Inside (18 page)

Trying to get a better look at his expression, Virgil stepped forward, but Wallace turned away. “That’s a good question,” he said. “What
are
you doing here?”

“This morning the manager of the motel called to ask if I was all right.”

“So?”

“I got the impression she was more curious than concerned. So I left.”

“You’re being paranoid.”

Had he forgotten Trinity Woods? “That’s what you thought when I told you my sister was in danger. I had to push you to go to Florence to get her. If you’d waited until Monday, like you planned, she’d be dead instead of the babysitter.”

“This is different.”

“How?”

“Why would the manager of the Redwood Inn be curious about you? You’re just some guy who rented a room.”

“Not quite. The room’s on your tab, so that connects us. And there are a lot of people in this town who keep an eye on whatever you do, since their livelihoods depend on the prison.”

“So what? I stay at that motel all the time, and I often
bring people to town, to tour the prison or for meetings. What did the manager do that made you think she was acting suspicious?”

“She gave me a funny feeling, so I decided to get out of there. Why take chances?”

With a sigh that signaled a small concession, Wallace put his briefcase on the picnic table. “Did she get a good look at you?”

“I don’t see how she could have. I slipped out while she was handling a delivery.”

“And that’s when you called Peyton to come to your rescue.” The steely note was back in his voice.

“I haven’t called Peyton for anything. I don’t even have her number. It’s not like the phone at the motel has caller ID.”

“If she didn’t drive you, how’d you get here?”

“I walked.”

“Ten miles?”

“I’m not helpless.” Virgil had made the same trek last night to leave her the rose. It took him a little over two hours each way. But he didn’t mind the exercise. After being locked up, it was empowering just to be
able
to go where he pleased.

How would he handle being locked up again? It wouldn’t be easy; he understood that. The freedom he’d enjoyed these past few days had been intoxicating.

Knowing Peyton would be there, at the prison, was the only thing that made it tolerable. He didn’t want to acknowledge why.

Wallace glanced around. “So where is she?”

“Haven’t seen her.”

He checked his watch. “She’s probably not home from the prison yet. You ready for tomorrow?”

“I am.”

“Peyton briefed you on who’s who in the Hells Fury?”

“She did. She brought me here on Friday, showed me photos, told me everything she knows about them.”

They both heard a car coming up the drive. Rick was closer to the edge of the deck and walked over first, so Virgil hung back. Neither of them spoke as she climbed the stairs. Wallace’s car would’ve alerted her to the fact that she had company.

“What are you doing here?” she asked Rick.

Maybe he hadn’t communicated with her, either….

“I figured I’d better come back to…protect my interests.”

“Which are…?”

“A successful operation, of course.”

“Coming today instead of tomorrow is somehow going to help?”

“I’m needed here.” He motioned to Virgil. “Our
friend
is afraid to stay at the motel. I guess Michelle’s been showing some interest. And I wouldn’t want him becoming an imposition on you.”

When her gaze swung his way, Virgil could tell she hadn’t realized he was there. Her lips parted, but she didn’t reveal any more surprise than that.

Thanks to Wallace, Virgil felt completely exposed. He could’ve lain low without showing up here as Wallace had just pointed out. He’d come because he wanted to see her. And that had to be apparent. “It’s dark now, so I can go back,” he said, and skirted past them.

He wished she’d do something to show she’d forgiven him. But she didn’t. She averted her eyes as if she couldn’t bear to look at him and let him go.

W
allace studied Peyton as Virgil left. He thought she might run after him. The way her eyes followed him suggested she wanted to. That bothered Rick, but she held back and, to be sure she didn’t surrender to the impulse, he moved in front of her and indicated the door. “Shall we go in?”

She lowered her voice even though Virgil’s footsteps had faded. “What are you doing? You can’t let him go back to that motel.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s not safe! If he’s really on Michelle’s radar, she won’t forget it. You don’t want
her
to start talking. All of Crescent City will wonder about Virgil if she does.”

“Virgil.”

“That’s his name.”

It was her familiarity with it that drove him crazy. “So what do you want me to do? Rent a room for him somewhere else? How do we know that won’t make matters worse?”

She bit her lip. “There’s no need to do that. You can both stay here. It might be a bit cramped and…odd, considering—well, everything—but it’s only for one
night and at least we know it’ll be safe. That’s the most important thing, the one thing we can’t lose sight of.”

“Is that
really
why you want him here? To keep him safe?” He shouldn’t have said it but couldn’t refrain.

“You’re being ridiculous! My offer protects your plan. Isn’t that what you want? For this investigation to be successful? Because if he goes back to that motel, I’ll go to the media if I have to but I’ll stop him from entering the prison tomorrow or any other day. Either we do everything we can to keep him safe or we release him from the obligation and turn him loose.”

Rick didn’t want Virgil Skinner anywhere near Peyton, not after what had happened while he was gone. He needed some time alone with her to let her know he was available now. Surely, once she realized that, Virgil would hold no interest for her. But she could be so stubborn. And it made sense to hunker down here, all three of them. “I’ll get him.”

