Cop's Passion (8 page)

“I opened the
door for me, not for you to make yourself comfortable,” Mike
continued. “Don’t think you’re staying here, fur ball.”

Slinging his
leg over the seat, he settled down and kicked the motorcycle into
life. It roared as he throttled it, and he grinned at the pleasure
of the sound.

The kitten
wasn’t so enamoured and took off out of the garage.

“And stay out.”
Mike pulled on his jacket and gloves. Backing the bike out of the
garage, he parked it while he shut the garage door again, then he
secured his helmet on his head, got back on the bike and roared off
down the street.

The day wasn’t
his best. Every dickhead that walked the city seemed to come across
his path. A beating, a domestic, a broken restraining order, a kid
caught in the act of vandalism, and a car accident pretty much made
kept him and Alan racing from one end of the small city to the
other. Why people had to be so nasty was beyond him. It was a fact
that he’d never understand the dickheads of the world, just as it
was a fact that the paperwork that came with it was a huge
headache. And just as it was another fact that it made Maddy buy a
mobile phone for emergencies an urgent problem he needed to attend,
because if she ever came up against one of the dickheads he dealt
with regularly, well, he shuddered to think about it.

By the time he
knocked off work and went home, he couldn’t even raise a protest
when he saw the kitten curled up on his veranda. At the sound of
his motorcycle, it scurried off the veranda and around the corner
of the house to disappear into his backyard.

After the day
he’d had, the kitten didn’t even register on his annoyance
scale.

A glance over
at Maddy’s house showed that all was quiet, so Mike headed indoors.
Throwing his clothes into the wash basket, he showered and dressed
in shorts and t-shirt, grabbed an iced coffee from the ‘fridge, and
flopped down onto the sofa. Idly he flicked through the TV channels
until he came to an old movie, and within ten minutes he was sound
asleep.

The lady was
home. Mike watched as her car pulled into the drive and he glanced
at his watch. He’d give her an hour or so to do whatever it was she
needed to do and then he was going over to have a long overdue chat
with her. Unfortunately, less than half an hour later another car
pulled into her drive and he saw a petite woman dressed in elegant
clothes get out of the car and enter Maddy’s house as though she
owned it.

Cripes, did
that mean Maddy actually kept her front door unlocked at times?
Mike scowled. He was going to have a serious talk to her about her
own safety as soon as her visitor left.

Glancing down,
he caught sight of the kitten ambling out of the bushes lining his
fence to sit on his path and survey its world leisurely. Ye gods,
anyone passing by would think it lived here with him, which it
damned well didn’t, and that was something else Maddy had to sort
out - the damned fur ball.

~*~

Maddy liked her
sister-in-law, but she wasn’t so sure about the woman who arrived
not long after her. Belinda Lovett dressed elegantly, but Jeannie
Bernard, her new friend - whoo boy, Maddy was sure that her clothes
alone cost more than Maddy’s car.

Belinda was a
slender vision in a white sundress, and Jeannie exuded wealth in a
silk pants suit and high heels. Bringing this rich woman to Maddy’s
humble dwelling meant that Belinda and Matthew, Maddy’s brother,
were going higher in society.

So just why
were Belinda and her rich friend here? Maddy eyed her sister-in-law
closely as she ushered them into her lounge room. Belinda was up to
something.

Jeannie brushed
some imaginary dust - and no doubt Siamese cat hair as well - off
the seat of the armchair before she sat gingerly on the edge of it
and smiled a little condescendingly at Maddy. Her gaze swept over
Maddy from head to toe, and distaste showed fleetingly in her eyes
as she lingered on Maddy’s over-generous curves.

That decided
it. Maddy didn’t like her, so she turned her attention to her
sister-in-law.

Before sitting
in the armchair, Belinda shifted a couple of the cat shaped
cushions and sat down, elegantly crossing her legs. “Darling.
Delightful taste as usual in furnishings.”

“Say what you
mean, Belinda.”

“Fine. Do you
really need cat shaped cushions?”

“Yes. End of
discussion on that topic.”

“Sharp-tongued
as ever, I see.”

“Observant as
always, duly noted.

Jeannie glanced
between the two of them with a slight smile, but she was obviously
not sure how to take their teasing. Maddy politely smiled at her
but that was as far as she was willing to take politeness.

