Until Death (2 page)

Since he’d dragged a dead woman into an abandoned building without anyone noticing, it stood to reason that the guy was fairly strong. And as far as being around Bennett’s height…
we’re looking for a perp who is close to six foot three.

“I can help!” Ivy told him. “Let me stay.”

No way. “The crime scene techs need to work.” He inclined his head toward her. “I got your statement, and I’ll follow-up with you tomorrow if I have any other questions.”

Her jaw dropped. “That’s it? I see a murder and you just let me go?”

“What do you want me to do?” He eased closer to her. He had always been drawn to Ivy. “Keep you?” The words hung in the air between them, and he thought about just what he would do if he ever did get to keep the lovely Ivy.

She’d been his first crush, though he doubted she realized it. But then, most of the guys in their class had been drawn to the gorgeous Ivy. It was hard not to look at Ivy and want.

Wide, dark eyes. Full lips. Creamy skin. If Snow White were real and strolling around town, causing trouble, he figured she’d look just like Ivy.

Ivy had high cheek bones, a delicate jaw, and a body that had obviously been built for sin. He’d imagined that body—them together—too many times.

But what he’d
never
imagined, that would be Ivy, tangled up in a murder scene. He should have, though. Especially with all the drama that her family liked to cause.

DuLane Investigations.
That particular PI business had been in operation since Ivy’s grandfather opened it up back in 1970. It was a business known for attracting scandal and raising serious hell.

“Officer East will escort you home,” Bennett told her, aware that his voice had roughened. Ivy could look for trouble elsewhere. This case was his. “He’ll make sure that you arrive safely.”

“It’s not my safety that we need to worry about,” Ivy argued quickly. “I can take care of myself. There’s a killer out there! We need to focus on stopping him.”

Because he didn’t realize that. His hands curled around her shoulders and he pushed her into the back of that car. “You saw the killer,” he told her bluntly. “Did you ever stop to think…maybe he saw you, too?”

Bennett heard the quick hitch in her breathing.

That’s right.
“So, yes, I believe you can protect yourself.” He’d seen her at a shooting range before, and he knew she’d gotten her black belt in Tae Kwon Do by the time she was fourteen. “But you’re getting a police escort home. It makes me feel better, all right?” He eased away from the car.

Her hand flew out and caught his wrist. Her touch was soft, oddly sensual. “I had my mask on, too,” Ivy said quickly. “He won’t know who I am.”

He will if he lingered. If he watched…
Bennett shook his head. “If he was standing in that building while you and the cop were outside before, he could’ve heard you talking.” She needed to understand what she faced. “He could have followed you and watched until you took off your mask
or
until you gave the cop your name.” With that information, it would be too easy to track her down. “You’re getting a police escort home. Lock your doors. Set your alarm. And I
will
be seeing you tomorrow.”

Her hand began to slide away from his. Bennett’s hand twisted and he caught her fingers in his. “If you need me, call me.”

“I-I don’t have your number.”

What? Bennett shook his head. Sometimes he forgot…despite the tangled web between them, plenty had changed over the years. He gave her the number, then, just to be safe, he scribbled it down on a piece of paper and tucked it into her hand. “Call me.”
Anytime.
“I’ll come to you.”

Then he made himself pull back. Officer East stood just a few feet away, watching him with wide eyes. He wondered if this was the guy’s first murder scene.

If the fellow planned to make a career out of law enforcement, it wouldn’t be his last.

Bennett had seen too many scenes to count, but those scenes—they often replayed through his nightmares.

Officer East headed briskly toward the driver’s side of the vehicle. Bennett stepped into his path. “Keep her safe.”

Bennett’s guts were twisted over this case, mostly because…hell, when he’d looked down at that woman’s body in the abandoned building, when he’d seen her pale skin and that mass of dark hair, he’d realized—

She looks like Ivy.

Same hair color. Same build. An unease had settled heavily around his shoulders.

Officer East nodded and slipped into his car. Bennett watched that patrol car vanish, and he couldn’t help but remember another time when Ivy had been taken from him.

Years ago. Another car, another place.

That had been the day he broke Ivy DuLane’s heart.

Stay with me, Bennett. I love you.

Her words had haunted him for years. And finally, those words…they’d brought him back home.

But now that he’d finally talked to her again, finally stared into her eyes, he wondered if he’d just followed that dream far too late.

***

Ivy didn’t live far from the murder scene—and maybe that should have made her nervous. If the killer had learned her name, then getting her address would be child’s play.
And he could easily access my home.

“Ma’am?” Officer East turned to stare at her. “You want me to come inside with you?”

She glanced at the house. Far too big and rambling. Far too many spaces in there that would make perfect hiding spots. “You’re damn right I want you in there.” She’d inherited the house when her grandfather died. Part of the place had been renovated and was completely livable—the other part? Not so much.

