Dead Ringer (24 page)

He
glanced across the room at Dana. The woman's gaze was locked on Nicole as
Nicole raised her camera toward a group of city dignitaries. There was no
denying that the woman had something on her mind. And he'd bet the farm it
wasn't good.

He
resolved then to check into Dana Miller's past and to keep an eye on her.

He
didn't question his need to protect Nicole. He simply would.

Jacob's
gut twisted into a knot the instant he saw Kendall Shaw. As always, she looked
sleek, sophisticated, and in command of the situation. She wore a pale blue
dress that hugged her full breasts, narrow waist, and delicately curved hips.
Her spiked heels conjured erotic thoughts well worth savoring.

He
spent the first ten minutes at the Women's Center pretending to listen and care
about the conversations buzzing around him. He managed to sling good-natured
bullshit of his own, but his thoughts remained on Kendall.

"That
rose has got nasty thorns." The gruff comment, loud enough for only Jacob to
hear, had him turning.

The
man standing in front of him was in his late forties. Jim Mundey was with the
city of Richmond police. They served different jurisdictions but often worked
together on cases that crossed city and county lines. Jim was medium height,
wore wire-rimmed glasses, and had thick graying hair and a paunch that strained
the seams of his dress uniform.

Jacob
sipped his water, knowing Jim referred to Kendall. "I have no doubt."

"But
she is fun to look at. Damn. Those legs are to die for."

"Be
careful; this might get back to your wife."

"A
man might not be able to go into the bakery but he can still smell the bread."
Jim sipped an iced soda. "So you gonna make a play for her?"

"I'd
rather take a beating in the ring."

Jim
laughed. "It might be worth a black eye to tap that."

They'd
talked like this about women before. But knowing the woman was Kendall bothered
Jacob this time. "Sure."

"She
had a bit of excitement at her house the other night. The queen dropped a dime on
her neighbor."

He
kept his expression blank but his senses went on alert. "What happened?"

"Seems
her new neighbor was taking out his trash as she arrived home around midnight.
He got too close and she called nine-one-one."

Jacob
frowned. "Was he trouble?"

"Naw.
We checked his license. He'd just moved into
the house and was tossing packing boxes."

Kendall
wasn't a faint heart and it wasn't like her to get spooked so easily. She must
have been paying attention to him when he'd told her the victims looked like
her. Good.

"You
remember his name?"

"Markham,
I think."

"Do
me a favor," Jacob said. "Run a thorough check on the guy.
Couldn't
hurt."

Jim
shrugged.
"Yeah, sure."

The
two talked for a few more minutes about department crap and then Jim moved back
toward the food table.

Jacob
stayed his ground, turning his attention back to Kendall. When the group she
was chatting with moved away and she was alone, he strode toward her. He came
up behind her, savoring the energy that radiated from her. "Break any stories
today, Kendall?"

She
turned at the sound of his voice. Even in her three-inch heels she had to look
up at him. Her grin was slow and lazy. "Catch any bad guys today, Detective?"

"The
day is young." This close he could see that under expertly applied makeup there
were dark circles under her eyes. She hadn't been sleeping well.

"When
are you gonna ID the second murder victim?"

"Got to notify next of kin first."
Plus, the less
information circulating now, the better.

"Any
more leads?"

He
sipped his ice water, unhappy with the turn of the conversation. "It's always
business with you."

"What
else is there?"

Jacob
could think of several things as his gaze flickered very briefly to her
breasts. Hell, if she gave the nod, he'd take her to bed in an instant. Just the
thought was making him hard.

"My
cameraman is here. Let me interview you about the murders."

"Nope."
He liked sparring with her. Her eyes sparked
when she was pissed.

"Why not?
We can have tape rolling in thirty seconds.
You can just share a few thoughts, theories."

He
sipped his water. "No."

"You
could challenge the killer. Try to lure him out."

"That
kind of stunt could just get another woman killed. Is that what you're looking
for?"

She
frowned, clearly offended. "No. Why would you say that?"

He
shrugged. "You're jonesing for a headline."

She
faced him head-on. "I care about what happened to those women."

A
smile played on his lips.
"Yeah, right."

From
behind the anger, genuine hurt flickered. "You don't know anything about my
motives."

"I've
watched you in action before. You take stupid chances."

Her
face tightened. "At least I don't hesitate to do my job."

Her
barb hit its mark. Last summer when he'd seen the Guardian serial killer
holding a gun to Nicole's head, he'd hesitated, unable to fire. Zack hadn't and
had killed the Guardian with one shot. But how had she known? Zack or Lindsay
wouldn't have talked.

He
didn't always like Kendall, but he respected the fact she wasn't afraid to take
a swing when backed into a corner. "The jugular is your favorite
spot,
isn't it?"

Some
of the wind left her sails. "It's what I do best."

Kendall
took a step back and her gaze scanned the room. He felt her mentally disengage,
as if he'd been dismissed, even before Nicole Piper approached them.

"Hey,
Nicole," Kendall said.
"Everything all right?"

Nicole's
face looked pale. "I'm headed out. My back is killing me. See you back at the
fort."

Kendall's
features softened.
"Will do."

When
Nicole had left, Jacob couldn't resist asking, "She's your roommate?"

