Home Is Where the Heart Is (12 page)

“I will. You guys be safe, too.”

“How is she?” Jake asked, walking up as Dylan put his phone away.

“She’s good. A friend of hers from Houston is coming to town today. She’s excited to see her friend, which is good, and she won’t be alone, which is also good, considering everything going on around here.

“Have you asked her out yet?” Jake asked.

“I haven’t, but we’ve... uh... we’ve spent time together.”

“You have, have you?” Jake grinned. “So who made the first move?”

“None of your business.”

Jake laughed, clapping his partner on the shoulder. “It’s cool, man. It’s about time, though. Glad to see you’re finally moving on.”

The three men walked from house to house in the neighborhood, trying to find someone who had seen something the day Liz was attacked. Sadly, they weren’t having any luck. They approached the old house across the street, expecting to hear more ‘I wasn’t home’ or ‘I didn’t see anything’. Detective James knocked on the door and a little old woman answered the door, gripping an old cane in one hand. She looked at them curiously. “May I help you gentlemen?”

“Yes, ma’am, I hope so,” Ty said. “We’re investigating the murder of Mrs. Michaels across the street. May we come in?”

“Sure. Come on in.” She waved her cane towards the living room. “It isn’t often I have such handsome visitors.”

They followed her into her living room. Mrs. Franklin had wondered when someone would come around asking questions. She hadn’t wanted to get involved if she didn’t have to but she wouldn’t mind telling them what she had heard and seen that day. Settling into her chair she looked the men over good before she decided to speak. She had heard the stories going around about some of the police not being trustworthy, but these three young men seemed okay. “I had wondered when someone would come around about Liz. That family didn’t deserve what happened to them.”

All three men looked back and forth amongst each other, as if deciding who should be the one to speak first. Finally, Dylan leaned forward “What do you mean? Were you expecting someone to come by?”

She nodded. “I watch a lot of cop shows and someone always comes around after a murder, asking questions, seeing if anyone saw or heard anything. I had wondered why no one had come by to see me.” She shrugged. “I thought about calling, but then figured maybe the police didn’t need any information. Figured they knew everything they needed to know.”

“Does that mean you know something, Mrs. Franklin?” Ty asked.

“Yes, young man,” she said. “It does.”

“What did you see that day?” Dylan asked.

“I was sitting by the window, like I always do.” She leaned towards the men, dropping her voice low as if she were sharing a secret. “I keep an eye on what happens on this street. Someone has to. You never know who might be lurking around.” She leaned back in her chair again, raising her voice back to a normal level. “Anyway, a cop car pulled into the driveway sometime after that sweet daughter of theirs, Miss Kyra, left. I went for a cup of tea, only to return to my chair to hear loud voices and a woman screaming, and then came the crashing sounds coming from the house.”

Dylan, Jake, and Ty exchanged looks.

“Not too long after, everything went silent,” Mrs. Franklin continued. “Then that old detective you were with the other day,” She nodded towards Ty, “came barreling out of the house, hustling his old bag of bones across the yard like the devil was chasing after him. He had some kind of package under his arm, too. I don’t know what it was, but he was eager to get away, making the tires of that old car screech as he went down the road.” She reached for a cup of tea, shaking her head as she lifted the cup. “It’s a quiet neighborhood… usually. People, especially cops, shouldn’t be speeding like that through here.”

“The detective I was with the other day?” Ty asked, a strangled sound in his voice. “Big guy?”

“Yes, sir! He looked mighty enraged. I’ll never forget the look on his face.” She shook her head, a flash of fear on her face. “He was crazed. Possessed.”

“Do you remember anything else?” Ty asked.

“That’s it. Kyra and Dylan showed up just a few minutes later. That’s why I didn’t call anyone. I thought…well, I thought everything would be okay.”

The men thanked Mrs. Franklin for her help and let theirselves out. As they walked across the street a sense of dread wormed its way through them. The shock of the woman’s story was all they could think about.

Jake broke the silence. “Well… what do we do now?”

“That’s a good question,” Dylan said, looking at Ty. “When a cop is involved, it’s never pretty.”

