Her Mother's Killer (2 page)

“From the sound of that sigh, you could do with a good cup of coffee.”

Opening her eyes, she smiled at Gwen. A few years older than Thea, Gwen had been one of the few people Thea had kept contact with over the years. Tall, almost six feet, she had the lanky build of a swimmer, lean, muscled, but feminine at the same time. At one time, Gwen and Jed had been a pretty hot item. Everyone had assumed they’d marry, but after their parents’ murders, Jed had broken things off. It had been his last serious relationship.

“Coffee would be fabulous.” She stood and gave Gwen a hug then released her. “It’s good to be back.”

Gwen turned, leading Thea back to the kitchen. “Tough day?”

“You don’t know the half of it. I get here, and the first thing I do is pull into that new convenience store. You know the one Old Man Myers used to run?”

Gwen nodded as she retrieved a couple mugs. “He sold out about three years ago when he decided to retire. Moved down to Corpus Christi.”

Thea took her mug and poured her coffee. As she doctored it with sweetener and lots of cream, she said, “Well, there I was, picking up my credit card, my big butt in the air, and guess who drives up?”

Gwen’s eyes widened as she took a sip. “Who?”

“Duncan Perry.” She snorted. “Just what I needed. The only consolation I have is he didn’t recognize me at first.”

“How do you know that?”

“He was flirting with me.”

There was a beat of silence and then Gwen started laughing. “Oh, my, that must have thrown him for a loop.”

Thea chuckled herself when she remembered the expression on his face. “Yeah, he was mortified.”

“Hmm, mortified is one expression I’ve never seen on his face.”

“Anyway, he tried to find out what I was doing here.”

Gwen laughed. “Yeah, like it’s a big secret. Did you tell him you were moving back?”

“Not in so many words. He said something about talking to Jed, and that just irritated me. I’m almost thirty, I shouldn’t have to check in with my brother.”

“I agree.” Gwen studied her. “You did tell Jed you were moving here, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, well, I said Texas. At the time, I wasn’t sure. Then he went undercover.”

“He isn’t going to be happy.”

“Jed’s never happy. Especially where I’m concerned.”

Gwen didn’t say anything to that as she emptied the rest of her coffee in the sink.

“I have to get changed and get back up to the school.”

Thea nodded. “I figure that Yardley’s Grocery will be dead tonight so I’ll probably run by there and pick up a few things.” When Gwen opened her mouth to argue, Thea stopped her by raising her hand. “No. I need a few things, and really, Gwen, you have…
margarine
. My little chef’s heart almost died when I saw that.”

She smiled, as Thea had hoped. Stepping forward, she embraced Thea again. “It’s so good to have you back.”

After Gwen released her, Thea watched her walk out of the kitchen. She sighed, thinking of Jed and Gwen. It was always a touchy subject. Thea knew her brother and Gwen still had feelings for each other, but they were too stubborn to change their present course. Everyone had thought they would be married, the date had been discussed, then Jed and Thea’s mother had been killed and her father disappeared. Everything fell apart for both of them at that point.

Gwen had tried marriage once, divorcing after a couple years. There was something about the way she avoided the subject, the sad look in her eyes that told Thea it hadn’t been a pleasant marriage. But knowing how much Jed irritated her when he butted into her life, Thea had decided not to interfere. Even if her heart ached for the two people she loved most in the world.

She shook herself and decided to make a list and head to Yardley’s. As tired as she was, she would be lucky if she stayed awake long enough to put the groceries away.

Fifteen minutes later, she slipped into her SUV, her mind still on the things she needed to buy. It wasn’t until she pulled out of the drive and was heading down the street that she noticed the piece of paper sitting on the passenger’s seat.

Her heart stuttered then dropped to her stomach as she pulled over to the side of the road. Fingers trembling, she unfolded the paper.

Thea, my love, you have returned. I’m watching over you. I am the only one who understands you.

Even as fear coiled at the base of her spine, her mind shifted through the evidence. Carefully, she folded the note and dropped it into her console storage. There wouldn’t be any fingerprints and no one really knew she was there, not yet. Only people who’d seen her come into town, would have known.

Or someone who had been watching all along.

* * * *

Happiness warmed him as he thought of her.

My Thea, my love.
 She’d finally returned to him. He shivered as he thought of the way she looked at the gas station. So beautiful…so pure.

Of course, she didn’t understand. He knew she didn’t. But he would make her see. She would realize they were meant to be. No one stood in their way. They would be together for eternity. Nothing would touch them. And she had returned to him. It was a sign.

But until she understood, until she accepted her destiny, he had to satisfy this need, this lust.

A young woman, cute, dark-haired stood by the side of the road. He slowed down and she ran to catch up to him. He rolled down the window and she leaned into the car. He smiled when he saw her green eyes.

Oh, she’d do just fine for now.

Chapter
Two

Duncan walked into the office. After taking off his hat, he tossed it on the rack and then glanced around the room. As usual for a Friday afternoon, it was slow. The calm before the storm. Friday nights always kept the crew hopping. The time before the game started was a pleasant lull.

Gina, his secretary slash dispatcher, sat at her desk, painting her nails, again. Five-nine, built like Marilyn Monroe, she never lacked attention from her favorite passion—men. Her natural blond hair and her baby blue eyes, not to mention the sweeter than cream skin, attracted all types of men. She’d been married and divorced three times before the age of thirty.

Duncan had always been thankful they’d never dated. After she dumped each man, she spent the next few weeks disparaging everything from their lack of attention to their lack of cock size. Thanks to her, he knew more about the male population of Crocker and exactly what they did or didn’t do in bed than he wanted to.

