Tell Me Lies, page 20
There was also the matter of last night’s lovemaking. Calling it by any other name would be a lie. Did it mean the same to her? Or had it just been sex? A way to reaffirm living? Somewhere along the line he’d heard some shrink say that when a person faces death, they sought sex as a way to prove they’re still alive. With the head injury he really should have turned her down, but he’d done that once before and even he had his limits.
Lexie standing naked before him was beyond that limit.
Bear stood on the small deck, woofed at him and ran to the door, entering the house as Lexie stepped out.
“Good morning, Sunshine.”
With a blanket wrapped around her, she curled up in a deck chair watching him approach. “You’re up early.”
“Always. How are you feeling this morning?”
“Sore as hell and ready to hunt down the bastard who ran me off the road.”
“Understandable.”
“How about some breakfast? I haven’t even had my coffee yet.” Rafe bent down and kissed her forehead before escaping to the kitchen.
While the coffee brewed, he placed a call to the department advising he’d be out for the day, then called the hospital to check on Kat’s progress. He took the time to cook a full breakfast—well, eggs and toast as there was nothing else in the fridge—since he knew he’d need the energy for the argument to come.
“Here you go.” Rafe handed Lexie breakfast and coffee before settling in the other chair. “I checked with the hospital. Kat’s still in critical care, but her vitals are good.”
“I know. I already called before I came out.” She played with the eggs instead of eating. “I need to arrange for a rental car.”
“Lexie, you need to rest today, not be out running in circles. You don’t even have a clue who these guys are.”
“Well, I’m not going to find out sitting around here.”
“Give it a day, give your body the day to rest, to heal, and you’ll feel better. Be able to think clearer.”
The fork clattered to the plate.
“Think clearer? Give my body time to rest?” She stood, wrapped the blanket tighter in one hand and grabbed her plate. “You didn’t seem to think I had a problem thinking clearly last night or that my body needed rest then. Or do you make a habit of taking advantage of women who are fuzzy-headed?”
The door slammed in his face, rattling the panes.
“What the hell? Women!” He hesitated at the door, blew a hard breath out, and looked skyward before going back inside. “God, give me strength, because I’m going to strangle her someday.”
Her blanket was crumpled on the living room floor and Bear was greedily eating eggs and toast. He turned his head, wagging his tail at Rafe.
“Glad you appreciate my efforts.”
The sound of running water filtered through the bathroom door. His hand hovered over the doorknob. What would she do if he entered? More than likely throw shit at him—and women had lots of potential weapons in a bathroom. He turned around to return to the kitchen.
Lexie scrubbed at her hair only to be reminded of the accident when she hit a sore spot. Purple bruises covered her shoulders from the seat belt, not to mention the slight bump on her forehead from the airbag. The proverbial Mack truck definitely hit its mark yesterday. Which didn’t mean she needed to sit around on her butt, the only part of her body not to hurt, and do nothing all day. The jerk who’d done this nearly killed Kat and she would find him. And he would pay.
First, she had to get past her bodyguard or warden, depending on how you looked at it.
Rafe. The name escaped on a sigh.
Maybe she could have the rental agency meet her down the road? But how would she get out of the house without him seeing her? If this had been her parents’ sprawling mansion, piece of cake, it had more exits than you could count. But in her place, there were only the front door and the French patio doors, and both could be seen clearly from the living room or kitchen.
Not only did she need to find the driver of the truck, but she wasn’t in the mood to discuss last night. Why in the hell had she brought it up? And yeah, she could admit to herself what she said was wrong, but no way was she telling him. Besides, he deserved it for treating her like some feeble-minded, fragile princess.
Toweling off, she entered her room through the connecting door, taking care to lock both doors to the bedroom. Childish, maybe. Call it self-preservation. If he walked in on her naked, she might be tempted to repeat last night.
