Authors: Jennifer Apodaca
Thrilled To Death (7 page)
“I've done murder investigations for a while. Most people can be driven to murder, Shaw.”
I dug in my purse for my wallet. I was going to throw money on the table and leave. “Grandpa did not hire a hit man.”
Vance leaned across the table and grabbed my wrist. “Did you go see Shane Masters?”
His grip was firm, not painful. He dropped his gaze to the back of my hand. “Tell me how you got this.”
I stared at Vance's fingers around my wrist. “It's a scratch.” Something changed between us. Even after knowing Vance more than a year, I was still surprised at the sudden chemical reaction between us.
He lifted his gaze to mine. “Did you go see Shane Masters?”
I stared back at him.
The gold points in Vance's eyes gleamed. “Of course you did. You love your grandfather and you are too impulsive. Shane Masters is dangerous. He has a record. Don't go near him again.”
I didn't know what to say. It was true that I loved Grandpa and I have been accused of being impulsive, although this time it had been hearing that Grandpa was going to see Shane that got me there. But I would have gotten around to it eventually. I also saw that Vance had done some research on Shane, including that he had a record. I asked him, “Are you giving me a warning as a friend?”
His face shifted in more frustration. “Hell no. You and I can't be friends.”
Well that was insulting. “Why not?”
His gaze dropped from my eyes to my mouth. Then to my breasts in my red top. And finally, he looked at my face again. “The sexual attraction between us is too strong.”
Ignoring his grip on my wrist, I leaned forward and said, “It is not.”
He grinned. “Then why did you lean forward instead of backward? Body language, Shaw. It tells me exactly what I want to know.” He slid out of the booth, stood up, and took out his wallet.
I glared up at him. “And that is?”
He pulled out a twenty and a five, dropped them on the table, then leaned down close to me. “Multiple orgasms.” He stood up and added, “I'll be in touch.”
6
I
didn't have time to go by the office, so I called Gabe while on my way to pick up Joel from school.
didn't have time to go by the office, so I called Gabe while on my way to pick up Joel from school.
“Sam, where are you?” He sounded a little concerned.
“I'm in my car on my way to pick up Joel.” I turned left on Railroad Canyon and then stopped for the red light at Mission Trail. “I found out a couple things, but I don't want you to be mad.”
“So I'm going to be mad?”
Probably. “Rosy called and told me Grandpa was going to see Shane.”
Gabe asked softly, “Your errand?”
I knew that soft voice. I was in trouble. “Yes. I didn't want him to confront Shane alone.” I hurried on. “And we found out that Vance was holding out. The hit man specifically mentioned that a magician sent him when the dogs attacked him.”
“Samâ”
He was pissed. “This might be easier if I just tell you everything at once, and then you yell at me.”
“Fine.”
That single clipped word didn't make me feel any better. But I needed Gabe's advice. The light turned green, and I made a right onto Mission Trail and summed up my meeting with Shane and with Vance. By the time I was finished explaining, I had woven through Main Street and was passing the lake on Lake Street.
There was silence on the phone.
“Gabe?”
“Are you finished?”
My stomach cramped. “Yes.”
“You took a damned stupid risk.”
I tried not to wince.
“I'm tied up at the moment with stuff here at the office. Once I get a chance, I'll run a check on Shane when I do the background on the women you signed up today. And I'll call my sources to see if I can add anything to what you got from Vance.” He stopped talking.
That was it? “Aren't you going to yell at me?”
“No time.”
I passed the Stater Bros on my right and said, “Look, I know you said I couldn't do this without your help and that you were busy, but I'm worried about Grandpa and Nikki, Rosy's granddaughter. I have to do something. And I couldn't let Grandpa confront Shane alone.”
“You could have told me you were going there.”
“But you had just told me you didn't have time to help me. He's my grandfather.” Anger bubbled under my breastbone. I was caught in the middle. And now that I had met Shane, I was even more worried. “Grandpa went home to start trying to figure out who sent the hit man. He is devastated that someone in his group could have done that.”
Gabe's voice softened. “I know. But you don't have the training to leap into situations.”
“Gabe, I'm always going to leap. It's who I am.” He once told me to take the leap and he'd be there to catch me. Was he feeling the burden of that now? The idea of moving our businesses side by side and my training for my PI license had seemed romantic, but was the reality something different?
“I need to go, Sam. I'll call you when I have the information for you.”
“Gabe.” What did I say?
“What?”
