Please Remember Me (4 page)

He shook his head as he pulled into a parking spot at the thrift store. Jaden wasn’t a suspect and she wasn’t guilty. Yet. Maybe he’d have Carol Ann run Jaden’s name anyway.

He tugged the sunglasses from his eyes and nibbled on the earpiece. If he wanted a chance with her, he needed to think like a man interested in a date, not a cop trying to catch a suspect.

Then what the hell was he doing outside the blasted thrift store? He didn’t need furniture and wasn’t in the market for gently-used clothes. Sliding down in his seat, he scanned the lot. A jet black Mercedes Benz sat six spots from the door. Hers? He wasn’t sure.

Part of him wanted to barge into the store and hunt her down. The greater part of him wasn’t so sure. What if she was staying away from him on purpose? She could be up to something she didn’t want him to know about. Marlon rolled his window down to let in fresh air. Maybe the stiff breeze would clear his head.

He doubted it.

“I can’t help you if you won’t tell me what’s going on,” he murmured.

Chapter Four

Ten minutes of watching the ebb and flow in front of the thrift store bored Marlon to the point of tears. Nothing thrilling happened aside from a green car parking next to the Mercedes. No one exited the vehicle, and since it was a public lot, he had no grounds to question anyone. He gave up his post and headed to the sheriff’s department. He strolled inside and made his way to the reception desk. He nodded to Carol Ann Leidecker, the receptionist. “Hi, darlin’. Is Mac in?”

The raven-haired woman grinned. A fresh piercing decorated her right nostril. Thick black kohl rimmed her eyes. “He’s in his office and fired up about the rash of auto break-ins. He’s got Ronan out checking one of the complaints. How are you?”

“I’m alive and breathing.” Marlon grabbed the schedule clipboard off her desk and riffled through the pages. “Good enough for me.”

“Right.” Carol Ann snorted. “Why are you here, then? You don’t usually come in on your days off, especially if Sabrina’s off, too. Looking to pick up extra hours?”

“We broke up more than six months ago. What Sabrina does is her business.” He reorganised the sheaf of papers and placed them back under the clip. “Last I heard, she moved on to some guy named Tim.”

“I heard the same thing and good, too, except his name was Terry. Doesn’t matter. I didn’t want to have to get rid of her again.” Clicking the keys on the keyboard, Carol Ann resumed her typing. “I’m glad you two split. I don’t care if she was an actress, she wasn’t quite on the level.”

“You and me both.” He shrugged and headed to his desk. “I’ve got a name I want you to run down for me. By the way, what’s that thing in your nose? It looks goofy.”

With a black-tipped nail, she toyed with the crimson jewellery. “Yeah, Daddy didn’t like it either, but Craig said it looked hot. I like it.” She drummed her fingers on the metal desktop. “I’ll bet you want to know about that celebrity suspected to be in town. Possibly a record and her recent activities?”

Stopped in his tracks, Marlon cracked his knuckles. “Who is the celebrity you’re referring to?” Like he didn’t have a clue.

“Jade Weir.”

So everyone knew? Wonderful. “What’s she got to do with Crawford? It’s not like the rich and famous run off to Ohio when they get bored.” He rummaged through some paperwork, not really looking at the words on the pages. The image of Jaden, sitting on his couch grinning and natural, ran rampant through his mind. His sixth sense screamed that she belonged in his life. “Besides, I’m pretty sure she’s not here.”

Footsteps pattered behind him. “So then who is the blonde strolling into the diner with Cass Malone?”

Whipping around, Marlon knocked into Carol Ann. With an, “Oof!” he headed to the window. A blonde? His heart thundered in his chest. Sure enough, Cass stood on the sidewalk next to Logan. The blonde in question cuddled Julian Malone in her arms. As she turned, Marlon knew. Jaden. He’d know her body whether swathed in curve-hugging denim or in sackcloth.

“She’s cute.”

To hide his shaky hands, he folded his arms. “She’s original.”

“Do you know her? Taft and I have a bet going that she’s Jade and she’s slumming.” Leaning on Marlon, Carol Ann sighed. “Why she’d slum here is beyond me. There’s a whole lot of cow poop, soybeans, and flat land here in Ohio. Think she’s making another play for Logan?”

A twinge of jealousy raced through his system. “I hope not. He’s not looking. He’s happy with Cass.” Although Logan was a stand-up guy, he didn’t want to think of Jaden and Logan together. The idea of her making love to another man churned his stomach.

“So you do like her!” Carol Ann shrieked and clapped. “Taft said you had a thing for her when you did the questioning. Mac will have your head, you know. He hates when we fraternise with the suspects.”

