Justifiable Risk (6 page)

What had she been thinking? She could have phoned. But after their introductory handshake at the station and Eva’s touch earlier at the diner, Greer had thought of little else as she careered along the back roads to Hurley.

The first touch had surprised her, the second mesmerized her, and this last one urged her to behave unprofessionally. The ease with which Eva expressed her needs tapped on an emotional door that Greer had sealed off two years ago. And as a result, she’d nearly compromised her loyalty. She walked through the parking lot toward her Harley and vowed to stay as far away from Eva as possible. She would get discouraged soon and leave.

“A little late-night booty call, Greer?”

She instinctively reached for her concealed service weapon and squinted in the dim lights to make out the figure approaching her. “JJ?”

He stepped from behind his restored canary yellow ’66 Chevy truck with his hands up. “Don’t shoot. I come in peace…or maybe I should say, I come for a piece.” He laughed at his joke and craned his neck back the way Greer had come, probably trying to determine which room she’d just left. “Anybody I know?”

“Maybe I should ask you that question. Does Janice know you’re carousing tonight?”

“No, and she better not hear it from you.”

“Not mine to tell. But everybody within three counties knows your truck. Not exactly sneaking around in that thing.” They stood in silence for a few minutes, Greer pondering her next question and JJ seemingly unwilling to let her see which room he’d be visiting. “Why weren’t you in that meeting with the sergeant and Eva Saldana this morning?”

JJ swiped his boot across a rough patch in the asphalt. “I had court.”

“But it’s your case.” Detectives were usually included when their cases were questioned or up for review. Greer waited for JJ to respond, but decided to drop it. Eva Saldana was making her question the dedication of her coworkers, their integrity, and her own boundaries between work and play.

“Come on, Greer, I got better things to do than talk shop on my off time. Got a little something-something waiting, if you get my drift. Let this go, partner.” He walked toward the row of rooms at the end of the lot and called over his shoulder. “And remember, not a word about this to Janice.”

“There might’ve been an easier way, you know.”

Eva looked up from her morning espresso and bagel into the boyish face of Jake Johnston. His normally pleasant features scrunched together in an expression of displeasure, like he smelled something foul. Every patron in the diner turned toward them, eyes wide and ears undoubtedly open for fresh gossip.

“I beg your pardon?”

He sat down at her table uninvited. “As we say in the South, sometimes it’s easier to catch flies with honey than vinegar.”

Eva hoped this wasn’t a culture lesson. After her embarrassing night with Greer and the phone call she’d made afterward, she wasn’t in the mood for games. “JJ, if you have something to say, say it. It’s too early for riddles.”

“We all heard the good news this morning. You didn’t get the answers you wanted, so you went to the chief.” He traced a finger along the back of her hand. “I’m saying we might’ve been able to work something out if you’d come to me. I can be pretty obliging.”

She pulled her hand away as the meaning behind his words registered. “I simply need more information. The meeting with your sergeant wasted my time.”

“Yeah, well, Fluharty can be that way. But I could probably help considerably—if you decide to come around.”

His gaze roamed over her body and Eva cringed. He didn’t even undress her with his eyes, but went straight to leering. “Your offer is tempting,” she lied.

“Don’t worry, you don’t have to ask. The sergeant will assign one of us to review the case, probably me, since it was my investigation. I can hardly wait to get better acquainted.”

Eva finished her coffee and prepared to leave. “This isn’t a social event, JJ. It’s a very serious matter, and I’d appreciate it if you’d treat it that way.”

“I understand. You think we’re a small-town bunch of hicks who don’t know how to do our jobs. But I worked for ten years in Boston before relocating here. I’ve seen more, been involved in more, and investigated more violent incidents than you’ll ever report. So I’m trying not to take it personally that you’ve questioned my abilities and my integrity.”

As JJ’s voice grew louder, a waitress came out of the back of the diner and moved in their direction. JJ shot her a cautionary stare as she got closer. “Stay out of this, Janice. It’s not your business.”

