Don't Mess With Texas (44 page)

“I found the connection between the busboy and Andrew Brian.”

“And?” Dallas asked.

“Drugs,” Tyler said. “That’s the thing they both had in common. I researched to see if the busboy and he attended the same AA meeting or rehab. I knew they traveled in different circles, but AA groups aren’t class subjective.”

“So they were in the same AA group?”

“Nope. That came up empty.”

“So?” Dallas asked.

“I remembered that Andrew was new to Brian and Sterns. He worked for a small firm, Godfrey Law. I checked the public records and found out that busboy’s drug case was handled by none other than—”

“Godfrey Law,” Dallas and Nikki said at the same time.

“Nope.” Tyler grinned. “I was very disappointed, too.”

“You’re losing me,” Dallas said.

“Hell, I stay lost,” Dallas’s father said, walking back into the room.

Tyler continued, “He received free services from a nonprofit anti-gang group called Freedom.”

Dallas shifted, obviously impatient. “The point?”

“Brian Senior is committed to the organization and he’s twisted his son’s arm to handle a few cases pro bono. The busboy’s case was one of them.”

Dallas picked Nikki up and kissed her. “I think we may have just cleared your name.”

Five minutes later, after a mini-celebration, Dallas and his dad started out for the cemetery. Mr. O’Connor looked back at Nikki. “You’re not coming with us?”

Nikki saw Dallas look at her in something that looked like surprise and then he said, “If Nikki would like to come, she’s welcome.”

“No,” she said. “It’s a private party.” Besides, she had some serious thinking to do.

Thirty minutes later, dressed, and still unable to think, Nikki stopped by the office and waved good-bye to Austin and Tyler. “See you later.”

“Be careful,” they chimed out together.

Nikki went to give Bud, resting in the casket, a good-bye pat.

The front door opened. Nikki looked up, and stumbled back. Andrew Brian stood there staring down at her and he didn’t look any happier to see her than she was to see him.

D
ALLAS SWALLOWED HARD
. They stood in front of the gravestone, Tony on one side of his father and Dallas on the other.

“I sometimes talk to her when I come here,” his dad said, his voice hoarse. “I know she’s not really here, but…” He drew in a deep shaky breath. “I miss her so much.”

“We all do.” Dallas’s own voice sounded strained.

His dad moved forward and placed the roses on top of the grave. When he stood up, he looked at his sons. “She loved you both so much. She said you were the best things she ever did.”

“She was a hell of a mom.” Tony passed a hand over his face.

Dallas’s breath caught. “I’d give anything if she’d known that… that I was exonerated.”

“She knew you would be,” his dad said. “The day before she passed, she told me that she’d had a talk with someone…” He pointed to the sky. “Someone upstairs and He told her you were gonna be fine.”

Dallas smiled and tears filled his eyes when he looked at his dad. “You picked us a damn good mom, old man.”

“I did, didn’t I?” He smiled and pressed his fingers to his lips. Taking a few steps, he pressed those fingers to the stone. “Love you, sweetheart. Happy birthday.”

Dallas put a hand on his dad’s shoulder. “You know, Dad, Mom wouldn’t want to think you weren’t taking care of yourself. Or that you weren’t living life.”

His father shook his head. “I know, and I’m working on it.” He ran a hand over his face, then stared at Dallas. “Can you tell me you’re doing the same?”

“I’m fine,” Dallas said.

“I’ll admit you’ve been happier these last few weeks than you have in months. But…”

“But what?” Dallas asked.

“Pull your head out of the sand.”

“My head’s not in the sand.”

His dad shrugged and dropped his hands in his pockets. “Hold on to her, son. You’ll regret it if you don’t.”

Dallas opened his mouth to argue, but didn’t know what to say. Shit. His head wasn’t in the sand. He knew what he wanted now. Why the hell did everyone keep saying he didn’t?

