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The dog needed no further prodding.

JAMIE WAS PACING THE FLOOR, AND DEE DEE sleeping soundly when the first of the roses began arriving. Beenie stumbled into the room in a satin Ralph Lauren dressing gown. He took one look at the roses and shrugged as though it were an everyday occurrence to find a living room half-filled with long-stemmed red roses.

“Coffee?” he whispered, sounding desperate.

“In the kitchen,” Jamie said. “You’ll find everything you need beside the automatic coffee maker.”

Max arrived shortly after the second load of roses was delivered. He whistled under his breath. “Well, there goes the Rose Bowl parade this year. Have you heard from Frankie?”

Jamie told him about Frankie’s visit the night before.

“Eeyeuuw!” Dee Dee cried from Jamie’s bedroom. She appeared in the doorway a moment later in a lavish Christian Dior nightgown and robe. “Your dog is taking up half the bed.” She paused at the sight of the flowers. “Are those for me?”

“Yep,” Jamie said. “Compliments of Frankie. I don’t know where or how he was able to find so many red roses, but it must’ve cost a king’s ransom. Personally, I think you got his attention.”

The doorbell rang. Max opened it, and Frankie stepped in looking handsome in a dark gray suit. His eyes immediately sought out his wife, and he hurried to her. “Dee Dee, I just dropped the guys off at the airport. Things will be back to normal now. Please come home.”

“Things will never be completely normal again, Frankie,” she said in her Betty Boop voice. “Don’t you understand? We have a baby on the way.” Her bottom lip quivered. “I’m not ready to come home. Please have the rest of my luggage delivered.”

Jamie sighed inwardly. This was not going the way she’d hoped.

“Dee Dee, are you crazy?” Beenie said. “Frankie has put his friends on an airplane. He’s willing to jump through hoops to get you back. This place is too small for three people, two dogs,
and
your luggage.”

“I’ll come back home when I’m darn good and ready,” Dee Dee announced to Frankie, “and not a moment sooner.”

A crestfallen Frankie left several minutes later, and Dee Dee disappeared into the bathroom for what she termed a well-deserved bubble bath.

Beenie shook his head sadly. “I’m going to have another cup of coffee,” he said and made his way toward the kitchen, leaving a baffled Max and Jamie in the living room.

“Of all times for this to happen,” Jamie said. “We’ve got a murderer to catch, and your sister and companion decide to move in. Are there any normal people in your family?”

“Yeah, a whole bunch of them. But they’re up in Virginia. Remind me to introduce them to you someday.”

.  .  .

LAMAR TEVIS SHOWED UP AT THE NEWSPAPER OFfice shortly after Jamie and Max arrived. “Okay, here’s what we’ve got so far. I have an eyewitness who claims he saw Maxine Chambers leave her shop with a man night before last. Unfortunately, it was dark so the witness couldn’t give me a description of him. He recognized Maxine when she stepped beneath a streetlight, but the guy obviously kept to the shadows.”

“Did the witness notice what kind of car the man was driving?” Max asked.

Lamar shook his head. “He didn’t look since he saw nothing out of the ordinary. What we think happened is Maxine had a date with this man, and he took her back to the shop afterward, probably so she could pick up her car. Maxine went back inside her shop, I believe, to pick up her deposit bag since it was her habit to make her deposits at the bank first thing each morning. Also, we found the deposit bag next to the body.”

“Any sign of forced entry?” Max asked.

“Nope. She probably just ran inside to pick up the bag, not bothering to lock the door. She entered through the back. The killer had to have entered only seconds after she went in. Either her date followed her in or somebody was there waiting for her and slipped in right behind her.”

“Anything taken from the bag?” Jamie asked.

“No. Which means robbery was not the motive.”

“What kind of weapon was used?” Max asked.

“We found a baseball bat in a nearby Dumpster with blood and hair on it. We checked it out in the crime lab, and it’s definitely the murder weapon. Unfortunately, there were no fingerprints.”

“I don’t know if this is going to help,” Jamie said, “but Destiny Moultrie started working in the lounge at the Holiday Inn last night. Both Larry Johnson and Sam Hunter had a couple of drinks, but they left right after happy hour.”