Janice Johnston stopped with her hands on her hips and returned his stare. “Well, excuse me for living. I kind of thought you were my business since you’re my husband.”

“This is work. Back off.”

“Then take it to the office, not in here where everybody can hear your
business
.”

From her tone, Eva surmised that JJ’s wife considered her one of his dalliances. She started to object but decided that would only create a bigger scene. Janice held his gaze with a challenge of her own before she turned and disappeared into the kitchen.

Eva sat quietly for a few minutes while JJ took a couple of deep breaths. Why would any woman put up with a man she so obviously couldn’t trust and who blatantly disrespected her? And why would a cop, if he was any good, leave Boston for a small department like New Hope? Maybe she’d make a few phone calls and find out. But right now she needed his cooperation. This man knew more about her brother’s case than anyone.

“I’m sorry to upset you. I’m not questioning your methods, only the outcome. As you point out, I don’t investigate violent crimes. You have all that experience. Would you object to walking me through the facts?”

The corners of JJ’s mouth twitched into a smirk. “You’re good. I understand how you get all those tough interviews on CNN now. But our relationship won’t be like that. No animosity here, just a little quid pro quo. When the sergeant officially gives me the case later today, I’ll call you.” He stood to leave.

“I understand but—”

Before she could object, a group of older women, some dressed in nurses’ uniforms, approached the checkout station near Eva’s table.One of them, a tall, distinguished-looking woman with grayish blond hair and sharp blue eyes, walked over to them. “Have a problem, JJ?”

His look would have sent a less confident person running in the opposite direction, but his tone softened noticeably. “No problem, Bessie. I was giving our visitor a friendly lesson on how we do things in the South.”

“And that’s a good thing?” The woman’s voice teased with equal parts levity and sarcasm. “It didn’t sound too friendly from where I was sitting. How about conducting your lessons in a more private setting? The whole town doesn’t need to hear.”

JJ started to respond, but turned and stalked out of the coffee shop. The room immediately buzzed with whispers. Customers stared and pointed as Eva rose to pay her bill.

The older woman waved good-bye to her nurse friends, escorted Eva to the cash register, and followed her outside. Something about her seemed familiar, though Eva was certain they hadn’t met. Her frankly inquisitive stare swept over Eva’s body and back to her face. Those eyes. Greer Ellis. The two women had the same piercing stare and high cheekbones—disarming and attractive.

“I’m sorry for butting into your conversation in there, but JJ can get a little ornery when his testosterone kicks in.” The woman smiled and offered her hand. “Where are my manners? I’m Bessie Ellis, lifelong resident of New Hope and head nurse at the hospital.” She pointed across the street to the three-story structure.

“Eva Saldana. It’s a pleasure.” And she meant it. Bessie epitomized small-town hospitality, her smile warm, her demeanor friendly. She’d actually helped Eva, the first person to do so since she arrived. Not that she needed anyone to rescue her from JJ, but it reassured her that someone else considered his behavior a little odd and not simply a juicy piece of gossip.

“You’re Portuguese, right?” Eva nodded. “I spent some time in Portugal during my younger days as a military nurse. I love the language. It has such a romantic rhythm.”

“You said Bessie
Ellis
?”

“Yes, and I’m guessing you’ve already encountered my niece, Greer. If you’ve met JJ, it makes sense that you’ve met her. They’re a bit like a wrestling tag team—bonded by the work and just as subtle.”

Eva hesitated, unsure how to respond. Her encounters with Greer Ellis invigorated, disturbed, and disappointed, unlike this pleasant encounter with her aunt.

“It’s okay. She can be a bit hard to take at times. I only hope she didn’t put you off permanently. And I’m sorry about your brother, Ms. Saldana.” Eva’s face must have shown her confusion. “Small town. News travels quickly and not necessarily accurately, unlike CNN.”

