Person of Interest (A Celeste Eagan Mystery) (19 page)

Muldoon shook his head and smiled broadly but didn’t answer.

Levi walked in and I shut the door. “How’d you get the key in the lock by yourself?” His arms were loaded down with bags. An umbrella was wedged between his neck and the side of his head. It took some doing but I pried it loose and set it to dry next to Muldoon’s umbrella. Then he pushed past me and stopped so quickly I smacked into his back.

“You have company.”

“Levi, you remember Detective Muldoon, don’t you?” I leaned closer in the guise of kissing his cheek and whispered, “Ixnay on the plans for Thursday.”

“Got it.” He shifted the bags in his arms. “How are you this blustery evening, Detective?”

“What’s in the bags?” I interrupted any conversation the two might get into. “What did ya bring me?” I stood up on my tiptoes and tried to peek inside but Levi shifted the bags.

“Have you eaten?” he asked instead of answering me.

“I—”

“Something other than ice cream?”

He knew me too well. “Nope.” I turned so I could see both Levi and Muldoon. “I was just about to offer to fix the good detective something.”

“Gracious.” Levi twisted his mouth up in a grimace and squeezed his eyes tightly closed. “Then I got here in the nick of time.” He looked at me. “Are you trying to get thrown back in jail with your cooking?” He shifted his gaze to Muldoon. “Assaulting an officer?” He tsked.

“I am not a bad cook.” Did I or did I not save Annabelle’s date with my pot roast recipe? Granted she’d set her food on fire, so mine was definitely a step up.

“No, you just lack inspiration.” Levi scurried down the short hall to the kitchen. “I have mu shu pork, kung pao beef and broccoli beef. Regular and fried rice. Oh and some egg rolls and wonton soup.”

“You got takeout.” Lack inspiration? I could have called for takeout.

“I also stopped at the grocers and got you some bread, milk, coffee and cereal. Your pantry was bare the last time I peeked in.”

Which was earlier that morning. “Thanks, hon,” I yelled after my friend. I waved Muldoon to follow me back.

He set his hand at the small of my back and leaned in to whisper, “Did you call him and ask him to pick up food?”

“Sadly, no. That’s often how he arrives—loaded with food.” I smiled up at him and was rewarded with a rare flash of his pearly whites. “Can you stay and eat?”

“Sure. Why not?”

Levi had already gotten down plates and set the table for three. He was filling glasses with ice when Muldoon and I walked into the kitchen. He glanced over his shoulder as he set the first glass in the water slot on the fridge. “So, Detective, where are we at in our case?”

“
Our
?” Muldoon moaned as he eased into a seat at the table. “Him too?”

“He’s coming around, Levi.” I popped open the kung pao beef and scooped some onto my plate. “But he still has that silly old code of ethics the police department makes him go by.” I nudged Muldoon’s shoulder and winked at him.

The three of us ate and chatted. But we didn’t discuss the case. Turned out Levi and Muldoon had a mutual friend of sorts. One of Levi’s first house sales was to a buddy of Muldoon’s. Small world. Okay, maybe living in Peytonville, Texas, it wasn’t all that small. If you have a job, shop for your own groceries and go to church, you’re bound to run into at least a quarter of the residents.

Levi, like myself, was a non-Texas transplant—seldom did he let on he was born and raised smack-dab in the middle of New Jersey. He and I had to start building up those connections of who knows who from scratch. Since I’d married into a Peytonville family, my degrees of separation lessened considerably. It was hard to believe I’d never seen Muldoon before. He would stand out just about anywhere he went. Those broad shoulders alone would draw your eyes. If you were close enough to see his strong jaw and gorgeous eyes...he was not a man easily forgotten or missed.

I shook myself and grabbed another egg roll as they continued to talk. The two men conversed easily. I can admit, I was a little jealous at how effortlessly Levi meshed with people. Very few people weren’t charmed by Levi after only a few minutes. I think I’d married one of the only people he hadn’t won over. I sat back and enjoyed the instant camaraderie between Levi and Muldoon, for once not the center of the conversation.

My hip started vibrating. I plucked my new phone from my pocket. The screen showed an unknown caller. I pushed the talk button. For a long moment I didn’t think anyone was there and said hello again. Finally the person on the other end whispered something that had my heart pounding, but they hung up before I could ask who was calling. My shaking fingers dropped the phone down to my lap.

