Dead Women Tell No Lies (17 page)

“Todd.” Luke marched to his door. “Did you drop some money yesterday when you rode past the Commercial Street Chinese Restaurant?”

Todd pursed his lips and squinted like he was trying to see the scene. “I told you. I never ride by there.” He slammed the door.

“He’s friendly, isn’t he?” Rose asked and unlocked her door.

“Does he stare at you all the time?” Luke crossed into her apartment while throwing glances of daggers at her neighbor’s door. “What kind of a pervert did Dean rent to?”

“Calm down, I barely see him. Didn’t you run his name in your computer when you interviewed him last time?”

“He came up clean, which can mean he just hasn’t been caught yet.”

“There is something odd about him. I mean besides riding his bike around with a boom box blaring.” She shut her door and slid the chain across the lock. “What do
you think
he does that’s illegal?”

“I predict drugs, a little B and E. Call me the next time he bothers you.”

“Is staring a misdemeanor or felony?” She tapped a finger against her chin.

“Watch out for him. Don’t go anywhere with him.”

She tossed her keys into her purse on the table. “He’s rarely around the building. I can’t blame him for glancing out when he hears noise in the hall.” She faced him. “Come clean. Frank trailing Buddy is what’s really bugging you. Do you think your old friend is trying to pull something illegal?”

“It’s not Buddy or Frank. If I find evidence that implicates Buddy, I promise I’ll be there when he’s arrested.” Luke scrubbed a hand across his face. He didn’t want to admit he’d come up with squat on Dahlia’s death, and the guy across the hall gave him hives. “Remember, I don’t like anyone 99.9 percent of the time.”

A smile touched her lips and chased the strain from her face. “You like me, or you wouldn’t take me to the Drowns for dinner.”

“I plead temporary insanity.”

“I bet you can get a deal on therapy from the department shrink.” She wet her lips and the teasing light faded from her features. “Are you upset about yesterday, when you dropped me off?” Her face flushed, and she twisted her hands in front of her. “I mean, no problem, I’ve already forgotten it.”

“Forgotten what?” “You don’t remember driving me to the apartment?” Her hands fisted, and her mouth fell open in shock.

“Sure, I remember. You wouldn’t let me walk you inside.” He couldn’t help but tease her a little.

“I can walk by myself.” She let out an exasperated sigh. “How do I look?” She ran her hands down her red blouse and over the form fitting black skirt. “Well?”

He felt his eyes bulge out of their sockets. “Good.”

“Good? Is that all?” She glanced down at her clothes.

“What’s the problem? Good is really good.”

“Tia Drown owns a clothing shop, which means she’s up to date on all the fashions. I didn’t bring a lot of trendy wear, and I can’t show up dressed like some kind of waif. “

“Tia’s not judgmental.”

“What does that mean? I should have worn something else?”

“I knew this was a no win question,” he grumbled and shook his head.

“Are you okay?” she asked. “You seem…different tonight.”

“You must have finally noticed my sparkling personality.” He wasn’t about to tell her the truth. At the moment, his testosterone was pumping out in high gear. “I should be working, not socializing.”

“You are working. We’re keeping Buddy Drown under surveillance.” She yanked on her jacket and slung the purse strap over her shoulder.

“Explain why you’re stuck on Buddy being your sister’s killer? I understand you want someone arrested, but we’ve no proof it’s Bud.”

She went still and faced him. “Buddy is Dahlia’s type, tall, dark and handsome. He bears a resemblance to A.J., and the guy she crushed on in eighth grade. They’re well-built and my sister falls for them instantly without thought of what type of person she might be hooking up with. If she met him at the Audi, she would have felt an instant attraction. If they started seeing each other, secretly, Buddy could be the last person who saw my sister alive.”

Chapter 12

“You think Dahlia hooked up with Buddy?” Luke asked, narrowing his eyes at her with disbelief. “No, he wouldn’t. Buddy’s learned his lesson and is engaged.”

