Suspicions with Murder (A Rilynne Evans Mystery, Book Four) (21 page)

“Well, they’re lucky you’re on the case,” she said. She wrapped her arms around his waist. He looked down at her longingly as he moved his hand up and pushed the hair out of her face. His eyes shifted between hers, the gold flecks within them sparkling where the light hit.

“You’re so beautiful,” he said softly. She knew he was trying to distract her, but she didn’t care. The feel of his thumb brushing against her cheek sent chills flooding through her as her breath quickened. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

He dropped his head down until his lips caressed hers. She still felt as if she was floating when he pulled away and tugged the front door open.

She watched him climb into his car before shutting the door.

Rilynne lugged the suitcase across the house and into her bedroom. She unzipped it and pulled it open, but after staring down into it a few moments, she closed it back up. She would unpack it later.

After changing into some fresh clothes, she told Lori where she was going and headed for the bar.

It was still early when she arrived, so she decided to have lunch while she waited for Ben to finish with his call.

“What’ll it be, detective?” the bartender asked when she sat down in her usual barstool.

“A cheeseburger,” she stated without opening the menu he dropped down. “Swiss and cheddar with a side of ranch, please.”

He placed a large water in front of her before heading back to the kitchen. She was surprised as she looked around just how many people were already in the bar. She had expected the few regulars who tend to always be there, but she wasn’t expecting so many members of the department.

By the time her food arrived, she was even joined by a few of her fellow detectives.

“Where’s the maid outfit?” LaShad asked when he and Donovan sat down at a nearby table. “We were kind of hoping you’d make it a more permanent uniform.”

“You know the rules, boys,” she countered. “A uniform means everyone has to wear it. I will if you will.”

They erupted in laughter as Rilynne turned back around to face her burger. She ate it slowly, enjoying every bite as she went. She was just finishing the last of it when Ben walked in.

“How long have you been here?” he asked when he saw the empty plate.

“A bit,” she replied. “I didn’t feel like sitting home and unpacking. I’ve been having an interesting conversation with the guys.” She motioned over her shoulder. “They’re interested in the idea of making maid outfits the new uniform.” She said it loud enough for Donovan and LaShad to hear.

She turned around just as their heads shot up. “We just think it would be a good idea if Evans wore one,” LaShad stated. “I have a feeling out interrogations would move much smoother, that’s all.”

Ben seemed incredibly amused by the idea.

“Come on guys,” Rilynne said. “I think the criminals would be much more receptive to the two of you in that outfit. They would probably tell you just about anything for fear that you had lost it entirely. I’m sure I could get my hand on a few of them. Why don’t we test it out?”

They spent the next hour contemplating which member of the unit they would most like to see in the outfit. After eliminating Lori as a possibility, they all seemed to settle on Skinner.

After Steele and Tylers joined the guys at the table, the conversation quickly turned to Lori. While Rilynne sat back and listened quietly, Ben got up and walked back toward the restroom. She finished the last of her beer and had just turned around to order another one when a shriek came from just behind her.

“You bitch!”

Rilynne spun around on her stool and saw Nancy staring intently at her. The fury coursing through her face left it as red as the dress she was wearing.

“Nancy,” Rilynne started, jumping up from her seat. “What are you…
?”

“You thought you could just steal him away from me, did you?” she asked. “You quit so you could spend time with him. Well, that’s not going to happen. I saw him first, he’s mine.”

Rilynne glanced quickly toward the guys, but they seemed too amused by the situation to offer her any assistance. Before Rilynne could even begin to think of a response, the bartender walked up behind her. “Is there a problem, detective?” he asked, eyes shifting between Rilynne and Nancy.

Rilynne shook her head and he walked away.

The anger on Nancy’s face faltered as confusion settled in her eyes. Over her shoulder, Rilynne saw Ben walk back out of the restroom. His eyes widened as they shifted between Rilynne and Nancy. He turned abruptly and walked back through the door.

“Detective?” Rilynne turned her attention back to Nancy. “You’re a detective?”

“Does that really surprise you?” Rilynne asked as she lowered herself back onto the stool and turned toward the bar. “Do you really think I would have quit a job with such a highly sought after family just because someone was arrested? I don’t imagine there are many families who would pay as well as the Lewis’ do.”