“Taft McGregor wouldn’t know his ass from his elbows.” Groaning, he widened his stance.” As for Mac, he won’t care if I don’t tell him.” Because I won’t be with her anyway. She’s trouble. “But last time I checked, she wasn’t a suspect in anything. Care to enlighten me?” And give him a reason to stay away from her.

 
“She seems clean. No drugs, no booze. Nothing. I wanted to give you fits, that’s all.” Carol Ann giggled. “I might need you to do something for me while I’m here. I’m bogged down and could use a favour.”

He turned. So she wanted to play dirty, eh? Bring it on. “Oh really? I’d love to make Craig jealous. Meet me at five?”

Crimson infused her cheeks. Her words came out in a rush. “Craig and I…well… I didn’t mean you and me… Why don’t you go get Mac’s lunch at the diner? You can go see her and maybe you can have that tryst you’ve deserved since Addison passed.”

Swallowing a snappy comeback, Marlon held out his hand. No one mentioned his first wife without causing him grief, but since he liked Carol Ann, he’d let it slide this time. Plus, he did want to see Jaden. “Give it here. I won’t talk to her in case she’s truly in trouble, but I’m sure she’s not doing anything illegal.” I hope she’s not. He took the slip of paper and headed out of the door.

Carol Ann cackled. “Go get ‘em, tiger. Tag that chick.”

Checking the traffic, Marlon crossed the street with long strides. Tag that chick. Shit. Blatant words might have fitted Jade, but not Jaden Marie. An afternoon tryst. Hell, getting laid for the sake of getting off wasn’t worth it. He wanted a woman to love.

As he entered the glass foyer, he noticed the honey blonde by the community board. He cleared his throat in case it wasn’t Jaden.

Startled, Jaden clutched her chest and turned. “I’m sorry. I’ll get out of your w—Marlon?”

Despite his common sense screaming not to touch her, he tucked some loose strands of hair behind her ear. Sizzles went straight to his groin. Dear God, what if they really did become lovers? He’d never survive—and yet he liked the odds. Dying in her arms sounded rather pleasant. Satisfying.

When she licked her bottom lip, he came close to coming unglued. Her eyes widened. “What are you doing here?”

“Getting my boss’s order. I should be angry since you avoided me, but I’ll deal.” When her gaze raked over his body, he fisted his hand to keep from wrapping her in an embrace. “I see you’re checking out the want-ads. Which flyer caught your attention?”

She held her palm open. Three slips of paper lay crumpled in her hand. “One’s for a babysitter, one’s for a dog walker and the third is for a companion.”

Companion? His throat constricted. “Which one?”

“Which one what?”

“Who wants a companion?”

She pointed to a pink flyer.
Elder in the community seeks companion. Must be able to lift a hundred pounds and willing to work nights and weekends. 555-0089 Ask for Dan.
Dan Denoon, local businessman and suspected pimp. Hell, no. She didn’t know his story, but he wasn’t going to let her fall into his trap. Having a former celebrity would boost his popularity and get Jaden into a world she could probably handle…but didn’t deserve.

 
“You don’t want to be his companion. He’s not looking for someone to care for his Gramma.” Despite his trust in her decisions, he sighed. “He wants an escort-slash-plaything. It’s bad news.”

Shrinking away from him, she handed him the paper. “Oh. Sorry.”

Her sweet nature would be the death of his sanity, but shit if she wasn’t cute when she was out of her element. Wriggling in his polo shirt, he shifted. When had the air got so damned hot in the little foyer? It was late October for crying out loud. “You didn’t know. Which one is for the dog walker?”

“Maybe I shouldn’t tell you. You shot my other option down.” The hint of a frown marred her coral lips. “Oh, what the hell? You’re a cop. I should trust you.” She pointed to a simple, handwritten flyer. “This one. For a lady named Judi Pennywood. Know her? Does she run some sort of prostitution ring, too?” She put her hands up. “I can see it now. Granny’s Girlie Show. Come one, come all…or don’t come at all. No refunds.”

Gritting his teeth, he groaned. “Jaden, honey, I didn’t mean that. I just—”

Before he could finish his answer, she clamped a hand over his mouth. “I’m giving you grief. I know how to do that without any training.” She scrunched her nose and winked. “So what’s the skinny on this Pennywood character?”

Wrapping his fingers around hers, he removed her hand from his mouth. Being with her felt so natural, so right. He wanted to see her more—every day. If she’d let him. “I work with her great niece, Carol Ann. She’s a nice lady. Around eighty-six-ish. I believe she still owns a Basset hound.”