Ivy remained in the foyer while the cop searched her house. She pulled her coat closer—
Bennett’s coat.
She’d forgotten to give it to him before she left the scene, but he’d said that he would see her the next day, so she could always return it to him then. She’d return it and grill him about the case. Because if that guy thought she was just walking away from this situation, he needed to think again.

“Clear.”

The cop’s voice made her jump. He’d done one very fast sweep of the house and the guy stood near her door now, looking eager to leave.

“Thank you,” Ivy told him.

Officer East just nodded, and a few moments later, he was gone. She locked the door behind him, then hesitated, hating that heavy silence around her. Normally, she actually liked the quiet. It let her think. But right then…

A glittering gown soaked with blood. A woman on the floor, blood around her.

Ivy hadn’t been able to do a thing to save the other woman.

She turned away from the door, walked through the foyer, and headed for the stairs. Bennett had told her to set her alarm, but she didn’t actually have one of those in the house. Not yet. She’d be making an alarm system an immediate priority, though.

She’d only taken a few steps up the stairs when her doorbell rang. The long, loud peal echoed around her. Frowning, her gaze cut back to the door. Had the cop forgot something? She hurried back to the entrance and her fingers fumbled as she unlocked it. Then she hesitated. Surely…if the killer had tracked her down…he wouldn’t just ring the doorbell…would he?

Someone pounded on the door. “Come on, Ivy, open up.”

Relief had her shoulders sagging. She knew that voice. It was her friend, Cameron Wilde. She finished unlocking the door and she swung it open—

A tall, broad-shouldered man stood on her porch. A well-cut tux covered his body and a white Mardi Gras mask hid his face.

“Hello, Ivy,” Cameron said from behind his mask. The sight of that mask chilled her. “Are you ready for a night you won’t forget?”

Her porch light glared down on them as she backed up, her heart racing.

Ivy grabbed the door and tried to shove it closed, but his fingers curled around the wood.

“Uh, Ivy?” he said. “If you don’t want to go to the ball, that’s—”

The ball?
Ivy let go of the door and grabbed his mask.

Cameron Wilde blinked at her. Even under the harsh light, he was perfectly handsome. Perfectly styled. His blond hair swept back from his high forehead, giving him an even more polished look.

“I thought you were changing out of that outfit,” he said as his gaze slid over her body. “But if you want to go straight to the ball in—”

“
Your Mardi Gras ball is tonight.
”

“Right.” His brows climbed. “That’s why we had a date, remember?” Now he sounded annoyed. “That would be why I did that whole ‘night you won’t forget’ bit before.”

She stared down at the white mask she now gripped in her hands. It was exactly like the mask that the killer had worn. And Cameron—he was about the right height. His shoulders were broad and strong.

With the mask on, and with him wearing that tux…Cameron looked just like the killer.

Only Cameron wasn’t a killer. She’d known him since she was six years old. They’d been lovers just once—one desperate night—and friends for so long that she could barely remember her days without him.

And yet…as she stared up at him…a shiver slid down her spine.

When I opened the door, it was as if the murderer was standing right before me.
Ivy edged back toward her house.

“Ivy? What’s wrong?” Then Cameron laughed. “Why are you looking at me like I’m some kind of killer?”

Because I’m trying to figure out if you are.
But she didn’t tell him that. Instead, she asked, “D-do all of the men in your organization wear these white masks?”

“Those are the ones we picked this year.” He shrugged. “I didn’t ride in the parade tonight, so I’m not in costume.”

Each year, she knew members switched up and different folks would ride in the floats so that all organization members would eventually have a chance to be in a parade. The man she’d seen that night—he’d been in a tux and a mask, just like Cameron’s.
Because he’s in the same Mardi Gras society? Because he was one of the men not riding in their parade?

Cameron was in the Order of the Pharaohs, one of the oldest groups in Mobile. They’d paraded right before her group, kicking off the night. Their ball was already rolling, no doubt packed out and…

Is the killer there?

Because it made sense. Maybe he’d been planning to attend the ball with the woman in the gold gown. But he’d killed her instead. Would he now show up there, just to give himself some kind of alibi?

“Are we going to the ball?” Cameron asked. “Remember the plan, we hit your party, then my ball? Double the fun in one night?” When she didn’t respond, his face hardened. “Ivy, what’s happening?”

Trust him.
She shouldn’t be afraid of Cameron, but she was. Because he was the right size and that mask…she thrust it back into his hands. “Where were you earlier tonight?”

He motioned behind him, and she saw the limo idling by the curb. At his cue, the door opened, and another man in a black tux waved toward her. Only he didn’t have on a mask.

