That all sounded well and good, but Nikki knew her personal feelings were going to complicate the arrangement. Deep down, her dark doppelgänger still lurked. A part of her would always be the insecure girl who had watched her mother drive away that day, knowing she hadn’t been enough. Since that painful revelation, Nikki had done everything in her power to avoid feeling that way ever again. She’d put up barriers and kept to herself all through high school and college. Even now, she only casually dated. A few of her relationships had lasted more than a month, but when things got too serious, her first inclination was to bolt before she got hurt. Leave before she got left behind.
Something had happened on the dock last night with Adam. Something she hadn’t been able to run away from, no matter how hard she tried to convince herself the sparks had been nothing more than the aftermath of an adrenaline rush. But it wasn’t the physical attraction that scared her. It was the sense of something profound lurking behind the brief smiles and lingering glances that spooked her.
She couldn’t help wondering what he would be like in bed. After sex, how easy would it be for her to walk away?
That she even contemplated such a question was itself a warning. How masochistic would she have to be to get involved with a man who would leave town once the investigation was over or as soon as his old life beckoned?
They had a good thing going at the moment. They were on the same page regarding Dr. Nance’s death. The lack of evidence tied Tom Brannon’s hands to a certain extent, but Adam didn’t have to concern himself with the rules and protocol that came with the county sheriff’s badge. He was here temporarily, more or less a rogue investigator. Hiring him on at the coroner’s office lent an air of legitimacy to his inquiries, but Nikki had no doubt he would pursue the truth with or without her help.
She wasn’t one to give up, either, especially after having found a clue in Dr. Nance’s study that could only have been meant for her. Together she and Adam would piece together what had happened on the lake the day Dr. Nance had died. Ask enough questions and sooner or later the truth would sort itself out.
To that end, Nikki decided to pay Dessie Dupre another visit. She wasn’t sure how much she could get the housekeeper to divulge about her personal life. She’d done a good job of keeping her relationship with Clete a secret. Still, Dessie trusted Nikki, and with the right finessing, she might let something slip. Nikki hated the duplicitous nature of her visit, but as the coroner and Dr. Nance’s friend, her first obligation was to justice.
Plus, calling on Dessie provided a convenient excuse to get out of the house and stop fretting about why Adam Thayer hadn’t called.
See? This is why you don’t get involved. This is why you keep your distance. Uncertainty breeds insecurity.
Shrugging off the tug of self-doubt, she called to make sure Dessie would be home and didn’t mind company. The woman sounded so pleased to hear from Nikki that guilt dogged her all the way over to the house. She reminded herself yet again that no matter what she’d overheard, Dessie would never be a party to harming Dr. Nance. Having a boyfriend—even a smarmy one—didn’t make her guilty of anything except possibly questionable taste.
A classic fifties convertible sat in the driveway when Nikki arrived. Sleek and about a mile long, it was an impressive vehicle even from a distance. She knew very little about the restoration of vintage automobiles, but it didn’t take an expert to know that someone had dropped a fortune on that car.
The driver had left the top down, relying on the shade of an oak tree to protect the leather and burled wood interior from the sun. Nikki walked around the car, running her hand lightly over one of the fenders as she admired the mirrorlike finish. She didn’t recognize the vehicle, but it seemed the kind of car that one of Dr. Nance’s fishing buddies might own. Probably belonged to someone who had driven in from out of town to pay his respects. Even so, Nikki glanced over her shoulder at the house before snapping a shot of the license plate with her camera phone.
She climbed the porch steps and took a peek through the side window as she rang the bell. As soon as she caught a glimpse of Dessie, she stepped back. The door opened and Nikki was at once drawn into a warm, motherly embrace. The residual scents of cinnamon and vanilla drifting out the front door took her back to her adolescence. The delectable aroma of Dessie’s baking had always comforted her when the unpleasant combination of her grandmother’s sharp tongue and the acrid odor of joint liniment had driven her out of the cramped house.
Dessie hugged her tight and then pushed her away, holding her at arm’s length to search her face. “You look tired, sweetie. How’re you holding up?”
“I should be asking you that question.”
Dessie sighed. “I still can’t believe he’s gone.”
“I know. It’s been such a shock to everyone. I should have come sooner, but I—”
“Hush.” Dessie gave her a little shake. “You don’t need to apologize to me. I
