Wanted with Murder (A Rilynne Evans Mystery, Book Five) (4 page)

“Hey!” she heard a voice call out to her from a few yards away. Rilynne turned to find Lori sitting on a blanket between two trees. Beside her was Joe, the handsome man who lived next door to Rilynne. Shortly after Lori moved to Addison Valley, Rilynne
made a point of making sure Lori and Joe were properly introduced. It wasn’t long after that they started dating. “I thought you were working a case?”

Rilynne grinned and walked toward them. As she did, she saw Joe’s son, Harper, and Kim chasing each other around just a few feet away. When Kim saw Rilynne approaching, she gave up on her attempt to catch Harper and ran toward her.

“Auntie Rye, Auntie Rye!” she yelled.

“Hey sweet girl,” Rilynne said, scooping the bouncing child up. Kim wrapped her arms tightly around Rilynne’s neck before squirming to get back down. The moment her feet hit the ground, she took off running after Harper.

Rilynne shook her head and turned her attentions back to Lori and Joe. “Didn’t you hear?” she asked. “The victim was my suspect for the murder we were working yesterday. I thought it best to give the case to the guys since they are coming back tonight.”

“You’re joking!” Lori exclaimed. “That creep you called out in the middle of the office? He was today’s vic? Wow.”

“Hence passing the case off,” Rilynne said.

“Dad, can we go swimming now?” Harper said, running up toward them.

“No,” Lori said abruptly. Rilynne laughed. Like her, she was sure Lori’s mind was on the Brittney Price case.

Joe seemed to find her asperity amusing as well, because he groaned and started to chuckle.

“We’ll make a trip out to the big lake next week and take the boat out,” he said. “Go finish playing before it’s time for us to head back.” He watched him run off again before turning back to Rilynne. “Sit down and join us,” he said. “There are a few beers left in the cooler.”

“Thanks,” Rilynne said as she lowered herself down on the corner of the blanket. “I didn’t really expect to see so many people out. Usually the paths are pretty clear by this time.”

“It’s the weather,” Joe said, handing Rilynne a beer. “We aren’t used to it being so cool. I’m sure in a day or two it’ll be back in the nineties, so everyone is taking advantage while they can.”

Rilynne glanced over at Lori and grinned. She wasn’t used to such hot weather, and her expression showed it. “You’ll get used to it,” Rilynne said. “Before the end of the year, you will be so used to it, you won’t be able to handle the cold. Why do you think I was so uncomfortable when I went back to Bodker in February?”

Lori let out an unsure groan and looked down at her watch. “We better start heading back,” she said. “The sitter is supposed to be at my house in an hour. If last night was any indication, she will be at least fifteen minutes early.”

Rilynne downed her beer and tossed the empty bottle in the nearby trashcan. “I might as well finish my run,” she said. “You two have a fun night.”

After cornering Kim for one last hug, Rilynne started making her way around the lake. By the time she had made it back around, they were gone. Rilynne was glad Lori and Joe had hit it off, despite Ben’s still being outspokenly against it. Lori hadn’t had the best luck with men, especially after adopting Kim three and a half years before. When she moved to Addison Valley to escape a stalker, Rilynne couldn’t think of a better guy to try and set her up with.

She circled the lake another time before starting back toward her house. Unlike her trip an hour earlier, the path was now completely clear. She took a deep breath and started running as fast as she could through the trees. Her heart was pounding so hard by the time she made it to her back gate, it was nearly all she could hear.

She kicked her shoes off as she stepped through the backdoor and walked straight to the stereo in the living room. After turning on her favorite play list, she started pulling off her clothes, tossing them aside as she walked through her bedroom and into the bathroom. Her whirlpool bathtub took almost no time at all to fill with steaming hot water. In the time it took her to run to the kitchen for a jar of peanut butter and a spoon, it had filled to the desired level.

