ToServeAndProtect (10 page)

No that would be disastrous. She gulped a breath and
bowed her head. “You’re the only one who believes me.”

He blew out a long exhale. “You’re a long way from
getting out from underneath the radar. Detective Jones, my captain, and most
importantly, the district attorney all have to be convinced.”

“What changed your mind? Maybe it’ll change theirs,
too.”

He shook his head. “I can’t really say. You, me,
instinct, all of it I suppose.” He put his cup in the sink and peered out the
window. Officers still searched the wooded area behind the house. “I want you
to be scared, McKenna.” He turned and faced her. “But not of me. I’ll be
around.” Never shifting his gaze from hers, he stepped closer. “If you see
anyone suspicious, if you feel a tingle run down your spine, don’t ignore it.”
He stood directly in front of her. “Don’t think about what you should do. You
call me. But if you believe you’re in danger, call 911.”

Understanding the implications, she said, “I don’t
know why any of this is happening. How am I supposed to watch for something or
someone I don’t know anything about?”

“All I’m saying is to be aware of your surroundings.
Notice the people around you. If you’re hiding anything from me—”

“I’m not,” she interrupted.

“If you remember anything, I don’t care if it’s three
in the morning, you call me.” He pointed a finger at her face. “This isn’t a
game. Are you leaving anything out?” Dustin sighed. “I’ll find out eventually.”

McKenna looked down and shuffled her foot. “Nothing.”
She was terrible at lying.

Chapter
Seven

“Are you giving me a ticket?” Dawn came out of the
tanning salon to find Tyson leaning against her car.

“It’s the middle of July. The sun is free.”

“Careful cop, you’re proving how smart you are.
Tanning causes premature aging. Haven’t you ever heard about the importance of
preserving one’s youthful appearance? Consider me Teri’s work of art. One
hundred percent paint.” She waited for him to move out of her way. When he
crossed his arms over his chest, she pressed the lock alert button on her
keychain, causing a loud beep.

Tyson jolted off the vehicle. “What the…” He put a
hand to his chest and took a breath. Dawn turned her lips up into a slow smile.
“What the fuck was that for?”

“You weren’t moving and I need to leave.”

“You’ve got balls. I like that.”

“I can assure you, Detective, I
don’t
have
balls.” She watched his eyes narrow. She knew she pushed his buttons, but
hopefully it would keep his interest in her and off Mickey. And having his
interest wasn’t a hardship. “Would you like to frisk me and find out for
yourself? I know you detectives like to be thorough in your investigations.”

Damn, did he really intend to frisk her? He moved to
her side of the car. “I checked out your yoga studio.” He opened the door for
her.

Dawn’s heart pounded with his closeness. She swallowed,
trying to bring moisture back to her mouth. “Did you meet Gabriel?”

“Pretty boy, soft spoken, yep, met him.”

Dawn sat behind the steering wheel but couldn’t close
the door because he filled the open space. “He’s beautiful inside and out.” She
reached for the handle.

“He’s great, if you like your men girly.” Tyson closed
the door with a resounding thud and walked around the front of the car. Then he
opened the other door and sat in the passenger seat.

“What are you doing?” Nervousness vibrated her voice.

“Nice,” he said, checking out the juiced up interior.
He turned on the radio. Rock music pumped through the surround sound speakers.
“Bet your boyfriend tweaked up your engine.”

She turned the ignition. Purring like a cat, the
engine idled. “No man puts his hands on my car. If you’re referring to
something else, that is none of your business.”

He stopped toying with the stereo controls. “You have
a dirty mind.” The station changed to R&B, and he turned the knob and
increased the bass. A deep lusty voice moved through the car. “You also had a
date Sunday night.”

Dawn’s hands froze at three and seven on the steering
wheel. Gnawing on her bottom lip, she thought of another lie she could weave
with her story. “It was a double date.”

Tyson shook his head. “Who was with the princess?”