Nancy seemed to be struggling to process what she had heard. “So you were just there to spy on us?” she asked several moments later.

“I was there to find the person responsible for the death of Brittney Price. I assure you I had no interest in the private matters of your life.” Rilynne was cold. She had no desire to play nice any longer. “But for the record, the relationship I have with Ben Davis has absolutely nothing to do with you.”

“Oh I highly doubt that,” Nancy said as she stepped up to the bar. She folded her arms tightly in front of her and stared intently at Rilynne. “You showed no interest in him until he started showing some toward me.”

Rilynne didn’t know whether to laugh or argue. After quickly contemplating her options, she calmly turned toward Nancy and smiled. “You’re going to believe whatever you want and there’s nothing I can say to convince you otherwise.”

“Don’t think I’m going to just roll over and let you have him,” she stated furiously. “I saw him first and he
will
be mine.”

Rilynne watched as she turned and stormed out the door. She shook her head and took a long swig from the beer the bartender sat down. “Donovan, will you stick your head in the men’s room and tell Ben the coast is clear?” she asked when she turned back around.

The guys seemed to have been watching the encounter carefully. Each had a look of pure delight and amusement sitting on their face. She was actually surprised to see that no one had pulled out their phone to record it. For that, she couldn’t have been happier.

With one last curious look at Rilynne, Donovan stood up and walked to the back of the bar. After pushing the door open. Ben emerged and the two laughed as they walked back to their seats.

“So that looked interesting,” Ben said as he sat back on the stool next to her.

“Yeah, thanks for the back up,” she chuckled as she glanced back over her shoulder. “That goes for you four, as well.”

Ben shrugged and finished the last of his beer. “So what did she say?”

“I apparently only became interested after she decided to pursue you,” she stated. “She said she saw you first and she wasn’t going to let me have you without a fight.”

“What did she say when you told her you already have me?” She didn’t need to look over to him to know his ears were flaring.

Rilynne felt her own cheeks burning, but she was too exasperated to care. “I didn’t. I thought it would be less dramatic if I just let it be. This is the last place I wanted her to cause a scene,” she stated. “I doubt I’d ever be able to live it down. I already have enough things from this case that the guys are going to torment me for. Something tells me the picture Steele took is already working its way around the station.”

She glanced over to Ben. The grin on his face told her she was right.

Worried that Nancy might make a dramatic reappearance, Rilynne and Ben finished the last of their drinks and headed back to her house.

They could hear Lori working to put Kim down, so they grabbed a few beers out of the fridge and walked out onto the back deck.

The sun was just starting to sink below the tree line. Rilynne stood back and admired the colorful sky for a moment while Ben crossed over to the porch swing.

“So did you miss me?” she asked coyly a few minutes later. She handed him a beer before sitting down next to him.

“Maybe a little,” he replied. He popped the top off of the bottle and draped his arm around her. “Life’s pretty boring when you’re not getting me kidnapped or shot.”

She pushed her shoulder into his chest before leaning back and letting her feet swing freely. “I’ve never gotten you kidnapped,” she stated defensively. “You did that all on your own.”

“Oh that’s right… you got yourself kidnapped, twice.”

She groaned as she dropped her head down on his chest. She knew she would never live that down, so there was no point in arguing. Instead, she watched the sun disappear below the tree line as the gentle breeze carried the sweet smell of peaches toward her.

“
A
m I late?” Rilynne asked as she walked through the door.

Lori had purchased the house just three doors down from Rilynne. Though the property was slightly smaller than hers, the house was a good deal larger. At two stories, it had four bedrooms and a kitchen twice the size of her own.

“No,” Matthews replied. “He should be here any minute.”

In addition to every member of the homicide department, the living room was also filled with several members of the forensic team, as well as close to a dozen officers. Everyone looked as anxious as she felt. Rilynne dropped her purse onto the coffee table, and had just sat down when she heard someone coming up the walkway.

Everyone’s attention turned to the door as it swung open again, but an echoing moan sounded when the new arrival appeared in the doorway.

