Deceiver Read online

  “I don’t want you to think that’s the only reason I want to see you again.”

  “What? For sex? I don’t think that at all.” He could obviously get that from just about anyone he wants. Even if I did believe that, I’m not altogether sure I would mind.

  “Yeah. Don’t get me wrong, I loved it. In fact, if we’re being totally honest, I can’t wait to do it again. Well, slower, and better next time and in a bed. I shouldn’t have taken you like that standing in the foyer. Not the first time, anyway.”

  “We’re just lucky we made it inside the house and got the door closed.” I laugh.

  “Tell me about it.” He leans forward, brushing his finger across my cheek. “You deserve better than that. I intend to do better than that.”

  I intend to let you. “I’d love to see you tomorrow night.”

  “How about I pick you up at six, then?”

  “Six is good. I’ll be ready.”

  “Good. Now, come on, before your son comes outside and punches my lights out.”

  “Actually, he’s not home yet, but he could pull up any minute.”

  Dan opens his door. “Just a minute.”

  He gets out and walks over to my door, opening it, and helps me out of the car. I think I could get used to this.

  We stroll to the porch, and I step up on the first stair, turning to face him. He’s still taller than me. He leans forward, his lips brushing against mine, softly, fleetingly. Then, he stands up straight and reaches forward to stroke my cheek.

  “You really are beautiful,” he whispers.

  There was a time, many, many years ago, I used to hear sweet things like that from men, well, mainly from my husband, but it sounds so strange now. I haven’t thought of myself as beautiful or sexy or anything besides a mother or a wife for a long time. I smile.

  “So are you.”

  He shakes his head as if to break a spell.

  “Damn. What are you doing to me?” He laughs, stepping back toward his truck. “I’m going to try and focus on work tomorrow, but I’ll call you before I come, just to check in.”

  “Do you need my number?” I ask, suddenly realizing that he’s never called me before.

  “Oh, no. Don’t worry. I got your number right after I left here yesterday.” He smiles.

  He waits in the drive until I have the door unlocked and step inside. I give him a little wave while closing the door.

  Falling back against the panel, I sigh like a lovesick teenager. Thank goodness Josh isn’t home yet. I’d better get a move on before he does get here.

  I head to my bathroom for a quick shower and then immediately after fall into bed, exhausted, elated, hopeful. I fall asleep thinking of Dan.

  The alarm goes off way too early, and I slap it with fierce determination. It must die. Somehow I manage to drag myself out of bed, just barely, and throw on my robe. I slip my feet into my fuzzy slippers and head down the hall to the kitchen to make coffee.

  I emerge from the hall yawning, scratching my butt, and slowly trying to wake up.

  “Well, good morning!” Josh chirps, already up, sitting at the bar with coffee, working on his homework.

  “Good morning,” I grumble, grabbing a cup and yawning again as I pour. “Oh, shit.” My aim totally misses the cup.

  I sigh and grab a fistful of paper towels, mopping and swiping at the mess.

  “I see you’re fresh as a daisy this morning and ready to greet the day with a smile.”

  “You’re one to talk,” I snap like a two-year-old. “Are you just now doing your homework?”

  “No, it’s done. I’m just polishing.”

  I should have known. I’ve never had to really stay after him on homework. I’ve been lucky in that respect. “Good,” I grunt, determined to get in a better mood.

  “I need to go now, but maybe, when I get home tonight, we can talk about this.” He holds up the note I left for him last night.

  Dammit. I should have grabbed that when I came in. “Sure. Anything specific you want to know?”

  I love my son, but this is really none of his business. I refill my coffee cup and hold it to my lips, blowing before I take a sip.

  “Well, who he is might be nice, for starters.”

  “His name is Dan. He’s a police detective.”

  “The one who came out the other day to ask you about that guy from work?”

  I nod. “Yes.”

  “And he ends up asking you out on a date? Isn’t that like coercion or tainting a witness or something?”

  I laugh. “He’s not coercing or tainting me, and I’m not a suspect. He just took me to dinner last night. It was nice. He’s nice, and I like him. In fact, we’re going out again tonight.”

