One Millhaven Lane (11 page)

Crystal shrugged out of the robe and hung the garment on a peg near the door.

"It might be a good idea to get surveillance cameras in here," Nate said when they stood in the middle of the shop. "And an alarm system, too. Something more modern and dependable than a bell above the door."

Both women laughed.

He didn't know what they'd found funny and waited for Asia to explain. She pointed to a sign that indicated
Aphrodite
was protected by the forces of evil. Offenders should believe or suffer the consequences.

Nate suspected the anti-theft device had more to do with the 'no cash' policy of the shop. Later, he would have a serious discussion with Asia about security. Now, he wanted to look around and strolled between the rows of shelves.

The shop wasn't anything like he'd imagined. When he thought of
Aphrodite
, whips, handcuffs and spiked collars had come to mind. Pot lights in the ceiling shone on the merchandize, making colored glass sparkle and tissue paper glisten.
Aphrodite
featured deco boxes, gift bags, ribbons and bows. He moved on to flowers, berries and blooms of every color, shape and size imaginable. From what he could tell, everything was made of natural ingredients, most he recognized; those he didn't, he couldn't pronounce. He meandered between the rows, looking, inspecting and appraising as a customer would. Twenty dollars for a candle? He choked. Thirty-five dollars for gems that looked more like rocks the sea regurgitated. He wondered their purpose and squinted to read the fine writing. Wart removal. Really? It amazed him that people bought these items.

He couldn't find a speck of dust anywhere. Floor, shelves, walls, ceilings...He wanted to buy one of everything in the store. Two of some things, like those itty-bitty camphor nuggets. He felt at odds with himself and out of place. He was here, yet he wasn't. Asia had said the shop would have an effect on him.

 
He'd scoffed. Imagine being affected by scents, oils and pebbles. Anyone might, but not him.

Inventory was making him horny. He wanted to react. It didn't matter with whom, apparently. His desire was global and not limited to specific persons or genders, but inanimate objects, as well. The floor. The ceiling. He loved this shop. He loved the world.

What was the matter with him?

Asia snuck up on him and laughed when he jumped.

"May I help you?" she asked, tongue in cheek.

"Just looking, thank you," he said, playing along.

"You seemed intense. What were you hoping to find?"

He said the first thing that came into his mind. "Dust." Even that was strange. Other than hating the household chore, he'd never given the word any thought.

"Oh, you won't find any here. The turnover's too swift."

Asia left to tend to a customer.

He experienced the sudden, almost uncontrollable, urge to drop to his knees and propose.
Marry me.
His heart spoke the words. Did she hear them? He looked at her.

She peered over her shoulder at him and winked.

No, it wasn't possible. He shook his head.

As though sensing his distress, Asia reminded him that he wanted to pay a visit on his cop buddy, Jeremy Ryan.

"Are you sure you'll be okay here?" He looked at Crystal, who couldn't seem to stop smiling.

"I'm fine." Asia put her arm around her friend and said, "Crystal will keep me safe."

He should have doubted that. The woman weighed no more than a bag of pretzels and seemed to have the mentality of a third-grader and the energy of a crack-head, though he could find no evidence of the latter.

"If you're sure," he said, aching to leave, yet aching to stay.

"I'm sure. I can get more work done if you're not here to distract me." She pinched his bottom.

He yipped. How could he have forgotten Asia's playfulness? "I'll be back at three."

"Uh-huh." She ushered him toward the door. He bent and kissed her rosy cheek. "See you then." She was so hot to him right then. Hot. Hot. Hot. Good God. One more second in that shop and he would have been reduced to a bumbling idiot. He would never mention this to Asia. Not ever.

Outside on the sidewalk, he hiked his jeans on his hips, zipped his jacket and took one quick peek over his shoulder at the shop
.
He didn't know what he'd expected to see, but the shop wasn't evil or offensive looking. He shook his head and sprinted toward the city center, happy to put distance between him and
Aphrodite.

Chapter Eight

At three o'clock, Nate loitered on the sidewalk in front of
Aphrodite.
Men and women dressed in expensive clothes and carrying attaché cases darted around him as he peered through the front window at Asia tending to customers, a pencil peeking out from above her ear through strands of hair. She clutched a clipboard, intermittently jotting a note or making a comment. As though feeling his presence, she turned and looked directly at him, smiling. She waved him inside. He raised a finger in the air and for a moment considered motioning her outside. No. That would be a coward's way, someone afraid of a few candles and eucalyptus leaves. In mid-motion, he changed the direction of his fingers and signaled 'be-right-there'. Like before, the bell above the door jingled his presence, only this time Crystal ran from the storeroom to greet him. He returned her smile.

"Just here to pick up Asia," he said, still grinning.

"She shouldn't be too much longer. Mrs. Wabush will not be served by anyone but Asia. The old battle axe should consider herself fortunate that anyone wants to wait on her."

Nate couldn't believe his ears. "What did you say?"

"I said the poor woman is beside herself with grief. She recently lost her husband, Married for sixty-two years. What did you think I said?"