“Thank you, Ms. Ellis. You’re very kind.” She started to excuse herself, but if Bessie had lived in New Hope all her life and worked at the hospital, she was bound to know the history of everybody in town. Maybe she could hang out with her and listen for a while. “Are you on your way to work now?”

“No, honey. And please call me Bessie. This is my day off. I met the girls for breakfast after their night shift, and now I’m going back to the house to pick up Greer. She isn’t much of a morning person, so she’s sleeping in. We’re headed to the farmers’ market. Hey, why don’t you join us?”

Seeing Greer so soon after her sexual rejection didn’t entirely appeal to Eva, but getting to know her better did. This might be her only opportunity to glimpse Greer’s private world. It could help her learn how to get Greer on her side. “I don’t want to intrude. Besides, she might not want to see me, especially at her home.”

“Don’t worry about her. She’s used to me bringing strangers home. I’m sort of a magnet for strays, animal or human. Besides, I’ll have a chance to show off the house and entice you to stick around a while. Every visitor to New Hope is a potential resident. That’s my philosophy, and I’m the self-appointed Welcome Wagon. Say you’ll come. We seldom get guests, and one of your stature, even less often.” Bessie’s smile faded a bit and her exuberance waned. “I’m being too pushy, aren’t I? Greer says I can be terribly pushy at times. Forgive me. I’m sure you have other things to do.”

Bessie’s obvious disappointment made Eva’s decision easier. She didn’t even know this woman, but she didn’t want to disappoint her. And she did want to explain why she’d phoned the chief last night before Greer heard it from someone else. It was often best to deliver bad news in person. Though, if JJ’s reaction this morning was an indication, it might already be too late. “If you’re sure, I’ll visit for a while.”

As Eva followed Bessie’s pickup into the country, she wondered about the reception awaiting her. Surely they could put aside a momentary attraction and concentrate on professional matters. But Eva acknowledged the subtle sting to her ego as she turned onto an asphalt drive leading through a stand of beautifully colored fall foliage.

They stopped in front of a large two-story log home with a green metal roof and wraparound porch that looked like a cover shot for
Log Home Living.
Off to one side, a matching three-car garage sat beside a small body of water. Nestled among the trees, the place screamed warmth, serenity, and stability. Two wildly enthusiastic dogs bounded off the porch and loped in their direction. Eva had imagined a home like this to share with someone she loved, a place of dreams and possibilities. Wiping a tear from her cheek, she opened the car door and walked toward Bessie.

“Meet Straw Dog and Frisky, my two most recent wards.” Bessie scratched each dog behind the ears, then looked back toward the house. “Quite a sight, isn’t it? Would you believe my partner and I built this? Both floors have the same square footage, but arranged a little differently. It’s sort of like a stacked duplex. I thought when Greer got older she’d want a place of her own. And that worked fine until… Sorry, I’m rambling. Come on in. I’ll give you the nickel tour. And don’t panic if you see a big fluffy ball of black fur skitter by. That’s Nina, our resident cat, and not very sociable, kind of like Greer.”

Eva followed Bessie inside and listened as she proudly pointed out details of her amazing home with its open floor plan. Large master bedroom suites occupied either end of the common space. A library, half bath, and expansive deck completed the first-floor living area. Every room housed large, comfortable furnishings that made Eva want to sink into them and rest.

She stood in the center of the great room, staring at the second-floor railing and the bank of windows overlooking the lake. “How did you get the same space up there with a vaulted ceiling down here?”

“Ruth, my partner, took care of that. She was architecturally gifted.”

The sadness in Bessie’s eyes broadcast her pain. “And she’s—”

“Passed, yes, several years ago. But she’s still with me, everywhere I look.” Bessie spread her arms as if to embrace the spirit of her departed lover. “How about a cup of coffee?”

“If it’s not any trouble, that would be perfect, Bessie. This is a beautiful home, open and welcoming.”

“Thank you. For Ruth and me, our life was our family. You can’t raise a kid in a museum. Speaking of Greer, I better go light a fire under her.”

“Why don’t I go while you make the coffee?” Eva offered.