“But from a fan?” he said.
“Probably.”
O’Casey shook his head. “Shouldn’t they have gone to the show, then? You don’t just give your address out, do you.”
“No, of course not,” she said.
He looked around. “I’m calling Liam,” he told her.
She fitted her key into the door, exasperated. “They’re flowers!” she said. “Are you bringing them in?”
“No. I’m having them taken to the police.”
“They’re just flowers!”
“That shouldn’t be here.”
“You’re making me insane!” she told him.
“Sorry. Just trying to keep you alive.”
She nearly slammed the door on him. When he pushed it open and came in behind her, Sam made a beeline for him—ignoring Kelly. She found herself more irritated than ever and spun on O’Casey. “Okay, you saved my life at the crosswalk. I’m grateful. But my life is enough of a mess! Don’t go throwing your own psychological dilemmas into the mix.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, his eyes hard.
“You! You’re ridiculously suspicious. And of Mel, of all people! Quizzing him, giving him the third degree, I’m certain. And now the flowers. Apparently you liked being a cop, and now you’ve got yourself back into an investigation. I really don’t think you care one way or another about dancing in this thing. You want to know who killed Dana Sumter. You want to solve this mystery. And you’re making me insane!”
She didn’t think that it could, but his jaw set to a harder line. “Are you learning the tango or aren’t you?” he inquired.
“Could you bring my flowers in, please?”
“No.”
“O’Casey!”
“There’s no florist’s card on it, just the note, with no identification of where it actually came from.”
“Someone might have delivered them by hand.”
“What someone? Don’t you understand? The someones out there shouldn’t have your home address!”
“So you’re going to have the flowers taken to the police station?”
“Yes, just like I’m sure Joe Penny had the really threatening fan mail sent to the police.”
She threw up her hands. “Great, then. Go for it. The flowers would die, anyway. Take them in.”
“I’m not leaving you.”
“You’re going to call Liam?”
“You bet.”
She let out a sound of pure exasperation. “All right, fine. But I’m begging you, please stop looking for evil intent in every single thing that happens!”
He stared at her for a moment. “Sam, come on, I’ll take you out,” he told the dog. He glared at Kelly. “Lock me out.”
“You bet!” she told him.
Fifteen minutes later, she was tempted to ignore the knocking at her door when he returned. He did, however, have her dog, so she opened the door, clearly still irritated. But they didn’t exchange words. Liam was driving up at that very moment. She frowned, looked at O’Casey and realized he’d used his cell phone.
“Interesting arrangement,” Liam told Kelly.
“It’s pretty,” she protested.
“Maybe for Halloween,” he said.
She sighed. “I don’t know what you’re both so worried about. Whatever they mean, they’re just flowers,” Kelly said.
“Black roses. Black, like dead roses,” Liam said softly.
“But they’re not dead. They’re just treated,” Kelly said.
“I don’t know. Like I said, it’s an interesting arrangement. I think that we should bring them in to Olsen.” He glanced at his watch. “I’ll just hang around until you’re ready. We’ll take the flowers in to the station and then I’ll drop you at the airport.”
“Works for me. Kelly?” O’Casey asked.
“Does it matter if it works for me?” she murmured.
Both men stared at her. She shook her head and returned to her bedroom to make sure she’d packed everything she might need for the coming weeks. But then she burst back in on the two.
“What?” O’Casey asked.
“Sam.”
“What about Sam?” Liam asked. “We can keep him again, if you think that will be better.”
“No, no…I need to get to the veterinarian. I want to sedate Sam a little. It’ll be a horrible flight for a dog.”
O’Casey and Liam exchanged glances. “Okay, we go by the vet, then the police station, then on to the airport,” Liam said cheerfully.
O’Casey nodded and Kelly went back to check on her packing a second time.
CHAPTER 18
When they arrived at the police station, Liam went in alone. Kelly was certain Detective Olsen would find their concern over the delivery of a bunch of flowers to be an infringement of valuable police time. But he must have accepted them, and the explanation, quickly enough. When Liam returned to the car, O’Casey asked, “He have any comments?”
“They’ll check for toxins of any kind and see if they can locate the florist,” Liam said. Then he turned around to Kelly in the back seat. “Olsen said it was a good thing we brought them in.”
At the airport, Kelly found that she clung a little too tightly to Liam.
“Stick with that guy. He’s all right,” Liam told her.
“Well, I won’t have anyone else, will I?” she murmured.
“We can pop on a plane ourselves, if the going gets too rough,” Liam said.
She laughed. “With three kids and a dozen pets. Sure, you can pop over anytime!”