Ty’s face was tight with tension, his mouth pressed into a grim line. “I guess I need to get a formal statement from Mrs. Franklin, and then have McAllen brought in for questioning. When I know more, I’ll get in touch with you.” Without waiting for a response, he left the two men and headed to his car. He couldn’t believe the man he had been riding with for the last six months had killed someone. The shock was fading away, or maybe it was just being replaced with anger, an anger that would fuel him as he went after one of his brothers on the force. Going after a fellow cop was a career-killing move, and he knew it. Regardless of what happened after this, his law enforcement career in Sizzle would be over.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Detective James entered the precinct and marched straight into the office of Dean Fox, Sizzle’s Chief of Police. He wasn’t sure where to begin exactly. Should he mention Dylan and Jake? Considering they used to be cops, dropping their names would only create more problems than they already had to deal with. Deciding against it, he told the Chief about Mrs. Franklin and what she had seen and heard. He sat quietly while the Chief sorted through his options.

“Pick up McAllen and bring him in,” the chief said, not looking happy with the decision. “We can’t have a cop killing people in this town. Let’s see what he has to say before we go any further with this.”

Ty wasn’t looking forward to picking up his partner as a person of interest in a murder investigation. It was part of the job and he knew it had to be done. If McAllen was guilty of murdering Liz Michaels, he deserved to pay for his crime, and the family deserved justice too. At this time of day, Ty was pretty sure of where he could find his partner; throwing back shots of tequila at Skells bar. He’d check there before going by McAllen’s house.

McAllen sat in his usual spot at Skells tossing back shot after shot of tequila, with an order to keep them coming. He looked like day-old road kill and didn’t feel much better. The image of Liz Michaels bleeding all over her kitchen floor was all he could see. He couldn’t believe he had broken his cardinal rule to never kill. He was truly a broken man now, no better than the shady people he was working for.

The only question that crept into his alcohol-coated mind was what the hell had he done? That sliver of good that he had held onto for so long had been ripped from his grasp the instant he drove that knife into Liz. At this point, he knew he had given up. It was only a matter of time before someone came for him. He just didn’t know who it would be, or if he would walk away from it alive or not.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Dylan and Kyra spent the rest of the day back at his place, waiting to hear from Ty. It shouldn’t take long to pick up McAllen and question him, assuming he didn’t run. There was no way of knowing just what a man like that would do when backed into a corner like a caged animal. If McAllen wanted to attempt to control his situation, he could request an attorney, slowing down the questioning process a bit. Even if that happened, Ty would still call with an update when he could. Kyra was eager to learn more, feeling a little relieved that McAllen would be held accountable for her mother’s death.

“Ty will call soon,” Dylan said, out of the blue.

“I know. I was just thinking about calling Paula. She probably didn’t get a chance to leave as early as she thought she would.” She curled up on the couch with her Kindle, trying to pass some time reading before her friend arrived. No matter how hard she tried to concentrate on the romance book on the screen, her eyes betrayed her.

Her gaze flowed over Dylan’s muscular body like honey, sending a wave of heat through her. All she could think about was Dylan’s body over hers, the way his weight surrounded her like a warm hug, the sparks of pleasure that swept over her nerve endings as he thrust deep inside her. She wanted more. Needed more. The connection between them was strong. She couldn’t fight the smile forming on her lips. He was everything she expected and more. So much more.

Dylan could feel her looking at him but wasn’t sure if he should react. He flipped through the channels on the television, obviously not finding anything to his liking. He finally settled on a reality show.

Kyra hid her surprise. She could easily see Dylan watching Duck Dynasty… but The Bachelor? No freaking way. At this point, her chances of getting back to her book were about as likely as getting snow cones in hell. Reality television had never really intrigued her but the idea of falling in love with someone darn sure did.

She sat her Kindle on the coffee table, unable to keep her eyes off the romantic setting that lay before the bachelor and his date. The reality couple, if you could call them a couple, stood in a beautiful clearing, surrounded by flowers and candles. There were so many candles that, at first glance, it looked as if every firefly in the country had descended on their date. There was a small intimate table for two awaiting the couple. It was the most romantic setting Kyra had ever seen. A part of her wished that she could experience that type of moment.