"That," he answered, hoping he sounded truthful. "Sixty-two years, huh?"

"I know!" She hit his arm. "Fricking freaking amazing."

Nate jiggled his finger in his ear and swallowed, popping his ear.

Asia hobbled over to him, leaving her customer sniffing fragrances.

He had bad news for her. "I know I said we'd have dinner with your friends but we should head back," he said. "The forecast is for more snow beginning early evening and you should probably give your leg some down time. You've been on it for the last four hours. Did you even stop for lunch?"

"Crystal brought me a sandwich from the diner down the street."

"I bet you ate on your feet."

"Maybe." She stuck her tongue in her cheek and peered at the floor.

"Did you rest your leg at all?" He had his answer when she looked everywhere but at him. "Wait here. I'll grab your coat and purse."

Thirty seconds later, he was back at her side helping her into her jacket and pushing her out the door.

"Get those Christmas decorations up," Asia said over her shoulder. "And give Madame Wabush a sample of the Soo-ka-bi lotion for the calluses on her heels."

In the alley on the side of
Aphrodite
, Asia turned to Nate and asked, "Can we take a few minutes to check on my apartment?"

"Sure," he said, realizing she would rest easier knowing no one had violated her home. Besides, he wanted to see where she lived.

He slipped his arm around her waist and walked with her to the stairs. He noticed a hand decorated wooden mailbox attached to the bottom post. "You get mail back here?"

"Why do you find that strange?"

"It's an alley, solely meant for ingress and egress and back doors." With that said, he looked around and found nothing he would expect to see in an alley. There were no dumpsters, no debris of any kind, no smells and no cardboard boxes, yet rear entrances on buildings on either side housed businesses. He found that peculiar, but refrained from saying so.

"It's also the main entrance to my home."

"But not your only one. You have access to the upstairs from your store."

"True, but when
Aphrodite
is closed, I and my visitors use this way."

"What's the address?"

"Seventy-seven South Twenty-fifth Alley Way."

"You're joking."

"Maybe." She grinned and bumped her hip against his.

Somehow, he didn't think she was, but let the subject drop. "Aren't you going to check your box for mail?"

"Nope, my mail is delivered to the shop."

He followed her up the stairs. Before she could turn the doorknob, he stepped in front of her.

"Let me check out the place first."

There wasn't any sign that her apartment had been broken into, but he didn't want to take unnecessary chances.

"You think Bobby might be here?"

"No, but better safe than sorry. The next fifty years belong to us."

She rose on tiptoes and kissed him. "I love you too."

He couldn't let her distract him and turned serious. "Stay here."

He opened the door and scrutinized the kitchen. Nothing seemed out of order. He moved forward through a hall, going from the living room to the bedrooms and bathroom, all of which were as he expected she would keep her home — neat, clean and furnished with antiques and decorated with doilies, crystal and china. Everywhere he looked, he saw Asia. He retraced his steps and came back into the kitchen.

"All clear," he said.

"Bobby wouldn't be so bold," she said, walking to him.

"It makes a certain sense. No one would expect him to hide out in the home of the person he attempted to murder."

"Probably the last place anyone would look. Are you sure he's not in here?" she asked, obviously rethinking the situation.

"Positive. I wouldn't let you inside if I suspected there was even a minute chance you could be harmed." He smiled, hoping to reassure her.

"Okay," she said. "I trust you." She traipsed past him into the hallway.

"Where are you going?" He caught up to her.

"To my bedroom."

"Huh?"

"Put it back in your trousers, buster," she said, winking. "I need to pack a few things."

He followed behind her and waited in the bedroom doorway while she threw clothes and toiletries in a dark red carry-all.

"That's it," she said.

He took the luggage from her hand.

She put her finger on the light switch and turned to him.

Something wasn't right. Nate saw it in her face. "What is it?"

"The bed."

He looked at the queen size bed, the brass headboard and the quilt and didn't see anything amiss. "What about it?"

"I always put the pillows against the headboard and the shams in front of them."

"Do you remember doing that?"

She shook her head. "I could have, though. I was upset when I left, and my mind was somewhere else." She laughed. "You must think I'm silly."

He hugged her. "I would never think that."

"We should start back," she said.

He eyed the bed, thought about it for a moment, but fought his desire.

Asia looked worn out and the safest place for her was back in the Grove where his friends and fellow police officers would stand together to protect her.

***

Three days later, eleven days after the assault on Asia, Nate stood in the center of the squad room, issuing instructions on the day's agenda.

"Sean-Michael, I want you to check out Benson's old barn."

"Bobby wouldn't be hiding there. The place will fall down around his ears. He's too smart for that."

"Smart enough all right to hide where we'll think he wouldn't. We need to focus on those places and revisit the ones we've already explored." Nate looked at Dave Nichols who sat on the corner of his desk. "Hot Shot, go around to the farms on St. Anne and ask them if you could check their fruit cellars and other out-buildings. If they're not cooperative, don't force the issue. We don't have search warrants and for the time being, we're not interested in stills, illegal hooch or weed gardens."