Death Loved A Woman (Happy Holloway Mystery Book 2) (8 page)

F
lynn held
a rubber glove in his hand that Annie had given him. He pinched the edge of the sheet so tight, the tips of his fingers turned white. His teeth ground together, and his eyes burned with fury.

“This is why I told you not to get involved, Annie. I wanted to keep you safe.”

She tried to play off her nervousness. “It doesn’t actually say they’ll do anything if I don’t stop.”

He glared at her. “The person took the time to come to your house. My guess is if they hadn’t heard Shadow’s bark, they would have broken in.”

“My locks are good,” she protested.

“You have a deadbolt, the same kind on Racine Witman’s private room.” He slammed the sheet on the table and stalked over to her. “You remember that one, don’t you? The one I picked to come and save your butt when you got in over your head?”

Annie raised her chin and squared off against him. “Now, you’re getting carried away. I could have gotten out of there the same way I’ve gotten out of scrapes before.”

He appeared doubtful.

“You don’t believe me, but you didn’t give me a chance.”

“Is it your aim in life to risk it?”

“No, of course not.”

“Annie…”

She gasped when he touched her cheek. A part of her wanted to backpedal fast. Another part wanted to stand there and see what it was like to be touched by a man she liked. A cough separated them, and Annie looked over at Barbara Jean. Why in the world had he brought her along?

“Would you like something to drink, Barbara Jean?” Annie offered. “For that cough?”

Barbara Jean frowned. The only thing Annie was relieved about the woman being there was that she wasn’t hanging all over Flynn.

Annie saw real sorrow in Barbara Jean’s eyes, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that it had more to do with a fear of going to prison than the loss of her husband. Perhaps Annie was getting hard-hearted with the attraction to Flynn. She hoped not.

Flynn gazed around the room. “Where’s the dog?”

“He hasn’t come back yet. I’m getting worried. Maybe I should go look for him.”

He stomped to the side door and peered through the window. “You’re not going out there. I brought Barbara Jean with me because she’s been getting threatening phone calls. They’re more of the harassment from locals who believe she’s guilty variety, but I don’t want to take chances.”

“Well, should I call the police now?” Annie wondered. She hated having to call Sheriff Appleton. He’d likely agree with the note and Flynn. She should keep her nose out of this business. When she looked at Flynn, she couldn’t back off. She
wouldn’t.

From as far back as Annie remembered, she refused to allow fear to rule her life. She wouldn’t let it now because of a note.

“Not yet.” Flynn unlocked the door. “I’m going to look around and see if I find the dog. Maybe he’s cornered the idiot, and we can have someone to hand over to the sheriff.”

“Flynn!” Barbara Jean stirred to run to Flynn and grasp onto his arm. She looked so darn delicate and beautiful with her hair wild as if she hadn’t combed it. Annie loved her own hair, but if she didn’t pull a brush through the strands, she would look like a wreck.

“Stay here, BJ. I’ll be right back.”

Barbara Jean cast a glance at Annie. “In this house? It’s like a mausoleum, all old and spooky. I’m sure there’s a ghost or two.”

Flynn blinked at her.

Annie yawned and folded her arms over her chest. “Yes, Grandma Hanna has been known to roam the halls. She’s not the one to worry about. It’s Granddad Horace who’s the one to watch out for.”

Barbara Jean looked horrified, but Flynn peeled himself away from her and left the house. Annie spun on her heel and headed to the kitchen. Let the rude woman stand there behaving like an idiot. The Witman house was old, too, but Barbara Jean didn’t claim their house was haunted.

In the kitchen, Annie opened the fridge and found a package of cookies she had stuffed there earlier in the day. As usual, a twinge of pain ran through her. She’d been used to enjoying home baked goodies from her sister.

She bit into a cookie and chewed. The sugar and yummy flavors brightened her mood, and she was able to forgive Barbara Jean’s rudeness.

“Do you have any more of those?”

Annie jumped at hearing Barbara Jean’s voice behind her. She spun around and held out the package. Barbara Jean eyed the cookies with dislike and then grabbed two.

“I’m going to have to spend extra time in the gym for this.”

“For two cookies?”

