Leave Yesterday Behind (16 page)

He patted her shoulder. “You never know, Miz C. Sometimes it’s the little things that we tend to overlook that help us catch a break in a case. I’ll swing by tomorrow morning and visit with you and Essie together.”

“I’ll take you to your room and get you settled, Miz C,” Gretchen volunteered, guiding the old woman through the door to her bedroom on one side as Essie took the other.

Callie stood. “We could go downstairs, Eric.”

“Sure thing, honey. Why don’t we take the back stairs and go sit in the kitchen?” He let her lead the way.

She noticed the entire bottom floor was brightly lit as she entered the kitchen. She could hear the low murmur of voices coming from the front part of the house. She sat at the oval oak table in the breakfast nook, smoothing her hand across the crocheted place mat in front of her.

Eric joined her and pulled out a pad and pen. He studied her a moment. “Before we get started, Cal, there’s something you need to know.” He hesitated.

“No,” she whispered. Without him voicing it, she instantly knew. Wolf hadn’t been in her room. And when they’d gone down to her aunt’s sitting room, the dog hadn’t appeared. That meant something had happened to him.

“Is he . . . gone?”

Eric nodded.

“Can I see him?”

“No,” he said firmly. “That wouldn’t be a good idea. I’ve taken care of Wolf.”

She swallowed hard, a lump filling her throat. “That sick bastard,” she got out. “He hurt my baby. Oh, God. Wolf.” Tears spilled down her cheeks, and she angrily brushed them away. She would mourn in private for her dog later. Right now, she needed to help her friend do everything he could to find this piece of shit.

She nodded at him, her resolve firm. “Let’s start. Ask away.”

“I’ll need a timeline, Cal. Everything from the moment you left Pam’s till you found the letter.” He gave her a crooked smile. “Since there seems to be a bit of a gap, I’ll need to know where you were and whom you were with.”

She swept back her hair and then crossed her arms. “I was with Nick the entire time. We came the long way home. There was a block party going on, so we went around by the park.”

She leaned forward, her elbows on the table, her fingers folded together, under her chin.

“We sat in the car for a while. Then we . . . had words. I got out and came around to the front door. I’d stomped off without my purse, and the door was locked, so I went back to get it.”

She sighed. “Nick . . . persuaded me to come into the cottage to talk.” She noticed Eric fighting a smile. She shrugged. “All you’re getting out of me, Eric La Rue, is that we spent some time making up.”

He nodded sagely. “Making up is fun to do.”

“Tell me about it. Anyway, we were probably together at couple of hours at the cottage before he walked me home. The back door was closer, so I came in that way and went straight up to my room. You know the rest.”

He scribbled a few notes down and rested the pen atop his notepad. “I’ll need to contact NYPD, Cal. They may have someone come down here and check things out. Now it could be some crackpot, for all we know. Nothing to do with this Lipstick Larry fellow. But I’m sure you’re aware that the guy they have in custody has been making noises about how he didn’t kill anyone.”

“I know. The D.A.’s office told me they were going to try him first on the charges of my attack. Then they were going to go on to the murders, which would give them more time to prepare.”

“That’s still a good strategy. Especially if he’s only involved in your case. That would put him away and keep him away so you wouldn’t have to worry about him. But we have to give some credence to the nut who wrote this note to you.” Eric ran a hand through his hair. “He could be a nobody who wants to believe he’s Lipstick Larry.”

“Or he could be the real deal,” she said. “Either way, someone out there will probably pay me another visit.”

“I’ll put a man on the house immediately,” Eric assured her. “And I don’t want you going anywhere alone.”

“She won’t,” Nick said from the doorway. “As of this moment, Callie and I are Siamese twins.”

Chapter 22

Nick’s eyes sprang open at the creak in the hall. He slipped his hand underneath the pillow and rolled silently from the bed, gun in hand, and cracked open the door.

It was Essie coming down the hall. She carried a tray with coffee, toast, and a magnolia swimming in a small glass bowl. The morning newspaper was tucked under her arm. He slipped into the corridor and closed the door behind him, tucking the gun into the back of his waistband.

“Good morning, Mr. Nick,” she whispered. “I’m just bringing Miz Callandra her breakfast. She wakes pretty early, you know. Even with all those goings-on last night, she’ll be wanting her sports page and Dear Abby like usual.”

He took the tray and paper from the cook. “I’ll take it to her, Essie. I want to visit with her a spell.”