“Well, I can’t say that’s the best greeting I’ve ever received,” Ben said as he walked in and sat on the couch next to Rilynne.

She chuckled and shook her head. “Oh hush,” she said, bumping him with her shoulder. “I wonder what’s taking him so long. I thought for sure I was going to be late. And what took you so long?”

“I got stuck on the phone, then had to book a last minute flight for the case I’ve been consulting on. I have to fly out first thing in the morning, but I shouldn’t be more than a couple days,” he stated when she looked at him curiously.

“Is it the same case you’ve been working on for the past few months?” she asked curiously. He just nodded. She had hoped as time passed he would tell her about the case he’d been working on, though he still refused to discuss anything about it. She was just about to question him again when someone else walked in the door.

“May I introduce Shane Alexander Vega,” Julio said, spinning the car seat around for everyone to see.

Rilynne passed the bottle of hand sanitizer around before dropping down next to the sleeping newborn. “He’s gorgeous, Julio,” she said as she scooped him up. Only two days old, he was even smaller than she had expected. “He looks just like his dad.”

He smiled at her warmly as she handed the small bundle back to him.

As he made his way around the room, she sat back down next to Ben. “It was really great of Lori to turn her housewarming party into a welcome party for baby Shane,” she said.

“Yeah, it was,” he replied. “And you were right about what you said; the baby does look just like his father. Do you think that’ll raise anyone suspicions?”

Rilynne had been wondering the same. There were only a handful of people who knew the baby was indeed Julio’s and not the son of his fallen best friend, Shane Villarreal. While everyone involved had agreed upon the story, if the little boy grew up to look just like Julio, it wouldn’t be long before people started to realize the truth.

“I hope not, for his sake,” Rilynne replied. “On another note, you’ll be happy to know that I’ve finally decided to cash that life insurance check.”

Ben looked genuinely surprised, though he couldn’t have appeared more pleased. “Well, what made you to come to the realization that I was right?”

“When I got this in the mail,” she replied as she pulled a check out of her purse. She handed it to him and watched his jaw drop. “That’s what Jared Lewis considers a paycheck for the week that I worked for him.”

“It’s five thousand dollars,” he stated, eyes still glued on the check. “What else did you do for him besides just cleaning?”

She elbowed him in the side and pulled the check out of his fingers. “You’re not funny. He was apparently very grateful that we both solved his friend’s murder and eliminated his marriage problems.”

“Well, what are you going to do with it?” he asked curiously. “You aren’t allowed to keep it, are you?”

“Oh, I wish,” she declared. “I’m going to donate it to the police scholarship fund. Having to give up this much money is what pushed me toward cashing the other check, though. Maybe I’ll use it to build that house I was talking about. I don’t see myself moving again, so perhaps it’s time for me to put down some roots. My dream house is a good place to start.”

Ben couldn’t have looked more delighted as he smiled at her. Before he could respond, Katy hurried up.

“So, have you heard the news yet?” Katy Matthews said as she sat down on the other side of Ben. Ben gave Rilynne one last grin before turning and facing Katy. Rilynne grinned to herself as she shook her head. “Well, I’ll let Todd tell you. He wouldn’t be very happy if I ruined the surprise.”

“That’s right, dear,” Matthews said as he joined them.

“Well, tell us,” Rilynne insisted.

“I’ll tell you my part, and let Katy tell the rest,” he said as he winked at his wife. “I just heard back from Avery Steele, and the bank accepted our offer on the property. We actually got it for much less than I expected, but that’s not really surprising.”

The property he was referring to used to house the cabin Nicole Benson used to hold and kill her victims. There had been stories surrounding the land long before that, though. It was rumored that one of the
previous owners had been a bank robber. Matthews had spent a good deal of time looking into the property history, and discovered that the stories had been true. He decided to buy the land in hopes of being able to uncover the lost loot. He was also going to use the new horrific history to rent out cabins to tourists.

Rilynne glanced over at Ben, and was surprised to see him appearing genuinely happy for them.

“We’re going to build four cabins and rent them out while I search the land for the hidden treasures. But Katy’s news is even bigger,” he said, turning toward her.

Katy smiled brightly, not taking her eyes away from her husband.

“We’re pregnant,” she stated brightly.