“It’s how I keep my figure.” Her gaze swept Annie’s.

Annie stuffed another cookie into her mouth. “This is how I keep mine, and it’s working great. No gym necessary.”

“Why does he like you?”

Annie blinked. “Huh?”

“Flynn. He likes you. I can tell. I’ve known him for years, and in a perfect world, he would be my husband. So why does he like you?”

Annie grinned. “Because I’m fun.”

“
I’m
fun,” Barbara Jean snapped. She put a hand on a narrow hip and stuck out her chest. “In lots of ways.”

Stark fear ran through Annie, but she pushed it away. “You said in a perfect world, he would be your husband. So why don’t you make it a perfect world?”

What am I saying?

Barbara Jean hesitated. “I can’t. I love him, and he loves me. It can’t be though.”

Annie’s heart ached. Why had she been thinking of dating a man who loved another woman? That couldn’t be how things went. She wasn’t
that
naïve.

“I need money. I’m not going to be poor the rest of my life, because I’ve been there, and it sucks. I’m going to do whatever I can to get it.”

“Are you saying you wanted to marry Wesley for money?”

“I’m saying I
did
marry him for money. All I need to do is prove it. Flynn told me you found the old marriage license and that Mark took it. He probably took the second one that’s signed and proves we were married. If he didn’t, then his dad or Racine did.”

“Flynn told you what happened at the party?”

“Why wouldn’t he? We share everything, and we’re working on this case together. I don’t know what you have to do with it, unless you’re just butting in to try to get his attention.”

Words trembled on Annie’s tongue, a question about whether Barbara Jean married Wesley and then poisoned him because she felt secure that she would inherit his wealth as his wife. Then someone else, maybe Mark, had come along and foiled the plan. How could she be so foolish as to leave herself open to being accused of killing her husband?

Someone banged on the door, and Annie jumped again. Barbara Jean dug her nails in Annie’s arm. Annie yelped and shoved her away. Barbara Jean hit the wall, and Annie stared down at her arm.

The skin’s not broken. Breathe. Breathe.

Barbara Jean frowned at her as she straightened and rubbed the back of her shoulder.

“Annie, open the door,” Flynn called.

Annie ran to the door and flung it wide. Shadow jogged in, looking proud of himself. He sat down in front of Annie, and she stood there staring at him. Brambles were stuck in his coat on his back and around his mouth. His paws were covered in dirt. Annie took a few faltering steps away from him.

Flynn locked the door and tossed a duffel bag on the floor. “Looks like somebody can use a bath. Is there a bathroom on this level, Annie? Or one you use for him?”

She didn’t speak. Flynn scooped Shadow up into his arms as if the big dog weighed nothing. He headed past Annie as if he did this sort of thing all the time.

“Flynn, what are you doing?’ Barbara Jean whined. “You’re not actually going to give that dog a bath, are you? It’s her dog. She should take care of him.”

The two of them disappeared, and Annie heard Barbara Jean’s strident tones for a while until Flynn shut a door and closed off the sound. Annie moved to get a broom and swept the floor. After that, she mopped and put everything away. She tossed the used gloves in the trash and went to grab a quick shower.

So far, she and Shadow had been getting along great. Vacuuming and dusting between visits from the maid service, she could handle the dog hair. Shadow was a good companion and watchdog with a great personality. Despite all of that, she’d frozen when he walked in too dirty. If Flynn weren’t there, she would have been in trouble.

“Well, I’m not going to dwell on it.”

She walked to her office and pulled out the journal she kept. A quick recording of her experience with Shadow’s dirt and Barbara Jean’s fingernails, and she snapped the book closed. Next, to see what Flynn found outside. Then she would decide tomorrow what to do about the investigation.

As Annie headed downstairs, she grinned. Her natural happiness began to bubble up. On the bright side, she hadn’t broken down completely. Self-speaking had helped her to keep it together.

Yes! I’m making progress.

Annie reached the first floor and decided to check the bathroom on that level. She crossed her fingers Flynn had cleaned up after the dog’s bath. Even if he didn’t, cleaning the bathroom didn’t set her off. Both the bathroom and the kitchen were projects for calming her mind
. Sort of.

