I make a face. “Fine, but can you save your honesty for all of fifteen minutes?” I ask while adjusting his tie and taking a moment to smooth my hands over his chest in an effort to remove any impending wrinkles, of course—and check for the six-pack I suspect him of withholding. Then, I gently comb his hair with my fingers, and before I know it, I’m dusting my palms over that prickly scuff on his cheeks. “Oh God,” I moan without meaning to. Okay, fine. I meant it.
“Bowie,” he says it low and deep, and an uncontrollable quiver whips through me. “Kitten,” he says it with a bit more zip, and I slap him over the chest.
“Have it your way.”
Shep and I head into the brown stucco building with its smoky glass windows and beige interior. A secretary gives us directions to Lucas Lane’s office and, just as we’re almost there, a familiar blonde heads our way with Lucas striding right beside her. I can’t help but note his hand is touching the lower half of her back.
“Kiera?” Her name blurts from my lips before I can stop it.
“Zoey.” Her face brightens at the sight of me. “And this is your boyfriend, right? The one we met the night of Maddie’s unfortunate demise.” She winces before winking over at Shep.
So much for a cover. Shep and I had already determined we’d play the husband-wife angle with Lucas, but boyfriend-girlfriend works for me, too. Hopefully, she won’t say anything about Shep’s role in the investigation.
Kiera nods to Lucas. “This is Detective Sexler.” She giggles as she brings her fingers to her lips. “Did I just say that out loud?” She licks her bottom lip as she looks him up and down.
Wait just a disrespectful minute.
I glide my arm around Shep’s waist and pull him in.
“We’re looking forward to the mixer at the Hathaway estate,” I say to the two of them.
Shep gives me a sideways glance, but I choose to ignore it.
Keira sighs. “As are we.” She looks to Lucas. “Jackson is putting together one last soiree for Mads.” She purses her lower lip while clutching at her chest as if the idea were adorable.
Lucas frowns. “Nice of him to let me know. But don’t worry,” he says to her sternly. “I’ll be there.” He tries to brush off his irritation but doesn’t seem to get far as he looks our way. “How can I help you?”
“Actually”—I glance to Shep and shrug, wondering if our original plan is still in motion, and he gives a slight nod affirming that it is—“I fell into some unexpected money.” I lift my bracelet for the two of them to ogle and Kiera gasps with delight. “My uncle passed away and left me his entire estate,” I tell them.
Dear God, I hope I didn’t just curse Uncle Vinnie to death.
I’m moved to sneak in a quick sign of the cross but choose to abstain.
Kiera coos as if that, too, were adorable. “I’m sorry to hear that. What’s the jackpot?”
Shep stiffens at her word choice, and so do I.
“Two thousand,” I say before having a chance to crunch some serious numbers.
“Two thousand?” Kiera stomps her foot as if she were the one my Uncle Vinnie let down.
“Two hundred thousand,” Shep corrects. “Bowie is still grieving.” He slings his arm around my shoulders and I snuggle against his chest because it’s practically mandatory and deliciously so.
“Ah, I see.” Lucas nods to Kiera. “We’ll talk soon. Don’t worry about a thing. Everything is going to work out. I promise.”
She rolls her eyes before saying a quick goodbye to the three of us and taking off.
Everything is going to be all right? What exactly is going to be all right? More to the point, what do they expect can go wrong?
Getting caught for murder one is where I have my fictitious money.
Lucas leads us into his spacious office where there’s a simple desk, a less than stellar looking sofa, an oversized computer monitor, and a rather sparse looking calendar laid out on his desk. Shep and I take a seat in the lush burgundy office chairs across from Lucas while he plops down on what amounts to a towering throne.
Lucas regales us with talks about leveraging my newfound income by utilizing a strategy intended to land me on easy street once I retire. But about twenty minutes into the conversation, my brain begins to sizzle and fizzle—and not in that fun I’m-about-to-have-a-prognosticating-spell kind of a way. No sooner do I tune out than I spot a picture on his bookshelf of Lucas and Madeline as she sports her unibrow proudly. An exotic locale can be seen behind them, and they look happy, on the surface at least.
“That’s a great shot of the two of you,” I say, nodding over to it.
Lucas glances back and sighs. “Those were better times. And I’d like to think Madeline is in a better place. It’s funny, but since she’s passed I can’t help but think of her a bit more fondly than I did while she was here.”
Shep nods. “I hear that’s common. Death has a way of washing away any disagreements we might have had.”
Lucas ticks his head to the side. “You two look pretty happy. What’s your secret?”
My mouth falls open as I look to Shep. “He finishes my sentences.” I give a little shrug. “Like now for instance. Go ahead, Shep. Tell him what you think our secret is.”
His brows furrow. “She tells me what to do and I do it.”
Lucas and I belt out a laugh at the thought.
I lean in toward my faux beau. “Have I told you lately that you are a wise, wise man?”
He leans in a notch himself. “Only every morning when you wake up by my side, sweetheart.”
My mouth falls open and Lucas laughs alone this go-round.
“How I miss having that chemistry with someone.” He taps his pen to the table in spite. “But I’m sure when the time is right, I’ll have