  “Again?”

  “Yes. Again. We didn’t have a lot of time yesterday since I had to work.”

  Josh stands up gathering his books and stuffing them into his backpack. “Well, I have to work until eight tonight. What time will you be home?”

  “I don’t know. I have to work tomorrow. So it won’t be too late.”

  “I’ll just stay at Eric’s tonight, then.”

  “You sure? I can bring you home some dinner.”

  “No, that’s okay. Have fun, I guess.” He throws his backpack over his arm and heads for the front door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Okay, babe. Have a great day, and I’ll see you tomorrow, then.” I know he’s pissed.

  He grunts and slams the door behind him.

  “I love you, too,” I snarl at the closed door.

  I lean against the counter, sipping my coffee and looking around at my messy house. Josh must have brought Eric and his friends home with him last night. An empty pizza box and several soda cans lie around in the living room. His breakfast, or what’s left it, waits for me on the counter. I think about Dan’s immaculate house, or what little of it I actually saw last night, and decide that I need to clean today. While I stand there, plotting my approach, my phone rings.

  Maybe it’s Dan? But, this early? I put my cup down on the counter and rake my fingers through my hair as I clear my throat.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey.” The voice on the other end sounds clipped, hurried.

  “Sami?”

  “Yeah. It’s me. Listen, we need to meet today. There’s been a… um… development, and I’m calling an emergency practice.”

  Oh, shit. This is not good. What could have happened since I had lunch with Billie Sunday? “Okay. When and where?”

  “Twelve o’clock, lunch at Gabby’s house. Can you make it?”

  “Yeah. I’m actually off today. So it’s no problem.”

  Sami sighs. “Good. We’ll try to hurry, but Candy…”

  “Yeah?” I steel myself for bad news.

  “We need you there. Try not to be late.”

  “I’ll be there. See you then.”

  I hang up, an ominous cloud settling over me. What now?

  Chapter Eight

  After spending the morning cleaning house, and I do mean cleaning—I even picked things up and dusted under them—I pull up at Gabby’s house for lunch. I’ve made an effort to look extra nice today even though I’m not seeing Dan until this evening. I don’t know why, but suddenly, I want to look good, sexy, if that’s possible. I’ve dusted all my fine lady-parts and put them all back into perfect working order. I’ve fixed my hair, put on makeup, and wore some younger, almost stylish clothes. I actually feel good. And, dare I say it? Maybe happy?

  I know I should be worried as I get out of my car and head up the walk toward Gabby’s door, but for some reason, I’m not. I’m still smiling, still high from last night and knowing that I’ll get a repeat performance tonight.

  I take a deep breath and knock tentatively.

  “Hey! Get in here!” Gabby smiles as she holds the door open wide. “It feels like I haven’t seen you in weeks.”

  “I know. It’s been a busy week.” Or I’ve just been getting busy, I suppose, with my
new friend.

  I give Gabby a quick hug as I step inside and make a quick assessment. All the girls are here except Lora. Billie and Sami are hovering over the lunch spread that Gabby has set up in the dining room. Jade and Lucy are on the sofa, deep in conversation.

  “Candy!” Sami strolls toward me with a plate in her hand. “Glad you could make it. Gabby set out some great food for us. We’re just waiting on Lora. She has someone covering her class so she can join us. Do you want to grab something to eat real quick?”

  “I might nibble, but I’m not really starving. I just can’t resist Gabby’s cooking.”

  “Tell me about it.” Billie joins us, her mouth full.

  I can’t wait any longer. The suspense is killing me. “Why the emergency meeting? Aren’t we getting together tomorrow night?”

  Billie cuts her eyes at Sami.

  “Well, we might have a little problem.” Sami pops a chip into her mouth.

  “Lora’s here!” Gabby calls excitedly as she peeks out the front window.

  Gabby is the oldest of the Southern Ladies’ Glee Club members. Newly divorced with two kids in college, she has more or less thrown herself into the club and into her new friendships.

