Casting the Dice Page 10

  No way did she plan to repeat those mistakes.

  A drop of rain splashed her cheek. She looked up at the sky.

  “We need to get out of here. It’s starting to rain.”

  10

  By the time they drove up the bridge ramp, the rain had gotten so heavy everything had disappeared in a blur. Through the frantic swish of the wipers, Hal kept his eyes on the blurring taillights of the car in front.

  They’d both been eager as hell to taste each other, but he’d been insane to take the kiss as far as he did. Crazy to even kiss her at all. This woman was a librarian, and when she found out about his dyslexia—which she could any time—that would be another strike against him.

  What was wrong with him? He didn’t care what she thought. Did. Not.

  Putting a few city blocks between them would be the best thing. He should drop her at the bookshop, and she could call him if she needed him overnight.

  Just how was she going to call? He clenched the gear shift. She’d mentioned getting the utilities turned on but not the landline in the shop. When they took the first exit, he pulled to the curb and switched on the dome light. “I should have bought you a cellphone today, but we can go look for one now.”

  “Maybe I’ll get mine back tomorrow.” She stared at the swishing wipers. “Besides, I’m ready to call today done and over.”

  The rain still bucketed down when he found a parking space near the aquarium. After shutting off the engine, he stripped off his windbreaker. “We’re going to get wet. You can hold this over your head to protect your aids.”

  They raced through the streets, splashing through puddles and under available balconies. Tourists scurried past. “We’re almost there. Take the jacket and go.”

  She grabbed hold and took off, panting to a stop under the shop balcony. “We’re soaked.”

  He stopped beside her, scanning the length of the street to the bar on the next corner. The rain slackened, and he could make out the faces of the drinkers standing at the windows—and looking his way.

  The brother of one of his previous arrests had threatened him a year ago. After he’d warned his friends, Hal had started thinking. That jerk could be the one behind the explosion. “Go inside, Annie. Someone’s watching us from the bar. I want to find out who.”

  A rock climber’s grip tightened around his bicep. “I know someone’s watching. That’s why I don’t want to stand out on the street.”

  “You know who it is?” He looked over his shoulder.

  She swiped rain from her face. “Those two guys who followed me and tried to kidnap me. I told you and the policeman about them. Remember?”

  Her face crumpled, and his gut twisted. “Yeah.”

  He glanced back at the bar and took in a deep breath. The chances the jerk he thought about had followed him to Annie’s were practically nil. He could let this go for now.

  “Come on inside.” She tugged on his arm.

  He stepped inside, shutting the street door behind him and walking to where she stood under the alley spotlight. He squinted against the light. “You feel safe here?”

  “No, but it helps that I have new locks.” She pressed her lips together and lifted her gaze. “I want to keep working with you. What am I saying? I have to keep working with you because of the money situation, at least a little longer.”

  She twisted the long bag strap. “But you probably want to go home.”

  She was giving him an out. They’d both feel safer somewhere secure and unknown to her pursuers, but she would never agree to stay with a bunch of bounty hunters.

  “I don’t mind another night on your sofa.” If she hadn’t asked, he would have found a way to insist.

  “Thanks. I appreciate that. I wasn’t sure if you’d changed your mind. Plus, it’s not like the couch is an award winner for most comfortable place to sleep.” She unlocked the door at the top of the stairs. “Make yourself at home. I’m getting into some dry clothes.”

  He emptied his pockets and draped his wet windbreaker. The blistered skin from the explosion began to sting, and he was easing his tee over his head when Annie reappeared in shorts and a sleeveless tee, carrying a towel.

  “Hope you don’t mind.” He yanked the shirt clear with a grimace, pulling off bandages. “I have to get this off.”

  She gasped. “The burns. How are they?”

  He unzipped a pocket in his windbreaker. “I got some ointment at the drugstore.”

  She handed him the dry towel and touched his shoulder scar. “This looks terrible. What happened?”

