Say You Need Me (15 page)

She’d been able to say what was on her mind this morning. How hard would it be to do that now? All she had to do was open her mouth, say the word…

She opened her mouth, the question on the tip of her tongue. “I don’t want you at risk, either.” No, that’s not what she’d wanted to say. Where had the guts she’d had this morning gone? “Obviously, if you’re gonna spend
time at Cecil’s homes, whoever is out to hurt him can get to you.” Gosh, her mouth had a mind of its own and didn’t want to cooperate at all! “So, I’m thinking…we should go to my place. They don’t know where I live.”
And I can see if there are any more sparks between us…

Darrell gave her an intense look, and Serena wondered if he could read her thoughts in her eyes.

After a long moment, he said, “I think that’s a good idea. Are you ready?”

“No time like the present.”

“Make yourself at home,” Serena told Darrell,
once they entered her first-floor apartment. “I’m gonna call my sister. She’ll be beside herself with worry if she doesn’t hear from me soon.”

“Sure.”

Serena kicked off her shoes and trudged into the apartment, bending to pick up a couple of magazines as she made her way to the living room. On the sofa, she found one of her bras and quickly scooped it up. Had she known she’d have company, she would have cleaned the place before she’d left.

Serena did a final sweep of the area, satisfied that there wasn’t anything in the living room that shouldn’t be there; at least, not anything that would embarrass her. She started off, then paused. “You want a drink or something?”

Darrell lowered himself onto the sofa. “I’m cool. Go ahead and call your sister.”

“Okay.” Serena hustled out of the living room and went to her bedroom, where she closed the door behind her. She threw the magazines and her bra onto the foot of the bed, then sat on the bed’s edge. She reached for the phone on her night table and punched in her sister’s number.

“Thank God!” Kiana exclaimed when she answered the phone. “Where have you been?”

Serena chortled. Clearly, her sister had checked her caller ID box before answering the phone. “Hey, sis.”

“I thought you were going to call me ages ago.”

“I was.” Serena sighed. “It’s been a long and interesting day, that’s for sure.” Serena explained what Darrell had found at the house about the online auction, how the house had been ransacked once they’d left, and that they were now at her apartment.

“Oh, my God. Serena, tell me you now realize this is serious business.”

“I guess I can’t deny that any longer.”

“What did the police say?”

Serena hesitated. “Well…nothing, really.”

“What do you mean ‘nothing really’? You called them, didn’t you?”

“Darrell didn’t want to call the police,” Serena replied matter-of-factly.

“What?” Kiana moaned her displeasure. “Serena, don’t you think that’s a
little
fishy?”

“Actually, I think he has a good point. The police are only interested in arresting Cecil, at which point, who knows if I’ll get the necklace back. I mean, what if he’s sold it to someone and he’s the only one who can get it back? If he’s locked up, that’s not going to do me any good.”

“I don’t like this, Serena. Not one bit.”

“I don’t like it either,” Serena conceded, “but what am I supposed to do? Kiana, I have to get the necklace back.”

“You need to let the police handle it.”

“If I thought they were going to make the necklace a priority, I would. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against calling the police. But I agree with Darrell that we need a few more answers first.”

“And if the necklace is gone for good?”

“I can’t allow myself to think about that.”

“The necklace isn’t worth all this.”

Every time Serena considered that exact thought, she dismissed it. The necklace symbolized her hopes and dreams, and if she gave up trying to find it, she might as well give up her plans for the future.

“I’ll be fine. I’m with Darrell—”

“And that bothers me, too. The man isn’t only Cecil’s brother, he’s his twin. Who’s he really looking out for—you, or Cecil?”

Kiana’s words gave Serena pause. Blood was thicker than water, as the saying went. Darrell’s loyalties undoubtedly lay with his brother. Yet Serena didn’t doubt for one minute that Darrell wanted her to retrieve the necklace as much as she did.

After a long moment, she said, “He has nothing to gain from me.”

“Who knows? If he’s anything like his brother, maybe he’ll want the necklace, too.”

“No,” Serena said confidently. “That’s definitely not the case.”

“If I were you, I wouldn’t trust a member of that family as far as I could throw him.”

“Like I told you before, he’s different,” Serena replied, meaning every word. “I can’t put my finger on it, except to say that with Darrell, I absolutely
know
he’s a man of his word. I think where Cecil was concerned, I just wanted to believe that.” Serena paused. “You’ve heard of that whole good-twin/bad-twin thing. With Darrell and Cecil, it’s obviously true.”