“Yeah, one of my deputies followed Johnson home. He was alone, and he didn’t go back out. Could be he suspected he was being watched and decided to lay low.” Lamar sighed. “I shouldn’t have wasted so much time looking into Luanne Ritter’s business dealings. This latest murder sheds a whole new light on things. Two murders in a week. We don’t know if and when this person is going to strike again.”

Jamie felt a chill race up her spine.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

VERA’S PINK MUSTANG ARRIVED LATER THAT DAY, looking as though it had just come off the showroom floor. The woman was ecstatic.

“I don’t believe it,” Jamie said to Max. “She only asked you yesterday, and you’ve already found one. How did you manage to find one so quickly?”

Max smiled as he watched Vera circle the car in delight. It was obvious he was enjoying her excitement. “Muffin and I had already made a lot of contacts when I was picking out the red one for you. It was just a matter of getting it here overnight.” Max had already sent the driver to the airport in a taxi; the man would be flown home courtesy of Holt Industries.

Vera couldn’t stop grinning. “It’s perfect,” she told Max, “and it fits the new me to a T. Wait till my friends see me driving it.” She paused and suddenly looked worried. “Can I afford it?”

Max suddenly looked ill at ease. “I was hoping you would accept it as a gift. For all you’ve done for Jamie.”

It was the first time in Jamie’s life that she could remember Vera being speechless. Finally, the woman hitched her chin high. “I can’t do that. It would feel as though I were accepting charity, and I’ve always worked for what I wanted.”

“It’s a gift plain and simple,” Max said. “If you don’t want it, then I’ll have to go to the expense of sending it back. Now, why don’t you take a spin in it and see how it runs?”

Vera thought long and hard. “I don’t know what to say,” she said, looking genuinely touched.

“Just say thank you,” Jamie told her.

“Thank you doesn’t seem to come close,” Vera replied, eyes suddenly tearing, “but thanks just the same.” She hugged Max. “I can’t wait to get behind the wheel.”

Jamie was glad they had something to smile about after the past week. Luanne’s and Maxine’s murders had left a dark cloud hanging over everyone’s head. But Vera, more than anyone, deserved to be happy.

Jamie raised her eyes and met Max’s gaze. His look seemed to reach right out and touch her. She offered him a silent thank-you, and was rewarded with a tender look.

That’s what love is, she thought.

.  .  .

THEY WERE STILL STANDING IN THE PARKING LOT of the newspaper office when Lamar Tevis pulled up. Vera showed him her new car, and although he tried to look excited about it, Jamie could tell his thoughts were elsewhere. She hoped it wasn’t more bad news as she ushered him inside her office a few minutes later.

“You were right about Larry Johnson,” he said. “I visited his ex-wife, and she told me he could be rather heavy-handed with his fist at times. The only reason she didn’t file for a divorce on the grounds of physical cruelty was because Larry agreed to all the terms of the divorce, which means he walked away with the clothes on his back. Guess he didn’t want folks to know he was a wife beater.”

“I knew he was scum from the beginning,” Jamie said.

“Yeah, he’s real tough where the ladies are concerned,” Lamar said, “but he didn’t act so tough when we questioned him. He and Maxine Chambers had drinks together the night of her murder.”

“So that’s who the witness saw lurking in the shadows,” Jamie said. “Maybe there was a reason Larry didn’t want to be seen.”

“Of course, Larry claims he never went inside her place of business,” Lamar went on. “Said he met her at the door and drove her to the Holiday Inn. They had a couple of drinks and left. Said they didn’t hit it off. Not a very good reason to kill someone if he’s the one,” Lamar added.

“Does he have an alibi for later that night?” Max asked.

Lamar shook his head. “Nope. But he offered to let us have a look at his apartment and car, so my deputies are combing them now.”

VERA GLANCED AT HERSELF IN THE REARVIEW MIRror and tried to smooth the frown lines on her forehead. She was clearly irritated as she followed the highway that led to Moseley, the next town, and the restaurant where she was to meet her date.

She sighed aloud. “This is ridiculous driving almost twenty-five miles for dinner,” she told her reflection. “Whoever heard of such?”

Still a bit peeved, Vera turned off the highway a half hour later and located the restaurant. She checked her lipstick and stepped from the car. The air hung thick with humidity, but she didn’t seem to notice as she smiled at her new Mustang. She stepped inside the cool restaurant a moment later and made her way toward the lounge where her date had suggested they meet. It was not yet six o’clock. John Price had agreed to meet for an early dinner so Vera wouldn’t have to drive home in the dark.