Flynn’s voice rose a little in anger when Annie reached the closed bathroom door. She paused, wondering if she should knock. She considered returning to the kitchen to wait for them, but something Flynn said froze her feet in place.

“I’m doing the best I can to find the license, BJ,” Flynn snapped. “If anyone finds out I was at your house the night Wesley died, we’re both in trouble. Now, be patient.”

Annie backed away from the door, shaking her head. She couldn’t have heard right and yet, she couldn’t mistake it either. Flynn had been there at Barbara Jean’s house when Wesley was poisoned?

She spun on her heel and headed down the hall. Myriad thoughts jumbled through her mind—chief of all that Flynn showed up at her house late and spent the entire rest of the night there.

Annie usually excused everyone, no matter what they did. She had analyzed her own actions and way of thinking so much she knew what motivated her. One of her biggest fears was ending up like her dad and now like Jane. She forgave people because holding onto all the hurt meant darkness in her own soul.

“He used me as an alibi.”

Annie reached the area which gave her a clear view of the side door. She spotted Flynn’s bag and crouched beside it. The last thing she wanted to do was invade someone’s privacy, not after she had pulled the stunt with Racine’s private room.

Her anger sparked hot when she thought of Flynn, and she snatched the zipper down. A change of clothes lay inside. She picked up the whiff of laundry detergent. A small toiletry bag contained an electric razor and shaving lotion, along with a comb. Was he planning to sleep at Barbara Jean’s house but had stopped at hers to see the note?

She ground her teeth together as she opened the zipper on a side pocket. Her fingers curled into her palms when she found the drug store bag. The emblem read
Witman Drugs
, and the paper bulged as if it contained a bottle. Annie’s throat dried.

Shadow appeared beside her and dug his nose into the bag. Annie started to push him aside and stopped. If Shadow was freed from the bathroom, that meant Flynn had come out. She took her time climbing to her feet and turning around. Flynn stood several strides away.

“Annie.”

“Get out of my house,” she shouted. “You killed him. Get out!”

He started for her, but Annie wrenched the door opened and ran barefoot into the darkness. She was destined to keep making the same poor choices. The ridiculous part about it was she’d demanded he leave, but she was the one to run outside.

A
nnie headed toward the driveway
, intending to run in the street and yell her head off for help. That plan failed within a few steps of her side door when Flynn caught up to her and hauled her off her feet. The man was pretty strong.

She flailed, kicking at his legs and trying to hit him with her fists. “Let me go!”

“Annie, come inside, and let’s talk.”

Shadow barked a warning once, and then Flynn cried out. Her precious watchdog sank his teeth into Flynn’s leg and tore his pants to shreds. From the doorway, Barbara Jean screamed. Flynn dropped Annie, and she fell on the ground.

“Crap. I’m sorry, Annie. Ouch! Call him off. I won’t hurt you. I promise.”

Flynn was now also on the ground and trying to ward off Shadow’s attack. Annie scrambled across the ground on hands and feet. Her ankle throbbed all over again, but she ignored it to get to the house.

She stood and grabbed Barbara Jean’s wrist and yanked her forward. The woman tumbled off the single step and landed on the ground. Annie dove into the house.

“Shadow,” she called. The dog left Flynn and leaped over her to land smoothly inside the house. Annie kicked the door shut and locked it.

The pounding on the door started right away. “Annie, listen to me. I’m guessing you heard what I said in the bathroom, and you found that prescription bag in my duffel.”

“Go away,” she called, tears filling her eyes. “I’m giving you five minutes to escape to Mexico. I can’t go through another trial.”

He said nothing for a minute, and she strained to hear if he had left. Then he chuckled, and she grumbled under her breath.

“Mexico? Really?” Flynn said. “Annie, I’m not leaving—because I’m innocent. Let me in. Let’s talk.”

“You’re running out of time, Flynn. I’m about to dial the police.”

“I’m sorry. I beg you to forgive me,” he said. “I admit I was desperate. My friend called me saying she thought someone had poisoned Wesley.”

Annie wondered why he said his friend and not BJ’s name. Maybe because he thought it would provoke her. He was probably right. “And you believed her?”