Or maybe I was jumping to conclusions and Gabe was just tired. “Come to dinner tonight. You and Cal. You're both going to be tired; at least come over and have dinner. Bo makes a great jambalaya.” It was the best I could do for now.
“All right. Later.” He hung up.
Â
“So when are you going to tell us your news?” Joel asked for the fifteenth time. He'd been following Bo around ever since I picked him up from school. When we got home, Bo had been cooking in the kitchen and singing in his rich voice. Grandpa was unusually quiet as he worked on his computer.
Bo stuck the pan of bread in the broiler and laughed. “Not yet.”
Joel took the huge bowl of salad that Bo handed him and set it on the table. “Did you bring your capes with you?”
“Sorry, dude. I don't usually cook in my capes.” He winked at me as I sat out bowls and plates. “Cooking is a different kind of magic.”
TJ finished setting up the six-foot folding table end to end with the picnic table on the patio. He came in the opened sliding glass door and stepped over Ali, who was sleeping. “How come you like cooking?”
I looked at TJ in surprise. Joel was everyone's instant friend. And since Bo was a magician, that made them best buddies. But TJ, he was more suspicious and standoffish. They both had met Bo, but it had been a couple years since they had seen him.
Bo glanced over at him. He seemed to judge TJ for a second, then said, “Life on the road is full of motels and no kitchens. I'm at the mercy of fast food and greasy diners. When I'm not on the road, I enjoy the process of cooking. It sort of makes me feel like home, I guess.”
I smiled at Bo. He's been teasing with Joel, but he got that TJ asked a serious question. I think Bo understood TJ was trying to get his measure and figure out if he should trust him.
TJ looked at me, then flashed a grin. “Mom tries to get out of cooking.”
I made a face and tossed a tablecloth at him. “Put that on the table, smart guy.”
TJ caught it and headed toward the slider, then he stopped. “Mom, how come Ali's sleeping?
I looked over and frowned. “She's pouting. Bo doesn't love her.”
“Typical female,” Bo said unapologetically. “I'll probably have to buy her flowers.”
“Try beer,” Joel suggested.
Bo set down his glass of iced tea. “No foolin'?”
“She's a lush,” Joel said. “But she's the best dog in the world.”
Bo shrugged. “Okay, I'll take your word for it.”
“Mom, when is Gabe getting here?” Joel asked. “What's his brother like?”
“He's like Gabe, I guess. He's a fireman.” On a time-out, whatever that meant.
TJ walked in from the patio. “So if Grandpa and Fletch start something on fire, he can save us?”
I mock groaned. “Fletch is coming? Where are the fire extinguishers?”
That finally got Grandpa's attention. He got up from the computer and said, “Sammy, it's all an act with Fletch. You should remember that.”
I instantly felt bad. Grandpa had come face to face with what he believed was his failure in Shane today. I had to lay off teasing Fletch. “I know, Grandpa. I've seen his shows. I know how talented Fletch is.”
“He has big news too!” Joel said, turning back to Bo. “Fletch is performing at the House of Cards
.
We all have tickets.”
.
We all have tickets.”
Bo nodded. “That is very big news.” He went to the oven to get the bread out. “I love the part of his act where he keeps vanishing all his assistants by accident. It cracks me up every time.”
I went to help Bo put the bread in a towel-covered basket. “He does have the comic flair,” I said.
Ali barked and got up from her place by the sliding glass window and ran joyfully to the front door.
“Gabe's here!” Joel announced, and raced to the door.
Bo looked at me. “How does he know who is at the door?”
I wiped my hands on a towel. “Ali. She knows Gabe's truck, and that's her Gabe-bark.”
Bo made an impressed face. “Animals aren't my thing, but that's cool.”
“Finally met a female you didn't want to charm? Who knew?” I grinned, then added, “I'll be right back.” I turned and headed to the front door, then laughed at the scene. “Joel, you and Ali need to let Gabe and Cal in.” Ali had jumped up to put her front paws on Gabe's shoulders to greet him while Gabe held a bakery box out of her reach. In the meantime, Joel was talking a mile a minute to Cal, who had a grocery bag in his hand. They were still on the porch. Cal looked relaxed and appeared to be answering Joel. I hurried over and put my hand on Joel's shoulder. A small part of my heart worried that Joel had been scarred by his rotten dad and was therefore desperate for male attention. But most of my heart knew that was just Joel. He was outgoing and thought every minute was a new adventure.
Joel was still talking. “. . . so Ali is special because she was trained as a police dog.”
Cal turned and looked at Gabe scratching Ali's ears. “I can see that. She looks like she's very smart.”
