Merchants with Evil Intent (33 page)

      
Camryn raised her eyebrows to Declan. He
could explain this, she thought snidely.

      
Declan nudged Camryn to the stairs. “Mrs.
Gordon, Cam…er I mean Lois and I
are
dating. Mickey
was merely her tour guide.”

      
She smiled and ran into her room. She had
packing to do!

*
     
*
     
*

      
Camryn lugged her tote bag and suitcase
to the doorway of her room after she wrote Mickey a note and stuck it under his
door. She felt bad stealing away into the night, but it was safer for him this
way.

      
She ducked back into her room and picked
up the shopping bags. Declan leaned against the door jamb, watching her.

      
“Whoa! You scared me!”

      
He grinned, “Are you ready then, love?”

      
“Is Mrs. Gordon satisfied with your explanation?”

      
He threw the tote bag strap over his
shoulder and picked up her suitcase.
“Aye.
She said
she’d make Mickey something special in the mornin’, to soothe his hurt
feelings.”

      
“Wow. Now I really feel like a bitch.”

      
Declan placed the bags on the floor,
crossed the room and placed his hands on her delicate shoulders. When she
wouldn’t look up he brought his finger to her chin, lifting it.

      
“Gel, don’t worry overmuch. You’ve left
him a note, aye?” She nodded, biting her lip. “Come on then, you can call him
later in the day if it’ll make you feel better.”

      
She pulled away from him and picked up
the shopping bags that littered the floor and followed him from the room,
taking one last glance at Mickey’s door.

*
     
*
     
*

      
Viktor plumped the pillows on the bed
leaning them against the headboard before he stretched out. A smile formed on
his lips when he thought about his call to Camryn. He powered up his laptop and
logged into internet, pulling up Camryn’s e-mail account.

      
He clicked onto the ‘sent’ folder. “Well,
what do we have here?
Pictures?”
His right eyebrow
raised as the photos loaded.

      
He quickly scanned the photos until one
sparked his interest.
“Gordon B&B.
Let’s just see
where that’s at,” he chuckled low.

*
     
*
     
*

      
Joe’s cell phone rang, disrupting a perfect
moment. He answered gruffly. “Butler.”

      
“Detective Butler?”

      
 
“Yeah?”

      
“This is Dr. Corrigan. I understand
you’ve been trying to reach me?”

      
He pulled away from Camille and held up
his index finger. She nodded and continued to busy herself in the kitchen.

      
“Yes, thank you for calling. I’d like to
meet with you in regards to your husband,” he replied.

      
She hesitated. “I’m not sure what I can
tell you. I feel as if I didn’t even know him.”

      
“I understand, Dr. Corrigan, but I’d
still like to meet with you all the same.”

      
Camille turned around when she heard the
name Corrigan and furrowed her eyebrows. He caught her stare and held up a
hand.

      
“I’m at my office now. Can you come here
or do I have to go to the station?” she shuddered at the thought.

      
“I can be there in thirty minutes.”

      
“I’ll see you then, Detective,” Dr.
Corrigan replied before ending the call.

      
“Dr. Corrigan?” questioned Camille.

      
“Yeah, do you know her?”

      
“No. Dr. James recommended her. She’s a
psychologist, right?”

      
“That’s quite a coincidence, considering
she’s the wife of the bastard who drugged you ladies.”

      
Camille’s nostrils flared. “What?”

      
“Hey, calm down,” Joe said soothingly.

      
She pulled away from him. “How can I when
Dr. James gave me
her
card? How do I know
she’s not involved in this?”

      
Joe approached her slowly. “Camille, we
don’t have reason to believe she knew anything. This guy covered his tracks. He
was a doctor on staff at a suburban hospital and worked an off-shift. It wasn’t
unusual for the guy to not come home some nights.”

      
She rubbed her arms. “Are you sure?”

      
“That Dr. Corrigan didn’t know?
Yeah, pretty damn sure.
She’s not even living in the house
they own. She and her two boys are living in a hotel now.”

      
“Can I go with?”

      
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

      
“Why?” she pouted. “I promise not to
embarrass you. I just need to see her.”

      
“Aw, Cam, I’m not worried about you
embarrassing me.”

      
She steadily looked into his eyes. “If I’m
ever going to be myself again, I need to deal with this now. Besides, my doctor
recommended her.”

      
Joe sighed, resigned. “Just keep any
comments you may have to yourself until we leave her office, okay?”

      
“Okay,” she mumbled.

*
     
*
     
*

      
Ian phoned his wife, Aisling, as he drove
Declan and Camryn to Teaghan’s.

      
Camryn looked at Declan from the corner
of her eye and noticed him staring at her with a slight grin.

      
“What?” she asked.

      
He wrapped his arm around her and pulled
her closer. “You’re sittin’ too far away from me gel. I doona bite ya know.”
She lifted her finely arched eyebrow and he grinned, “No’ unless ya want me
to.”

      
She pulled her eyes away from him and
looked out the window instead.