“She was in a panic. I thought she was being dramatic. So I went over there. With my training, I know when I see a poisoning. He was dying. We did all we could, and I had her call an ambulance right away, but I also knew she would be blamed.”

“So you decided to use me.” Annie cried a little harder. She tried to muffle it, but her voice shook.

“Annie.”

His choked voice really did sound like he hurt over what he had done to her, but she wouldn’t fall for it.

“I understand if you never forgive me. I have no excuse other than I wanted to stay free in order to help her clear her name. That was selfish of me, using you like that, but I didn’t kill Wesley. If you can, try hard to give me the benefit of the doubt, please.”

“No.”

Annie looked at Shadow. He sat in front of the door, eyes alert as if he dared Flynn to come inside so he could finish what he started. She smiled. Such a good dog. Annie reached over and rubbed his coat. She tickled behind his ears a few seconds and then rose to hop into the kitchen to wash her hands.

When she returned to the side door, Shadow was still there and so was Flynn. Annie was pretty sure five minutes had passed.

“Annie?” Flynn called.

She didn’t answer him, but perhaps he sensed her presence.

“Look at that prescription bag. You’ll see there’s fresh dirt on it and teeth marks. When I tracked Shadow down, he was holding it in his mouth. I got it away from him, but I didn’t see anyone else around.”

Her heartbeat kicked up. She didn’t move to examine the bag because she had already seen the dirt. The teeth marks might be there, but she would take his word for that part since she could prove him a liar easy enough.

“I didn’t plan on telling you about the bag, Annie, because I knew it would frighten you. I was going to turn it over to Sheriff Appleton because I think it’s connected. Then I second guessed that decision.”

She clenched her hands at her sides. “Why should you if you’re not guilty?”

Darn it. She didn’t mean to confirm she stood at the door.

“Why would someone bring that bag to your house, Annie? Think about it.”

“They want to frame me for the murder?”

“Why would they want to frame you? You don’t have a motive. You just met Wesley not too long ago when you started working at the firehouse. Think about it some more.”

His voice was so gentle and encouraging, like he was her investigative instructor, and this case was one of her lessons. She resented it, but she did think about the situation a bit more carefully.

Say Flynn told the truth, and someone had brought that bag to her house. What was inside? Poison? She doubted the local pharmacy sold poison, but then just about any prescription medicine could act as a poison if given a big enough dose. Even enough sleeping pills could make it so she wouldn’t wake up again.

Panicking, she rested a hand to her chest and struggled to keep thinking. Someone brought what looked like incriminating evidence to her house, but she wouldn’t normally be a suspect for Wesley’s murder. That meant…

“They wanted to kill me and blame you,” she whispered.

“Annie, what did you say? I couldn’t hear you?”

She opened the door. He stepped forward, but Shadow growled, and he froze.

“Shadow, it’s okay,” Annie said. “Let him come in.”

The dog either understood English, or he gathered by her tone he didn’t need to eat Flynn. He backed off, but his expression said, “Keep your hands to yourself because I’m watching you.” Annie wished she could laugh right about then.

Annie led Flynn and Barbara Jean, who was strangely quiet, into the living room. She hurried to clean her feet and re-bandage her ankle. Then she donned socks and joined the other two.

Barbara Jean sat slumped in an armchair with her head lowered. Flynn stood near the fireplace, shoulders tense and expression tight. When Annie couldn’t make herself move farther than the doorway, Flynn made an effort to look more pleasant. She thanked him silently for that.

“Please, sit down, Annie. Your ankle must be bothering you. I’m sorry for causing you to hurt it again.”

She glanced down at his leg. “Are you okay? Shadow went at you pretty good.”

He waved a hand. “A scratch. What’s more important to me right now is helping you to see I would never hurt you.”

She huffed. “I don’t believe you, Flynn. I called you a hero, but I don’t know what to think now. I’m scared to trust you.”

A flash of pain entered his expression and was gone. “I appreciate your honesty. Let me say while I understand if you don’t want me to, I did come here to spend the night.”

Annie glared at him. “You have some nerve!”