  “Grab a plate. I’ll update everyone when Lora gets in,” Billie says, and then saunters into the living room with the other ladies.

  Slowly, we all assemble in the living room with heaping plates and tall glasses of wine or iced tea. Billie and Sami take their places at the front of the group.

  “I know we’re meeting tomorrow at Lucy’s house, and I’m sorry to call you all here today. But, I’m afraid I have news that just couldn’t wait. I had a visitor yesterday,” Billie announces solemnly. “A detective showed up at my house asking questions about Derek.”

  Oh, shit. I slide the plate of delicious morsels onto the coffee table, suddenly losing my appetite. Not now, please. What will I do if he shows up at my house? How would I explain that to Dan?

  “Which means he could show up anywhere at any time at any one of our houses,” Sami adds, pointing at each of us for emphasis.

  I look at the two of them standing next to each other. It’s weird. Sami and Billie look enough alike to be sisters. Not to mention they both have that tough, bitchy exterior until you get to know them.

  “What’d he say?” Lora asks casually.

  I’m glad to see the news hasn’t affected Lora’s appetite. She stuffs half a sandwich into her mouth and stares at Billie expectantly. Definitely not the same meek little school teacher I met a month ago.

  Billie bites her lip. “Let’s see. He asked me if I knew about Derek’s death. He asked me about my relationship with Derek. How long I’ve known him. When and where we ran into each other again. So, naturally, I had to tell him about the self-defense class. Where I was the night he died…”

  Eyes begin to shift nervously all around the room.

  “You told him what we discussed. Right?” Lucy perches on the edge of her seat.

  “Yes. I told him I didn’t feel well that night so I was at home,” Billie said. “That I missed glee club practice, which, of course, led him to ask me more about that.”

  “Like what?” Jade chews on her fingernails.

  “Like where we practice and perform and stuff. I told him we take turns practicing at each other’s houses. I grabbed my calendar out my purse and acted like I was looking up the date and stuff. Then, I told him that we were scheduled to practice at Lora’s house that night. We agreed it would be Lora’s house since she’s the only one without neighbors. Right?”

  “Yes. But, did he ask you for an alibi?” Jade seems particularly wound up.

  Billie nods. “Yep. He sure did. Adam vouched for me.”

  “What about the cameras?”

  I ask the question that’s been on my mind since Day One. That’s the real test. Will the cameras be able to tell that it was Sami going up and coming down from Billie’s apartment, and not Billie?

  “I didn’t say anything about the cameras since Adam vouched for me. I told him I only left for maybe fifteen or twenty minutes to pick up some Chinese food around the corner and then came right back.”

  “Maybe that will be good enough.” I cross my fingers.

  “Well, he’s a detective. If he’s worth his salt, he’ll check the cameras whether I say anything about them or not.”

  “So, did he ask about us? You know, our names and stuff?” Gabby glances nervously at Billie.

  “No. At least, not yet. You never know, though. I mean, he could be parked outside right now writing down license plates.”

  “Oh, my Lord.” Lucy leans forward, peering anxiously out the window while the other ladies gasp and fan themselves.

  Sami steps forward. “She’s not saying that he is. She’s just saying we need to be prepared for anything. And, I think we are. I know we can handle this.”

  “We’re fine. We have our alibis locked tight,” Lora says bravely, still eating even though the rest of us lost our appetites a long time ago. “What’s this guy’s name, anyway?”

  “Oh. Hang on. I’ve got a card.” Billie digs around through her pockets and produces a small card which she holds up to eye-level and begins to read. “Detective Daniel R. Cole. Nice guy, and man, was he hot!”

  She fans herself with the card, and the ladies giggle at her dramatics.

  What the fuck? Dan? My Dan? No way. I hear the ladies drone on about investigation, but I can’t focus on anything else. I’m far too freaked out. Should I tell them I’m seeing Dan? What would they say? How much does he already know? Maybe Billie was right, and he is just fishing. Is he just using me for information?