Did he even want a repeat? After all, she’d been the one to mention it, not Rafe. Sure, he’d been pursuing her, flirting, asking her out, yet did it mean he wanted a relationship? Or to simply satisfy a basic need? A case of any readily available female? And, boy had she been ready and available.
She’d thrown herself at him. What guy turns down a chick, especially one who’s naked?
“I’m such an idiot.” Lexie beat the pillow against her head, stopping at the pain it brought on. “Okay, don’t bring the subject up again and keep it business. Everything will be fine. The priority is the case.”
She strolled out into the living room and flipped open her laptop. “Don’t you need to get in to the office?”
“Nope, it’s Saturday and my day off.”
“Well, I’m sure you have important things to do—laundry, grocery shopping, mountain climbing—don’t let me keep you. I’m fine.” She sat down on the couch, her eyes focused on the screen, trying to ignore her peripheral vision. “Thank you for bringing me home last night and making sure I didn’t slip into a coma or whatever it is that happens when you get concussed.”
His face froze and not in a good way. Eyes squinty and mouth a steel line, while his jaw muscles flexed. Nope, not good at all.
“Trust me, it was my pleasure. Just doing my job, you know, to serve and protect.”
Still standing in the kitchen, he leaned against the counter, crossed both his arms and feet. Didn’t look to be going anywhere.
“Yesterday, I spoke with my contact up in Providence.”
She looked up.
“Bolds isn’t our guy. He’s been in rehab.”
He filled her in on what he knew about the man’s health and how for the better part of the last year the feds had watched and logged his every move, all his activities, work, leisure, family, and carnal, basically his every breath.
“What now? He was our best lead, really our only lead.” Legs tucked under her, Lexie sat back on the couch. Her earlier anger slipped away. She didn’t have the energy to keep it up and really Rafe wasn’t the problem, the situation was the issue. The fact that someone had tried to kill her and her best friend and nearly succeeded was the issue. And truth be told, she kind of needed him right then.
“We start at the beginning. Who knew the Irwins’ schedule and habits the night of?”
“Their housekeeper, Alan’s secretary, my parents and their cook, at a minimum, plus anyone either Holly or my mom talked with.”
“Pretty much covers the whole town when you factor in the last part.” His half smile didn’t cover the sarcasm in his voice. “Let’s start with the housekeeper, the secretary, and your parents’ cook.”
“What? You don’t think Annie had anything to do with this, do you? I can tell you right now she didn’t. I’ve known her my whole life, and she’s the most honest person on the planet.”
“First, everyone who knew they were going to be out of the house last Friday night is a person of interest until otherwise proved. You should know that already. Second, no, I don’t suspect Miss Dixon of anything, other than being the best cookie maker around. However, people tend to ignore the help when they’re speaking, so there’s a good chance one of them might have overheard something.”
“Since it’s the weekend, Maria Butler, the housekeeper, will be off as will Alan’s secretary.” Lexie tapped keys on her computer, suppressing a shudder as a cool breeze from the open window kissed her skin. “I have their addresses and phone numbers here. Do you want to call to see if they’ll be home?”
“No. I find the element of surprise garners a more honest, unguarded response.” His gaze dropped from her face. “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to grab a quick shower before we head out.” He raised a black backpack and she nodded an okay.
A click of the bathroom door released a breath Lexie had held in check since the breeze teased her skin. It took every ounce of willpower not to turn around to look at the source until she was alone.
“Vinnie, what are you doing here? Is Kat okay?” Tears burned at the back of her eyes, fighting to be free.
“Yeah, I’ve been at the hospital all night. She woke up this morning, and her first question was if you were okay. Once she heard you were, she went back to sleep, but her vitals are good. They’re keeping her in critical care for a while—something about monitoring her air intake and watching for blood clots and stuff. How you feeling, kid?”
The elephants on Lexie’s shoulders shrank a little with Vinnie’s update. But until her assailant and his friend were caught and Kat was out of danger, the beast of burden would remain there as a constant reminder of the job she needed to do.