Jaden cringed. “Do they drool? I hear they make a mess.”

Rubbing his thumb over her knuckles, he considered her questions. As far as he knew, Saint Bernards drooled. Did Bassets? “I guess you’ll have to call her and find out. Carol Ann loves to tell me stories. I’d say you, Judi and Carol Ann would get along great.”

Slowly, her gaze met his. Eyes the colour of sea glass with tinges of azure mixed in for good measure, framed by dark lashes. A man could lose himself in those eyes. “You really think this is a good deal? I don’t want to be taken for a ride, but I can do this, Marlon.”

“Never said you couldn’t.” He nodded to the diner. “Although I’d love to stay here and talk, I need to take the order back to the department. Want to come along?”

Before she could answer, the bell on the diner door dinged. Cass, with an armload of squirming Julian, strolled through the passage. Logan trailed only a step behind. “Hey, Marlon. I see you found Jaden. Why don’t you two hang out this afternoon? Maybe he knows the guy in the green car.”

Jaden’s mouth opened a fraction of an inch as she bumped into Marlon, not that he minded. Her warm breath tickled against his skin, sending shimmers through his body. How was it that this woman affected him in such small ways?

His bodily reaction aside, who was this person with the green car? “A new boyfriend in a hunter green sports car maybe?”

Cass elbowed Logan. “You are pushy today, even if you’re right.” When he shrugged, she turned to Jaden. “The green car seems to be wherever we are, but it’s not around now.” She glanced at the strips of paper in Jaden’s hand. “Did you find something?”

Jaden nodded. “I did. But this foyer is getting cramped. Are we ready to go? I wanted to hunt for an apartment and you said you knew some good buildings.”

Opening the door to the outside, Marlon waved Cass and Julian through. “Where were you thinking, Cass? You know the apartments around here from when you helped Les move.”

As Jaden edged between him and the glass, her breath caught. He liked that and planned to find a way to bring the reaction back over and over again. Logan gave him a soft punch to the arm. “Go for her,” he muttered under his breath. “Keep her off the streets.”

Marlon’s ears burned. Forget the job, forget his late wife, and forget his hard luck with women. Hell yeah, he wanted to go for Jaden, but at her pace. Better to move with caution than from spur of the moment to regret.

Cass pulled the blanket more tightly around her wriggly one-year-old child. “I thought we’d look at the Brooks Building and the Oceana, but Julian doesn’t want to cooperate.” She handed her son to Logan. “You might have a better idea, Marlon. I might have helped her look through the phonebook, but you grew up here. You know the town better than I do. What about where you live, in the Abbe Patterson Estates?”

Putting her hands up, Jaden protested. “Absolutely not. The name sounds distinguished, but no. I met some of his neighbours and I don’t think I’d be welcome.”

The comment rankled Marlon and he filed it away in his memory.

With a snort, Logan wrapped his free arm around Cass. “You ran into Sabrina, I assume.”

Cass dug her elbow into Logan’s side again. “Why don’t we go change Julian and give them some space?”

Logan frowned. “But he’s not poopy.”

Taking a deep breath, Cass tugged Logan’s jacket sleeve. “We’ll be over here if you need us,” she said and disappeared behind her navy truck.

Jaden dug her hands into her hoodie pockets. “So.”

“So…” Marlon fiddled with the paper in his hand. “I’m free until eight tonight.”

“You have a date? I’ll bet she’s pretty.”

Jerking his attention from his shoes to her face, he shook his head. “No date. I’m on duty.” God, would he have to admit how long it had been since he’d been on a decent date? “I know the Brooks and the Oceana. You’ll get a better deal for your money at the Oceana, but the Brooks has better security.”

“I’ve got plenty of security, but what I don’t have is stuff to fill the apartment.”

“Didn’t you find some furniture?”

“Actually I did.” Jaden edged a foot away from him. “Cass gave me one of her spare beds if I want it and I found a nice little Queen Anne’s chair at the market. I’ve got my clothes, all my makeup, a duffle bag full of clothes and about twenty pairs of shoes in the trunk—but that’s it. I guess for a former celebrity, I didn’t plan well, did I? But, hey, I have shoes!”

Most people would have brought things for survival. She’d brought shoes, lots of shoes. “What if I offer to help you move the bed and the chair and the mountain of footwear? I think I can also scrounge up a used fridge and stove if there’s room.” The more she inched away from him, the more he wanted to pull her into his arms. “And I think I like the woman you are right now better than any old celebrity.”