“Yes, she is and you’ll treat her like royalty.” Venom
dripped from her clipped reply. Dawn knew the truth. Mickey could never hurt
her antisocial asshole of a father, and Dawn felt entitled to goad the
detective a bit. Until they pulled their heads out of their asses and figured
out the truth, whatever means she employed would be justified in the end.

“Mickey was with Steven from yoga class. I don’t know
his last name, but he’s a regular. And no, he’d not a girly man. He’s hard and
fit.”

“Another alibi? Another friend?”

“A good friend if you know what I mean.” Mickey was so
going to kill her.

“You know what I think about friends for alibis.”

“So then think of it more like acquaintances. This was
sort of off the hip. You know what I mean?” Dawn took a piece of gum from the
change dish. “Mickey likes Jazz. Free concert in the park, an invigorating yoga
class, none of us were ready to call it a night.”

Dawn flipped her hair and put on her dark, black
framed sunglasses. “Now get out of my car. I’m in a hurry. I have a nail
appointment.” She straightened her fingers, leaving her palms on the steering
wheel, and looked at the noticeable grow out on her tangerine-colored
artificial nails.

He leaned across the center console. “Liar.”

Dawn could feel his hot breath on her ear. God, she hoped
he couldn’t see the way her heart pounded in her chest. She turned her head
bringing their faces mere inches apart and popped her gum. Displaying a
dazzling smile, she let him see her gum as she chomped it loudly with her
molars.

“Did you help her dismember the body after she put a
cap in his ass?”

“She didn’t shoot Elliot. Have you checked with his
colleagues? Maybe one of them wanted to try their hand at surgery. Amputated
his arms and legs, or perhaps attempted a triple bypass but found out Elliot didn’t
have a heart.”

“You didn’t like him?”

“No,” she said, leaning back in the seat. “He was
abusive.”

Tyson leaned forward. “Did he hit her? She defended
herself, accidentally killed him, and you helped her cover up the crime. She
wouldn’t be in as much trouble if it was justifiable homicide. Covering up a
death is against the law, but it’s not murder.”

“Get out!”

He reached over and turned off the car. “Not yet.”

“I’m late now. I might as well cancel.” She picked up
her cell phone, and Tyson took it from her hand. “Elliot didn’t hit Mickey,”
she said. “He never showed her any love either. Don’t say it. I know what
you’re thinking. Mickey isn’t a sociopath. She had plenty of good role modeling
from my parents. Married since high school, kids, careers, perfectly normal
home grown Americans.”

“You’re the product of a normal, well-adjusted
childhood, yet you lie to the police, put your friend in harm’s way by tainting
our investigation, and you drive a hotel room that masquerades as a car.”

She looked into the backseat. A blanket folded neatly,
a box of tissues, a little garbage bag hanging from the rear door, “Yep, all
the amenities of home except a shower.”

“Maybe you could upgrade to a truck and fifth wheel?”

“I live with my mommy and daddy. Free rent, free
meals, and my daddy masquerades as an emergency ATM when my funds run low. It
makes him think I’m still his little girl.”

His gaze slowly rolled down her body. “You don’t look
like a little girl, but you act like a spoiled brat.”

She clamped her gum between her front teeth and pulled
it from her mouth, making a long pink string before twisting and twirling it
back into her mouth. “Petulant children should be spanked.” Her lips smiled and
pursed at the same time.

“Don’t tempt me.”

“Detective Jones, you barely fit in my car. There’s no
chance in hell you’re getting into my backseat.”

“You enjoy playing word games.”

“I like matching wits. Not the same thing.” She blew a
bubble and popped her gum again as she appreciated his appearance and the way
he filled out the space of the passenger seat. “This really was too much fun,”
she feigned. “Next time we’ll meet at your place.” She wondered if she meant it
the minute the words were out of her mouth. Yes, she did. If the conversation
didn’t revolve around McKenna, she enjoyed the spattering of insults and
innuendos.

“Oh, I needed to tell you Steven blew your alibi.”
Tyson slid out of the car. “Call Ms. Porter. You’ll want to get started on
damage control.”