"For the last few months."
Ice coated the words.

That's
how she knew about the final confrontation. "I wouldn't have put you two
together."

She
shrugged a slim shoulder. "Wondering what's in it for me?"

"Frankly, yeah."

"I
have a huge house and Nicole needed a place to land until the baby was born.
End of story."

"You're
not angling to write a tell-all book about the Guardian?" He studied the dark
circles under her eyes. "Is writing the book what's keeping you up at night?"

The
statement had her straightening. "There is no book."

He
believed her. Had no reason to, but did. "So why the dark circles? They weren't
there last week."

She
touched her cheek with her fingertips and then quickly dropped them. She tossed
him a killer smile and cracked, "No, Detective, it's dreams about you that are
keeping me up."

He
laughed, but the image sent a bolt of desire ricocheting through him. He'd like
to keep her up at night. "So what
has
been keeping you up?"

Her
face paled. "Suddenly, this room is too full and the sounds are too loud for
me. I've got what I needed, so I'm headed out."

He'd
struck a nerve so sensitive it was driving her off. Before he could say
anything else, she left his side and cut through the crowds to Lindsay. She
said a quick good-bye and shrugged on her coat.

Jacob
set his drink down and followed Kendall. What the hell had he said? Outside,
the cool air felt good on his hot skin. He caught up to her easily.

"Where's
your car?"

"I
can find my own car, Detective."

He
fell in step beside her. "What did I say in there?"

High
heels clicked on pavement. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I
said something that rattled you."

"I'm
just bored."

"That
why you took direct aim at me?"

She
sighed. "That was uncalled for. I'm sorry."

Kendall
crossed the street to a small pay-as-you-go parking lot. Her car was sleek.
Black.
Top of the line.
Very Kendall.
And a far cry from the beat-up, mud-splattered
SUV he drove.

Jacob
watched as she dug her keys from her purse and clicked open the lock. Her hands
trembled slightly. "What's keeping you up at night, Kendall?"

"I
told you, dreams of you." She laced the words with tartness.

"Cut
the crap. What is it?"

She
fumbled with the keys and couldn't seem to find the right one. She stopped,
sighed. "Dreams, okay?
Bad dreams."

"About last summer?"
His voice was tense.

She
turned and met his gaze. "No." Some of the fire had left her. "The dreams go
back to when I was a small child."

Oddly,
he felt relief. "Tell me."

Defiance
sparked in her eyes. "Why? Why would you care about something like that?"

Kendall
held on to her emotion and control with a white-knuckle grip. Like him. "Just
tell me."

For
a moment, she was silent as she searched his eyes. Trust did not come easily
for her. "I'm in a closet. I hear a woman screaming and a baby crying. I have
no idea who these people are or what's going on. But the damn dream wakes me up
almost nightly now."

"What
about family?
Friends of your parents?
They might
help."

"I've
no one."

She
was alone. Like the other victims. Like him.

"What
about a therapist?
A hypnotist?"

Kendall
shook her head. "It's not that serious. It'll work itself out."

He
glanced around to make sure no one lingered close. "I know a doctor. She's not
bad. Erica Christopher."

"I
don't need a doctor. A solid eight hours of sleep will fix everything."

So stubborn.
"Just remember the name."

"Right.
Sure."

A
slight breeze blew the hair back from her face. The street sounds faded. He
didn't even feel the cold.

She
stared up at him. Her lips looked soft. No doubt tasted sweet. He wanted to
take her right here, right now, and fulfill the fantasies he'd harbored so long
for her.

He
leaned toward her. She stood frozen, staring up at him. He wanted to kiss her.
And he sensed she wanted him to. His body thrummed with desire.

Jacob
reached out to brush her hair from her shoulder. He angled his head ready to
kiss her when a passing car horn honked. The noise startled her and she pulled
back as far away from him as she could manage.

"I've
got to go," she said. "Do you mind?"

The
sharpness in her voice annoyed him, reminded him of a queen speaking to one of
her minions. He'd been dismissed. The jab inside moments ago had stung but this
rejection hurt.

Jacob
stepped back to give her a wide berth. He slid his hands into his pockets.

Her
hands still trembled. "Good-bye, Detective."

"Sure."

Kendall
got into the car, started the engine, and drove off a little too fast.

He
stood in the chilly parking lot as the wind tunneled between the buildings
toward him. The scent of her perfume still lingered. Jim Mundey was right. She
had too many thorns.

"Shit,
Jacob," he mumbled to himself. "Stop wanting what you can't have."

Nicole
fumbled with her house keys, her fingers stiff from the cold. The porch light
cast a ring of light down on her. She wanted nothing more than to take a hot
shower and crawl into bed. It was only six in the evening but she was
exhausted. The baby weighed heavily in her belly and her back ached. Thank God
she had no evening appointments.

Behind
her in the darkness a cat screeched and a trash can tumbled over. She whirled
around and peered into the darkness. There was nothing. The houses across the
alley were lighted up, including the upstairs bedroom of their newest neighbor.

Relaxing,
she unlocked the back door and pushed into the house. She was greeted by the
scent of sawdust.
The contractor.
Todd. She'd
forgotten all about him. She sighed, hoping he was gone and she had the place
to herself this evening.