  “My stupidity. I was helping my younger brother with an arrest. We had to chase after the skip. He jumped me with a kitchen knife and sliced right under the edge of my vest.”

  “It’s red. Does it still hurt?”

  “Not as much as the burns.” He sat on a stool and turned his back. “How bad are they?”

  “They’ll be better when I finish.” She dabbed on the ointment.

  Her hands were magic, no matter what part of him she touched.

  “I’m sorry about your dad.” He knew what it was like to lose a parent suddenly.

  “Thanks. The memories come back from time to time.”

  “And that’s why you never learned to swim?”

  “Pretty much. Did you always want to be a diver?” She moved over to another burn.

  He inhaled on a hiss. “Careful there. Can you understand me?”

  “Yeah, it’s pretty quiet in here.”

  He still turned to speak over his shoulder. “When I was a kid, I wanted to be a doctor. But that didn’t work out.”

  “What about now?” She walked around to face him. “You can still go to med school.”

  He laughed. No way. “What about you? How come you became a librarian?”

  “I love reading, but at first I wanted to be an audiologist. I even learned to finger spell, but it was a crazy idea. How could I wear headphones to run hearing tests?”

  He had no idea what the job entailed, but she handled herself with more confidence than some hearing people he knew. “I’ll bet you’re a ten on the librarian scale.”

  “I don’t know about that.” She put the closed ointment tube on the table. “Did you ever learn finger-spelling in school?”

  “Nope.” No point. With his dyslexia he would misspell every word. “Why?”

  “We could communicate better if we’re ever caught in another emergency, heaven forbid.” She applied bandage strips, the brush of her fingers sending bursts of sensation across his skin. “Do you think we’ll face more trouble?”

  He looked over his shoulder. “You want a worst-case scenario?”

  “You know what they say: expect the best but prepare for the worst.” She discarded the bandage trash. “Even if there’s only a million-in-one chance.”

  “Worst-case would be we both die in another car explosion.”

  Annie gazed out the car window at the tall, pink mansion, misty in the morning’s thick humidity. Hal brought the Blazer to a stop at the curb and turned off the motor.

  In deference to the heat, he’d rolled the sleeves of his plaid button-down. Reddish highlights glinted in the dark hair dusting the strong arms. A wave of warmth wound through her. He’d wrapped those arms around her before kissing her to kingdom come and back.

  Neither of them had mentioned that kiss since, probably the best policy. She looked over when he released his seatbelt. “Yesterday, you wanted to look around first.”

  “Good thinking.” He got out and checked the side street. “There’s a car in the drive, but I’ve got my backup piece on my ankle and handcuffs in case Randy is here and I can serve the warrant.”

  “What should I do in that case?”

  “Take cover.” He slipped her a twenty-dollar bill. “Take a taxi home, but I doubt he’ll be here. He’s running or hiding.”

  They walked to the corner to avoid the uneven easement, and Hal stopped her there. “Mattie might not give us much time. Let’s not
mention the snakes.”

  “I wasn’t planning to.” She went to the gate in the fence. “It’s more important to find out if I left my things here.”

  “Exactly.”

  She pressed the doorbell button, and the release buzzed. When she and Hal reached the porch, the same housekeeper as yesterday opened the front door. “It’s you again.”

  Someone called from within the house, male or female, Annie couldn’t tell. The woman at the door called down the hall.

  Annie leaned forward but couldn’t catch any of the conversation. What was going on? Was Mattie here or was this Hal’s fugitive?

  He tensed, and a furrow plowed between his brows. She tried to catch his eye for a signal of some kind, but he stared straight ahead.

  A brunette in an elegant dress strode toward them, and Annie could tell she was speaking. This must be Matilda Lemoyne or Mattie, as Shala had called her. “My goodness, it’s you.” She held out her arms. “Are you okay now?”

  “Yes, completely recovered, thanks.”

  “That’s good.” Mattie’s gaze drifted to Hal, and her eyebrows disappeared under a lush fringe of bangs.

