Some Like It in Handcuffs (16 page)

Sunny wrapped her arms around her mid section and shivered. A light breeze carried the scent of her perfume around him, and he tensed. If he had his suit coat he could cover her, but it gave him the excuse he needed to touch her, so he curved his arm around her shoulders and rubbed his hand down her arm. She stiffened, but he didn’t stop and before long she relaxed against him with a soft sigh.

“I want to talk to Benny. I’ll give you my key and you can start sorting through the list. When I’m done here I’ll catch up.” She swayed into him. “If Slater shows up tonight, I wouldn’t mind chatting with him too.”

“He was leaving when I came out.” Judson glanced at her from the corner of his eye. He’d considered talking to Slater when he passed by him, but put it off in favor of seeing Sunny first. His own taut muscles loosened when she wrapped her arm around his waist, hugging him to her side.

“I didn’t see him.” Her quiet voice affected him like a drug. Soft and timid her fingertips kneaded his flesh through the material of his shirt. Everything around them seemed secondary as he concentrated on the rhythm of her breathing.

“He must’ve come in when we were dancing.” As soon as the words left his lips he realized his mistake. The stiffening of her body confirmed it. The kiss they’d shared on stage in front of everyone had unnerved her. Hell, it had unnerved him too.

Sunny untangled herself from his arms. “I wonder why he didn’t stick around.”

“It looked like him and Benny had a disagreement. I didn’t hear anything, but it seemed heated.”

Sunny rubbed her hands down her arms, reminding Judson again of the cold temperature outside. Not that he noticed it, his body smoldered.

“That’s the perfect opener for me to get Benny talking about Slater. Let’s head inside, I’ll get my keys so you can get going.” Excitement sounded in her voice.

“How are you planning on getting home? Remember, I drove.”

She waved away his words. “Don’t worry. Kelly will give me a ride.”

Judson held her elbow in a light grip as they crossed the threshold. As soon as they were inside she pulled from his grasp and headed for the back room. He waited by the bar.

The fringe of Sunny’s dress swished against her body as she stepped through the swinging doors seconds later with her key ring twirling around her fingers. Her lips were slightly parted, her eyes bright. His mouth went dry when she stopped in front of him.

“As soon as I talk to Benny, I’ll see about Kelly and me leaving. It’ll be exciting to check out the pictures and see the evidence list.”

“Call my cell when you’re on your way.” Judson grabbed his jacket from the chair, jammed his arms inside the sleeves then pulled his car keys from the inside pocket. He needed to make a quick get-a-way, outside to the cool air. It wouldn’t be as good as a cold shower, but at least he wouldn’t have to smell her delectable perfume, or watch her body give that dress a work out.

“Wait.” She tilted her head, a slight curve to her lips. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

“Right.” He stepped closer. “We have to make this look real.” Her brow creased as he circled her waist with his arm. One swift tug and he had her locked in his embrace.

He lowered his head to hers. She whimpered before his mouth closed over the soft fullness of her lips. Sunny pushed at his chest, sighed deep in her throat, and balled her fists into his shirt to pull him closer. She surrendered her lips, opening to accept the warmth of his tongue.

A tremor spread across her body and he groaned. He ran his free hand down the length of her back, molding her front into his. Their tongues reacquainted. He leaned into her and cupped her bottom in his hand. As he broke off their kiss, she caught his bottom lip with her teeth. Judson drew back slowly, opened his eyes and stared into her darkened gaze.

Sunny leaned back, and her kiss swollen lips curved. “I meant my house keys, big guy.”

****

As soon as Judson walked out the door, Sunny’s shoulders sagged and she plopped into a stool by the bar. The heart pounding sexual heat, his husky voice and persuasive lips and body were going to be the death of her. She needed to get her attraction under control, or solve this case and personally drive him to Montana before she ignited into a combustible flame and burst into a million pieces.

Sunny dragged in several deep breaths, patted the upsweep of her hair then proceeded to the back room in search of Benny.

Outside his office Sunny squared her shoulders, lifted her hand to knock, and clutched her throat wide-eyed when the door flew open.