“Dahlia led with her heart in relationships and let others worry about what type of person she’d hooked up with and their consequences. Your friend may have the same attitude. I’d hoped when Dahlia found A.J. she’d found the real deal.”

“Makes it important to find her ex and question him,” Lennox said. “If A.J. stalked her to Ledgeview, and then saw her with Buddy, he could have lost it.”

“You like the idea because it supports Buddy as innocent,” she protested.

“Keep an open mind about Buddy. Cut him a break at his parents’ house tonight. If he’s guilty, I’ll nail him. I’ll give you that he deserves the same scrutiny as any suspect, except at the moment, he’s not one. Let’s change to another topic.”

“Good idea, someone stuck a pin in my doorbell, and I dismantled the wire to stop the ringing. When I ran downstairs, no one was there, but when I started to close the door, two teenagers ran away from the alley. Outside of that, nothing much happened. “

“Hold on.” He held up his palm. “Someone—who you don’t know—rang your bell and you answered? What time was this?”

“It was daylight. Before you lecture me, I brought my gun with me and looked outside first. No one was around.”

“Why don’t I feel better?” He shook his head. “Rose, you have my number for a reason. Do not answer the door at any time to anyone you don’t know, especially with a deadly weapon in your hand.”

“I solemnly swear to call you even if you’re in the middle of a police raid and not to leave my apartment to do door duty.”

“No more risks.”

“I promise, Lennox, on my sister’s ghost.”

“My instinct is warning me not to believe you.” He walked over to the intercom box on the wall and released a low whistle. “You massacred the poor devil.” He tracked the shredded wire into the box and turned to her. “You need the bell. It’s important to get it fixed as soon as possible. Get any messages recently from Dahlia about her night at The Ledges?”

“I asked who hurt her, but she didn’t answer.” Rose toyed with the strap of her shoulder purse. “I wish I knew how to communicate with her. I miss her, and she could send us in the right direction to arrest her killer.” Her shoulders slumped, and she averted her face.

“We’ll make the arrest.” Before he could stop himself, he reached out and grazed her cheek with his knuckles. A pleasant sensation filled the pit of his stomach.

She bit her lip and blushed.

The brief break gave him the moment to get his mind on track. “I’ll save the rest of the security talk for later.” He moved away, seeking the safety zone, a place he didn’t feel the urge to touch her.

“There’s more? Never mind, I’ll let Dean know about the intercom.” She crossed the floor to the box and twisted the disconnected wire around a finger. “He can take it out of the security deposit.”

“I’ll remind him you can’t be running downstairs to let me in.”

“My landlord must have an extra key you can borrow. I’ll vouch for your character.” A slow smile lit her face and erased the awkward moment.

He wanted to keep the smile on her face, protect her from more hurt. “Rose, go home to Vermont, manage your store and stay safe. If you don’t want written reports, I’ll phone you every day.”

“I can’t.” Her mouth hardened into a thin line. “You should understand the ties to family.”

“I’m thinking like a law enforcer. There’s no alarm system in the building despite Dean’s latest efforts. Your intercom needs to be replaced. Buddy’s right: this place should be condemned.” He paced in a tight circle around the living room, taking in the leaky window frames. A good push from someone on the fire escape would set the panes of glass free.

“Lennox, I can’t leave.” She shoved the phone into her purse.

“Explain it to me.”

She met his stare. “I can’t leave Dahlia alone. She’s all I have left of my family. You should understand. You’d do anything for your mother. If something happened to her, you’d be all over it. Dahlia was my sister, my twin. This is my last chance for us to connect.” She swallowed and clenched and unclenched her hands. “Sometimes, I feel a part of me died at The Ledges.”

“Hold on, Rose. Dahlia’s the one who’s gone, and you can help her by protecting yourself. Dahlia would want you out of harm’s way.”

“My sister’s here and needs me. I won’t be scared away. It’s the least I can do.” Rose angled her chin higher.