  Annie wound a hand through his arm. “This is Hal Guidry.”

  “Charmed.” Mattie lavished him with big smile, and Hal handed her his business card. She turned the cardboard over. “This only gives your name and phone number.”

  He smiled wide enough to give everyone a glimpse of his dimple. “Isn’t that enough?”

  Annie bumped his foot to remind him of her presence. “Do you have a minute?”

  “I’m getting ready to go out, and I need to stop by the office. You know, of course, about the family business, Heritage Foods.” Matilda Lemoyne stepped back into the hall. “I can give you a few minutes.”

  They followed her into a sunny kitchen. She put a hand on Hal’s arm, her manicured nails flashing in the light. “Would you like some coffee? It’s the Heritage special blend of coffee and chicory.”

  The brew smelled mouthwatering. Annie wouldn’t have minded some, but she let Hal take the lead and he shook his head. “I’m good.”

  Mattie laughed and leaned toward him like an old friend. “Does that mean ‘yes’ or ‘no’?”

  He gave her another brilliant smile and braced a hand on the counter. “I don’t need any coffee, thanks.”

  “What happened to you, anyway?” Mattie sipped her coffee. “I put you to bed with a headache, and the next thing I know you’ve disappeared.”

  “I left with Hal.” Annie nodded to him.

  “Did you know she was here?” Mattie focused on Hal.

  “I came for your brother.”

  “Interesting. Randy’s never mentioned you, but then he doesn’t tell me a lot.” Mattie grimaced. “Have to say that sounds like him, handing off the chores he thinks are beneath him.”

  “I didn’t mind.” Hal shrugged.

  “You do look obliging.” Mattie patted his chest then turned to her. “I don’t know why my brother didn’t take you to the hospital. You weren’t making any sense. At all.”

  “Where’s Randy now?”

  “I don’t know. I left the party early because he said he would take care of everything, but when I got home the next morning, everything was a mess. The zoo show-and-tell jerk left his snakes, if you can believe that, and the house wasn’t even locked.”

  Annie exchanged glances with Hal, but Mattie continued in full flow. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he lost interest and left. He changes his mind on the least whim.”

  “How do I know your brother?” Annie asked. “I don’t remember meeting him.”

  Mattie shrugged. “It must have been at one of his haunts, maybe the shooting range but these days he spends more time gambling.”

  Annie gasped, and the other two stared at her. “Does he go to the casino downtown?”

  “I’m sure that’s one of the places. Sometimes he goes to the riverboat.”

  Hal straightened. “This address is listed as your brother’s official residence.”

  “This is the family home.” She narrowed her eyes. “It’s in his name, but I’m the one who takes care of it and pays the taxes. Randy doesn’t live here at the moment.”

  “Where then?” Hal asked.

  “We respect each other’s privacy.” Mattie scooped her keys then frowned at her. “Did you leave anything here? We found some things that none of my friends are claiming.”

  “Yes.” Annie clenched the edge of the counter. “Yes, I did. My purse.”

  “Did you have a phone?”

  Annie’s pulse accelerated. “Yes.”

  Mattie left the room and returned with a cellphone. “Is this yours?”

  Sunlight through the windows glistened on the shiny red case. Annie spotted the “D” sticker Darryl, her ex-boyfriend, had stuck there. “You’re a real lifesaver. Where did you find it?”

  “I didn’t.” Mattie gathered her jacket. “The maid found it while cleaning, and she’ll see you out now.”

  When the front door closed behind them, Annie led the way down the steps. “Did you notice how Mattie’s body language changed after you mentioned the house being Randy’s ‘official residence?’” She put her fingers up to indicate quotes.

  Hal clicked open his car. “It’s true.”

  “But counterproductive.” She climbed in. “Mattie thought you were a friend of her brother’s, but you didn’t sound like one then.”

  He closed her car door and went around to climb behind the wheel. “Be happy. You got your phone back.”

