Old Flames Never Die (Valentine Mystery) (22 page)

She saw it in his eyes, the minute he
thought it.

“Is there any chance that Jack—”

“No!” Of that she was certain.

Daniel sat back in his chair. “How do
you think all this fits in with the murder?”

“I don't know. Maybe it's nothing,” she
admitted.

“It could be something. What if she
didn't know about his vasectomy and when she shared the good news about the
pregnancy with Charles, he knew what she'd done and he threatened to divorce
her? That would give him a good reason to leave, if Shelby's gossip is to be
believed. People have killed for less.”

“Or maybe the baby's father killed him,”
she added.

“Maybe it was the stepson?”

Tess looked at Daniel in surprise. “I'd
think she has better taste. Why?”

“Because he was visiting her this
afternoon at her hotel. Without his wife.”

“I don't know. The wife is probably dead
drunk somewhere. And as heirs, they probably met to discuss the house and
property. He said they didn't get along.”

Daniel nodded. “That's what I thought
too. But why not do that at the house? They were both there earlier. Or better
yet, with an attorney? It's hard to believe those two would be amicable with so
much money at stake.”

“That's only if the will isn't clear.
There's nothing to discuss if the will is solid.”

“Maybe you're right. I didn't get any
weird lust vibe from them,” Daniel said.

“Lust vibe?” Tess laughed.

“You know what I'm talking about. Two
people who want each other, but don't want anyone to know about it, but they
can't hide it either.”

“I didn't get that either. It seemed to
me they barely knew each other.”

“Well, it certainly gives us something
to talk to her about. I'll go through the records again. Maybe someone said
something or knows something about the baby.”

Tess was thankful that he was giving
credence to her theory. She knew deep down that the news about the baby could
be nothing. With Liv's alibi, it probably was nothing.

“So now you can tell me what happened
with Jack.”

Tess shook her head. “I don't know.”

“Did you fight?”

“It was the same conversation that we
always have. Usually it ends in a stalemate.” Or with both of them naked, she
thought.

“Not this time?”

“No. Something was different. He arrived
annoyed and I didn't give him the answers he wanted.”

“What did he want?”

Tess shook her head. “I don't really
want to talk about this.”

Daniel reached out and took her hand. “It's
alright with me if you cry, Tess. I've got strong, waterproof shoulders.”

That garnered a small smile.

“He wanted me to back off Liv. He feels
like I don't trust him.”

“She's a beautiful woman,” Daniel said
and winced as if he said the wrong thing.

“Not that kind of trust. He thinks I
don't trust his intuition about her. He doesn't like that I think she's using
him. He feels he needs to stand by her. I suspect even if she is guilty, he'll
help her.”

“And you feel like he's choosing her
over you.”

“Not in a relationship. But he dismisses
my concerns.”

“And so he left?”

“He gave me an ultimatum. Either I love
him and move back with him or I don't.”

“Sounds like a hail Mary to me. You
chose not to go?”

“I didn't have time to answer. I was so
stunned at first. And before I could gather my thoughts he was telling me he
was done and leaving.”

Daniel shook his head. “Maybe he just
needs to blow off steam.”

Tess looked to Daniel's eyes to see if
he really believed that. She could see only pity.

“Hey, I know,” he said giving her hands
a squeeze. “Why don't you take a day or two away. He did it, although it didn't
do much to clear his head. But maybe it would do you good to get away.”

“Where would I go?”

He thought a moment. “Aruba?”

It sounded nice, Tess thought. Except
she couldn't help but imagine Jack shirtless on a pristine beach, standing in
clear blue water.

“Or New York. Mom says there's great
shopping in New York.”

“I'm not going with the crew.”

“No. Just you. Alone with your own
thoughts. Oh wait, I know. You can do a visual verification that Liv was all
the places she says she was the day Charles was killed.”

“She gave receipts.”

“That doesn't mean she was the one who
gathered them.”

Tess knew he was trying to give her an
excuse to get away. It wasn't likely Liv had people visit the spa and shops in
New York to get receipts to cover her alibi. But getting away did sound
appealing. The four walls of the hotel room were closing in.

“I doubt the city would pay for it.”

“You let me worry about the city,” he
said.

“I don't know—”

“Tess. When was the last time you did
something to take care of you?”

She shrugged. “It's supposed to be nice
up there this time of year.”

“There you go. I'll make all the
arrangements. I'll need a day. Tomorrow is the funeral and I need to go.”

Tess nodded. The odds of the killer
being there was high.

“But maybe the day after. I'll give you
a call tomorrow afternoon when I know.”

“Okay.”

“Okay,” he said. He stood and pulled her
to a stand. Then he pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her. At first
she was hesitant. She didn't need him thinking that with Jack gone, he now had
a chance.

“It's just a hug for a friend,” he
whispered. The kindness released the hold on her tears. Daniel held her,
letting her weep. Finally her body stopped shaking and her tears abated.

“I'm sorry.”

“Don't be stupid. You hurt.”

Before she could respond, her phone
rang.

“Maybe that's him,” Daniel said.

God, she hoped so. Her caller ID
indicated otherwise.

“Hey, Tess,” Kate said on the other end.
“The gals and I are at To livers and I was thinking you might want to join us.”

Tess swallowed the lump in her throat
and willed her tears to stay at bay. “No. Thank you.”

“What's wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Liar. I'm coming over.”

“You don't have to come. Daniel is here.”

There was a pause and then Kate said. “I'll
be there in ten minutes.”