Her twin brother smiled up at her. “Come on, Ivy!” Hugh yelled. “Don’t take all night.”

“I was with your brother,” Cameron said.

A woman’s laughter filled the air.

“And his date,” he added. “Shelly.” He leaned in closer to her. “Now why don’t you tell me what’s going on? Why the hell are you looking at me as if you don’t even know who I am?”

“I saw a murder tonight,” she whispered.

“What?”

Order of the Pharaohs.
“And I want to find that killer.” She spun on her heel. “Give me five minutes.”

She had a ball to attend.

Because the killer might be there…and if he is, I want to find him.

***

Ivy DuLane was trouble. Always had been, for as long as he could remember.

Did she really think no one would notice her? The damn woman couldn’t go any place without being noticed.

Bennett put his hands on his hips and glared up at the escalator. Its occupants were slowly descending to the ground level of the convention center, a line of women in their designer dresses and men in their tuxes—with tails. The men had perfectly knotted bow ties. The women had dresses that fit like gloves.

And right in the middle of that crush, wearing a green gown with a slit that exposed far too much of her gorgeous leg…was Ivy.

She was supposed to be home, safe!

Instead, she was walking right into danger, and damn if the woman wasn’t on the arm of a bozo wearing a white mask. A mask that far too many other men at that ball were also wearing.

As soon as she reached the ground level, Bennett stalked right toward her. Fury pumped through him. Did she think this was all some kind of game? The woman was crazy, way out of her league.

He stepped into her path.

Her eyes widened. Eyes now lined with shadow and mascara. Eyes that looked even darker than he remembered.

“Hey, buddy,” the guy in the mask began. “You need to step—”

“Cameron,” she said smoothly, “you remember Bennett Morgan.”

Cameron? Oh, hell,
not
Cameron Wilde.

“Ben?” Cameron’s golden eyes glinted behind his mask. “Almost didn’t recognize you, buddy!”

I’m not the one wearing a mask. And I am not even close to being your buddy.

Cameron slapped his hand on Bennett’s shoulder. “It’s been too long.”

Actually, Bennett rather thought it hadn’t been long enough. “She shouldn’t be here.”

Over their shoulder, he spotted the other couple. Ivy’s twin brother Hugh and a curvy redhead. Hugh didn’t look overly happy to see him. Not surprising, really. Hugh had once ordered him to stay the hell away from his sister.

Bennett
had
stayed away, for a time.

But he was back, and everything was about to change.

He reached for Ivy’s hand. “When I send you home with police protection, you’re supposed to stay home.” He walked right around to the other escalator—the one that would take her back up to the second level and away from the crush of people. “You’re not supposed to just stroll in here and—”

“You think the killer might be here, too, right?” Ivy asked.

For an instant, his eyes squeezed closed. Maybe he should have anticipated that she’d show up there. It had really only been a matter of time before she connected the guy’s white mask with the Order of Pharaoh’s ball.

Bennett had made the connection as soon as she told him about the mask, and he’d known that he
would
be scouting around that ball scene.

“When I saw Cameron’s mask, I knew the guy could be here tonight,” Ivy added.

His eyes snapped open. “And, what?” Bennett growled. “You thought you’d use yourself as bait here to lure out the killer?”

She blinked at him. “Oh, jeez, I hope not. I just thought I could look around and see if I saw any guys who matched his description.” She motioned to Cameron, and—as pretty much always—the guy bounded to her side.

Some things never change.

“You know identities are supposed to be kept secret in the societies,” she said.

God save him from this lunacy…Yes, he knew that.

“But since Cam is in the society, I thought he could identify anyone I saw—you know, men who fit the killer’s description. And when I knew who they were, I was going to call you.” She smiled at him. A big, wide grin that flashed the dimple in her left cheek. “Because, you know, I have your number.”

This had to stop. Absolutely stop. He felt like she was driving him to the edge of sanity.

His hold tightened on her. “You aren’t a cop.”

Her smile dimmed a bit. “I don’t remember claiming to be one. I
am
a PI, though. And private investigators…
investigate.
It’s kind of what we do. We don’t just sit at home and wait for someone else to solve all the crimes.”

Bennett could actually feel his blood pressure rising. “That woman was stabbed, Ivy. Again and again.”

She swallowed. “I know that.”

Cameron put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Bennett wanted to shove that hand away. Instead, he said, “This isn’t some game.” He looked at their group in disgust. “You’re all in way over your heads, and it’s time to go home. The party’s over.”

Hugh squared his shoulders. “I have a ticket to this ball. Do you, Detective?”

No, but he had his badge, and that would damn well be good enough.

“The only place I’m going,” Hugh continued, “is to get Shelly a drink.” He lifted the redhead’s hand and kissed her knuckles. “Shall we, my love?”