  “So, anyway.” Sami steps in front of the group. “Since we weren’t sure when or where he might pop up again, we thought it was best to get you all together and give you a heads-up. Just be ready.”

  Oh, I know exactly where he’s going to be popping up again. I shake my head at the floor.

  “Oh! And, don’t forget that Luther McKendrick is coming to our practice tomorrow to give us a few pointers,” Sami adds.

  I stand up and wander back to the dining room. I need a drink, preferably a stiff one, and I need to get away from the ladies for a minute. I’m just too spaced out to face them right now. Staring at the awesome spread on Gabby’s table, my mind drifts.

  “Take some of that home with you.” Gabby steps up to the table and grabs a cookie off the tray, which is still almost full. “I know Josh would love these.”

  “If it’s homemade and it has sugar in it, he’d love it.” I smile weakly and grab a soda, deciding alcohol might not be the best thing for me right now.

  “Wait here a second. I’ll go get you a baggie.” Gabby trots off toward the kitchen.

  “Hey.”

  I turn and suddenly find myself standing face-to-face with Billie. She glances around conspiratorially to make sure no one else is within earshot. Oh, no.

  “Candy.” She smiles. “I can tell you’re scared, but don’t worry. We’re locked up tight. My alibi is rock solid. He probably won’t even look at us again.”

  Yeah, until he discovers that it’s Sami on those cameras, and not you! “Oh, I know. It’s not that.”

  “What is it, then?”

  Nothing. I’m just screwing the man that’s investigating us for homicide, is all. I can’t tell her that. Then again I can’t not tell her, either. How many times have we said that we’re all in this together? How many times has Lora repeated that bullshit about it being all for one, and one for all? I have to do right by the ladies.

  I sigh. “It’s just that—”

  “Here you go. Take these to Josh.” Gabby begins stuffing cookies into a gallon-size baggie. “Oh! Take some of these brownies, too.”

  “Billie! Come here!” Jade calls from the living room.

  I turn to Billie and give her a weak smile. “I’m fine. Really. I’ll call you later.”

  She takes my hand briefly and squeezes it, then heads back t
o join Jade and the others.

  I glance at my watch. “I hate to be rude, Gabby, but I have about a thousand things to do today before Josh gets home. I’m going to need to run, I’m afraid.”

  “Oh, don’t be silly. No need to apologize. I used to work, too, about a hundred years ago. I know what it’s like when you finally get a day off. Besides, it’s not like we actually planned to get together today. It was all so last minute, and on a Tuesday, too!”

  I take the goody bag full of cookies and sweeties from Gabby, thanking her kindly, and then make my rounds through the living room to say goodbye to everyone.

  As I pull away from the curb at Gabby’s house, I remember how good I felt when I pulled up just a little while ago. How could everything have turned to shit so fast? Oh, Dan. What am I going to say to him if he finds out? And, what if he ends up having to arrest me? I start to feel sick. My phone rings, and I click Siri to answer.

  “Hello?”

  “Well, hey there, beautiful.”

  Dan’s deep, sexy voice fills the car.

  My heart leaps into my throat, and I try to swallow it back down. Just act normal.

  “Hey,” I croak, suddenly beginning to perspire. Boob sweat. Ugh!

  “So, I did it,” he announces proudly. “I served the warrant on Stratford this morning.”

  “You did?” I lean forward and flip on the air conditioning.

  “I sure did. And, guess what?”

  I giggle, suddenly reminded of Josh when he’s excited. “What?”

  “I found her.”

  “What? You did? That’s fantastic!” I shout, honestly relieved and happy for him. Then, I wonder if that’s really the right emotion I should be feeling right now. “Well, I mean, was she… you know…dead?”

  “Yes. She was, but deep down, I knew that going in. At this point, I really just wanted to find her. I did that. At least her parents can have some peace of mind now, and a body to bury. Not to mention, they know that piece of shit will pay.”

  “Yeah. It’s kind of a hollow victory, but you did everything you could. I still can’t believe that he would do something like that. It’s just unimaginable.”