The lounge was empty except for a couple at one end of the bar, and a man with broad shoulders and salt-and-pepper hair. He was neatly dressed in a navy blazer and white slacks. He stood and hurried over.

He smiled warmly. “You must be Vera. I’m glad you could make it.”

She offered her hand. “I just want you to know I don’t usually do this sort of thing, and I’ve most certainly never been in a bar, but your ad sounded so interesting I felt I should respond.”

“I promise you won’t regret it,” he said.

“SO WHAT I’M THINKING, ONCE WE FIND THE killer—and we will find him, Jamie—we need to get away,” Max told her once they left the newspaper office shortly after seven. It had been a long day, trying to deal with a murderer on the loose and meet deadlines, as well. They’d been late finishing up, but the production manager, who normally would have complained about it, had taken one look at Jamie’s face and kept quiet.

Now, Jamie was exhausted.

“We could fly up to my place in Virginia,” Max said. “You need the rest and a little pampering. It’ll take your mind off things.”

Jamie didn’t respond to his suggestion; she had more pressing matters on her mind. “Do you think Dee Dee had a change of heart and went back to Frankie today?” she asked.

“Oh, man, I’d forgotten about her,” Max said. “Who knows?” Five minutes later, they had their answer when they found a catering truck in the driveway. The grass had been cut, the flower beds weeded and filled with pansies.

“Wow, would you look at that?” Jamie said, glancing at her house to make sure they were at the right one. “Are you responsible for this?”

He shook his head. “No, but it’s pretty impressive. Looks like my big sister has been busy. Probably trying to keep her mind off her troubles.” He parked and they went inside.

“Surprise!” Dee Dee said.

Jamie glanced around. “Dee Dee, what have you done?” Jamie asked, going from room to room. Most of the furniture had been replaced, and new window treatments put up.

“I called my decorator as soon as you left for the office this morning, and I told her you needed all new stuff. You’ll have to admit yours was old and worn. I described your house, and she immediately sent a truckload of furniture in from Charleston. She’s been here all day, just finished putting up the new curtains before you arrived. She left not five minutes ago. Isn’t it to die for?” Dee Dee said.

Jamie shook her head, trying to take it all in. How Dee Dee had managed to get it all accomplished in one day was beyond her. Of course, she’d probably had a dozen people working as hard as they could. “I don’t know what to say.”

Beenie spoke. “I told Dee Dee you wouldn’t appreciate her barging in and changing everything.” He had his hand on one hip. “I just want you to know I had nothing to do with it. Oh, I did insist that Dee Dee not get rid of a couple of pieces that looked like antiques.”

“This must’ve cost you a fortune,” Jamie told her friend. She and Max went into the kitchen where they found two men filling cabinets and her refrigerator with various food items.

Dee Dee waved off the remark as she followed them. “I’m rich so I can afford it. You were out of groceries. Don’t you ever buy food?”

“Fleas and I eat out a lot.”

“Well, from now on you can eat healthy food. My chef is coming over soon to cook. We’re having salmon with cream sauce, new potatoes, and Caesar salad. I’ve decided to go off my diet for the baby’s sake.”

Jamie looked at Max. “May I have a word with you?”

“Sure.”

“Don’t let us stop you,” Dee Dee said. “We’ve got plenty left to do.” She went back to supervising the men.

Max and Jamie stepped outside. “Has your sister lost her mind?”

“Probably,” he said, “but you’ll have to admit it was a nice gesture, and everything looks great.”

“But I liked my place the way it was. I mean, I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but it’s going to take some getting used to. I’ll be afraid to sit on the sofa.”

“Do you like what the decorator chose?” he asked.

“It’s beautiful.”

“Then let Dee Dee do this for you,” he said. “I’m sure it means a lot to her. When you’ve been given a lot in life, it feels good to give something back.”

“Is that why you gave Vera the Mustang?”

“I wanted her to have the Mustang and not worry about paying for it,” he said. “But I was truthful when I told her the main reason. She’s been like a mother to you. I can’t help but appreciate that kindness.”

“I guess I owe Dee Dee a genuine thank-you,” Jamie said. “But that still doesn’t solve the immediate problem. My place isn’t large enough to accommodate three people and two dogs.”