      
Later, Camryn peeled her eyes from the
window and chanced a glance at Declan. He smiled at her and flashed his deep
dimples. What she wouldn’t give to know what he was thinking!

      
Declan sighed as well. He wanted to know
what she was thinking. She didna think his joke was funny, in fact, she seemed
appalled by it. He’d have to be more careful in choosing his words from now on.
No more jokes aboot bitin’ and such. Christ
help
him.

      
She had many questions for him, but
wanted to wait until they were alone. Who was Teaghan and what happened to her?
Did the B&B belong to her? Were they married?
Lovers?
She sighed again and began to get restless. How long had they been driving?

      
“Almost there, love,” Declan murmured,
taking her hand into his, gently squeezing.

      
He frowned when she didn’t return the
squeeze. Did the gel not profess to Ian she was in love with him? Why the cold
shoulder now? Damn, he loved a challenge but he needed something to encourage
him and so far he was nothing but discouraged.

      
She grew warm and rolled down the window.
Declan noticed the lift in her cheek. “Is that St. George’s Channel?” she
smiled.

      
“Aye, it back’s up to the B&B,”
Declan murmured.

      
Their eyes met. “For real?” she asked.

      
His dimples reappeared.
“For real.”

      
The intense look on his face made her
heart pitter-patter until she tore her gaze away.

      
“Here we are then,” Ian announced.

      
Excitement bubbled inside of her when she
stepped out of the car. It was a two-story cottage with a bright yellow
exterior, but the most fascinating aspect was the thatched roof.

      
“My God, Declan, it’s beautiful,” she
whispered.

      
He grinned, “Aye, I like it as well.”

      
She shot him a smile as she stepped onto
the cobbled walkway. She was hot on his heels as he unlocked the green front
door. She couldn’t wait to get inside!

      
“That’s okay, guys, I can get the luggage
meself,” Ian snorted as he lugged Camryn’s belongings.

      
Declan grinned as he pushed the door
slowly open.
“Gels first.”

      
It was dark when he opened the door, but
then suddenly several lights illuminated the rooms. Her eyebrows furrowed. She didn’t
see him flip a switch anywhere. She thought she heard him curse as she passed
him.

      
Eoghan’s parlor tricks were goin’ to stop
as soon as Declan was alone. The meddlin’ ghoul!

      
The main room had dark wood flooring and
the focal point was the white stone fireplace that took up a good portion of
the wall.

      
In the center of the room sat a burgundy
red couch with hunter green throw pillows. Behind it was an antique pine sofa
table with a wicker basket that held short tree branches. It was a simple, but
elegant, decorative piece.

      
Her eyes continued to soak up the room.
Every piece of furniture looked to be antique or damn good reproductions. Her
idea of the perfect B&B!

      
Declan watched her reactions in
amusement. He was most pleased with the effect it had on her.

      
She moved towards the fireplace, touching
the stones and then the thick wooden mantle. Her face lit up at the birdhouses
displayed on top of it.

      
“Wow!” she grinned, turning to meet
Declan’s gaze. “How old is this place?”

      
Declan shrugged, “Aboot a hundred or so
years.”

      
“Right then, I’ll be off,” Ian blurted,
placing Camryn’s luggage onto the foyer floor. When neither replied Ian barked,
“I said I’m leavin’. Declan?”

      
Declan tore his gaze from Camryn.
“Aye?”

      
“I trust you’ll keep the gel safe, aye?”

      
He turned his gaze to Camryn. “Of that ya
can be sure.”

      
Once Ian left, Declan promptly locked up
and picked up Camryn’s luggage. “Come along then, I’ll show you to your room.”

      
She followed him to the back of the
house, pausing to look into the kitchen. The kitchen maintained its
old-fashioned charm despite the updated appliances.

      
He led her up another set of pine stairs
on the opposite side of the house. “This floor is reserved for me,” he
explained. “It’s partitioned off from where the visitors stay.”

      
“Oh?”

      
“Aye.
I like me
privacy.
I doona need buzzies infiltrating me private space.”

      
“Buzzies?”

      
“Tourists.
We
call ‘em buzzies ‘cause they’re always buzzing here and there,” he grinned.

      
Declan ushered Camryn to a room, not far
from his.

      
The halls were wider than most houses in
that a small chest of drawers perched on one side with enough room for a person
to pass easily. At the end of the hall was another arched doorway, like the one
at the top of the stairs. She looked over her shoulder at him.

      
“Aye, that’d be your room.”

      
She turned the brass knob on the red door
and pushed it open. Soft light illuminated the room. “Do you always keep your
lights burning?” she frowned.

      
Declan cursed under his breath.
Eoghan! Knock the shite off!

      
He squeezed past Camryn and set her
belongings on the floor next to the sitting chairs in front of the fireplace.
“I must’ve missed these before I left today.”

      
Her eyes scanned the room and she gasped
when she saw the bed. It was like her bed at home! It, too, was a sleigh bed
with a green and white Irish chain quilt covering it.