Slipping the last of her clothes off, she removed the lid from the jar and climbed in. Rilynne let out a deep, satisfying sigh before digging the spoon into the peanut butter and taking a bite. By the time she had cleaned the spoon, she could feel her eyes start to become heavy. She let them slide closed and listen to the music flowing in through the door, tapping her toes along with it.

In a few short moments, the room lit up again around her.

“Are you sure you want to know?” a man in a white lab coat said, sitting behind a large screen.

On the bed in front of him was Katy, her husband by her side. Matthews looked even more exhausted than he had been when she saw him hours earlier. Katy, on the other hand, looked radiant. The pregnancy was obviously taking more of a toll on him.

Suddenly the doctor’s face went blank as his eyes widened.

Matthews tightened his grip on Katy’s hand, both of them looking almost horrified. “What is it?” he asked, panic seeping through his voice. “Is something wrong?”

“No,” the doctor stated. “They both look very healthy.”

All of the color left Matthews’ face. “Both,” he said, reaching out and spinning the monitor around. “What do you mean both?”

Rilynne laughed so hard, she lost her grip on the tub and slid under the water. Coughing and laughing simultaneously, she quickly pulled the plug and jumped out of the tub.

“Poor Matthews,” she said, wrapping a towel around her. She knew she couldn’t keep it to herself, and there was only one person she could call.

“You will never guess what I just found out,” she said when her mother answered.

“Well, hello to you, too,” Amber joked. “What did you just find out?”

Rilynne took in a deep breath to try to ease her excitement. “Matthews is having twins!”

“Wow,” her mother replied. “That’s big. How’s he taking it?”

“He doesn’t know yet,” she stated, pacing excitedly along the foot of her bed. “But there’s definitely going to be a little bit of panic when he finds out.”

“Ah,” Amber replied. She let out a chuckle of her own. “When is their appointment?”

Rilynne thought back to what Matthews had told her, though she had only been half listening. “I think it’s Tuesday,” she replied.

“How bad is he going to take it?” Amber asked. She could hear the smile in her voice.

“On a scale of one to ten… volcano.”

She laughed loudly. “What I wouldn’t give to be able to see some of the things you see sometimes.” She paused for a moment before her tone changed. “Tuesday… that’s several days away. I don’t remember you ever seeing something more than a day or two in advance.”

“That’s because I haven’t,” Rilynne replied honestly. She hadn’t realized it until her mother pointed it out. “Either my body thought I could use a good laugh after today, or things are just changing as I’m getting older.”

“What happened today?” Amber asked.

Rilynne groaned and climbed up onto her bed. As she dropped back on the pile of pillows, she took a moment to breathe in the smell of peaches coming from Ben’s pillow. Though it had been days since his head rested upon it, it was as strong as if he had just gotten up. “Matthews and I worked a case yesterday where a mugger killed a man. I saw who it was and we even had a previous victim who could identify him, but he used a buddy of his for an alibi and we had to release him.”

“I’m sorry, honey,” Amber said. “I know that couldn’t have been easy.”

“No, it wasn’t. To top it off, though, we got called out on a case today and our victim was none other than the same man we had to release the day before,” she continued.

Amber let out a quick gasp. “You’re joking! What are the chances of that happening?”

“Apparently not non-existent,” she replied. She didn’t try to hide the annoyance she was still feeling. “We managed to find all of the evidence we needed to close the other case, but we can’t prosecute him as he’s now occupying a bed in our morgue.”

“Well, at least he can’t hurt anyone else,” Amber offered.

“I know,” Rilynne groaned. “But I really wanted to be able to smile in his face when I nailed him for that murder. This guy really got under my skin.”

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, it looks like I will be able to take next weekend off after all. Now I won’t have to miss your party.” Amber was obviously more excited about it than Rilynne.

Rilynne groaned again. “I swear you and Ben are out to get me. I really didn’t want a party. You know I’ve never liked birthdays.”

“I know,” she replied with an amused note. “But you’re turning what, twenty-three?”