The sound of rushing water shut off. Lexie glanced toward the bathroom door. “Okay. Sore. Mad. Vinnie, go back to the hospital and stay with Kat for me. When she wakes up again, give her my love and tell her not to worry. I’ll catch the bastards responsible. Oh, and warn her about her parents and brother being back in town, if she doesn’t already know.”
“They haven’t left her side and neither will I. Lexie, be careful, kiddo. Whoever is behind this isn’t messing around. Stay with the cop.”
The temperature kicked up a notch right as Rafe opened the bathroom door and stepped out in fresh jeans and a snug-fitting tee, clean shaven and wet hair messed up from the towel. Resisting the urge to skim her fingers along his smooth jawline, Lexie forced the lump down her throat. There was something innately sexy about a man straight from the shower.
“Ready?” Rafe pulled his jacket on.
His actions were unrushed, hesitant. A slow smile spread, his pupils enlarged, and Lexie grabbed her bag and rushed for the front door welcoming the cool air as it greeted her overheated body.
“Any update on Kat?” Rafe asked as he climbed into the SUV.
Lexie paused, pulling her emotions in check. Did he hear Vinnie?
“I heard you talking, figured you called for an update.”
“She woke up this morning. Would you mind if we made a stop there at some point today? If it’s too much trouble, I can arrange for a rental car or borrow one from my parents.”
“How about we go see Kat first?” Rafe backed the vehicle up and pulled out onto the road. “I know hearing she’s okay isn’t the same as seeing for yourself.”
He took her hand in his, rubbing the back, offering comfort. They filled the forty-minute drive to the hospital with talk of the police sweep. Getting one sex offender off the streets was progress, in her opinion, but removing fifteen in less than a day? Outstanding. Rafe explained this was just a test run to see how the team worked together, to find and resolve any snafus and get them ready for a full sweep, which would last two full days and could net around thirty offenders.
Lexie half joked she wished they would allow private investigators to join in. She loved her job, had fallen in love with solving mysteries at the impressionable age of nine while reading Nancy Drew. Like true best friends, Kat and she had made a pact that when they grew up they’d become detectives and have their own agency. They’d followed through, putting in their time at the big agency before striking out. Working in Hartford brought a few challenging cases, a couple of missing persons, a few unfaithful spouses, and a shoplifting ring, yet it wasn’t home.
Home brought insurance fraud and subpoenas and summonses. While all were a valuable public service, it wasn’t quite the dream her nine-year-old-self imagined. Her father routinely reminded her she could go to law school and her mother routinely nagged her to get married. However, working eighteen-hour days running from an office to court and back wasn’t the dream either. Neither was being a trophy wife.
Nor was almost getting her best friend killed.
“You okay, Lexie?” Rafe’s soft words brought the world back into focus. “I didn’t know the sound of my voice could lull a person into a coma.” His lips curved upward, teasing her.
“Guess I’m a little tired.” Undoing the seat belt, Lexie stepped out of the vehicle and went around to the driver’s side. “I really appreciate you bringing me here and keeping my mind off everything.” She headed toward the main entrance. “It helped.”
“Really? You’re not just saying that to be nice, are you? Because you looked bored out of your mind.”
“Nope, heard every word you said. When do you do the first full sweep?”
Rafe pulled the front door open for her. “Ha, if you heard every word, you’d know the answer.” He draped his arm across her shoulders, pulling her close, while they waited for the elevator. “In two weeks, it’ll be all weekend long with over fifty officers participating.”
“So cool. I wish I could go along.” Lexie stepped inside the elevator, scooching over to make room for a wheelchair patient.
The sweet little lady grumbled until the doors slid open, allowing the nurse to steer her out and down the hallway. Rafe took Lexie’s hand and led her in the opposite direction toward critical care, where a nurse refused admittance to anyone not a family member.
Lexie lied and claimed to be Kat’s sister. Rafe flashed his badge. Both were admitted to the floor and given Kat’s room number.
