, eyeing the building with suspicion.

“Anything we want,” she said. Tugging his hand impatiently, she led him behind her into the building. “Isn’t it beautiful?” she asked as they stepped through the entryway. The sight of those two open floors never failed to inspire her.

“Uh, sure,” Jason said unconvincingly.

She wheeled on him, her hands fisted on her hips. “You have to use your imagination.” She put her arm around his waist, drawing him farther into the room. “Picture a market with every imaginable merchant. Restaurants will fill the air with savory scents, and people will come to shop and mingle. There can be flower stalls and a bakery, maybe even an art gallery or two.”