Belinda sipped
at the mug of tea. “No cup and saucer?”

“As I already
said, observant as always and duly noted.”

“Now I know
what to buy you for your birthday.

“Oh goody, some
more items to place in the back of a cupboard until a decent
interval has passed and I can donate them to the Good
Samaritans.”

Belinda
laughed. “I have missed chatting with you, darling.”

“Me too.” With
a grin, Maddy nodded to the packet of biscuits on the coffee table.
“Have a teddy bear shaped bickie.”

With a sigh,
her sister-in-law broke open the end of the package and withdrew a
biscuit. “Not even served on a plate.”

“Conserving
energy and water.”

Shaking her
head, Belinda smiled and broke off a piece of the biscuit to give
to Chaz, who was hovering around her feet. “So, darling, tell me.
Have you met anyone nice since moving here?”

Maddy mentally
rolled her eyes. “I work for the same Association that I have for
the last five years, so no new workmates there.”

“Don’t be
silly. I mean since you moved here, to this new neighbourhood. Any
eligible men?”

They all left
as soon as they heard you were coming.”

Belinda
levelled a look at her.

“Good men
aren’t easy to find,” Jeannie said. “Most of those with money and
connections are already taken.” She glanced at Maddy. “You need to
start looking.”

Uh-huh. A
gold-digger. Delightful.

“No men here
I’m aiming for,” Maddy replied, and she could almost see Belinda
change her game plan.

“Your
brother-”

“The one you’re
married to?”

“No, your other
brother, Darren.”

“Just trying to
get the facts straight.”

“He’s expecting
his third child.”

“I’m delighted
for him. Has the Miracle Science magazine contacted him yet?”
Amused, Maddy waited for the reply.

Sure enough, it
came quickly. Belinda set the mug down on the coffee table. “Missy,
your sister-in-law, is expecting the baby. Really, Maddy, don’t be
tiresome.”

“I can’t help
it. I am tired.”

“You work too
hard.”

Wait for it,
Maddy thought.

“If you’d only
find a nice man, you could get married, give up work and become a
housewife.”

And there it
is. “Oh yes, because my sole focus in life is to get myself a ball
and chain and attach myself to the kitchen sink.”

“That’s what
servants are for, Madeleine.” Jeannie set her untouched mug of tea
on the little coffee table. “Find a nice man with good prospects
and you won’t be tied to the kitchen.”

“You’re not
getting any younger,” Belinda added.

Maddy’s eyes
almost crossed. “I’m really too tired for this shit.”

“Ladies don’t
swear. I do wish you’d watch your language, that isn’t how your
parents brought you up.”

“I swear and
I’m single. I must put you all to shame.” Amusement gave way to
irritation. Maddy liked her sister-in-law, but honest to God, there
were times she wished she lived in another state. One of those
times was now, when all she wanted to do was kick back and relax,
not listen to another attempt of Belinda match-making. Which
reminded her… “You don’t have yet another poor bastard lined up for
a blind date with me, do you?”

Jeannie made a
little moue of disapproval but Maddy ignored her.

Belinda
smoothed her hemline over her knees. “We’re having a dinner on
Friday night, and Matthew has a single male friend-”

“No! No no no.”
Maddy scowled. “I hate blind dates. I hate being matched up to my
perfect brother’s perfect friends, then having them dump me
because, let’s face it, I don’t meet their ideals.”

“Matthew is far
from perfect.”

“You’re not
listening, Belinda, as usual. I don’t fit his friend’s ideals.”
Maddy moved to the edge of the sofa. “No.”

“Don’t be
ridiculous.”

“Did you tell
him I’m not a slender model?”

Belinda’s false
eyelashes lowered slightly over her eyes. “He knows you’re a
nurse.”

“Did you tell
him I’m not slender?”

“Really, dear,
what has that to do with it?”

Pushing up from
the sofa, Maddy groaned. “Everything. Matthew’s friends are
perfect, they want perfect model wives, with perfect features and
perfect figures.”

“Now, darling,
that’s not always true.”

“Are you
kidding me?” Maddy crossed her arms. “Peter, Tom, Jackson, Zavier,
Morten, Henry? Remember them? All blind dates set up by you, and
every single one of them took one look at me and almost broke their
necks leaving after the dinners. No, no and no.” Maddy leaned
forward and growled, “Oh, and did I mention no?”

