The Comeback Kiss (19 page)

“
Why is it not? I think this nonsense about
‘
my business, your business
’
is just another way to keep people at arm
’
s length.”

“
If we
’
re ever in a church together, remind me to douse you with holy water. Just a test.”

“
You confided those t
hings to me on your deathbed.”

“
It wasn
’
t my deathbed. I fell from a fire escape.”

“
And you called
me
to come to your aid. That meant something to me, Finn.”

“
I called to let you know that one of your stupid favors damn near killed me.”

“
The point is, you
confided in me.”

“
I was doped up on painkillers. I didn
’
t know what I was saying.”
He closed his eyes. This was why he didn
’
t drink. The slightest mind-altering substance, and his brain went soft and he got all... talky.

“
You confided in me,”
Babs repeate
d, “
thus making it my responsibility to help you, as it
’
s apparent you
’
re too stubborn to help yourself.”

“
Just say the words,”
Finn said. “
There is no Boston job, is there?”
Babs pursed her lips and shrugged noncommittally. Finn let out an I
’
m-gonna-kill-
you laugh and stared her down. “
And how long were you gonna string me along here?”

Babs shrugged. “
I would have told you by Saturday.”

“
Saturday.”
Finn took this in for a moment. “
You were going to string me along here for three more days?”

“
And now I don
’
t have to,”
Babs said, grinning. “
You
’
re suspected in that fire. You can
’
t leave town. See how perfectly everything is working out?”

“
I can leave town,”
Finn said. “
I
’
m not officially a suspect.”

“
But you
’
ll look like a suspect if you leave,”
Babs said. “
I heard your brother say so himself at the diner this morning. Seems like such a nice young man, by the way.”

Finn was about to comment on Joe
’
s nice-young- man-ness when another suspicion hit him. “
Babs, tell me you didn
’
t start that fire.”

Babs laughed.
“
Oh, goodness, no. It was a brilliant move on the part of Fate, though, don
’
t you think? Just convinces me all the more that I did the right thing.”

Finn ran his fingers over his eyes until they pinched the bridge of his nose.

“
Okay. You know what? Talkin
g to you is pointless. I know this. So I
’
m done. I
’
m gonna go get the car, and you
’
re getting on the next bus back to New York. I
’
ll figure out the rest later.”

“
Oh, don
’
t be silly,”
Babs said. “
This town is absolutely charming. I
’
m not going anywhere. All
I require is a nice little bed-and-breakfast, and I think I
’
ll turn this into a much-needed vacation. Do you know I
’
ve never been to Vermont before?”

Finn released a breath. “
You can
’
t stay here.”

“
Sure I can,”
Babs said. “
And I think you know how pointle
ss it is to argue with me. Now, do you have a place to recommend, or shall I hunt down a set of yellow pages?”
Finn took a moment. She was right about the pointlessness of arguing. Firing squads were more compromising than Babs once she
’
d made up her mind.
And who knew? She might come in handy if things got sticky for him.

Babs was a major pain in the ass, but he
’
d never met anyone more fiercely loyal in his life, and the woman had a knack for getting her way. Whether he liked it or not, she was a good frie
nd to have around, and he was in short supply of good friends.

“
Fine,”
he said. “
You wanna stay? Stay. But no more screwing with my life.”

“
Absolutely.”

“
You stuck me here; you did your part. From here on out, no matter how badly you think I
’
m handling thi
ngs, you stay out of it, understood?”

“
Of course.”

He paused for a moment. “
And there
’
s something else.”

“
For you? Anything.”

“
It
’
s not for me, it
’
s for Tessa, and it
’
s a long story, so don
’
t ask questions, just do what I say, okay?”

Babs smiled, her face
open and receptive. Finn took a deep breath.

“
I
’
m a private detective from Las Vegas. You work for me. We just came from there, and in a few days, we
’
re going back. Anyone wants to know anything else, be evasive. No making up grand stories, nothing I migh
t have to back up later. If they pry, then claim client confidentiality and shut up about it. Okay?”

Babs let loose with a small laugh. “
Wow. She
’
s really been telling some whoppers, huh?”

Finn opened the door. “
You have no idea.”