I used my hand on Joel's shoulder to guide him back from the door. “Hi Cal, come on in. We're just about ready to eat. Cal looked freshly showered and had on clean jeans and a button-down shirt. His lip had scabbed again. I hoped he could eat the jambalaya. He stepped in, then leaned down and kissed me on the cheek.
“Thanks for inviting me. I'm starved.” He held up the bag and added, “I brought wine. I'll find the kitchen.” He headed off in the right direction.
I turned back to look at Gabe. Ali had gotten down and trotted over to follow Cal into the kitchen. Gabe came in and closed the door. He had on a green shirt and black jeans. “Are you hungry?” I asked him.
He did his wicked grin. “Oh yeah.”
My stomach somersaulted. It was official, I was a hussy. “Good. Bo cooked a lot of jambalaya.”
He laughed, then reached out to wrap an arm around my waist and pull me to him. To his mouth. Then he looked at me. “That'll hold me until later.”
“Right. Later.” God he was hot.
“I started some searches and should have the information by tonight. After everyone leaves, I'll get my laptop and we'll see what we got. Cal drove his truck so he can get home on his own.”
I nodded. Work. Could we work in my room naked? I glanced at my sons chatting with Cal as they walked with him into the kitchen and had a moment of shameful regret. The boys needed a mom not a sex addict.
“We're ready!” Bo announced.
I was ready. But Bo meant dinner, not sizzling sex with Gabe. I turned out of Gabe's arm and headed to the kitchen. The food was all laid out on the table so we could fix our plates and take them to the backyard. I looked at TJ and Joel. “Don't feed Ali any of this stuff. It's not good for her.”
They both rolled their eyes.
“We know, Mom,” TJ said in teenage exasperation.
Bo looked up from where he was serving bowls of jambalaya. “Feed my masterpiece to a dog?”
I laughed at the outraged look on his face. “Go eat, Bo. I'll finish dishing this up.” I elbowed him out of the way.
“Come on, TJ and Joel. You can taste my food and tell me how gifted I am. Then I'll do some magic for you.”
“Awesome!” Joel took his plate and bowl, then bounced alongside Bo. “I can do the cups and balls trick. I'm pretty good. Grandpa says so. . . .” His voice faded.
I looked up at Grandpa. “He loves magic.”
He nodded. “He's got passion for it. But he loves a lot of stuff, Sammy.”
Warmth and love for this man washed up the back of my throat. I knew he wanted Joel to love magic like he did, but more than that, he wanted Joel to be Joel. “Either way, he's lucky to have you.” I handed him his bowl of jambalaya. “Now go watch and make sure he doesn't keep Bo from eating.” I grinned at him just as the front door flew open.
Fletch limped into the house, stopping to pet Ali. “You would not believe my day!”
I stared at him. Now he looked like Tobey Maguire after he'd been run over by a weed whacker. His brown hair sprung up here and there, his shirt was untucked, and his right pant leg was torn. “Fletch.” I moved out from the back of the table toward him. “What happened to you?”
He stopped petting Ali and looked up at me with a slightly off-center grin. “I was looking at a dirt bike I wanted to rent. Somehow it fell and hit my leg.
“Ouch,” I winced. That had to hurt.
Fletch looked around the house, then back to me. “I didn't exactly notice how much it hurt right then 'cause I fell backward.”
“Oh. Did you hit anything?” I forced real concern in my voice to cover up my first thought, which was that I had finally found a bigger klutz than me.
“A row of those little dirt bikes. They went down like dominoes with me on the very top.”
I heard two male snorts and turned around.
Gabe and Cal stood there, both with straight faces. “Stop that,” I hissed. Their innocent faces didn't fool me.
Gabe moved past me and stuck his hand out. “I'm Gabe, and this is my brother, Cal.”
Fletch shook their hands. “Hi, I'm Fletch. So you are Sam's boyfriend. I've heard a lot about you.”
Grandpa called out from the table. “Fletch, come on in and get some dinner. Bo cooked.”
I looked over my shoulder at him. “Grandpa, can you serve Fletch dinner and I'll get some ice for his leg?” I turned and headed around the corner of the kitchen and went to the freezer. I was grateful now that Grandpa had stayed home to do his Internet sleuthing and hadn't gone with Fletch to the motorcycle shop. No telling what trouble the two of them would have gotten into. I filled a zip-lock bag with ice, then realized that Grandpa had served Fletch and taken him outside. That left Gabe and Cal to help themselves. They stood at the table with their backs to me, arguing.
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