He tamped down on his frustration. “I’m sure you’ll be able to talk to her in another residence.”

“You sound cynical about Dahlia’s afterlife abilities, Detective. She’s strongest in the apartment and at The Ledges where she died.” Rose rubbed her arms as though chilled.

“Is your sister watching us now?” The idea was beyond spooky if it was true.

“I don’t see her.” She put her hands on her hips. “What’s your problem, Lennox?”

“I don’t like what happens to you when she’s around. Let’s call the discussion a draw for now and head to the Drowns.”

“Wait a minute. Where’s my lipstick?” She plopped her purse on the table and fished inside.

He released an exasperated breath. “I’m done the lecture for the moment, but I guarantee we’re not finished.”

“Count on it, Lennox.”

“Having an argument with you is not how I planned to start the evening.”

“What did you plan?” She stepped away from her purse and faced him.

He lifted a fingertip and traced the curve of her lips, lingering over the indentation. She briefly closed her eyes and raised her face to him. He found her simple reaction excruciatingly arousing. Since he’d met Rose Blue, he’d been in a constant war of denial about his own emotions until yesterday when he’d given in to the kiss. He wasn’t feeling much stronger at the moment, and why should he? He was officially off police business. The last idea set free his restraint.

He tugged her against him and cupped the back of her head, searching for hesitation in her expression. The hot sexual intensity on her face invaded the thin wall of his resistance, and heat surged through him. He bent and nibbled at the corner of her mouth. “Hmm, you taste sweet and sour.”

“I hope you’re not comparing me to our lunch at the ancient Chinese restaurant,” she mumbled.

He silenced her complaint by running his tongue over her top lip. She tightened her grip. He slid his hands over the curve of her hips. The soft feel of the fabric slid across his palms and urged him to seek more.

He pulled her head back and deepened the kiss, pressing her body against him. Hot longing seared between them and shoved aside all his worries and thoughts about people except one. He wanted her. He craved the taste of her skin, wanted to inhale the scent of her…

The ring of a phone penetrated his hazy brain. He lifted his head. “Is that your cell?”

“Huh?” She blinked.

“First a siren and now your phone,” he mumbled.

“I thought you didn’t remember our kiss yesterday?” She threw him a wide-eyed glance and turned to dig her cell out of her purse. After a glance at the caller ID, she shrugged. “Sorry, it’s my friend, Cassie, in Brattleboro.”

“I read her interview with my predecessor. She was out of town when your sister went missing and claims to have little knowledge of A.J. Edwards or anyone wanting to harm Dahlia.”

“Thanks for the rundown.” Rose pointed to the phone. “I have to speak to her. She may have questions about the boutique.”

As she left the room, the sway of her hips snared his attention. For two and a half years he’d thrown himself into his job and concentrated on surviving a divorce where his ex had asked for everything he owned except his mug with the coffee rings inside. Now Rose had gotten under his skin micro-inch by micro-inch until he was finding himself in a defensive position. Besides the obvious conflict of work, what was that warning in his gut about Rose?

Lots, he told himself. She talked to a dead sister who appeared and talked back. And if she wasn’t really speaking to the victim, then how could Rose recite facts from the crime, which only the killer or victim would know? Worse, she had him dancing around her like a teenager hot for the prom queen or head cheerleader.

Any good law enforcer would know better than to get involved with her. Yet, he believed her story. He studied the windows again to distract himself. He whistled over the sight of the fire escape dangling in the air.

Rose walked back into the kitchen still talking on her cell.

“Thanks for the update, Cass. We’ll talk again soon.” Rose snapped her phone closed. “My friend, Cassie, wanted to review some orders that arrived.” Her face sobered. “She also passed along sympathies from my customers. It’s nice that people are thinking of Dahlia.”

“She must be dependable.”

“Cassie’s a little flaky, but she’s helping me by running the Blues Sisters while I’m away.”

He approached her. “Now where were we?”