“What is it, sweets?” Levi patted his mouth with his napkin and leaned forward. “Is everything okay?”

“The caller said, ‘You won’t always have protection.’”

Chapter Seventeen

Sitting on Muldoon’s sofa, I hugged my overnight bag to my chest. After he’d called the station and started whatever it was he’d had to do to get a trace on my cell phone, he’d ordered me to pack a bag. He was taking me into protective custody. With him and only him. Ugh.

I’d argued that I could just go stay with Levi. Whoever was playing these sick games couldn’t know where my friend lived. But the last thing I wanted was for whoever was after me to get to Levi. I figured he’d be safer without me so I begrudgingly agreed to let Muldoon call the shots. Once that was settled, he barked out instructions and less than an hour later we were headed out. To his house. Which was only seven minutes and thirty-four seconds away—yes, I watched the clock that closely.

Originally, I thought I’d end up locked up rather than on a beautiful leather sofa. On the one hand, I think I’d much prefer the six-by-eight jail cell to the intimacy of a manly decorated space ten times the size. Especially given the strange dance the two of us were in. On the other hand, I didn’t have a choice so it was all moot.

I was mentally drained but strangely wide awake. When I crashed—and there would most definitely be a crash—I knew that even as anxious as I was at Muldoon’s house, I’d sleep well with him nearby.

Muldoon had been on the phone since we’d pulled into his garage several hours earlier. I’d parked myself on his sofa, making myself into the smallest ball of a person as I could and sat with my mouth zipped and my ears open. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d stayed so still or quiet. Try as I might, though, I hadn’t been able to glean a single thing that made sense as he spoke to this person or that. He’d finished the most recent call and tapped endlessly on his phone. It was approaching
midnight and my eyelids were drooping.

“Can I show you to your room now?”

“No, thanks, Warden. I’m good.” And apparently a little snippy to boot.

The detective eyed me for a long moment, punched a few more buttons, then returned the cell phone to his ear. He paced in front of a huge natural rock hearth. It was gorgeous. Well, the man and the hearth, but the hearth was extraordinary. Built with varying shades of gray and black rocks, it expanded from the hardwood floors up to the ceiling. There was a plasma TV where one might expect a deer’s head hanging over the mantel. Two black leather sofas took up the center of the room. A man’s living room.

I didn’t realize he’d stopped talking until he took a seat on the sofa across from me. “They’re running traces on your cell phone. I called in a couple of favors. There’s an officer watching your house in case anyone shows up. We’ll catch this guy, Celeste.”

I nodded. Too tired to do much of anything else. I shivered as one chill after another whipped through me. I even tapped my foot wildly on the floor to keep from leaning back into the soft leather and closing my eyes. The crash began.

“Off to bed with you. You’re wiped.”

I didn’t argue when he grabbed my elbows and lifted me to my feet. We stood for a moment, face to face, breath to breath, neither offering anything to the other. I wondered what he’d do if I leaned up on my tiptoes and planted a wet one right on him. To be honest, I don’t think I could handle either reaction he might have. Indifference would probably be the last straw my delicate psyche could take. And if he returned my kiss...as much as I’d relish his attentions, until I was out from under whatever had gotten a hold of me, I didn’t want to try and start something. Not to mention, there would be a niggle in the back of my mind that he’d be “humoring” me, not knowing another way to comfort someone in my predicament.

At midnight, though, on another rollercoaster of a day in a string of amusement park days, was probably not the best time to try to reason out the dos and don’ts of jumping into a relationship. I yawned so hard I nearly toppled back onto the sofa. Muldoon took it as an opportunity to head me off in the right direction. He guided me down a long dark hallway to the last room on the right.

“I’m just across the hall if you need anything.” His eyes locked with mine and he waited. For what I couldn’t say.

I doubted he had the same mental struggles I did. He wasn’t in jeopardy or putting anyone else in jeopardy. He sure as hell shouldn’t be lonely. He was the type of man who had women falling all over themselves to be near him. He’d have his pick of the litter.

Finally, with a quick shake of his head, he walked back down the hall.