  She gave him her five-star smile and turned on her cell—or tried. “Oh, no.”

  He leaned over the console. “It’s not coming on?”

  “The screen’s black. I hope it still works.”

  “It’s probably out of juice. There’s a cord in the glove compartment if you want to see if that fits.”

  She found the cord, and it fit perfectly. “This is great, but I’m only going to charge it as much as necessary. I want to see if my aunt’s lawyer replied to my email.”

  Hal keyed in the password and held out his cell. “Why don’t you check now on mine?”

  11

  “Is this really the fastest way downtown?”

  “Used to be.” Hal stared at the line of red brake lights ahead of them and tapped fingers on the steering wheel. “Don’t worry. We’ll get to you aunt’s lawyer before nightfall.”

  “That’s not a lot of reassurance.” Annie twisted her bag strap.

  He gripped the wheel and leaned forward, but he couldn’t see what was holding up traffic. “There could be an accident.”

  “Can I ask you a question?”

  He glanced her way to give her a go ahead when the driver behind him honked. Space had opened in front of them. He coasted forward and glanced in the mirror to wave his thanks and noticed a silver sedan a few cars back that looked familiar.

  His body tensed. It wasn’t the Beemer, and he relaxed. The car instead looked like one of those small Cadillacs.

  “Hal?”

  “I’m listening.”

  She scored the seam of her seat cushion with a fingernail. “What happened with the housekeeper at Mattie’s?”

  “We got inside.” The traffic surged through a green light, and he stepped on the gas.

  “Yes, but what did she say?”

  He shrugged and looked at her to speak. “Normal stuff.”

  A delivery truck cut in front of him. He slammed on the brakes and adrenaline flooded his veins.

  “Annie.” He squeezed the wheel but kept his voice even. “Do you have to ask so many questions?”

  “Yes.” She lifted her chin. “I can’t always follow the conversation. If I want to know something, I have to ask.”

  But right now? He braked for another light and ran a hand over his hair. “You figured out the situation.”

  “I think so. But if I knew exactly what was said, I might remember something important from… before.”
<
br />   When she’d been inside the Lemoyne house the night he’d found her. She’d been scared then. Probably still was. He nodded and threw her a smile. “Gotcha.”

  The signal changed, and he inched forward, keeping an eye on the Caddy through his mirrors. Something about that car bothered him big time, and he never ignored his gut.

  “What exactly did the housekeeper say?” Annie shifted sideways in her seat.

  He couldn’t be exact and settled for the gist. “She announced us.”

  “Did you know it was Mattie coming to the door?”

  “I could tell it was a woman.”

  Lots of industrial traffic used this stretch because of easy access to different parts of the city. The jam had loosened, and he accelerated to maintain speed. The guy in the silver Caddy wove in and out, landing smack behind them.

  His grill disappeared, then the sedan fell back before rushing them again. The damn fool was on his phone, but Hal couldn’t drive any faster. Right now, he was stuck behind another truck.

  Enough. A gap opened in the passing lane. Hal whipped around the truck, waved his thanks and sped out the first exit. Highway ramps arched over, but they finally entered the expressway toward the lake.

  He loosened his fingers from the wheel and reached over to squeeze Annie’s hand.

  She returned the pressure. “How close are we to the lawyer’s?”

  Not close. “We’re getting farther away every minute. I need to get turned around.”

  “There’s an exit coming.” She pointed.

  “That will work.” He checked his mirrors and slammed a fist on the steering wheel.

  That same Caddy jumped lanes behind him, speeding toward them.

  Sweat trickled into his eyes. He raised the temperature of the A/C. A sea of vehicles swept him along, but he managed to get over for the exit. His shadow followed without missing a beat.

  Hal shoved his nerves into the deep freeze and whipped onto the off-ramp. The green light at the merge into the city street changed. The car in front of him didn’t race the yellow, and they were stuck in the one-lane exit with the Caddy one vehicle back.