“Gina,” he said with a sigh, “could you at least pretend to have something to do?”

“I do. I have to get ready for my date tonight. Oh, and…” she stopped her task and carefully lifted a fax between the palms avoiding her nails, “this came in. Seems they found a woman, murdered, no ID in a ditch off of I-20 west of Abilene.”

Although he gave her a hard time about her work, Gina was the most efficient clerk they’d ever employed. In fact, the office would be lost without her. He knew Richard and Lou would never be able to work the fax machine.

He glanced over the fax realizing the woman had been found less than an hour’s drive from Crocker. He made a mental note of the incident and set the fax on the counter. “Pin that up on the bulletin board if you can find the time. Who are you going out with tonight?”

“Mike Newhouse.” She blew on her freshly painted nails.

“The produce manager at Yardley’s?” He thought of Mike, with his horn-rimmed glasses and quiet ways. Not her usual type, but he wasn’t sure she had one. She’d probably demolish the guy.

“Yeah.” She looked up at him, her eyes narrowing as she studied his face. “You met a woman.”

Damn, he hated when she did that. It was kind of creepy the way she could know what was going on with him. He was pretty sure she paid for spies all over town.

With what he hoped was a casual shrug, he said, “I’ve been on patrol.”

She snorted. “That’s never stopped you before. Spill it, Perry.”

“She’s not a woman, she’s Thea Johnson.”

Gina cocked her head to one side. “I didn’t know she was back in town for a visit.”

Duncan remembered Thea’s comment. “Didn’t say it was for a visit.”

Her eyes alit with interest. “What do you think she’s doing here? What did she look like?”

He should be used to the sick fascination that Crocker residents had with the Warren family. If he looked at it objectively, he could say he understood it to a degree. But the idea left a dirty taste in his mouth. He still considered Jed his best friend even if he did disappear for huge chunks of time thanks to his job.

Realizing Gina was staring at him waiting for an answer, he said, “She looks a lot like her mother.”

Gina’s chair squeaked as she leaned back. “I remember her. Margie was hot.”

“Why I had no idea you swung that way, Gina.”

She offered him a smile that was all teeth and no warmth. “I should, figuring I’ve reached the end of the line going out with Mike.”

“If you don’t like him, why are you going out with him?”

She shrugged. “He asked, and I have a feeling it probably took him three weeks to work up the nerve. I didn’t have the heart to turn him down. And don’t think I can’t tell you’re trying to change the subject.”

He offered her an innocent smile. “Would I do that?”

“Without a second thought. And that tells me you’re hiding something.”

Nothing other than the momentary spurt of lust he’d felt for Thea. Granted, any heterosexual man with his head screwed on tight would be attracted to her, but it didn’t erase the fact he’d always felt like her brother. Until this afternoon.

“I’m an open book.”

She snorted and opened her mouth but the ringing telephone stopped her comment. Knowing he’d been given a reprieve, he ducked out of the reception area and into the safety of his office. After closing the door behind him, he settled in the chair behind his desk and thought about his encounter with Thea. Not like he’d thought about much else since she’d left him at the gas station. It was decidedly uncomfortable that every time he thought of her, his blood heated. If he’d known from the beginning it was her, he probably wouldn’t have reacted the way he did.

He closed his eyes as he leaned his head back. The image of the faded, worn denim stretching across her full ass. He could imagine slipping his hands over her flesh, the way it would pinken after he smacked it. His cock jerked at the image and he opened his eyes. Okay, so maybe it wouldn’t have mattered if he’d known who she was. He wouldn’t let it bother him, or affect him in any way. It wasn’t like he would act on the attraction.

Thinking of her at the gas station brought back to mind the conversation and her evasion of what she was doing there. With that, he decided to give Jed a call and see if he knew or if he had any idea just what the hell Thea was up to.

* * * *

Thea stepped out of her SUV in the parking lot at Yardley’s. She’d predicted correctly when she said it would be dead. Football season in the small towns of Texas left very few people out on the streets. As she watched the tan sedan park in the front row, she thought it a shame not everyone followed that tradition.

She didn’t fight the irritation or the groan when she recognized Richard White. Five years older than Thea, and a football buddy of her brother’s, Richard had tormented her endlessly whenever they had crossed paths. His favorite taunt was usually calling her tubbo. Richard wasn’t known for his witty humor.

He stepped out of the car and waited for her to gain the sidewalk. When she did, he stepped into her path. She looked up at him noting the changes in him, none of them in his favor. Any remaining evidence he had been the starting center for the Crocker High School football team that had won the 2-A championship twenty-one years ago had vanished. Gone were the muscles and the good looks. Before he had put on his hat, she’d seen the balding head where there had once been thick wheat-colored hair. His physique suffered from a beer gut that threatened the durability of his belt and the buttons on his shirt.

He licked his lips, and asked, “Can I help you with something?”

“No. Just picking up a few things.”

“I know just about everyone in this town, but I don’t recognize you.” His pale blue eyes narrowed and then lit with recognition. “Thea Johnson? Holy shit, I had no idea you were back in town.”

“Well, now you do.” She moved to brush past him but he slipped into her path.

“Last time I saw Jed, he didn’t say anything about you coming back.”

Considering that Jed didn’t talk to Richard, he wasn’t exactly lying, but she figured she wouldn’t mention it.

“It’s been nice talking to you.”

He took a menacing step closer, his body within inches of hers and she fought the urge to move back. His licked his lips again and then they turned up in a mocking smile.

“So, I see you finally went on a diet.”