His dad glanced at Tony. “We’ve all hit a rough spot. Thank God O’Connors are made of steel.”

“Yeah.” Tony’s gaze shifted to the right, where Dallas knew his little girl was buried. “I’m going to go take a walk.”

“Yeah,” Dallas said and while he didn’t want to rush his dad, Dallas ached to get back to Nikki.

Austin, looking panicked, met Dallas at the door to the office a short while later. “Andrew Brain is in the conference room with Tyler.”

“What?”

“Yeah, it’s fucked up. He wants to hire us to prove that he didn’t do this murder.”

“Where’s Nikki?” Dallas asked.

“She left for the gallery. She was shaken when she saw him. But she’s tough.”

“She’s not that tough.” Dallas pulled out his phone and Austin walked away.

She answered on the first ring. “What does he want with you?” she demanded.

“Don’t know yet. I wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

“I’m fine. Nance is here.” She paused. “How did things go at the cemetery?” she asked.

He wanted to kick himself again for not inviting her. “Good. Thanks for talking me into going.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Look, I’ll call when I know something about Brian.” He started to hang up, but paused, “Nikki…” He heard his old man’s words.
Hold on to her, son. You’ll regret it if you don’t
.

“Yes?”

“I miss you.”

“Me, too,” she said, but it took her a long time to say it.

Getting off the line, feeling as if he’d screwed up again, he took off to talk to Brian.

“I didn’t kill anyone,” Brian’s patience already seemed to be failing him and Dallas had just gotten started.

“What brought you to our door?” Dallas’s own patience was in short supply, too.

“Sterns had you checked out. I read the report. It said you specialized in wrongly accused cases and I’m being wrongly accused.”

“There’s just one problem,” Dallas said. “We’re already working this case.”

“So you’re trying to pin it on me? Is that what you’re saying?” Brian looked at Tyler sitting on the other side of the table.

“Goes back to the duck story,” Dallas said. “If it walks like a duck, talks like—”

Brian slammed his hand on the desk. “I didn’t kill Jack.”

Dallas kept pushing the guy, hoping he’d crater. “Do you deny knowing Jose Garcia?”

The man’s face went white. Oh, yeah, he was guilty. Dallas couldn’t wait to hand him over to Tony.

“I didn’t do it. Fuck!” He took several deep breaths. “If I tell you the truth, can you help me?”

“That depends on what the truth is,” Tyler said.

Brian hesitated. “I knew Garcia.”

“And you gave the kid the stuff to put in Jack Leon’s soup, didn’t you?”

“Yes, but it wouldn’t have killed him.”

“Did Leon discover you were cooking the books? Is that what happened?”

The man grew paler still. “I told him I was going to pay it back.”

“What is it? Cocaine?” The muscles in Dallas’s jaw tightened.

“At first, yes. But I stopped using. I hired this man
to… help me. He helped me kick the habit six weeks ago, but then he came back and said I had to pay him or he’d tell my dad. I took the money one more time. Jack found out. I tried to explain, but he wouldn’t listen. I thought if I… threatened him, he’d back off. All I wanted was a chance to pay back the money. I’ve done some bad things but stealing from my dad’s firm was the worst. I just wanted a chance to fix it.”

“But he refused and that’s when you decided to kill him, right?”

“No!”

“You broke into Nikki Hunt’s apartment,” Dallas accused.

“Jack had the information on a flash drive. I knew he’d seen her, so yes, I went looking for it. But I didn’t kill Jack and I didn’t attack anyone at that gallery. I’ll take a polygraph, whatever, but I’m not going down for this.” Brian shot his gaze to Tyler. “What do I do? How can I prove I’m innocent?”

Dallas folded his arms over his chest. He didn’t believe Brian. “For starters, you turn yourself in.”

“If I tell them about the money, they’ll think I killed Jack.”

“They already know. I handed all the evidence I have to my brother over an hour ago. He’s probably already sent a squad car over to arrest you.”