His scent lingered as I let myself into the bedroom. I was tempted to follow after him and say to hell with all the problems of the world. Which was when I knew I was in desperate need of sleep. I didn’t bother to flip the switch. I didn’t think my grainy eyes could take the brightness. Luckily, outside light filtered in from behind the window curtain. It gave enough illumination for me to maneuver around the room without bumping into anything. I set my bag next to me on the bed and leaned up against the pillows.

It was hard to think one phone call was enough to knock down whatever bravado I’d been waving around. I just wanted to curl up in a ball and sleep. Sleep for days if I could. I had no job to go to in the morning. Some asshole was hell-bent on making me a statistic and I was fantasizing nonstop about a man who was so dedicated to his job he couldn’t loosen up enough to throw caution to the wind and ravage me.

I scoffed. Which turned into a quiet laugh. It built and built until I was laughing so hard my side hurt. Laughed until I could barely breathe. I needed that, needed the outlet, the release. It zapped what remaining energy I had left and I took a deep, cleansing breath before lying down. I should have gotten up to change out of my jeans and sweatshirt—sleeping fully clothed was my new norm apparently—but frankly I was a goner with the warm pillow squooshed under my head.

One thing I’d decided, I definitely needed to tell Muldoon about my meeting with Beau Henderson. If he disapproved, he could take my place and ask all the questions he wanted to.
First thing in the morning, I’m telling him
.

* * *

I’m so not telling him anything
. The light of day helped me ratchet up my bravado to self-deluded again. I did have a day and half before I had to confess my plans. With Muldoon sitting across the little dinette table with the heaviest scowl I’d ever seen on a man, it wasn’t prudent to add to it just yet. And yes, I was making excuses. I could rationalize with the best of them and, in my rational mind, he had enough on his plate to not worry about a man who might not be connected to any of this at all.

“It was a throwaway phone,” he said finally in lieu of normal breakfast conversation.

“That just means it was probably someone over twelve. Anyone with half a brain and cable TV knows to use a burner phone.” I sipped my coffee. Not bad. Not a special blend of my favorite brands, but as I didn’t have to make it and it wasn’t instant, it was downright lovely. “That’s what I’d do anyway.”

I could practically hear his teeth grinding. I’d bet by lunchtime he had a killer headache if he didn’t relax. How and why I could be so blasé I wasn’t sure. Maybe having him so worked up—he had enough steam for the both of us, and then some—left little room for me to be any more anxious.

“Don’t you find it a little strange that this guy, whoever he is, would bother to take the time to warn me? I mean, do you think he warned Chad? Or Kelsey?”

Muldoon ran his hand through his hair and dropped his fist to the table. “We’ve gone all over their phone records and nothing jumped out as unusual.”

“I was thinking, why don’t I walk around out there with a big old sign saying here I am.” I was only half-kidding. I was tired of hiding, and anything that might draw the guy out in the open was starting to look better than holing up with Muldoon, both of us taking turns being tense. “You guys can catch him when he makes his move on me.”

He slammed to his feet. “That’s not funny.” He walked over to the sink. His knuckles whitened as he gripped the edge.

“Relax. Gaw. I didn’t mean it.” I did, actually, but he was ready to explode so I backtracked a little. I got up and moved behind him. I clasped his shoulders. “Did you get any sleep at all? You’re so tense.” I tried my best to massage out the knots but he was a tad too tall and so damn tense. It would take some powerful muscle relaxers and probably a big-ass hammer to conk him out completely before he could actually rest.

I settled my forehead against his back—his firm oh-my-gawd-did-he-work-out back—and sighed. I let his warmth seep into me. Tried to absorb some of his strength. “I know you think I should hide away.” Maybe if I handled the idea more calmly, and less flippantly, he’d consider it. Something had to give. “What good does that do if I have to stay a prisoner here, or at my house? He wins that way too, don’t you think? But if we can figure a way to draw him out...”

“The risk is not worth it, Celeste.” The words rumbled through him. “I wish you could understand.” He sighed. “Let’s go over this. Who has your cell number?”

“My family. Colin’s family. Levi. Everyone at school. It’s in the school directory. I put it in there instead of my home phone.”

“Who else?”