Shit! As soon as Tyson shut the door and moved away
from the vehicle, Dawn keyed the ignition and pulled away from the curb. Once
safely away from the sexy, prying eyes of the detective, she picked up her cell
phone and called McKenna’s. “We have a problem. Can you talk?”

“For a minute, I’m on my way to Albert’s office.”
McKenna spoke through the speakerphone in her steering wheel. “He wants the
medical examiner to issue Elliot’s death certificate.” If her worst fears were
realized and she had to mount a defense, she was going to need Elliot’s assets.
Albert insisted they meet immediately. “Dawn, you’re too quiet. What do you
need to tell me?”

“Our alibi is toast.”

“How?” McKenna wanted to rip the story from Dawn’s
mouth before she had a chance to speak it.

“That damn Detective Jones and stupid Steven.”

McKenna’s car swerved to the side of the road. She
stomped on the brakes spraying gravel and coming to a stop just before she hit
the blue sedan parked next to the curb. “And after all the work I put into
Detective Pearce today. I flirted, made small talk, and brewed coffee.” She
closed her eyes. She’d kissed him. Damn, but she’d wanted to fuck him. “Okay,
I’m ready. Tell me what he said.”

“It seems I’m not the only one giving you an alibi.
Detective Jones talked with Steven.”

“Of all the stupid—” She rested her head against the
steering wheel. “Tell me it’s not as bad as I’m imagining. Did Steven tell him
I’m his girlfriend?” Detective Pearce could then add slut to her list of
personality traits.

“If he didn’t, I did.”

If they had been in the same car, Dawn would have felt
McKenna’s hands around her neck. “How could you? Misleading the detectives to
believe you and I were together feels very different than outright lying. I’m
not that good.”

“Meet me later. It’s time to regroup. I’ll call Steven
and tell him to shut up. If he wants a part in this, he’s going to need to
learn to talk with us first.”

“If the police don’t find a way to convict me, I’m
sure you will.”

* * * * *

Dustin threaded his fingers on top of his head and
leaned back. Sitting at his desk, he read his report regarding the Porter’s
neighbors. The little lady who lived across the street insisted McKenna had
been gone most of the afternoon contradicting what McKenna herself had said.
And the woman next door who called the police knew what time she’d returned
home, claiming she’d been outside with her dog. That was how she heard the
screams a few minutes after McKenna entered the house.

Dawn, Steven, and now two neighbors all made sworn
statements regarding McKenna’s whereabouts on Sunday night. One or all of them
were covering for her.

“I think I might have found what you’re looking for.”
Tyson tossed photocopies from a computer search in front of Dustin. “You’re
hunch was right. She’s never been accused of murder, but her high school
boyfriend offed himself with his dad’s .38 revolver. She witnessed it.”

* * * * *

McKenna met Dawn at Conversations. She burst into the
building and scanned the people sitting at table until spotting Dawn in the
corner. She rushed over, pulled out a chair, and sat. Taking a deep gulp of air
she said, “Something’s wrong!” Breath burned in her lungs. Heartbeats pounded
against her ribs. Inhaling through her nose, she willed her racing pulse to
slow and tried to get a hold of her nerves. “Suddenly Elliot’s death feels very
real.” Her breaths came hard and fast. “I think I’m hyperventilating.”

“Jo! I need a paper bag.” Dawn ran to the counter and
took a takeout bag from the barista. “Here!” She thrust the bag into McKenna’s
hand. “I heard somewhere if you breathe into a bag it helps.”

McKenna put the bag up to her mouth and tried to calm
herself. Tightness gripped her chest. Just like on the stairs with Dustin, she
felt like she was suffocating. Breathing easier, she took the bag from her
mouth. “Someone did murder him.” The revelation finally hit her.

“No shit!” Dawn’s brows furrowed as she ripped the bag
from McKenna’s hand. “Where have you been? I know I haven’t been conspiring by
myself.”