“So tell her.”

“I can’t tell her.”

“Then I’ll tell her.”

“No, you can’t tell her, either,” Jamie said quickly. “It’ll hurt her feelings. Plus, I’d feel like a real jerk after all she’s done.”

“Okay, Jamie, what do you want me to do?”

“I want you to think of a way to get her and Frankie back together right away. I can understand that Dee Dee is going through all these hormonal changes, but why hasn’t Frankie been a little more insistent about her coming home?”

“His pride has probably been hurt, plus he could be embarrassed. I’ll drive over and see if there’s something I can do. Frankly, I’m getting tired of worrying about everyone else. It leaves us little time to worry about what’s really important here, namely us. And I want more time alone with you.”

“I’m beginning to think that’ll never happen.”

“We have to make it happen.”

“Things should settle down once all this is behind us,” she said.

“I’m going to drive over and talk to Frankie now,” he told her, a resigned look on his face.

Max headed for his car and Jamie turned toward her house. Beenie met her at the door. “Oh, darn, I wanted to ask Max if he’d stop by the store for me.”

“Do you need something?” Jamie asked.

“Yes. Dee Dee made me pack in such a hurry that I didn’t get a chance to bring all my toiletry items, and I really need to exfoliate.”

“Can’t you borrow what you need from Dee Dee?”

“I’m allergic to the products she uses.” He tapped his lips with his index finger. “Oops, I almost forgot. Lamar Tevis called only minutes before you arrived. Wants you to call him right back. I hope he solves those two murders soon because I’m afraid to go out at night and Dee Dee is beside herself with worry.”

Dee Dee came up behind him. “Beenie, why would you even bring up those poor women at a time like this? You know how upsetting it’s been for me. I’ll never get to sleep tonight thinking about it.”

Jamie reached into her purse for her cell phone. She didn’t want to make the call where she could be overheard, but the phone wasn’t in her pocketbook, and she couldn’t remember using it that day. Must’ve left it in her car, she thought.

“I have to run out to the garage,” she told them. “I’ll be right back.”

Jamie hurried through the laundry room that led to her garage. Since Max had arrived, she’d spent most of her time riding with him and using his cell phone, which probably meant hers was dead. She opened the door to her car and found the phone lying on her console. She reached for it.

All at once, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickle. She jumped and turned and found herself staring into Larry Johnson’s face. A rush of adrenaline hit her.

“Hello, Jamie,” he said.

She blinked several times. “What are you doing here?”

“I want to know what you told the cops. They’ve been on my ass ever since our date.”

Jamie could smell the alcohol on his breath. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, knowing it was best to lie.

“They questioned me about those two women who were murdered, and then they proceeded to search my car and apartment. They took both crowbars.” He stepped closer. “Don’t you think that’s a coincidence?”

“What I think is that you have no right hiding in my garage,” she said, knowing he’d had to pick the lock on the door that led from the garage to the back yard. “You’re trespassing.”

“You’re not only a tease, you’re a bitch. Just like my ex-wife.” He flexed both hands. “Somebody needs to teach you a lesson.”

Jamie stiffened. “Are you threatening me? Because if you are, I’m going to scream this house down over our heads. My guests will come running. Now, get out of here and stay off my property or I’ll have you arrested.” Jamie punched the automatic garage door opener, and the door swung open. “Now,” she ordered.

Larry’s look turned menacing. “I’m not done with you yet, lady. You cause me any more trouble, and I promise you’ll regret it.” Jamie waited until he’d cleared the door before closing it. She suddenly realized she was trembling. She reached for the phone and called Lamar.

“I just wanted to let you know we didn’t find anything on Larry Johnson,” he said.

Jamie’s voice quavered as she spoke. “He just paid me a visit.” She told Lamar what had happened.

“Do you want me to pick him up?” Tevis asked.

“No, I think it would be better if your men just kept a close eye on him.”

“Try not to go anywhere alone if you can help it,” he said. “I think Johnson’s dangerous, but I can’t pin anything on him. I promise we’ll keep trying.”

“THAT WAS A WONDERFUL DINNER, JOHN,” VERA said to the man sitting across the table from her. The hostess had seated them in the dining room where all the tables were draped in crisp white tablecloths and napkins were folded fanlike at each place setting. “Thank you for inviting me.”