Tasha stood before her straightening the hemline of her dress. She winked at Sunny with her smoky eyes as she withdrew her fingertip from her mouth stretching her wad of gum. “I was just leaving.” She opened the door wide so Sunny could pass, blew a kiss in Benny’s red faced direction and sauntered out of view.

“What was that all about?” Sunny looked from Tasha’s retreating back to Benny’s confused expression.

“I’m not sure you want to know. And I’m not sure I can give you an answer.” He chuckled and leaned back into his chair. “What can I do you for, sweetheart?”

Sunny took the seat across the desk from his, tucking an escaped tendril of hair behind her ear. “Judson just left and he said it looked like you and Slater had words. You okay?”

Benny’s features hardened and he forked his fingers through already ruffled hair. “It’s all good. Slater has a habit of saying and doing things he shouldn’t, that’s all.”

“I’ve had friends like that myself. Care to unload?”

“I told you some about Karina, right?”

When Sunny nodded, Benny sat forward to repeat his conversation with Slater in a monotone voice. The anger he held in check showed itself by the red tint staining his skin at the neckline of his shirt and disappearing into his hairline. He finished then slouched back in his chair shaking his head.

“Slater tries to be a good person, but he can’t pull himself out of the muck completely. Unfortunately his old lady is a lot of the problem in that regard,” Benny said.

To appear casual Sunny slipped the well chewed fingernail on her ring finger between her lips and resumed her work on shortening it. “Hmm, what’s his wife got to do with it?”

“Vivian, she’s quite the gal.” Sarcasm coated every word. Benny told Sunny the story about how he’d dated Vivian originally, met Karina, and then Vivian hooked her claws into Slater. “Poor Slater didn’t stand a chance. When Viv wants to work her magic, she can lay on the charm non-stop until she gets her way. But, underneath she’s bitter and hateful. One of the unhappiest people I know.”

Sunny finished the damage to her nail and lowered her hand, eyes wide. “Didn’t’ Slater feel like he was being used?”

The straight line of his mouth couldn’t get any thinner. “Slater always had a thing for Vivian, although he’d never admit it when she and I dated, but it was obvious. Vivian picked up on it right away.” His quiet laugh held no humor. “She used to make fun of him, but when I broke it off with her, she wrapped him around her finger quicker than you can spell
A
.”

Sunny grinned. “I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I almost feel sorry for Slater.” She meant it. As she listened to Benny she couldn’t help but see the genuine friendship he shared with Slater.

“Slater gets into trouble, but he means well deep down. Nobody was more surprised than me when they got married, but something must work for them. They’ve been together a long time.”

“How long?”

Their gazes met and the moisture in his eyes couldn’t be denied. Sunny adjusted her position in her seat, uncomfortable with herself for drudging up memories which hurt Benny. “Well, going on twenty-six years the month after next. They tied the knot not long after Karina was killed.”

There was nothing she could say, frozen in her seat, fingers crossed he’d continue. For Benny’s sake Sunny hoped she was wrong about Slater.

“To tell you the truth it always made me wonder if… No, forget it.” Benny closed his eyes then rubbed his temples.

“Made you wonder what?” Sunny pressed forward.

“Just a stupid theory I’ve wondered about over the years. It’s nothing and really not worth talking about, sweetheart, but thanks for offering.”

The first reaction she had was to grab him by the shoulders and shake him until it hurt. She sat on her hands to stop herself as she considered how she could get him to talk. He’d been about to share something important. The knot in her stomach confirmed it.

“I’ve always had a suspicion in the back of my mind that Vivian or Slater knew something about Karina’s murder.”

Sunny’s breath lodged in her chest and she coughed to restart her heart.
Apparently keeping your mouth shut was all you had to do to keep him talking.

“Why?”

How interesting that two people in a matter of days had the same impressions of Vivian and Slater. Not just any two people, but friends and family that were probably the closet people in their lives.

“I have several reasons, but I’m afraid they’ll sound stupid.”

“Give it a shot. We’ll debate your theories.”

Benny chuckled and Sunny held her breath.

“All right. First off Vivian hated Karina. She’d leave the room as soon as Karina stepped through the door.”

“Okay, I can see that. She was jealous and—”

Benny held up his hand. “Let me finish. Karina and I went out for dinner the night before she was killed. For my sake Karina wanted to get along with Vivian. She knew Vivian and Slater were together, Slater and I were friends, and she didn’t want to be the one that caused Slater and me to drift apart.