And the guy just strode away with his date, totally ignoring Bennett’s orders.

His eyes narrowed as he glared after Ivy’s twin.
Mental note
…Hugh was still an asshole.

And that left…

He focused on Ivy and Cameron. The couple most likely to wind up married, only they weren’t married. At least, some people had sure thought that. But those people had been wrong.

So was I.

“Ivy,” he began.

“I can’t get her out of my head,” Ivy said, her voice both soft and sad. Her smile was gone now. “I just wanted to look—I
needed
to look around. I was already scheduled to come to this ball, and when I figured out the link…
Bennett, she was wearing her ball gown.
She was supposed to be here tonight!”

Yes, that was why he had officers canvasing the convention center. That was why
he
was there. “I figured that out. I don’t need Nancy Would-Be Drew helping me run my case.” Especially when that help would just put her in danger. “Go home,” he ordered.

“Just let me look around!” She obviously wasn’t backing down. Same old Ivy.

Cameron pressed closer to them. “I don’t like the way you’re talking to Ivy.”

And he didn’t like the way that the guy was so close to her. They could both just be unhappy.

“I’m the only witness, remember?” Ivy pushed. “I’m here, let me look.”

Dammit…fine.
She was the witness.
And as much as he wanted to do it, he couldn’t physically carry her out. The PD wouldn’t go for that. “You stay at my side. Every single moment, got it? We look, but we look together.”

Her smile flashed again. “Thank you!”

“And Cameron…”

The guy’s brows climbed.

“You know everyone in the society?”

“I do,” he said at once, “but…you should realize anyone could have bought that mask. They’re sold at every party shop in town.” He waved his hand to the thick throng around them. “And you can rent a tux from dozens of shops. Get a ticket, get your tux…and boom, you’re set.”

Bennett knew that. With Mardi Gras season hitting hard, everyone seemed to be sporting a mask of some kind, and that kind of anonymity just worked to help the perp keep his identity hidden. The mayor was already freaking out. Murders during Mardi Gras were not good business, and he’d ordered Bennett to this ball before the ME had even loaded the victim’s body into the van.

The mayor was hoping Bennett would see something there tonight that would help him. And maybe…with Ivy at his side, he just might.

“I’ll go join Hugh for that drink,” Cameron muttered. “When you need me, Ivy, come find me at the ice sculpture. The one of the giant Sphinx.”

Bennett knew that sculpture—he’d seen it a few minutes before. It was the one next to the whiskey table…the free booze rolled nearly all night long at the balls.

Mardi Gras balls were always popular—too popular. This particular event was one of the biggest, with over four thousand tickets sold. The mayor had been the one to glumly tell Bennett that news. And since no names were taken down when the tickets were sold, he was looking at a pretty giant suspect pool.

Cameron inclined his head to Ivy then vanished into the crowd.

She stared at Bennett.

He tried to yank his gaze from her.

“We’re not together,” she blurted. “Cameron and I aren’t an item or anything like that.”

He shook his head. “I didn’t ask.” But he’d sure wanted to.

“Cameron and I are friends, nothing more. He needed a date, and in a weak moment, I agreed. Then when he showed up at my door tonight, wearing that tux and mask…” For an instant, fear flickered in her gaze. “I was scared of him. I thought—”

That the killer had found her.

His fingers slid down and curled around hers. Not keeping her hand captive any longer, but now, almost caressing her.

“You kind of stick out,” Ivy told him, her mouth hitching into a half-smile. “You’re the only man here not wearing a tux.”

No, he didn’t have on a tux. He was wearing his jeans and loose shirt—he’d been off-duty when he first saw her getting pushed toward the back of the patrol car. Hell, how long ago had that been? The night was moving at super speed, and he was struggling to catch up. His left hand tapped against the badge he’d clipped to his belt. “This is the only thing I needed to wear in order to get inside.” Besides, his men were there, too. In police uniform, not tuxes.

“Let’s start searching,” she said briskly.

He nodded, but he wasn’t holding out much hope. The mayor had ordered him there, all right, but it wasn’t as if a bright shining light would just fall on their perp.

In that crush…finding him would be a miracle. Too bad he’d stopped believing in those long ago.

Back when he’d lost Ivy.

***

They were fools. Drunk, stupid prey. The women swayed in their ridiculously high heels and barely breathed in their skin-tight dresses. His gaze swept over them all, hating them. The men were no better. Too loud. Too drunk.

Too easy to kill.

He took a drink of the whiskey and let it slide down his throat, barely feeling that burn as his fingers lifted to touch the ice sculpture right next to him. His hand trailed along the Sphinx, and he smiled.

“Cameron,” he murmured to the man who’d just appeared next to him. “Buddy, it’s been too long…”

Cameron, still wearing his mask, turned toward him and smiled.