“Maddy, don’t
be ridiculous.”

“They weren’t
interested, Belinda, so give up your matchmaking.”

“Perhaps they
would be interested if…”

Maddy arched an
eyebrow.

“Well…” Belinda
waved a hand elegantly in Maddy’s direction.

Maddy couldn’t
believe it. “You’re not seriously saying what I think you are?”

“Well…” Her
sister-in-law was clearly trying to find the words, but finally she
simply stood up and said, “If you lost some weight, then maybe
you’d find a man and get married.”

“Are you
freaking kidding me?”

“Just a few
pounds. Kilos.”

“A few kilos?”
Maddy’s eyes felt like they were going to pop right out of her
head.

“Okay, more
than a few kilos if you want to be blunt about it.”

“Are you
shitting me?”

Belinda’s nose
screwed up reprovingly.

Jeannie held up
one hand, her gold bracelet slipping down her forearm. “Allow me.”
She turned towards Maddy, her lips in a smile, her face full of
sympathetic understanding. “I know it’s not easy being a large
woman in this world, but to fit in you need to take yourself in
hand. I can help you-”

“Are you
shitting
me?” Maddy couldn’t believe the audacity of the
woman.

“Maddy!”
Belinda gasped. “Please, Jeannie is a guest and-”

“No, really.”
Smiling sweetly, Jeannie stood up and laid one hand on Maddy’s
shoulder. “Sweetie, deep underneath every woman wants to have a
lovely figure and fit into lovely clothes. Every woman wants a man
to take care of her. I can help you shed some of that, let’s be
honest, horrid fat, and make you into the kind of woman men will
lust after.” Her smile widened. “We can do it together.”

Maddy could
practically feel the steam coming out of her ears. “You’re standing
there seriously telling me to lose weight so I can catch a
man?”

“Now, now.”
Seeing the growing fury on her face, Belinda tried to calm the
situation. “Don’t get upset. We’ve all been worried about your
health and-”

“All of you?
Who the hell is talking about me? Matthew? You? Mum and Dad? Darren
and Missy?” Incensed, Maddy balled her fists. “Jeannie, your
anorexic and totally obnoxious friend?”

“Maddy!”
Belinda was horrified.

Jeannie’s eyes
narrowed. “There’s no need to be nasty, Madeleine.”

“Get out.”
Maddy pointed at the door. “Both of you, out now!”

Belinda
obviously realised she’d gone too far. “Now don’t get upset, it’s
not as bad as it sounds.”

“You freakin’
think so?” Maddy stormed from the room.

Belinda was hot
on her heels. “Don’t do anything silly, Mads, please. I shouldn’t
have said anything!”

“Don’t
apologise when you were only trying to help.” Jeannie was right
behind Belinda.

Belinda bit her
lip. “I’m sorry, Mads, I-”

“Damn right.”
Maddy flung open the front door. “There’s your perfect car. Now get
your perfect arse and your perfectly obnoxious friend out of my
not-so-perfect presence, and find someone else who fits your
definition of perfect to partner up with my perfect brother’s
perfect freakin’ friend for your perfect dinner!”

Jeannie marched
out with a huff and her nose in the air.

Belinda
scuttled through the door, wailing, “Maddy! Please, I-”The door
shutting behind her effectively cut off her apologies.

Fuming, Maddy
locked the door and refused to answer the knocks. Storming into the
lounge, she grabbed the two mugs and packet of biscuits and took
them through to the kitchen, where she washed the mugs and set them
on the draining board and placed the biscuits in the biscuit
container.

Anger towards
her sister-in-law especially roiled through Maddy. Of all people,
she should understand how hurtful her comments would be, and to
bring someone else into the conversation, to have them join in
about her weight, it was - it was…it was downright bloody
hurtful.

By the time
she’d finished, she checked the front window to ensure that her
sister-in-law and her rich-bitch new best friend had indeed left,
and finding the driveway empty she made her next move. Crossing to
the answering machine, she flicked it on. No doubt her brother
would be on the phone and then her parents, all wanting to talk to
her, to make her see that Belinda had just spoken thoughtlessly
again as usual and she hadn’t meant to sound hurtful.