She looked so pretty standing in the moonlight. He’d fantasized about her for months, maybe even a couple of years. So why hadn’t he pursued the possibilities between them? Why hadn’t he prepared for what he now wanted by at least flirting with her?

Because he was too damn practical. A cheap one-nighter with a stripper once in a while kept his sex life interesting without endangering his job. But now that he was divorcing Mercedes, it was time to figure out who would replace her.

“If I bring him back, will you be grateful?” he teased.

“Grateful?” she echoed.

“You know, make me glad I did?”

Instead of smiling in return, she studied him as if
she’d never seen him before. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

It was too big a reversal, too soon. He decided not to push it. “I’m just messing around.”

“No, you’re not. You’re treating me differently after what I told you last night.”

So that was what she was worried about. “But not because I hold it against you. I know you’re under a lot of pressure, and you’ve been without a romantic relationship almost as long as I’ve known you. I can’t blame you for taking what’s right there, what’s easy.” Especially because he hadn’t been available to give her a better option—until now.

He thought she’d be relieved to hear this. It was a pretty generous response, in his opinion, but she didn’t seem to appreciate it. “That’s not how it was.”

He stepped closer. Knowing she’d been with Virgil made him jealous on one level, but it also turned him on because it convinced him there was a sexual side to Peyton he hadn’t seen. Maybe he’d never wanted to acknowledge this before, but she was everything Mercedes was not—attractive, successful in her own right, a woman he could respect and someone who could create a little more excitement in the bedroom. “Then how was it?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I should never have told you.”

“I’m glad you did.”

“Why would you be
glad?
” She seemed appalled by his reaction, but she didn’t understand that
everything
had changed.

“Because it shows that you trust me. And that prodded me into making a decision I should’ve made when I first met you.”

When he took her arm, she glanced at his hand as if ready to bolt. “What decision?”

“I split with my wife today.”

He couldn’t help hoping she’d act excited about the news. But she didn’t. She pulled away, looking shocked, upset. He had to admit the breakup of his marriage had been sudden. He’d never indicated to anyone that he might take such drastic action, almost couldn’t believe it himself. If Peyton hadn’t told him about her and Virgil, he might’ve struggled along with Mercedes indefinitely, but the knowledge that she’d slept with another man, especially a man so unworthy of her, had galvanized him into action. If he couldn’t fix his marriage, why was he hanging on? It was better to toss out what was already ruined and start fresh with someone who wasn’t angry and bitter and run-down. Someone who understood his work—who was part of it. With his support, her star could continue to rise, too. Getting together would be perfect for both of them.

“What did you say?” she whispered.

“I left my wife.”

“Why?”

“Because it wasn’t working. I didn’t even realize how miserable I’d become until this morning, when I suddenly understood how…different my life could be.” Peyton’s, too, but he didn’t say that.

“What about your kids?”

“We’ll share custody, like millions of other divorced parents. It’s not what I wanted for them, but they’ll survive. Hell, I survived, didn’t I? And no divorce could’ve been more acrimonious than my parents’. Mercedes and I won’t make it that hard.”

Fortunately, she didn’t point out that he couldn’t control Mercedes, that he might not have a choice about
the level of difficulty. He was counting on his wife’s love for their children, but she’d grown so depressed in recent years he wasn’t entirely sure
what
she might do. He didn’t like the financial repercussions of divorce, either, but he figured it was preferable to get that over with and start rebuilding rather than let the marriage drag on until he had even more to lose. Peyton made a nice living. If they got together, her income would help compensate for the money he’d have to forfeit.

“But…” She seemed at a loss. “I didn’t even know you were having problems.”

“It’s not something I wanted to face. But now that I’ve made the break, I feel like a new man.”

She said nothing.

“And it’s been coming for a long time,” he added. When he’d gone home and broken the news to Mercedes she didn’t even cry. She’d acted relieved, and that was how he felt, too.

Peyton set her purse and briefcase on the picnic table as if they’d become too heavy. “Rick, I’m getting some weird vibes here. Please tell me this has nothing to do with me.”

“You didn’t cause it. You just showed me it doesn’t have to be the way it is.”

When she hugged herself, he nearly repeated his suggestion that they go inside. She was cold. And if he could have a few minutes to explain everything in the warmth and quiet of her house, he felt confident she’d understand.

But if he pushed her to go in she’d just tell him to find Skinner. She was set on making that happen, and she was right to be anxious about it. Today he’d let his personal problems intrude, but that wasn’t like him, not when he had so much riding on this investigation. He
was counting on the goodwill and gratitude that would be generated among his superiors when he made it possible to curtail the criminal activities of the Hells Fury.

“How?” she said. “I don’t understand the sudden switch.”

“Like I said, it’s not as sudden as it seems.”

“I’m not only talking about your divorce. It’s…your attitude toward me. Where is this coming from?”

“I’m attracted to you, Peyton. I have been for a few years.”

“But…”

“I just never let myself consider it. Thinking about it scared me because I knew I’d feel too unsatisfied with Mercedes.”