“Okay, fine. You can trust him. But anyone looking for Cecil will think Darrell’s him. Someone already ran you guys off the road. They broke into Cecil’s house. That is too close for comfort, Serena. And if you continue hanging out together…? Am I the only one who sees this?”

Serena blew out a long, weary breath. As much as she wanted to dismiss her sister as a worrywart who was making a mountain out of a molehill, she had a very good argument. But Serena was nothing if not stubborn. “I hear what you’re saying, Kiana. And the good thing is, anyone looking for Cecil won’t know where I live. Darrell made sure to circle the area several times as we headed to my apartment. No one was following us.”

“All right,” Kiana gave in. “I see I won’t be able to talk you out of this. I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“I do.” Serena spoke firmly. Any sign of doubt and Kiana would stress herself that much more. Yet Serena couldn’t help wondering if she wasn’t trying to convince herself that she would be all right as much as she was her sister. Serena had no clue what she was doing; she only knew that she was determined to get the necklace back one way or another.

“I asked Geoff to run a background check on Darrell.”

Of course. Even now, Kiana blamed herself for not having had Geoff run a check on Cecil. Kiana had sug
gested it, but Serena had insisted that her sister not do that, because it hadn’t seemed right. Of course, hindsight being twenty-twenty, checking Cecil out would have been the best thing.

Kiana hadn’t always been so overprotective, but after they’d lost their parents at an early age, she’d changed. The reality that one tragic event could change your entire life had hit home in a very strong way.

Serena asked, “And what did Geoff find out?”

“I haven’t heard back from him yet. I’ll let you know as soon as I do.”

“Okay.” Serena appreciated the gesture. While she trusted Darrell in a way she never should have trusted Cecil, she didn’t want any surprises. “Let me know what he says.”

“What are you gonna do now?”

“I don’t know. I suppose take a break and try to figure out what to do next.”

“Darrell’s gonna stay there?”

“Yeah,” Serena replied, as if that was the most natural thing in the world. “That makes the most sense.” Besides, they’d already spent one night together. What could another one hurt?

“All right, hon,” Kiana said, surprisingly giving no argument. “Please be careful.”

“I will. Oh, and about what I told you regarding Cecil’s house being broken into—don’t mention anything to Geoff. I don’t want him feeling obligated to look into it, or tell anyone else in the Grove to look into it. Like I told you, Darrell doesn’t want to report it—”

“
Please
be careful,” Kiana reiterated. “You really don’t know Darrell.”

“I think he’s just watching out for his brother. Like the night at the beach, he could easily have told the cops that he was Cecil’s twin and saved himself a lot of aggravation. But he didn’t.” Serena paused. “And I can’t say I blame him. I’d do the same thing for you.”

“I hope that’s all it is.”

“I’m sure it is.” If the police went through the house, they might find something incriminating against Cecil, and Darrell wouldn’t want that. At least not without finding Cecil first and helping him out of the mess he’d gotten into. “Anyway, Darrell’s in the living room, so I’ve gotta get off the phone.”

“Call me later.”

“I will,” Serena promised.

Serena replaced the receiver, then stood. She gave herself a quick once-over in her dresser mirror, frowning at her image.
Oh, what the hell. Darrell’s already seen me looking my worst. Fixing my hair’s not about to make a difference now.

That thought in mind, she headed back to the living room. She found Darrell standing at the patio doors, looking out.

Serena lived in the Hammocks, a quiet and beautiful residential area in Kendall. What she’d loved about this place when she’d moved here was the fact that the apartment backed onto a lake. Ducks frequently waddled through her backyard or swam on the lake. On days when she felt confused or stressed, she needed only to head into her backyard to find some peace.

She approached Darrell and glanced past his body to the outside. Several ducks swam on the nearby lake.

“It’s beautiful here,” Darrell commented.

“Yeah, it is.”

“I can’t imagine Cecil liking it here. This is so…tame.”

Serena shrugged. “What’s not to like? There’s such an interesting variety of wildlife. Palm parrots, iguanas, cranes, ducks. It’s like living on a nature reserve or something.”

“I guess.”

“What about where you live?” Serena asked.

“It’s a nice place. Very scenic. It’s got a golf course and a lake nearby. A pool. Tennis courts. Not that I ever get to enjoy it.”

“You have to make time.”

Darrell chuckled mirthlessly. “This trip to Miami I’ve taken—this is my vacation for the year.”

“This is hardly a vacation.”