Essie shot him a mischievous look. “You know she don’t succumb to sweet talk, Mr. Nick. I’d give it to her straight up, like a good soldier.”

He raised his brows. “And just what is it you think I’m going to talk to her about, Essie?”

She clucked her tongue. “Miss Callie’s an early riser, too. I expect you got about ten minutes ‘fore she starts stirring.”

He winked at her and continued down the hall. He tapped gently on the door before he entered. He found Callandra Chennault seated in her wheelchair already, staring out her window.

“Morning, Miz C,” he drawled. “Got your breakfast here. I’m sure the Saints are gonna lose that pre-season game tonight, so you can head straight to the funnies.”

“Set the tray here.” She returned her troubled gaze to the front lawn. He spotted the squad car in the drive.

“He’s here for Callie’s protection, Miz C.”

“Much good that’ll do if I can’t remember to lock a damn door and keep a madman out,” she snapped.

Nick rested a hand on her shoulder. “It’s not your fault. You’ve never had cause to be safety conscious before. No one could’ve predicted this would happen. Not with the arrest and Callie’s ID of her attacker.”

Callandra dabbed her eyes with a lace handkerchief. “But she was doing so much better. She was learning to relax again. Now all this.” She lifted saddened eyes. “I was able to help her heal once, long ago. But I can’t protect her from . . . this monster.”

He sat opposite her. “We’ll do everything to keep her safe. Eric’s contacted NYPD. One of his patrolmen will be right outside at all times. And she’s got me.”

Callandra sniffed. “And exactly what does that mean, young man?” She looked him up and down. “I know you must have stayed the night. Your clothes are rumpled, and your hair hasn’t been properly combed. I don’t think you just happened to be coming for a visit this early in the morning. So tell me, what exactly are your intentions regarding my Callie?”

He took a moment and decided to take Essie’s advice and march straight into battle. “I intend to marry her, ma’am. She only knows I’ve started to like her a little.” He shook his head. “She has no idea I’ve fallen in love with her. It’ll be as much a surprise to her as it was to me.”

He stood. “But I guaran-damn-tee you that I won’t let her out of my sight. If Callie’s resistant to the idea, I’ll simply wear her down till she surrenders. Patience is one of my strong points.”

Callandra rewarded him with a gracious smile. “I always knew the two of you would hit if off once you met. And you’ll make beautiful babies for me to spoil.”

Nick cracked a series of knuckles in reply before he found his voice. “Let’s don’t frighten her off with baby talk, Miz C. I need to work up to that.” He bent and kissed her cheek. “But I can tell you, I’ll take the best care of her. From now on. Scout’s honor—and I was an Eagle Scout.”

“So I assume you’ll be staying with us indefinitely?”

“I did sleep on top of the covers on my side of the bed last night,” he revealed. “What sleep I got. I was wound pretty tightly after the cops left.”

“Well, I can’t tell you how relieved I am that you were here. I think we’ll all feel a little more secure with a man in the house.”

She paused. “I told you before. I need to replace you with a full-time gardener. Your writing and time with Callie would leave my flowers sadly neglected if I didn’t. I will speak to Eric today about it. And as long as you’ll be staying in the main house, why don’t we offer the cottage along with the position? I’m sure you’ll want to get something larger for the two of you. Eventually.”

“When this is over. Till then, I’m stuck like glue to her.” He grinned. “I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.” He turned to go, then hollered back over his shoulder, “Wish me luck.”

Nick walked back down the hallway to Callie’s room and entered quietly. She was starting to stir. A frown crossed her face as if the idea of facing a new day disturbed her. He leaned down and kissed her brow.

A slight smile turned the corners of her mouth up. She stretched and then snuggled back into her pillow. He stood and watched her at rest. Her simple beauty shone against the starched white pillowcase. Her flawless skin needed no trace of make-up.

But for him, the essence of Callie was her unadorned hair in soft waves about her face. He knelt beside her and brushed a lock from her cheek before he kissed her.

Callie woke to Nick’s kiss. For a moment, she would have believed she was Sleeping Beauty being awakened from the wicked spell placed upon her. Nick’s hands were soft on her shoulders, his mouth slowly becoming more insistent.

“No,” she said, pushing him away. She covered her mouth with her hand. “I have never kissed anyone first thing in the morning. Morning breath. Dead man’s mouth. Yuck. It’s embarrassing.”

He laughed. “Don’t tell me you’ve never had a lover roll you over and kiss you awake.”