“Makes sense.”

“That last night at dinner she told me Vivian called her. I guess Vivian didn’t want to be her best friend, but she wanted them to be able to tolerate each other, so things wouldn’t be so tense.” Benny smiled at the memory. “Karina was so excited when she told me about it. Her biggest thrill being they’d meet the next day so Vivian could apologize in person.”

“So the day Karina was killed she met with Vivian?” Sunny dug her fingers into the edge of the seat.

“That’s just it. A few weeks after Karina was killed, after I played our last night together in my head for the millionth time, I wondered about their meeting. When I asked Vivian about it, she said she’d called Karina to meet up with her that morning, but never got an answer.”

Sunny stayed silent, willing Benny to continue.

“According to the time of death the police came up with, Karina was killed early afternoon. And I know for a fact Karina was home all morning, so if Vivian had called, she would’ve answered. I think Vivian lied to me.”

“How do you know she was home?”

Benny covered his face with the palms of both his hands, kneading his forehead with his knuckles.

“Hey, we don’t have to go over this now. I know it’s hard.” Sunny hated to say it, but she couldn’t take his pained expression.

“No, I’m all right. It’s just not something I enjoy thinking—”

“I’m sorry.” Her voice a mere whisper she was unsure if Benny had heard until he looked at her with a shaky grin.

He took a deep breath. “After dinner that night, Karina didn’t feel well. I had an exam the next day. I offered to stay with her, but she wanted me rested so I’d ace my test, and she was sure she’d be up and down all night. So, I went home after I dropped her off, but I called her before class to make sure she was feeling better, and we talked for awhile. She was home, and she had no plans that day except waiting for me to get out of class to spend the evening with her.”

“Interesting. Maybe when Vivian called, Karina was in the bathroom, or shower or picking up her mail.”

“But why wouldn’t she have left a message? According to the police report, which I have read over and over again, the only messages on her machine from that day were her father and me, and those calls were made after she’d already been killed.”

An uneasy excitement chilled Sunny to the bone as their conversation grew hushed.

“Some people just don’t like answering machines.”

Benny shook his head. “Vivian isn’t one of them. She likes nothing better than the sound of her own voice. It wouldn’t be her style not to leave a message.”

“Even though it’s suspicious and out of the ordinary, it doesn’t mean Vivian had something to do with Karina’s death.” She not only wanted to convince him, but herself. Slater and Vivian knew something about the murder, of that she could be certain.

“Okay, try this theory.” Benny exhaled a long breath before he began. “Within a week or so of Karina’s murder, Vivian started coming around, trying to be supportive and comforting. The odd thing about it was she would wear the same cologne Karina had, mimic the way she spoke, and worst of all she started dressing like her. And, I can tell you they didn’t have the same fashion sense at all. Karina wore feminine dresses and skirts and Vivian liked her leather jacket and jeans.”

“A complete one-eighty. Now that’s creepy.” Sunny’s lips pinched.

“I was in such shock it took me awhile to recognize what was going on, but she was trying to imitate Karina hoping her and I would hook back up. Then to top it off, I find out while she’s trying to get me back, she’s engaged to Slater.” Benny stood, opened the second drawer to his file cabinet and pulled out the
Karina
folder.

Sunny’s heart raced as he shuffled through the photographs, pulled one out and placed it on the desk in front of her. It was that damn picture again. It seemed like everyone had a copy. She eyed the picture of Benny and Karina, the earrings hanging from her lobes. Before she looked up, Benny had plopped another photograph on the desk, this one was the picture of Slater and Vivian taken on their one year anniversary. Again, the same earrings sparkled from Vivian’s ear.

Benny’s voice weakened as he continued, “They end up getting married and even though I acted as best man, I don’t remember anything about the day. But one year later, Slater’s mom decides to have an anniversary party.” With force he pokes the picture of Slater and Vivian. “The only thing I could see and the only thing I remember of that whole day is that my Karina’s earrings, the earrings I had made for her, and her alone, were hanging from the ears of my best friend’s wife.” Benny’s voice rose in volume until he was almost yelling across the desk at her. “How the hell did she get them?”