***

Tessa pushed throug
h the door to Max
’
s Diner. She
’
d stopped briefly back at the house, made sure that Izzy was at home and staying there, threatened her with various forms of television/computer/telephone/allowance restrictions, and rushed back to the diner. She was already
tired, distracted, and cranky; by the time she finished her shift, things were bound to get really ugly.

“
Hey, Tessa,”
Joe said, meeting her by the counter. He was wearing an apron tied around his waist and had a pencil tucked behind his ear. The place was
fairly dead, just a few stragglers from the breakfast crowd.

“
Thanks for picking up the slack,”
Tessa said.

“
No problem,”
Joe said. “
Brings me back to my high school days.”

“
Lot of that going around,”
Tessa mumbled.

“
Hmmm?”

“
Nothing. Sorry I took so long.
Things kinda got”—
she puffed her bangs up with a sharp release of breath
—“
complicated.”

“
It
’
s okay.”
Joe sat down at the counter, drummed a beat on the surface with his fingers before continuing. “
So. He
’
s still here.”

“
Huh?”
Tessa ducked under the counte
r, grabbed a rag, and popped back up. “
Oh. Finn. Yeah.”

“
You look upset.”

“
I do?”
She relaxed her face. “
I
’
m not.”

Joe
’
s face went hard. “
He upset you?”

“
Oh, God, Joe, not now, okay? Yes, having Finn here is intense, but I
’
m a big girl, and I can take care
of myself.”
Joe went quiet. Tessa felt something torque inside. Joe felt so much like a big brother that sometimes she forgot he was an ex, and the rules were different for how you treated an ex.

“
Thank you, Joe, for being concerned, but it
’
s not a big de
al. We were in the shack ...”
She paused. “
In the shack”
was Lucy
’
s Lake High
’
s euphemism for having sex; easily a quarter of the student body had lost their virginity in the shack. It was one of those phrases you couldn
’
t use within town boundaries witho
u
t it sounding dirty. “
Not like that. You know what I mean. Just talking. It was no big deal, really.”

“
Well,”
Joe said, getting up from the counter and untying the strings on his apron. “
Everybody
’
s pretty much just finishing their refills on coffee. Max i
s in the back, but be warned
—
he
’
s in a bad mood.”

“
And this is different from every other day how?”

Joe gave her a dark look and Tessa understood instantly.

Finn.

“
Well,”
Joe said, “
I should probably go.”

Tessa reached out and grabbed Joe
’
s hand, giving it
a squeeze. “
Thank you. Really.”

Joe gave her a small nod, then headed to the front to grab his coat. Tessa sighed. Joe was so...
good.
So noble. Always did the right thing. Too bad there was no one in Lucy
’
s Lake worthy of him, including her.

“
Tessa?”

Tes
sa blinked and looked up to see Margie Fletcher standing at the counter, holding her bill and some cash.

“
Oh, hey, Margie. Sorry. Spaced out there for a moment.”
Tessa punched the numbers into the cash register. “
How was your meal?”

“
Great,”
Margie said. S
he settled on a stool and leaned in. “
I actually wanted to ask you... is everything okay with Izzy?”

“
Define
okay,”
Tessa said flatly.

“
It
’
s just...”
Margie looked around. No one was in the place except Digger Hodges, who was sitting at the back attacking
a plate of eggs, and he was deaf in one ear anyway. Margie sighed, relaxed in her seat, and smiled tentatively at Tessa. “
I
’
m a little worried about her.”

Tessa took a moment to remember the flu story she
’
d made Izzy call in sick with. “
Oh, she
’
s fine. It
’
s just a little bug.”

Margie shook her head. “
No, I
’
m sure she
’
ll be fine. What
’
s concerning me is that... well...”
Margie nibbled on her lip, an oddly juvenile habit for a woman in her late forties, but then Margie had always been really youthful. “
She br
oke into the safe in my office yesterday.”

Tessa froze. No, it wasn
’
t possible. Izzy would never... she wouldn
’
t...”

Oh, hell. She
so
would.

“
What did she take?”
Tessa asked, her heart pounding and her mind racing. “
Whatever it is, she will be bringing it
back as soon as I can get over there and kick her little
—”

“
Don
’
t get mad,”
Margie said. “
She didn
’
t take anything, as far as I can tell. I think it was just a... I don
’
t know. A prank, I guess? But it worries me. It
’
s not like her.”

Tessa kept quiet about
that. “
She will be over to apologize first thing tomorrow.”