“Blink twice.” I shrug as I say it and Kelly takes a moment to scowl my way.
She fiddles with her keyboard while twisting her lips at the enormous screen before her in the exact manner Shep is prone to do when he’s deep in thought.
“All right.” She looks right at her brother and gives two slow blinks. “Now get out of here and tie one another up or whatever it is you do for fun. I’ve got some money to make.”
Shep and I hightail it right out into the cool fall air.
“What do you think?” I ask, pulling him close, and he glances down at the proximity of his chest to mine before shedding the hint of a devilish grin.
“I think it’s a dead end. I can’t just ask Wallace Hathaway to see if he’s willing to divulge any philanthropic donations his foundation might have made in the last year or so because I have a hunch. Sophia didn’t divulge any of that to me. She divulged it to you. I’ll have to start with her. And if she shares that information with me, I’ll ask Wallace to see his financial records. It’s not the quickest way to get the answers, but it’s the legal way.”
“And by that time, the killer could be long gone. I don’t like the legal way.”
“Because it’s in your blood,” he teases.
“Is that a dig at my heritage?”
“It’s a dig at what brought you to Starry Falls to begin with. You can’t make your own rules, Bowie. If anyone has learned that the hard way, it’s you. Leave Madeline Swanson’s murder investigation in my hands. You’ve done enough to help.” His eyes seem to be pleading with me. “There’s a killer out there, Bowie. And they’ve already taken one life. If they find out you’re digging around, you might find yourself next on their list. I don’t want that and neither do you.”
A smile curls on my lips. “Are you saying you care about what happens to me?”
Shep sighs at the thought. His eyes steady over mine for a good long while.
“I’m a member of the force. It’s my job to care about you.”
“I’m a member of the public. It’s my job to care about those who drop dead at my feet.”
A heavy sigh expels from him. “You’re not going to stop your investigation, are you? Don’t answer that. If you keep interfering, I’ll have to cuff you.”
A dark laugh brews in my chest. “I’m the one that does the tying up in this relationship and don’t you forget it.”
Any trace of a smile fades from his lips as his eyes dance around my features.
“Bowie.” He leans in a notch and his lips come dangerously close to mine. “Don’t put yourself in any additional danger. It’s not necessary.”
My shoulders sag at the thought.
“You’re right,” I whisper as I glance down at that tennis bracelet glittering in the light. “I’m in enough of that to begin with.”
Shep drives us back to Starry Falls, and all the way there I think about the fact somebody out there knows who I am, where I am, and what I’ve done—and it rattles me to my core.
A part of me wonders if Madeline Swanson’s killer feels just as rattled.
And if they don’t, they should.
Chapter 14
The next day, the café is bustling once again. It’s a little after four in the afternoon and the dinner rush is in full swing.
Shep heads up to the counter where Tilly and I are busy making a few fresh pots of coffee. It’s the one product that sells just as good in the morning as it does in the evening—even the leaded variety.
Shep nods to the two of us. “I’m heading out, ladies.” He sets his briefcase down on the counter as he digs into his pockets for his keys.
Tilly hops in his direction. “The way you were pounding on that keyboard all day, I bet you finished your book.”
“I’m close. But I did get a couple of chapters in.” His cheeks flicker as he looks my way. “Goodnight, ladies. Stay out of trouble.”
“Staying out of trouble is my middle name,” I’m quick to fire back. “I’ll be off in an hour.” My stomach does a few flips at the prospect of what I’m about to say next. “I can go over one of your books if you like. You know, I can head to your place—or you can come to mine. Pixie would love it.”
Regina comes sniffing around with her hair in a heap on top of her head like a messy brown mop. And darn it, if it doesn’t up her cute factor.
“What are you doing with his books?” She looks between the two of us, rife with suspicion.
“Proofreading,” I say it a little too fast as I try to mask the real reason I was offering to look over his work.
I just so happen to be Shep’s voluntary mob consultant. But in truth, I was hitting him up for some alone time to see if we can move our relationship to a whole new level—the level where the lips meet and the hands go wild.
It’s not my usual MO. I’m all about being chased by men—the feds and mobs withstanding. But it’s Friday night. And I haven’t had a date in months. Here’s hoping he takes the hint and accepts my deliciously salacious offer.
Shep nods. “Bowie has a unique talent when it comes to filling in the blanks.” He frowns my way. “Missing words, things like that.” A sorrowful look crosses his face. “I’m sorry, Bowie. It’s my mother’s birthday. My siblings and I are headed to dinner out in Sterling Lake.”
A snickering laugh escapes Regina as she pretends to sort the menus.
Shep’s lips twitch in my direction, and those piercing blue eyes cut right through me.
“How about tomorrow night? My place,” he says it low and seductive, and all sorts of inappropriate things are going on in my body