“Disney is in my backyard, yet I haven’t been there in years. I’m too busy.”

“Oh, Darrell.”

He shrugged. “What’s a guy to do?”

“What it is with some men? All work and no play. My sister’s ex was like that. In the beginning, he liked to do things…go for dinners, go away for the weekend. Then suddenly, he got so concerned about paying the bills that he stopped having fun. So many men let life pass them by, then they drop dead of a heart attack the moment they retire.”

“It’s a good thing I don’t have a wife. Or a family.”

“Maybe that’s exactly what you need.”

Darrell tipped his head back, chortling sarcastically. “Oh yeah. That’s exactly what I need.”

Like when she’d mentioned family before, Serena felt her stomach drop at Darrell’s instant dismissal at the idea
of having one. “Kids keep you young. Make you remember what’s important in life.”

“Not for this guy, thanks.”

“Never?” Serena asked, shocked.

“Never.”

Though it shouldn’t matter to her, Darrell’s disinterest in having a family bothered her. He obviously cared a lot about his brother, and he had a lot of love to give. Why didn’t he see that?

“Maybe I had too much responsibility with Cecil. I was practically his father, and look how he turned out. I’m not good at the daddy thing.”

“You’re being way too hard on yourself.”

“Hey, some things you just know.”

Serena didn’t know what to say to counter Darrell’s conviction, so she said nothing. After a long moment of silence, she opened the patio and screen doors, slipped into her flip-flops, then took Darrell’s hand. “Come here.”

“What are you doing?”

“Just come here.” She led him onto the concrete, then said, “Wait.” Hurrying back inside, she went to the fridge and got a loaf of bread. Then she went back outside.

“Watch this,” Serena said, walking toward the lake.

“What?”

“Just watch.”

By the time Serena took a few steps toward the lake, the ducks that lazed around on the grass started toward her. She opened the bag of bread and took out a slice. As she tore it into pieces, ducks rushed to her feet.

She giggled as she dropped a piece of bread and two ducks fought over it. More ducks seemed to come from
nowhere, flying from across the lake, waddling from all directions.

“Here.” She passed Darrell a couple slices of bread.

Darrell was about to break up the slice when a duck flew up and grabbed the bread from his hand. “Whoa, wait a second. There’s plenty to go around.”

The ducks went at the slice of bread as if it were their last supper.

“I need more bread,” Darrell announced.

Serena handed him several slices, then continued dropping pieces to the ground for the ducks. White ibis appeared behind the ducks, at a safe distance, though still hoping for food. Serena shot several pieces farther away and watched the birds run to them.

“Whenever I’m in a bad mood,” Serena began, “all I have to do is come out here to the lake with a bag of bread and feed the ducks. Or, sometimes I just come out here and go for a walk. See the walking path?” She pointed to the asphalt path after she dropped more bread. “It goes for ten miles around this lake, behind several of the properties in the Hammocks. You can walk, jog, cycle. I love it.”

“These ducks are tame. They’re taking the bread right from my hands.”

“Yeah, they’re kinda like family. In a couple months, there will be a whole bunch of little ducklings. Last year, I had a mommy and her babies practically living in my backyard. It was so cute. I got to watch them grow up.”

Darrell tossed a piece of bread and watched the ducks rush for it. One duck, however, stayed put at his feet, staring up at him. He dropped a chunk of bread and the duck caught it.

“Hey, there’s Buford.”

Darrell’s eyebrows shot up as he stared at Serena. “You name the ducks? And how on earth do you know which one is which?”

“Buford is easy to spot. He walks with a limp.”

“Buford?”

She smiled. “Yeah. I don’t know how I came up with that, but I think it suits him. Here, Buford.”

Darrell’s gaze followed the direction of where Serena tossed a morsel of bread. The duck hurried toward it as quickly as possible, but the animal limped badly.

“Oh, I see him,” Darrell said.

Another duck nabbed the piece of bread Serena had thrown before Buford could.

“Hey, that was mean,” Darrell said to the other duck. Then he asked Serena, “What happened to Buford, anyway?”

“I don’t know.” She frowned. “Maybe a kid on a bike ran over one of its legs or something. Or maybe a dog got to it.”

Darrell threw bread toward Buford, but again, another duck got it before Buford could. He started toward it, but when Buford saw him coming, he swiftly hobbled away.

“You have to go slowly,” Serena said. “Gain his trust.”

Darrell stopped to turn and face her. “You take your duck feeding seriously.”