“Isn’t that enough to make it easily accessible?” It wasn’t like I posted it on every social network, but with so many people privy to it, it wasn’t like my number was private. “That’s pretty much it. I don’t have this huge social life. Levi’s about the only person I talk to besides family.” I straightened away from him.

He turned and faced me.

I craned my neck to meet his gaze. “I can guarantee that none of my or Colin’s families would be involved in this at all. His mother is scary as hell, but she’d just as soon kill you with disapproval.”

“So we’re back to the school then.”

“Haven’t you checked everyone out? You got all the names and whatnot the first day you came out. You could compare the info to the employee files.” When he frowned, I went on to say, “Before any of us were hired, we all had to undergo an extensive background check. Did you get those from the administrative offices?”

“No.”

“Mark should have given you those.” I reached for my cell to call Mark, but Muldoon still had it.

“I need my phone.”

Muldoon shook his head. “I’d rather hold onto it in case another call comes in.”

“And what if my mom calls. Or Paige. You’ve got the tracer thingy on it. What more do you need?”

He tilted his head back. “I need you to stay out of trouble while we figure out what the hell is going on.”

“And me not having my phone prevents that somehow? Come on, Muldoon. I’ll let you know the second a call comes in, assuming this guy is dumb enough to keep at it.” I stuck my lip out in a pitiful pout.

Muldoon didn’t budge.

“It’s not like the phone’s wired to blow.”

He didn’t crack a smile at my attempt at humor. He didn’t tense up either, which was progress.

I went round after round all but begging before Muldoon finally agreed to let me have it back—though he did punch a few buttons into the phone once he retrieved it from his room. I didn’t bother to ask what he was doing as long as I got it back.

He stayed right by my side as I dialed the school. Mark wasn’t too happy to get a request for the police from me, I could tell from his tone, but he agreed. “You can go up to the school and he’ll have it ready in an hour,” I said after I ended the call.

“Thanks.”

“You’re not used to getting help, are you? Do you ever work with a partner?”

“That’s different.” One dark eyebrow arched upward.

“Why, because I’m a woman?”

The hint of a smile hung on his mouth.

At least he’d finally lightened up a little. “Is it because I’m not a police officer?”

He rolled his shoulders. “I guess. Maybe. Maybe I don’t want
you
to get in any deeper than you already are.”

“So this is about you protecting me?” Little ripples of warmth filled me like every time Muldoon spoke to me in that he-man sort of way, or when he got all proprietary. The goose bumps shimmied from head to toe. I couldn’t remember Colin ever being protective. Sure, he was a little jealous from time to time, but that was more like a little boy not wanting to share a toy. It was a different and wonderful feeling to think someone put me, Celeste, first.

It was probably a cop thing. That whole protect and serve was ingrained in every fiber of this man.

“Is that bad? Wanting you to stay alive?” He said it sarcastically but there was a little hitch in his voice.

“No, I am completely in favor of the idea.” I set my hand on his chest and gently rubbed.

“What are you doing?”

“Trying to see if I can feel your costume. See if I can find the emblem plastered to your chest. Don’t all superheroes have some sort of emblem?”

Muldoon captured my hand and pinned it in place. “Funny.” His thumb skimmed over my knuckles lightly. “Are you content staying holed up here for today? Otherwise, I can get one of the off-duty officers to come by and keep you company.”

Was that meant to sound like a threat? “No, no babysitter.” I scrunched up my face. “As long as you have more than basic cable, I’m good. I just can’t abide by so few channels.”

“There’s any channel you want.” He released my hands and slid out from between me and the counter. “The fridge and pantry aren’t that well stocked, but there’s stuff in there when you get hungry. Stay out of the liquor cabinet. I’m a little afraid of what you might be like fully loaded.”

“Buzzkill.” I smiled.

Muldoon slid his own cell phone from his pocket. “I have an hour before going up to the school. If I leave now, it should give me time for a couple of interviews,” he said more as an aside than to me. He started for the door that separated the kitchen from the living room.

I rocked up on the balls of my feet. “Who are your interviews with?”

“Like I’m gonna tell you,” he called over his shoulder.

“It was worth a try.” I shrugged. “So if the home phone rings or anyone comes to the door?”

He paused between the two rooms. “I have voice mail and no one should stop by, so you shouldn’t be bothered.”