Chemical Attraction (27 page)

“What did I do now?”

“After everything that’s happened, you still haven’t told her you love her?”

“I’m a little busy with this case, Eva.” He crossed his arms and cringed in pain.

“You scrutinize every guy who looks at her,” she replied.

“I do not.”

“Yeah. You do,” Matt said, before returning to the kitchen.

Sitting on the hood of Eva’s car next to Joe’s Taurus behind the airport outbuilding, they waited for the Cessna to taxi toward them. Joe stared at the ground. “How’d you know Eva was your one?”

Smiling, Matt slid off the car. “You were there. You saw that spark. I knew the moment I saw her and then I asked myself if I could live my life without her and still be happy.”

He nodded and they walked to meet the plane. He introduced the agents to Chief Connor as they stuffed their large bags into the trunks.

Rita handed Joe her bag. “Hello, Chief Connor, nice to meet you.” She frowned when she saw his wedding band. “I’ll ride with you, Joey.”

Matt raised his eyebrow as Joe shook his head. Everyone squeezed into the two cars with Rita practically on his lap. He needed to diffuse this or it would be one long night. Parking behind Eva’s car, the guys hustled into the house. He lingered, knowing Rita would, too. She brushed up against him. Before she said anything, he stopped her.

“Rita, I’m only saying this once. This is a serious assignment.”

“Not until tomorrow.” She smiled.

“You and I will not be together in that way or any way for that matter.”

“You’re sleeping with her?”

“You and I are not happening,” he stated, before walking into the house.

“We’ll see.”

Sylvia channeled through Madeline’s body as she showed everyone to their rooms. She made sure they had fresh linen and towels. She even offered small bottles of shampoo, soap, and toothbrushes. Joe watched her usher the last two guys to the Yellow Room.

“Do you know which room you’re in, Agent Roberts?”

“I was hoping you could show me. It’s all a bit confusing.”

She put her arm in his and gently tugged him down the hall. “The Blue Room is the nicest room of the bunch. I saved it special just for you.” She turned the knob and opened the door to find Matt and Eva kissing by the window.

“Hey, where’s the tie on the doorknob, man?” Joe laughed as Madeline quickly shut the door. Finding the hall empty, he cupped her face and kissed her. “You’re going to make me sleep with Matt?”

Madeline glanced over Joe’s shoulder. “Rita, our room is right there. We have a cot with fresh linens set up for you.” She then whispered to Joe, “Would you rather sleep with Rita?” He winced as she followed Rita into the room. “I know it’ll be a tight fit, but we have only the one room for the women.”

Rita set her bag on the cot. “Don’t tell me. This is the Pink Room.”

Knowing Rita would be even more difficult, Madeline bit her tongue. “Eva will be staying with us. She’s married to Chief Connor and is Joe’s sister.”

“Joe’s sister, huh?”

“If you need anything, please let me know.” Madeline hurried out as Matt closed the Blue Room door.

“You’re making me sleep with Joe?” Matt said to his wife.

Madeline smiled as she entered the living room. Leaning back against the baby grand with his ankles crossed, Joe waited for the rest of his agents. Matt joined him at the front of the room while Eva stood next to her in the back. Rita sauntered past them to stand a foot from Joe. Smiling at Madeline, Rita stepped closer. Madeline grinned back.

“What’s her problem?” Eva whispered.

“She saw Joe kiss me and isn’t happy about it.”

The agents stopped their banter and listened to Joe’s rules. “Everyone stays in the house. I don’t want anybody wandering around outside drawing attention. You will show Chief Connor his due respect. He is my second.” Joe commanded the room. His agents stood silent and serious. “We have two hours before dinner to discuss tactics. We’ll go over details afterward. Questions?”

“What are we looking for in your second phase?” lanky Agent Ray Anderson asked.

“That doesn’t concern you at this time. Your job is to secure the BennTech building. Nobody gets in or out.”