“Rick, don’t do this—”

He had to stop her before she made up her mind. She was exhausted, stressed, preoccupied, wasn’t really taking in what he was telling her. “I realize it’s a lot to grasp with everything else that’s going on. Just…know that I’m interested, okay? You don’t have to settle for someone like Virgil. You have options.”

“Options? You’re my boss!”

“I don’t work at the prison. That should alleviate the department’s potential concerns. It’s not as if the director would ever
encourage
a relationship, but you and I both know it happens and it doesn’t necessarily mean a loss of employment. I think we can get Tillamont’s blessing to at least start dating. After that, we’ll take it one day at a time.”

She covered her face. “This can’t be happening.”

“Just think about it.”

“Fine.” She dropped her hands. “I’ll think about it if you’ll make me a promise.”

“What’s that?”

“You’ll keep what I told you to yourself and wait until this investigation is over before we deal with anything between us. Operation Inside is all I can focus on right now. It scares me, as you know. So will you go get Virgil?”

That she kept going back to Virgil brought a fresh twinge of jealousy. She could act a
little
grateful that he was willing to speak to the director so they could see each other, couldn’t she?

But maybe he was expecting too much. She was as ragged as he was. So he tamped down the negative emotion. “If it’ll make you happy, I’ll go and grab him.”

“You might want to drop him off here, then go to the motel for his bag. I don’t think he should show up there at all, do you?”

He’d be leaving them alone together; that registered immediately. But he was crazy to worry. Peyton wouldn’t want someone like Virgil now that he’d let her know she could hope for so much better. “You’re probably right,” he said, and strode off.

“God, if I hang on to my job, it’ll be a miracle,” Peyton muttered as she stood on the deck listening to the sound of Wallace’s car growing fainter. She was so shocked by what he’d told her she hadn’t known how to respond. She wasn’t interested in him. She’d
never
be interested in him. But there was no reason to make that as clear as she wanted to. Not right now. They were all in a very tenuous position. She needed to keep Rick on her side for Virgil’s sake, if for no other reason. It would be smarter to get through the coming weeks without defining anything that might upset the delicate balance of ego, desire, jealousy, pride, ambition—even survival instinct—ebbing and flowing between the three of them.
If she kept Rick mollified, she’d have a greater chance of retaining control of the situation at Pelican Bay, and that meant Virgil would have a greater chance of surviving his experience there.

Telling herself that Rick would soon go back to Sacramento, which would make it easier to ignore everything he’d just said, she went inside to change and make dinner. Never would she have guessed that she’d have both Virgil and Rick Wallace over for a meal, let alone staying the night.

But without knowing what was causing the unrest in gen pop, she wanted to be as cautious about Virgil’s safety as possible.

“You told him, didn’t you.”

Peyton jerked around to find Virgil standing in the kitchen doorway. She’d been so focused on preparing the fish she’d taken from the freezer she hadn’t heard him come in. She hadn’t even heard Rick’s car, but in this part of the house, she didn’t always know when a vehicle pulled up. “Is he here?” she whispered, angling her head to look past him.

“No. He went to get my things from the motel.”

Pretending not to notice the spark she felt at his proximity, Peyton slipped past him and went into the living room so she could check a side window, just to be sure. Her driveway was empty.

Virgil didn’t leave his post in the kitchen doorway, but he turned to face her. “Well?”

“I did,” she admitted.

Muttering a curse, he took his hand from his pocket long enough to scrub his face. “What were you thinking?”

“I was putting a stop to our…affair or whatever you want to call it.”

“By trying to get me killed?”

His words scraped her nerves like sandpaper. “No. Of course not.”

“You’ve given him the perfect excuse to make my life miserable. You know that, right? Don’t you understand how much he wants you? How much it’ll bother him to think I got there first?”

She did now. Rick had just explained it to her. But she didn’t want to dwell on that uncomfortable conversation. It distressed her that she had to deal with unwanted interest from one man while trying to control her desire for another. “He’s not like that. Maybe he’s not particularly deep. Or much of a humanitarian. But…he wouldn’t purposely put you in harm’s way.”

When Virgil chuckled without mirth, she knew he had to be thinking that Pelican Bay was practically a synonym for being “in harm’s way.”

“Look, if you want to know the truth, I regret telling him, okay?” she said. “I should’ve waited, thought it out. Maybe then I would’ve realized the pitfalls of going in that direction. But it was late last night when I got back from your motel room and…and I wasn’t feeling too great about what we did. I would’ve called the warden instead, but I knew he wouldn’t be up. I went to Rick because he was available, and I wanted to be honest.”

He lowered his voice. “You could’ve called me if you needed to talk.”

“You caused the problem in the first place, remember?”

She saw a pained expression on his face. He thought she was blaming him for more than she really was. “I
didn’t mean to be rough with you. I feel…bad about that.”

“I got over it,” she said, but that was an understatement. If she was being completely honest, she would’ve said she
enjoyed
it.

“Apparently not as well as I’d hoped.”

“I would’ve confessed anyway,” she told him. “It’s the way I live my life.”

He shoved away from the wall but didn’t approach her. He circled the coffee table going toward the living room instead and checked the drive himself. “What, exactly, did you say to him?”