She pushed up to a sitting position. “Honestly? I’m always up early. If I did have an overnight guest in my bed, I sure as hell made it to my toothbrush before any romance commenced.”

“Well, this overnight guest spent last night above the covers and let you sleep. Surely that deserves a tiny reward for showing such restraint?”

She scooted to the other side of the bed and slipped out. “You’re out of luck, La Chappelle. I’m in the zone in the morning, and I’ve got my routine. And making out with you is not a part of it.”

He grinned wryly at her. “So much for genteel Southern manners. I’ll keep that in mind. For next time.”

She opened a drawer and pulled out yoga pants, a T-shirt, and a sports bra. “Why don’t you go downstairs? Essie will get you some coffee. You look like the type that needs a morning jumpstart of caffeine.”

He plopped down in the room’s only chair. “Nope. I’m going Biblical on you. ‘Where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge.’ Impressed? Got that from Sunday school in East Texas. Ruth hooking up for the long ride.”

“Well, Ruth honey, I’ll be right on the other side of that door, so lodge there.” She entered the bathroom and gave Nick a little wave before she closed the door.

She reached for her toothbrush but gripped the counter as a wave of nerves hit. She waited for it to pass. They came off and on since the attack. She knew despite her bantering with Nick that she was just this side of being scared out of her mind by whomever out there wrote that vile note.

That—and the fact that Nick was just a few feet on the other side of the door. Thinking about him caused her hands to shake as she squirted more toothpaste into the sink than onto her toothbrush.

The fact that he stayed with her last night touched her to the core. And he’d been the perfect gentleman, perched on his side of the bed, on top of the sheets and comforter. Callie didn’t think she would be able to sleep with what had happened, but Nick’s presence brought a sense of security that had been sorely lacking. She’d dropped off into a satisfying sleep, uninterrupted till morning. That hadn’t happened since the stalker’s attack.

She wondered if he truly meant they would be joined at the hip. She rinsed her mouth and changed into her yoga clothes. When she came out, her mat was rolled out. Nick sat next to it atop Gretchen’s mat, his legs crossed Indian-style, his hands turned palms up resting on his knees.

“Let’s get going,” he said. “I’ve only heard of Down Dog. That sounds like a good place to start.”

Callie sensed the door opening from the subtle breeze in the air. She fought to keep her face placid, her eyes relaxed, her breathing steady. Gretchen must be getting an eyeful, what with Nick next to her, both in Corpse pose, the final meditative pose of the series.

“And that’s it,” she proclaimed, slowly opening her eyes to see Gretchen’s obvious interest as she gazed down at them.

Nick sat up. “That was way cool,” he proclaimed. “Oh, hey, Gretchen. Callie’s been putting me through some yoga poses. I wish I would’ve known about this when I was pitching. I feel absolutely amazing.”

They both stood and rolled up their mats. Nick took both and set them in the corner of the room.

“Now what?”

Gretchen’s lips twitched. “Now you can leave us. Callie has a massage session. Go shave and shower and give us some girl time.”

Nick stood his ground. “Afraid I can’t do that, Gretchen.”

“Well, you cranky bastard. How on earth am I supposed to pump Callie about you with you still here in the room?” Gretchen opened the portable table and busied herself adjusting it.

Nick smiled like the Cheshire Cat. “If she’s not talking, I am.” He threw a triumphant look at Callie.

She protested. “No one is talking because there’s nothing to talk about. Period.” She rolled her neck, trying to work out a kink that had settled into it. “Just go. I’m fine. Besides, you know how private a massage is.”

He gave her a mock leer. “Yeah, I know.”

“Seriously, Nick,” Gretchen chimed in. “We’re fine. There’s a cop on duty outside. Go get ready. I promise that we won’t leave this room.”

He looked from one to the other. “Only because I need some fresh clothes. I’ll run home and clean up and meet you both down at breakfast. By then, I’ll have brought my stuff over.” His gaze went to the closet. “I hope you didn’t bring a ton of clothes, sweetheart. You’re going to have to make some room for me.”

She gasped. She didn’t have time to register if it was from shock or excitement. “You are not moving into my room, Nick La Chappelle. No way.”

“Way. Get used to it.” He crossed to her and planted a hard kiss on her mouth that shook her down to her toes. “See you both downstairs.” He sauntered out of the room.

Gretchen’s jaw dropped in amazement. “I guess I don’t even have to ask. That kiss smacked of possession. I guess you and Nick are a couple. Like it or not.”