Joe referred to his drawings that he had spread out on the piano top. The group gathered around with Rita squeezed in beside him. The ladies returned to the kitchen to prepare the meal. With the lasagna, they planned salad and garlic bread. They also had iced tea, coffee, and pop with Minnie’s blueberry and apple pies.

“Are you going to let her get away with that?” Eva asked as she chopped vegetables for the salad.

“What do you want me to do? He said nothing’s going on. I believe him.”

“You have to do something,” Eva said, mutilating the tomato.

“No, I don’t, although we could short sheet her cot.”

“Or take out a few springs.”

Madeline sighed. “Are you up to assisting me tomorrow?”

“Yeah, but you need to go over again what we’re looking for.”

She motioned to the shadow in the hallway. “I will later.”

Eva nodded and stepped toward the door with her knife. “Rita, the onions need slicing.” Rita quickly turned away.

“Remember to check our bed for snakes and spiders,” Madeline said.

Since the table wasn’t big enough, they set the food out buffet-style. Some took their plates upstairs with a firm warning from Joe. “I saw the owner punch a guy in the nose and knock him down, so don’t mess with her house.” Madeline smiled. Her aunt had bragged about that for the entire day.

“Joe,” Matt said, walking into the kitchen, “I just got a call and you’re needed.”

“What’s going on?” he asked, setting his half-full plate on the counter.

“It’s about your red tie friend.”

Joe turned to Madeline. “Can you hold down the fort?”

She nodded as he grabbed two pieces of garlic bread on the way out the door.

“Security found a man in a red tie with a broken neck at BennTech,” Matt said, pulling into the parking lot. Another of his officers had put crime tape around the area of a Lincoln Town car. He and Matt walked to the perimeter.

“I’ll observe from back here,” Joe said, staying by the warning tape. He wanted to remain undercover for as long as possible. He’d keep an eye on the crowd.

Matt nodded and met with Officer Steven Prichard and June LaValley. “Steven, June, fill me in.”

June started. “After my shift, I walked past the Lincoln. I thought someone was sleeping until I looked in to see Alan Shaw’s head bent crooked. I immediately called you guys.”

“I secured the area. June saw the gun and silencer on the floor by his feet and then I called you directly,” Steven replied.

“June, you said his name is Alan Shaw. He works here?”

“Yeah, he’s our Chief Financial Officer.”

“Why would he have a gun?”

“I have no idea, Chief. He’s never had one going through security in the morning.”

“Steven, start processing outside the car. June, is there any footage for the parking lot?”

“Ours starts at the front door, sorry,” she replied.

With gloves on, Matt checked the clip. As Joe stood behind the tape with a few other people, he watched Matt casually hold up three fingers. Joe immediately walked a few spaces over and searched the ground. Matt continued a basic look around the inside of the car. Bullet holes in the roof took care of two of the three shots.

Carrying an armload of flu vaccine, Amanda walked over to Joe. “Hi, what’s going on?”

“Someone was killed,” Joe replied.

“Oh, wow, I wonder who?” she asked. He shrugged. “Is Eva okay? She left in a hurry earlier. What happened with Dr. Russell?”

“What do you mean?” He picked up the bullet from the ground with a tissue and put it in his pocket.

“At the hospital, Matt punched Dr. Russell in the face twice,” she said, shifting the vaccine in her arms.

“Here. Let me help,” he said, taking the five stacked cases. “Matt punched him?”

She popped open her trunk and he set them down. “You should see him. His face is swollen like a purple pumpkin.”

“What’s the rumor mill say?” he asked.

“Nobody’s sure. I think he made a pass at her. Thanks for the help. I gotta get these refrigerated.”

He’d check into that. Matt didn’t lose his temper often. When he did, it was because someone had threatened the family.

With the dishes finally done, Madeline walked into the living room to find Joe’s agents and Matt’s officers bored and antsy. She heard Ray complaining about not having a TV. Seeing Ethan sitting on the piano bench, she walked over and sat next to him. “Do you play?” she asked.