She watched, anticipating the joy the woman must feel being on that special date, to be able to share such an intimate moment with someone she obviously liked to be with. Just as she suspected, the woman’s face lit up with a smile that made it all the way to her eyes. A small gasp escaped Kyra as the bachelor pulled the woman into his arms and kissed her with a passion that could make any woman’s heart stop, along with making her panties melt into oblivion. A tear rolled down Kyra’s cheek as she witnessed this intense moment of love that she had yet to experience herself. Maybe one day it would happen for her, too.

Before she could wipe the lone tear from her cheek, she saw Dylan move. His arm stretched out to her face and he gently wiped the tear away. His gentle touch was enough to bring her to her knees, setting her body on fire with want. Before she could begin to put together her thoughts or words, her phone buzzed, killing whatever moment they were about to share. Damn phone.

Recognizing the number on the screen, she cleared her throat and answered, “Hi, Paula.”

“Hi, girl,” Paula squeaked cheerfully. “I just pulled into town. Sizzle is absolutely lovely.”

“Isn’t it, though?” Kyra responded, before giving Paula directions to Dylan’s house.

“So we’ll be staying with the hunk of burning love?” Paula asked? “I can’t wait to see him for myself.”

“We are. I hope we don’t drive him too crazy with girl talk.”

“Honey, I’ll be on my best behavior. I promise.”

“I know. See you soon.” Kyra said before ending the call.

Having Paula around would give Kyra time to take her mind off of Dylan and how much her feelings for him were changing, growing stronger by the minute, as well as the loss of her parents. Well, at least she hoped like hell it would. Even more importantly, Dylan could concentrate all of his time on solving her parents’ murder instead of worrying about her. And she needed some time to reevaluate what had happened between them, and where – if anywhere – things could go from here.

She appreciated everything he had done for her and was still doing for her. How could she repay such generosity? She had to find a way to make this up to him if it was the last thing she did. Opening up your home, putting your life on hold, and putting yourself in danger to help a… friend… were not small things.

The blaring honk of a car horn broke the peaceful silence, pulling her from her thoughts.  Paula had finally arrived. Kyra raced to the front door, quickly making her way onto the porch. She had a noticeable spring in her step as she collided into a hug with Paula.

“Considering all that has happened, girl, you look great,” Paula said.

“You suck at lying, but thanks,” Kyra said. “Come on in and meet Dylan.”

“This is a beautiful place he has here,” Paula said. She flashed Kyra a smile filled with mischief. “Now let’s meet the hottie, shall we?”

Kyra grinned, shaking her head. “Behave, woman.”

The girls grabbed Paula’s luggage from the trunk of her black Lexus and headed inside. Paula was eager to meet the man that Kyra was so taken with. Any man that left a woman feeling the way Kyra did just had to be a tasty morsel.

When Dylan appeared in the living room, she was stunned by the sex on a stick hottie before her. Kyra was right! He was a mouthwatering man with a gorgeous body that could easily have any woman he wanted. He was a fine male specimen if ever she saw one, dressed in a pair of denim jeans and white t-shirt, with muscles bulging everywhere.

“Dylan,” Kyra said, “this is my boss, Paula White. Paula, Dylan Chambers.”

“Nice to meet you, Dylan. It’s great to meet the man that’s had Kyra so… it’s great to meet you,” Paula said, catching the horrified look on Kyra’s face and realizing she was about to make a big mistake.

“You too. I hope you don’t mind sharing a room with Kyra. I never expected to have so much company.”

“No problem. Us girls are happy to bunk together.”

“Let’s get you unpacked,” Kyra said, grabbing Paula’s luggage and turning toward the hallway.

“Sounds good. This is going to be a very interesting visit.” She flashed Kyra a mischievous smile. “He’s smoking hot, girlfriend. You definitely have to get some of that.”

“I already did,” Kyra whispered, nudging Paula down the hall as fast as she could.

“What? Oh. My. God. Tell me everything… and I do mean everything. I want details, you little minx.”