“I’m thinking I want one of those shiny all-access badges.”
“No, trust me you don’t. While it gets me past the lines and protective nurses, it means I have to listen to the first selectman and do what he wants.”
“I can see your point.”
Lexie stopped short in front of the window to Kat’s room. Her parents sat huddled together on one side of the bed. Vinnie leaned against the far wall in the corner, hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans, shoulders hunched, eyes on Kat.
Guilt swept through her at the sight of tubes and lines running from multiple machines, disappearing under the covers and the hospital gown. Kat’s rosy complexion was gone, replaced by shadows under her eyes, her hair limp and tangled. The sight clawed at Lexie’s gut.
Boy, would she be pissed if she saw how she looked right now.
Lexie silently entered into the room. Rafe waited at the door.
“How’s she doing?” Lexie whispered, bending to kiss Nick and Emily on their cheeks.
“She’s right here, and she’s tired of people talking like she’s dead,” a scratchy voice from the bed replied.
Lexie smiled and walked to the other side of the bed, taking hold of Kat’s hand. “I see she’s also a bit grumpy.”
Kat peeked from one eye toward her.
“What’s the matter, did you get a look in the mirror?”
The eye went steely.
“Mom, Dad, why don’t you go join Nicky in the cafeteria before Genghis Khan comes and yells about the number of visitors?” Kat leaned her head to the side and she blinked as if trying to clear her vision. “Rafe, can you give me and Lexie a couple of minutes?”
After extracting a promise from Lexie not to leave Kat’s side, Nick and Emily left with Rafe.
Kat stared at Vinnie, as if seeing him fully for the first time, and her mouth dropped, eyes wide. She pointed to his clothes “Vinnie, what the—?”
“What? You don’t like it? I hear kids pay top dollar for their jeans to be ripped up. What, I’m too old to dress fashionable now?”
Not sure if she should laugh or what, Lexie shook her head and walked to Kat’s side. “Looks like you’re stuck in the 90s, Vinnie, and the grunge look never should have been allowed. Thankfully you don’t smell, even if those clothes look like they could stand on their own.”
“Sit. Stop hovering. Someone’s always over me.” Kat’s voice was low and scratchy from the tubes. “Feel like a helicopter landing pad.”
“They’re just worried, Kat.”
“Yeah, I know. I hate seeing that look on their faces.” She appeared to drift off for a second before refocusing on Lexie. “Every time I open my eyes. More tears. All my fault.”
“You weren’t the one driving.”
“My idea.”
“Will you two knock it off?” Vinnie interjected as he pushed off the wall. “You’re both lucky to be here.” If Vinnie had been alive his volume would have brought not only Nurse Genghis Khan, but also every other staff person on the ward.
“Vinnie’s right. We should drop the case before one of us ends up dead.” Lexie leaned back in the padded chair watching her partner’s face.
“Like hell you will.” Kat stopped to catch her breath and a take a sip of water. “Find the bastard. String him up by his balls. I would, but Vinnie said I have three broken ribs and a punctured lung. I thought a sumo wrestler was sitting on top of me.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that—not the sumo part, that blows—but about not dropping the case.”
“You weren’t going to anyway, Lex. Just saying it so I wouldn’t worry.” Kat moved her head to the right, glancing up and down. “You okay? Mom said you had a concussion. Anything else? You look tired.”
“I’m fine.”
“Really? You look pale but something else.”
“Seriously, Kat.”
“I’m outta here.” Vinnie brushed his hand along Kat’s arm. He headed out the door shoulders slumped forward, head hanging down, footsteps dragging as he faded away. “I’ll be back tonight after the parentals are gone.”
The temperature crept up a couple of degrees with his disappearance, yet Lexie still felt the chill.
“He feels like it’s his fault because he didn’t tell me what was going on with Paul.”
“Well, when you get better and are out of here, we can have a three-way pity party. Until then, Rafe and I are going to start at the beginning, re-interview people, and keep digging until we find these guys.”