He held up his hands in defense. “Annie, someone threatened you with a note. Of course I’m spending the night until I find out who left it.”

“That’s why you have those extra clothes?”

“Yes, what did you think they were for?”

“Staying at
her
house.” She nodded toward Barbara Jean.

The woman looked up and smirked. Annie consoled herself with thoughts of how she had tossed Barbara Jean out earlier. She raised her chin.

“I was thinking of calling Omen.”

Flynn’s nostrils flared. “Don’t try to play the game women play, Annie. You’re not good at it, and it doesn’t suit your personality.”

“And it suits yours?”

He smiled unexpectedly. “No, I’m not a woman. And no, I’m not going to play games. I’m trying my best to help BJ. It’s gotten complicated because I want to get closer to you.”

“Flynn,” Barbara Jean protested, “is it really time to start up a relationship with both of us in trouble now? We have to stick together, especially if
she’s
going to tell the police we plotted together to kill Wesley.”

“Be quiet, BJ.” He said the words without heat, but they managed to snap the woman’s lips together. Flynn kept his gaze on Annie. “I’m going to tell you everything that happened that night, Annie, because I trust you. I’m hoping you can trust me a little longer until I can figure this mess out or get the evidence I need.”

Annie’s stubborn nature rose. “Why don’t we all call the sheriff, and we can hand over the bag together?”

“Because my fingerprints are on the bag. I didn’t look inside, but I’m willing to bet they’re miraculously on the bottle, too. I’m not stupid enough to let that happen if I was to try to commit a murder. I’m a trained private investigator.”

“I remember,” Annie muttered.

“Now, you understand the murderer came by to get the case closed by killing you or at least attempting to and pinning me with it.”

“What about Barbara Jean?”

“They’ve already taken the license. She has no leg to stand on. Free or incarcerated, she’s out of the way because she won’t have me to help her. You’re different, Annie.”

“How so?”

He strode over to her and stopped just inches away. She swallowed while gazing into those melting caramel eyes. Flynn touched her cheek, and she wasn’t too afraid.

“You can solve this case alone, but I’m not going to let you risk your life.”

“Flynn!” Barbara Jean jumped to her feet. “You’re making it sound like I’m too stupid to figure it out, but she’s not.”

Annie burst out laughing. Another point for her. Barbara Jean straightened and pursed her lips. Flynn met Annie’s gaze, and she saw amusement in his eyes. Did he love Barbara Jean as much as everyone kept saying? His actions confused her, but Flynn was also a nice guy. She couldn’t imagine him
not
doing all he could to help someone in need.

“You’re expecting her to stay here, too?” Annie asked in a low tone.

“Please? Maybe for a day. I will crack heads if I have to. I’ll find out who’s done this. Meanwhile, you can stay close to me so I can keep you safe.”

“No.” Annie shook her head. “I have a full schedule, and I won’t follow you around.”

“Your ankle needs rest,” he reasoned. “If you stay inside, Shadow can look after you while I’m gone.”

“So I should be a prisoner in my own home?”

“Annie, please don’t argue with me.”

She considered her options. Tell Flynn what he wanted to hear and spend some time thinking about what she would do. Or she could stand there arguing with him while her ankle hurt like the dickens and remain stubborn.

“Okay, fine, but I’m not a maid or a cook,” she asserted. “I’ll order in, and that will have to suit everybody.”

Flynn chuckled. “I thought you were going to say we have to feed ourselves. I should have known better. You’ll look out for others in your own way, won’t you, Annie?”

“Stop praising her, Flynn. It will go to her head.” Barbara Jean elbowed Flynn aside to face Annie. “I’m actually a great cook. I learned it from my mother. You would do better if you learned to cook because you don’t have much else going for you.”

“BJ, I’m not going to have you insulting Annie in her house. She’s nice enough to let us stay. Act appreciative even if you don’t feel it!”

The dragon woman peered over at him, a worried expression on her face. In a flash, she turned pouty and clung to his arm. Annie figured Barbara Jean’s mother had taught her a lot more than cooking when it came to men. She sighed and hobbled into the kitchen to look for the pizza place’s flyer she had saved, because there was no way on earth she would eat Barbara Jean’s cooking.