“No. My grandmother has an upright. Around the holidays, she would play.”

“That sounds like fun. So you sing?”

“A little,” he replied, shyly looking around.

“Come on, Ethan. You have a great voice. Sing that Josh Groban song,” Eva said, resting her elbows on the end of the piano.

“‘You Raise Me Up’?” Madeline asked with a smile.

He nodded and stood next to the bench. She adjusted her seat and found the right key. She played as Ethan sang. Amazed, she looked at Eva, who nodded and grinned. The guys in the room stopped talking and listened. By the time the song was over, everyone had gathered around the piano. She noticed them crowded around Eva.

“Okay, who’s next?” Madeline asked as the group clapped for Ethan.

“What songs do you know?” Bobby Callahan asked, standing to Eva’s left.

“You name the song and I’ll play it, but the catch is you guys have to sing it.”

“What happens when you don’t know the song?” Ray asked.

“I worked at a piano bar in college. I’d take a shot of Jack back then. Now, you’ll have the respect of Stumping the Booey. How about this one?” She started playing Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer.”

As they sang, she watched Eva stiffen at the closeness of the agents. Bobby also noticed Eva’s tension and stepped back. He gently moved her between him and Brayland. Eva smiled and patted Bobby’s arm.

The guys sang the songs not caring that they were out of tune. They accepted her challenge to find a song she couldn’t play. They laughed as she continued with their requests. She played Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline,” Garth Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places,” some Beatles, Billy Joel, and more Elton John. Except Rita, who stewed with her arms crossed in the corner chair, they were having fun before a stressful day. Eva seemed to relax and enjoy the agents’ goofiness. Madeline had known her as a strong woman, but she had been skittish with good reason. She knew Eva would bounce back in time.

After three hours at the scene, Matt parked Eva’s car next to the B & B. Every light in the house was on and they heard men singing from where they stood on the sidewalk. Joe stormed to the door.

“Are they trying to make me mental?” he mumbled to Matt. Using his key, he stepped into the parlor to find Madeline pounding on the piano and his agents singing Madonna’s “Like a Virgin.” “Are you guys out of your frickin’ minds?” he yelled.

Madeline abruptly stopped and placed her hands on her lap. The guys turned to face him. “Hey Joe, Madeline has played every single request. She used to play in a piano bar,” Tim Orr said, standing to his full six-five height and crossing his huge arms.

“Do you not understand the concept of lying low?” he asked through his clenched jaw.

“Joe, I tried to tell them, but Madeline continued to play anyway,” Rita said, jumping up from her chair to stand by him. She faced the glares of the agents.

“I didn’t realize how loud we had gotten. It’s my fault,” Madeline replied.

“We were bored out of our mind. There’s no TV or radio,” Tim said, coming to her defense. The men nodded.

“Well, choir practice is over, gentleman. We have work to do. Let’s go.” He left for the kitchen with the group following.

Rita walked over to Madeline as Eva and Ethan watched. “Enjoy him while you can. I’m his new partner on his next assignment.” She sashayed into the kitchen while Madeline looked down at the piano keys.

“Rita didn’t say a word about the noise. Why didn’t you call her on it?” Ethan asked.

“Tomorrow is a dangerous day for all of you. I don’t want to cause friction within the group.” Madeline thumbed for him to get going.

Eva and Madeline stayed behind. They were part of the second phase, not the first. She saw sadness in Madeline’s eyes at Rita’s comment. She doubted her brother would have her as a partner. She figured Rita had a father higher up in the FBI who had pulled strings for her. Joe had better get a clue, she thought. For as much as she wanted to say something to Madeline, it wasn’t her place.

“It’s just you and me. I haven’t heard you sing at all. Let’s hear something mellow,” Eva said.

Madeline nodded and started fingering the keys. She softly sang Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” Eva felt the anguished sorrow in her words. Madeline’s voice made her heart ache.