Tess tried to tell herself that Kate was
being a friend, but she knew a part of her insistence was to see Daniel. Well,
maybe he'd finally notice Kate, Tess thought. Then at least someone would be
happy.

“Kate's dropping by,” Tess told Daniel.

“The reporter Kate?”

Tess nodded.

Daniel frowned and began to sweep up
Tess' case notes.

“She's not coming for a story,” Tess
said.

“But she'll report it if she sees it.”

 Tess wasn't sure why Daniel was so
paranoid about the press, but she supposed he was right. She helped him file
the papers back in her briefcase.

“Do you want me to go?” he asked.

“No. I could use the company,” she said.
It was the first time, Tess realized, that she wasn't pushing people away. That
was progress, she decided. Progress made in part from her relationship with
Jack.

The knock at her door pushed the thought
of Jack out of her mind.

“That was fast,” she said as she made
her way to the door.

“Where is he?” Brad pushed his way into
her room. He stopped at the sight of Daniel. He turned, giving Tess a look that
suggested disapproval.

“Don't look at me like that, you
hypocrite,” Tess said.

“I cheated because I'm a jerk. You're
not a jerk, Tess.”

“Hey, wait a minute,” Daniel said.

Tess introduced them even though they
had met years before when she was engaged to Brad. Daniel had remembered, but
Brad, of course, hadn't.

“Where's Jack?” Brad finally asked
again. “If he thinks I'm going to stay in this Podunk town where everything
closes at eight, he's got another thing coming.”

“He's not here. Did you try his house?”
Tess asked.

“Why would he be there when you're here?”
Brad asked.

Tess sighed.

“Oh, God. Are you two fighting again?
Not only will I be stuck in this town, but he'll take my office. Why can't you
keep him happy, Tess?”

“You're out of line,” Daniel said
stepping closer to Brad. Tess watched as Brad eyed Daniel from head to toe. She
rolled her eyes when she realized that Brad wasn't intimidated by Daniel, but
instead attracted to him.

A knock on the door interrupted the odd
moment.

“Sorry I took so long, but it sounded
like a wine and chocolate night,” Kate said as she entered Tess' room. “Oh. Are
we having a party?” she asked when she noticed both Daniel and Brad.

“A pity party,” said Tess, referring
more to Brad than herself.

“Fun.”

Tess introduced Kate to Brad, and then
Kate went to work to hostess the impromptu party by pulling plastic wine
glasses out of her bag.

“Is that boxed wine?” Brad asked. Tess
thought for sure he'd leave now. She was pretty sure he'd never had wine that
was less than a hundred dollars a bottle.

“Yep. The best to fix what ails you,”
Kate said
unapologetically
.
“Want some?”

“I do,” Brad said with an enthusiasm
that surprised Tess. He took the wine offered and drank. “Wow, that's really
bad.” He held the glass back towards Kate. “Fill 'er up.”

Once they were all served wine and ample
amounts of chocolate as they sat around the small hotel table, Kate asked. “So
why are we here?”

“Tess pissed Jack off,” Brad said.

“Me? You don't know that!”

Brad shrugged.

“So you and Jack…” Kate let the words
hang.

“I think so.”

“Think so? What does that mean?” Brad
asked.

“His last words were 'I'm done.'“ Tess
could feel the burn of tears, but worked to hold them back.

“That's sounds final,” Kate agreed.

“He'll be back. Is there more of this
stuff?” Brad said pointing to the chocolate.

“How do you know?” Daniel asked.

“Because I know Jack.”

“So does Tess and she thinks it's over,”
Kate said.

“She doesn't know Jack…” Brad laughed. “Get
it? Don't know Jack?”

“Ha ha.”

Brad shook his head, clearly
disappointed that his party friends didn't find his play on words funny. “I
know Jack better than anyone, except maybe Cora. I know that in his mind, Tess
is the One.” He held up his index finger to accentuate 'the One'. “And because
of that, Tess must have done something to piss him off. But he'll be back.”

“Me. Maybe he pissed me off.”

“If that were true we wouldn't be having
a pity party and you wouldn't look like you are going to crumble any minute.”

This time, the tears did come. Kate
moved her chair and put an arm around Tess. “You're a jerk, you know that?”

Brad nodded. “I do. But I also speak the
truth. So, what did you do?”

Tess relayed the gist of the
conversation she had with Jack to them.

“How can he expect you to respond to an
ultimatum?” Daniel asked.

“You all are missing the point,” Brad
said. “In Jack's mind, his relationship with Tess is a done deal. He has you
two married, with a couple kids, living the dream. This stuff about you moving
out or these squabbles, they're just speed bumps on the road to your living
happily ever after.”

“So?” Kate asked.

“So. Tess hesitated. She doesn't see
their being together as inevitable. She has doubts. When you've invested all
that you have into someone who won't invest with you…well, it can piss you off.”

“You like that word,
pissed
,
don't you?” Kate remarked.

“It accurately expresses the emotion.”

“It still doesn't give Jack the right to
push her around,” Kate said.

“He was frustrated,” Brad said,
exasperation in his voice. “We all say and do things we don't mean when we're
pushed to the limit. Remember, Tess moved out, the papers are reporting he's a
lothario, and then there's this crazy Worthington deal. Those people are nuts.”

“Is that why you're here?” Daniel asked.

Tess bit her lip. She didn't need Daniel
and Brad duking it out over Brad's tactless, yet accurate description of
Daniel's extended family.