“Fuck!” Brian shot to his feet.

“Turn yourself in,” Dallas said. “You’ll look less guilty. Then get your daddy to find you a good lawyer.”

“What about you guys? Will you help me?”

Before Dallas could say, “Hell no,” Tyler said, “We’ll look into it.”

Dallas glared at Tyler. What the hell was he thinking? Then he saw it in his friend’s eyes. Tyler believed Brian.

“It’s really over?” Nikki asked Dallas that evening as she sipped from a glass of champagne. The cold bubbles danced on her tongue.

“You’re officially off the suspect list, Ms. Hunt.” He pulled her against him and kissed her so softly that she leaned into him and let herself enjoy being close. She’d planned on coming here, gathering her things and going home. Not angrily, not to call it quits, not even for a time-out. She just needed a slow down. Time to regroup her emotions.

“I figured we’d celebrate privately tonight.” He ran his palm up her arm. “But tomorrow night, I thought we would take Nance and his grandmother, Tyler, Austin—hell, invite the Ol’ Timers group, and let’s all go out to eat.”

“That would be fun.” Nikki rethought her plans. Maybe she’d stay tonight. One last night. Bud came over and dropped at her feet, whining for her attention.

“She’s mine tonight,” Dallas told Bud and started swaying as if to a slow song. “You know, I’ve never danced with you. You like to dance?”

“Yeah,” she said.

“How about I take you dancing one night? You can get all sexy, wear some of your colored underwear under something slinky and short and low.” He ran his hand over the top of her breasts. “Drive me crazy all night.”

“I’d like that.” She brushed her free hand over his chest. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For getting me off the suspect list.”

“Oh, yeah. How does it feel?” He undid the top button on her blouse and they swayed ever so softly.

“Good,” she said, unable to think about much more than his hands caressing her breasts. Then his thigh moved between her legs and she thought about that.

He undid another button. “Just good?”

She grinned and set her glass on a nearby table. “I had faith in you.”

“That’s nice. Have you ever slow danced naked?”

“I don’t think I have.”

“It’s a lot of fun.” He undid the last button on her blouse and slid it off her shoulders.

“You’re going to have to pick out the artwork you earned.”

“That’s right, you owe me. Wanna barter for something else?” The edges of his eyes crinkled with a smile

“I’m serious.”

“I told you what I want. The bust of you.”

“You should take a painting.”

“I want the bust. I like your bust.” He undid her bra. Her breasts spilled out. “I really like your bust.” He stopped dancing and slipped his finger in his mouth and then painted her nipple with cool wetness.

“Okay, take the bust,” she said breathlessly, as her bra slid to the floor, “but… you get a painting, too.”

“Fine.” He undid her pants.

“It’s only four in the afternoon,” she said.

“Is there a four o’clock rule about sex?”

“No, but…” He slipped his hand inside her pants, under her panties and into the folds of her sex.

“But what?” He moved his finger deeper.

“I lost my train of thought.”

“Then think about this.” His finger moved deeper.

A loud bang on the door made Nikki jump.

“Dallas!” Tyler called out from behind the door.

Nikki pulled his hand out of her pants. “Maybe we should…”

“Not now!” Dallas yelled.

“Someone’s here,” Tyler said. “I think…”

Nikki snatched up her bra and top.

“Tell them to go away,” Dallas called out.

“Take care of it,” Nikki told him and smiled. “We can pick up later.”

“Dallas?” a female voice called out.

Nikki looked at Dallas and saw his expression harden. “Who is it?” she asked.

“My ex.”

“Oh.” Nikki covered her breasts. “I should…” She motioned toward the bathroom and, at his nod, she hurried off.

After dressing, Nikki stood by the bathroom door, unsure if she should stay hidden, or go out. Oh hell. It wasn’t as if Dallas was married. She didn’t have anything to feel guilty about and she was curious to meet the woman Dallas had obviously loved at one time.