Old Flames Never Die (Valentine Mystery) (7 page)

Except the anger and the hurt wouldn't
quite let him. Damn her. He wasn't doing anything wrong. He didn't need a
chaperone. If she didn't trust him, then the hell with her. He'd done all he
could to convince her he loved her. If she couldn't get that through her
stubborn skull, well, that was her problem.

~~~~

“Jack, thank you so much for coming.
Tess wasn't too upset was she?” Liv said opening the door as Jack stalked up
her front steps.

“Not at all. Is that your suitcase?” He
didn't wait for her to answer. He picked up the bag, and turned back to his
car. He put the case in the back and then got in on the driver side of the car.

“You know, you could just stay on the
couch and then we wouldn't need to drive into town,” she said as she got in the
car beside him.

“Tess is waiting.”

“Of course.”

They drove in silence until Jack reached
the main road to Jefferson Tavern’s city center.

“I didn't realize that you and Tess were
living together.”

“Yes,” he said, even though Tess didn't
see it that way.

“It's serious?”

“It is for me.” He winced as he realized
that he might be giving away the strain in their relationship.

“But not for her?”

“No. It's for her too. I'm just tired.
It's been a long day.”

“You're right about that.”

“Did you call the lawyer?” he asked.

“Yes. He agrees with you and Tess. I
just can't see why. I wasn't even in town.”

“Keep him on retainer.”

“Why? Do you know something?”

“I just know that when the police get
something in their craw, they work it and work it.”

“That's right. You were recently accused
of murder too.”

He nodded. “The police are fair, but
that doesn’t mean that they always interpret the clues correctly. Don't talk to
them without your lawyer.” He pulled in to the parking lot of the hotel.

Jack got out of the car and retrieved
her bag.

“You don't have to go in with me. I can
take it from here.”

“Are you sure?” Jack tried to hide his
relief. Each minute he was away from Tess, he felt her slipping further away.
He needed to get back and fix things with her. Somehow.

“I know we haven't kept in touch, so it
means so much that you're here.”

“You were there for me. I'm just
returning the favor.”

She reached over and touched the side of
his face. “It's not quite the same, but thank you, anyway.”

At first he thought she was going to hug
him. That is until her lips met his.

~~~~

Tess sat on the back porch off the
bedroom trying to reason out her feelings. She knew there was jealousy and
annoyance that Jack would leave her in the middle of night— after making love,
no less— to help Liv. And because she understood him, his loyalty and kindness,
she worked to keep those feelings in check. But there were more feelings and
she couldn't quite make sense of them. She was unsettled, agitated even. She
couldn't attribute them to Jack's actions or Liv's.  At least not directly.
While the issue with Liv had caused strain, so far they'd been able to focus on
what was important. Jack had told her many times that people in love could
disagree and survive. She believed him. So why did she feel like she was
twisting in the wind, without roots?

She heard the door shut and his steps as
he came up the stairs.

“Tess?” his voice sounded tentative.

He poked his head through the porch
doors. She wasn't sure what he saw in her face, but his worry immediately
changed to anger.

“Daniel called, didn't he? That bastard.
She kissed me in gratitude. That's it.”

Tess felt a little pop in her heart that
she wasn't able to disguise.

Jack winced, then turned away, running
his hands through his hair as he did. Finally he turned back to her. “He didn't
call, did he?”

She shook her head.

He dropped to the chair next to her. “Then
why are you out here looking like you're contemplating leaving me?”

“I'm not contemplating leaving,” she
said. She wanted to ask him about the kiss, but remembered that she promised
herself she wasn't going to act jealous.

The room was silent except for the night.
She heard him sigh. “I was dropping her off at the front of the hotel. I
thought she was going to hug me, but…she kissed me. I pushed her away. She's
clear on my feelings for you.”

“I believe you.” She wasn't lying. The
reason she'd dared to allow her heart to love him was that she believed in his
honesty and loyalty. It didn't mean he'd love her forever, but he wouldn't
betray her. That she was sure of. It still didn't remove the sting of another
woman trying to take her man. It would be hard to keep that feeling in check as
she sought to put Liv in jail.

“I'm sorry I left the way I did,” he
continued. “I was frustrated.”

She nodded. “I know the feeling.”

“Is that why you're out here?
Frustration?”

How could she explain her feelings to
him, when she wasn't quite sure what they were herself? “Just couldn't sleep.”

He didn't look convinced and she could
see he wanted to question her more. Instead, he stood, moved in front of her
and reached out his hands. Instinctively she took them and let him pull her to
a stand. “It's late. Why don't we go to bed?”

She nodded.

“Tess.” He dropped his forehead against
hers. “Don't build walls.”

The problem was she felt she needed
them, but she was too emotionally exhausted to erect them. Instead she nodded.