Rilynne rolled over onto her stomach. “I knew there was a reason why I loved you!” she declared.

“Among others,” her mother laughed. “So, how are things with you and Ben? Is he still annoyed with your decision to set Lori up with that cute guy next door?”

“Of course he is,” she chuckled. She leaned over the edge of the bed and pulled a pair of pajamas out of the drawer. “I’m beginning to think he will never get used to it. It’s a shame because they make a very cute couple. I actually ran into them by the lake when I went out for a jog after work.”

“Yeah, he and I talked about it the last time I was in town. I’m sure he will eventually come around. Maybe when he’s eighty and has forgotten why he doesn’t like the guy in the first place.”

Rilynne nearly rolled off of her bed laughing as she tried to pull her clothes on. “I really don’t get why he’s so against it,” she said after balancing herself. “He didn’t like the guy because he was interested in me. You’d think he’d be thrilled he was seeing someone else.”

“In his words, Joe disrespected you. I think as much as he doesn’t like the guy, he wants to look out for Lori and make sure she isn’t going to be mistreated.”

“Joe only said what he did to get to Ben,” Rilynne stated.

“Well, we both know that. It’s not like you can really tell Ben that, though. Then he would start asking how you knew what was said if you weren’t there.”

Rilynne slid off the edge of the bed and walked toward the kitchen. “I know,” she groaned. “It always comes back to the same thing. I’m seriously considering just telling him so I don’t have to keep these secrets anymore. It’s tiring.”

“Well, then tell him,” Amber said bluntly. “It can only go one of two ways. Either he accepts it and you’re happier not having to keep things from him anymore, or he doesn’t.”

“And he dumps me,” Rilynne added. “Then he could go and tell everyone at the station and my career would be over.”

“You don’t honestly think for a minute that he would do that?” Amber asked.

Rilynne pulled the refrigerator open and grabbed a half empty bottle of wine. After examining it, she retreated to her room without bothering with a glass. “No,” she said honestly. “But he might just think I’m a nut and leave me. That one actually
is
a feasible outcome.”

“Well, it’s better to find out now then to wait a couple years.”

Rilynne grabbed the cork with her teeth and pulled it out. “Thanks mom,” she said as she spit it into the trashcan next to her bed. “That’s really reassuring.”

“I’ll be honest,” she said in her all too familiar, motherly tone. “I don’t think for a second that Ben would leave you. That boy is nuts about you. I saw it the first time he and I really sat down and talked. But no one is going to be able to tell you when the right time to tell him is. That’s entirely up to you.”

That wasn’t exactly the answer Rilynne had been hoping for. She considered it, though, as she took a long swig from the bottle and climbed back onto her bed. “Maybe I’ll just get him really drunk one night and tell him,” she said. “Then if he takes it badly, there will be a chance he won’t remember the next morning.”

Amber chuckled. “Well, you tell me how that goes,” she said sarcastically. “I’ve got to go, though. I’m working the night shift, and I’m just about to walk into the hospital.”

“Have a good night,” Rilynne said. “I’ll talk to you later.”

After hanging up, Rilynne took another long swig of the bottle and looked around the room. Something was strange, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. It wasn’t that something had been changed, it just had an odd feeling. Contributing it to the wine, she took another drink and put it out of her mind.

Tapping her feet to the music she just realized was still playing, she slid off the bed again and walked through the house, making sure everything was turned off. By the time she finished, the bottle was just about empty. She drank the last few drops and climbed back into bed, pulling her covers up to her chin. It had been such a long day and she was ready for it to be over.

*

“Evans, in here now,” Wilcome called out across the office when she walked in just after ten the morning. Although it was their day off, she and Matthews decided to stop in to make sure Tylers and Steele had everything they needed for the case.

Something in Wilcome’s voice caused a deafening silence to spread through the room. All eyes were shifting between her and Wilcome as she dropped her purse down on her desk and walked toward the conference room. Matthews seemed to hesitate for a moment before following her.