Old Flames Never Die (Valentine Mystery) (5 page)

~~~~

The police cars were still parked
outside Liv's estate home when Jack arrived. Charles Danforth had taken his
inheritance from his father's cosmetic fortune and moved to Virginia to a
lavish horse farm estate. Jack had never been there, but the images he'd
developed based on Liv's description were about right.

Jack barely made it up the steps when
Liv came flying out the door and into his arms. “Thank God you're here.”

“I'm sure it's just routine,” he said,
patting her back while at the same time trying to put distance between them.

“They're making such a mess and treating
me like a criminal. Can they do that?”

He tried to wrangle away, but Liv had
him in a vice grip. “Yes. You really should call the lawyer.”

“How can they think I did this? I was
out of town.”

The door opened again and Daniel
emerged. His brows lifted in surprise and then just as quickly furrowed in
disapproval.

Great, Jack thought. Could this day get
any worse?

“I guess I'm not surprised you're here,”
Daniel said.

Jack stepped back from Liv, who was
trying to look as innocent as possible. It was innocent, dammit, and yet
somehow, he knew it looked bad. “I guess I'm not surprised you're here either.”

“I'm working. How about you?”

“I was working until I got a call saying
you were destroying Mrs. Danforth's property. I assume you have a warrant?”

“Of course.”

Jack turned his attention back to Liv. “You
need to call your lawyer. I can be a friend, but you need legal advice.”

“But I—”

“Don't say anything,” he warned. “Just
call the lawyer that helped you this morning. Do it now.”

~~~~

Tess spent the morning checking on the
progress of her home reconstruction and trying not to think about what would
happen between her and Jack when it was finished. Her other major project was
trying to figure out what she was going to do about a job. She sat at the desk
looking at a blank computer screen while tapping a blank piece of paper with a
pen. She was supposed to be plotting her career, but instead her brain was as
blank as her writing materials. The fact that she hadn't jumped right back in
to rebuild her law practice seemed to be an indication that a law career wasn't
what she wanted. At least the law career she'd mapped out for herself years
ago. She was relieved when a knock at the door allowed her a reprieve from
career planning.

“Daniel?” she said when she opened the
door.

“Hey, Brat,” he greeted using the name
he'd started calling her when she was a bratty teen.

“Is this a professional visit?” Daniel
was her friend and they spent time together, but he didn't usually visit in the
afternoon. She had a nagging feeling his timing was to avoid Jack.

“No.”

She stepped away from the doorway to let
him into the foyer. “I have some coffee.”

“Perfect.” He followed her into the
sunny kitchen that maintained much of the home's original feel, but had all the
modern conveniences. “Nice place.”

“Yes. Jack bought it for his mother when
she was sick.”

“What a guy.”

Tess shot him an annoyed look.

“I guess I should get into my reason for
being here.” He sat at the beechwood table and took a sip of the coffee Tess
set in front of him. “We did a search of Liv Danforth's home.”

“I'm not surprised.”

“I didn't think you would be.”

“How'd you manage it?”

“It wasn't easy. But we found a brand
new insurance policy on Charles Danforth. And several of his buddies didn't
think much of the wife.”

“Did you find anything during the
search?” Tess asked, stirring the fake sweetener into her coffee.

“No gun, which would be ideal.”

“It would certainly make your job
easier.”

“Are you sure things are over between
her and Jack?”

“I know you care about him, but you two
were out of touch for a long time. People change.”

“Daniel, why don’t you stop wasting time
and spit out whatever it is you came here to tell me.”

“He was over at Mrs. Danforth's when we
searched the place.”

Tess had that sinking feeling in the pit
of her stomach. She told herself it meant nothing and ordered her stomach to
calm. “He was there when you got there or she called him when you tossed her
place?”

“We didn't toss…”

Tess gave him a knowing look.

“Okay, so it wasn't squeaky clean when
we left.”

“And?”

“And she called him. He was there in
about 15 minutes and didn't push her away when she leapt into his arms.”

Tess shook her head.

“I'm sorry, Tess.”

Tess gaped at him. “You know Daniel, if
you think they are having an affair, you're losing your touch and falling into
her trap.”

He frowned. “I know you don't want to
believe it.”

“And I know you do.”

“That's not true.”

“Come on, Daniel. Liv Danforth hasn't
had any contact with him for nearly a year. Then all of a sudden she calls
twice? Right after her husband is murdered? Right after he was the main suspect
in another high profile murder?”

“My point, exactly.”

“What about her other men? Surely she's
been having other affairs?”

“She says Jack was the last.”

“And you believe her?” Tess asked.

“Let's just say we haven't been able to
find any other men.”

“I know you don't like Jack, but you
can't possibly think he's that dumb. If he were having an affair with her, you
wouldn't have caught them in an embrace.”

“It could be either way.”

Tess frowned as she tried to figure out
what's Liv's intentions were. “The problem is, Jack is really trying to help
her and doesn't see what she's doing to him.”
            “I thought you said he wasn't that dumb.”

She cast him a 'give me a break' look. “He
doesn't think she is a murderer and he feels obligated to her because she
helped him.”

Tess took a sip of her coffee as her
mind mulled over the events of the last few days. “She's up to something and I
think she's trying to put Jack in the middle of it.”

Daniel nodded. “Possibly. Or he is
already in it.”