He gave her a weak smile and pressed a
tender kiss to her lips, then guided her to bed.

~~~~

The next morning, Tess walked into the
police station hoping Daniel had good news. That morning she was excited to
have something to do instead of hanging around Jack’s house and pondering her
career prospects. She was especially eager to get details of the case so she
could determine just how much trouble Liv could create for Jack. As she walked
out the door, Jack wished her luck, but it sounded forced. In fact, the entire
morning felt forced where Jack was concerned, and Tess was at a loss about what
she should do.

Daniel's eyes narrowed as Tess
approached his desk. “I didn't think you were coming.”

“Why not?”

“Well…” he motioned for her to sit.
“Last night…”

“What about last night?”

He studied her as if he was trying to
figure out what to say. Then it dawned on her.

“Oh, you mean Jack taking Liv to a
hotel. She called because you trashed her house and she couldn't stay in it.”

“So it's my fault?”

“It is what it is,” she said, more
interested in finding out if Daniel had talked to the Commonwealth's attorney
yet. But Daniel continued to look concerned. Finally he picked up the morning
paper and tossed it to her.

“Did you see this?”

Tess had a sinking feeling in her stomach.
It wouldn't be the first time her and Jack's personal business ended up in the
paper. Sure enough, there was a blurb about the recently widowed Mrs. Danforth
and her former lover, Jack Valentine, who, of course, was living with the
recently unemployed and homeless Tess Madison. At least the picture didn't
catch the kiss. While Tess believed Jack, the fact that the kiss was too fast
for a photo meant Jack had detached from Liv's lips quickly.

“Slow news night.” She tossed the paper
at him.

“I thought that maybe you and Jack…”

“What? That I dumped him because his ex
wants to get her hands on him? As a man you won't appreciate this, but
everywhere I go, there are women who want to get their hands on him.”

“How many of them does he meet in the
middle of the night…or kiss?”

“She kissed him.”

“That's what he told you?”

“That's the truth. So, did you talk to
Carter?” she said, hoping to move on to the reason for her visit.

“I did.”

“And?”

“And he told me to have you sign these.
Officially you're helping his office, not us.” Daniel passed a folder with
papers to her. They were standard contract papers, but she still took the time
to read every word before taking Daniel's pen and signing them.

“Most people don't read everything,” he
said.

“That's why they end up needing lawyers.”
She handed the papers back to him.

“Are you sure Jack is okay with this?”

“Would it matter to you if he wasn’t?”

He gave her a pained look. “It would
matter if it mattered to you.”

“He doesn't agree with me, but he
supports me. So where do I start?”

Daniel picked up another folder and
stood. “Follow me.”

He guided her to an interrogation room. “We
don't have office space for special investigators, so this will have to do.
Here's a copy of everything we have so far. Read it and let me know what you
think.”

Tess set her purse down and sat at the
table.

“Do you want some coffee or something?”

She shook her head. She was too used to
the good stuff to swallow cop mud.

“I'll leave you to it then.”

Tess opened the file and started with
crime scene photos. Charles Danforth sat in a chair, looking as if he were
sleeping, except for the bloody hole in his chest made by three .38 caliber
bullets. She pulled out her notepad and began to record her thoughts and
questions.

The medical examiner estimated the time
of death between noon and 2:00 p.m. Saturday. The statement of the estate's
caretaker, George Boone, indicated he'd seen Charles Danforth sleeping in his
office Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. He entered Danforth’s office because the
lights and air conditioning were on. Boone was surprised Danforth was there
because he’d planned to go fishing with his business partner, Bobby Wilson. He
said he thought Danforth was sleeping so he cut off the lights and turned down
the air. But that evening, about six, he saw Danforth through the window and
got worried when he realized he hadn't moved since morning. Boone tried to wake
Danforth, which is when he noticed the blood-soaked blanket and called the
police.

Liv gave the same line to the police
that she gave to her and Jack at dinner, including the white egg omelet and the
eight after the eights weather report. The business partner said Charles was
supposed to meet him to fish at Crawford Pond early Sunday morning, but never
showed. He said he wasn't worried because Charles often blew off fishing if one
of his horses needed attention.

The police spoke with Danforth’s son
over the phone, who indicated he was out of town when his father was killed.
The son was planning to attend the funeral and Tess made a note to ask to go
with Daniel and Sam when they talked to the son and his wife in person.

The phone call with Danforth's ex-wife
didn't yield much. They'd been married only a year or so when they divorced.
According to her statement she hadn't seen Charles since their son's wedding,
nearly two years earlier. Cromwell, she and Danforth had bred a few of their
horses together. She said she hadn't seen Charles in several weeks. Tess
wondered why Daniel and Sam felt the need to talk to this woman unless she and
Charles were more than horse-breeding partners. She made a note to ask Daniel
about it.

The interviews with the trainer and
grooms all said the same thing. Charles cared more about his horses than anyone
or anything else, although there hadn't been anything pressing happening with
the horses that would cause him to miss his fishing date. Except that he was
dead, Tess thought. They wouldn't have defined the Danforth’s as happy, but
neither could they report any fighting or other signs of strife.

Tess was finishing the last few pages of
the file when Daniel entered the room.

“So, anything of interest catch your
eye?” Daniel asked.

“The more I see it, the more I think
it's her.”

“See the proof?”

“No.” She sat back and hoped she didn't
look like she was pouting. Then, not wanting to be discouraged, she went back
to the file. “See this?” she said, pointing to an autopsy picture.

“It’s a hole in his chest.”

“In his heart. Three shots right into
the heart. Those three shots had to be personal.”

Daniel nodded.

“It's odd, isn't it, that the caretaker
didn't notice he was dead the first time he checked on Danforth. He even
entered the room.”

“He said he thought he was sleeping.
Apparently Danforth slept there a lot.”

“So he didn't approach the body.” She
pulled out a crime scene photo. “He's in his chair covered with a blanket.
Looks like he's sleeping.”