Tess ignored him. “I said I'd keep out
of it, but I can see that I need to do something.”

He rolled his eyes. “You aren't going to
defend her, are you?”

“No. I'm going to prove she's guilty.”

“Whoa, now hold on. First of all, you're
a lawyer, not a cop or a PI. Second, what do you think you can do that we, the
police, aren't already doing?”

“I can go through all the information
and see what may have been missed.”

“I should be offended, except I know
your eye for detail. Even so, Carter won't allow it.”

Tess thought Daniel was probably right.
She’d butted heads with the Commonwealth's attorney before when she worked as a
defense lawyer. Usually he was upset because her eye for detail got someone out
of jail. “Does he have to know?”

“If you discover or help us discover
something that leads to her arrest, he'll want to know how we got the
information, so yes, he would need to know.”

“Wouldn't he be happy to have me on his
side for once?”

“Maybe, but you're a civilian. I still
don't see how we could allow it.”
            “Law enforcement uses consultants all the time.” Tess began to get
excited about the idea. She could help Jack, nail Liv and have something else
to do besides ponder her future.

“Consultant?”

“Sure.”

“Would you want to be paid?”

“I'll do this one pro bono. Just give me
a letter of recommendation if I do a good job.”

“I'll talk to Carter tomorrow. But—” he
said when Tess' eyes lit up. “Don't hold your breath.”

“You can talk him into it.”

“I suppose I could mention that you're
living with the suspect's former lover. That might peak his interest.”

Tess squashed the guilt that rose. “I
won't use him.”

“I understand.”

“So it’s a deal?” She stuck out her
hand.

“If Carter okays it,” he took her hand,
but instead of shaking it, he placed his other hand over it. “Tess—”

“Daniel, don't—”

“Yes, Daniel. Don't.”

Tess’ and Daniel's head whipped around
to find Jack leaning nonchalantly against the doorjamb.

“Jack,” Tess said, guilt lacing in her
tone. “I didn't hear you come in.”

“I guess not. The two of you look quite
conspiratorial.”

Daniel stood. “I should go.”

“No need,” Jack said moving into the
kitchen. He leaned down to give Tess a kiss. “This is Tess' home too. If she
wants to visit with you, I'm not going to stop her.”

“My business is finished.”

“She's not packed and ready to leave
with you, so I guess tattling didn't work?”

“Jack, stop.” Jack's cool eyes turned on
her and she realized that he was angrier than his tone let on.

“You're starting to sound jealous, Jack.”
Daniel said. “My visit was innocent. You didn't find her in my arms.”

Tess wanted slug Daniel for taunting
Jack. Honestly, men could be such jerks.  “Daniel, you should go.”

“I'll call you later,” Daniel said over
his shoulder as he left.

Tess turned away from Jack to put the
coffee mugs in the sink and hopefully to avoid the confrontation that was
coming. She was caught conspiring with Daniel and could only imagine what Jack
was thinking or feeling about it. It would have been better if she'd been able
to tell him of her plans to work with the police, not overhear it as if she was
going behind his back. 

But Jack wasn't the only one with the
right to be annoyed. He had, after all, gone running to his former mistress
when she curled her finger. Tess thought maybe they should have it out after
all, but before she could turn to him, she was caught around the waist and
pulled hard against him.

“Was I adequately jealous?” he whispered
in her ear.

“That was acting?” she said trying to
ignore the hard length of him pressed against her back side. That didn't
usually happen when he was mad.

“Sure. I like to get Daniel all riled
up.” He nipped on her ear. She turned to look at him. His eyes held humor and
his dimple was at full salute. This was a game to him. She should be relieved,
but a part of her was disappointed.

“So it didn't bother you that he was
here?”

“I wasn't jealous, if that's what you
mean.”

“Not even a little?” She tried not to
pout.

He smiled. “Sorry. Not even a little.
And that's because I know you love me. Tell me you love me.” He kissed her
then, long and deep.

“You're okay,” she managed, although
with her breathlessness the words didn't have the flat, disinterested effect
she'd hoped for.

“I'll take that. And I'll give you this.
My first instinct was to slug him for tattling and then trying to hit on you.”

“You just said you weren't jealous.”

“To be jealous would mean that I thought
he could win you, and I don't think he can. But that doesn't mean I'm not
annoyed with his constant pining.”

“It is sort of flattering.”

“I'll flatter you.” He kissed her again,
widening his stance and pinning her to the counter so he could go in for the
thrill. He worked her mouth until she couldn't help herself and moaned.

“Flattered?” he murmured.

“Mildly amused.”

He laughed. “Now may be a good time to
explain to me this deal you negotiated with Daniel. It sounded to me like you
were going to become a sleuth of sorts and try to put Liv in jail.”

“That's about it,” she admitted. She saw
the wariness in his eyes.

“I thought we agreed to stay out of it.”

“I thought so too, and then you went
running to her damsel in distress call.”

Jack shook his head. “Daniel is such—”

“Daniel may have had his motives, but it
doesn't change the fact that you went to her.”

“I'm not having an affair and I don't
have any feelings for her except friendship.”

“I know.”

Jack stared at her as if she spoke
Greek. “Then why are you upset at my helping her?”

“I'm upset because she has involved you
in a murder case and you don't seem to care.”

“I'm helping a friend. Daniel is trying
to twist it into something because he’s mad that I won you.”