“We can, you know.”
“I’m fine,” Kelly assured him. “It’s the people around me who are having problems.”
“Almost going over a cliff, then nearly being run over. I’d say you have to be careful, Kel.”
She frowned. So much for O’Casey staying silent!
Horns were beeping everywhere. Liam had to move. He patted Sam on the head, shook O’Casey’s hand and waved to Kelly one last time.
Inside the airport, crated and sedated, Sam seemed to be doing okay, but Kelly kept him with her as long as she could. It always made Kelly nervous to take Sam with her on a plane. She’d read such terrible things about what could happen to large dogs in the hold. But she didn’t want to leave him behind. Not now. Besides, the vet had assured her that, with the tranquilizers, Sam would be just fine.
Whatever his thoughts on the subject, O’Casey managed not to voice them. Once on board, Kelly accepted a few glasses of champagne, intending to sleep during the flight. And she did. Later, she discovered to her horror that she’d made full use of Doug during the flight, stretching out, plumping her pillow onto his shoulder and leaving him in a fairly awkward position throughout the many hours. Though he didn’t complain, he did work his shoulder once they had landed.
As they collected the dog and their suitcases and exited the airport, Kelly said, “We could have had a limo pick us up, you know?”
“We’re being picked up,” O’Casey assured her.
Despite the early hour, the airport was bustling, and Kelly felt a wave of heat wash over her. The covered pickup area was heavy with exhaust fumes. Arriving in Miami was always a little like getting hit by a semi of humidity.
“There,” Doug said. “The Navigator.” He waved and walked toward the car pulling in for them. She didn’t need to be told that the man at the wheel was O’Casey’s brother. Though he was dark where Doug was light, they had the same eyes. He was slightly taller than Doug, but they shared the same hard, tightly muscled build. And there was something very familiar about the man’s quick smile.
“Hop in the front,” O’Casey said. “Sam and I will be in the back.”
“Hey, I’m Quinn,” the man at the wheel said, assessing Kelly quickly with an open grin.
“Kelly,” she murmured. “Nice to meet you, and thanks for coming. I’m sorry you had to brave the traffic.”
“No problem. My pleasure.”
&nbs
p; Sam stuck his head through the seats, licking her cheek, then turned to greet the man. He gave Quinn a big slurp on the cheek as well.
“This is Sam,” she said ruefully. “Sorry!”
“It’s all right,” he assured her. “He’s a beauty.” He glanced at Doug in the rearview mirror. “Shannon stocked some stuff for you guys. I thought you might want to adjust to the house, maybe get a few hours of sleep. When you’re ready, she’ll be at the studio. I’m available whenever.”
“Thanks,” Doug told his brother.
“They work late at Moonlight Sonata,” Quinn informed Kelly. “But if you don’t mind, we’d like to have dinner with you two around ten.”
“I don’t mind,” Kelly told him. “That would be lovely.”
Quinn moved the car out into the traffic. Sam made smudges all over the window with his nose, anxious to see everything they passed. Le Jeune Road took them to an expressway. Kelly was glad to realize she knew where she was.
“Do you like Miami?” Quinn asked her casually.
She grinned at him. “It’s like L.A., minus the mountains.”
“No mountains, but great water. Do you dive?”
She shook her head. “But I’m willing to get to know the water. I don’t actually dance, either.”
“She’s lying. She’s already gotten a really good tango down,” Doug said.
Quinn smiled, looking ahead as he drove.
“Do you dance, Quinn?” Kelly asked.
“Have to. My wife makes me,” he said. “But if you want to talk about two left feet…”
From the back, O’Casey added. “Shannon really is world class. And my old-timer of a brother here has learned to move damned well on the floor.”
She smiled, realizing that she enjoyed seeing O’Casey with his brother. The relationship seemed to be a really good one. It softened something of the hard edge that could wrap around O’Casey, the dead-set determination and single-mindedness that could rule him at times.
As they drove, both the O’Caseys pointed out landmarks. She already recognized some of them. The view from the causeway as they crossed to the beach was stunning. The water rippled; the day was clear. It was a workday, but many people were out, on foot, on bicycles, moving along as if they didn’t have a care in the world.
Shannon’s house was in the South Beach area. When they arrived, Sam bounded out of the car, and though the yard wasn’t fenced, he somehow recognized it as his own—for the time being. He raced from side to side.
“It’s a lovely place. Please thank your wife,” Kelly said.
Quinn laughed. “Doug pays rent, but we’re happy to have you here.”
There were pictures in the living room as they entered, and she recognized Doug and Jane in several. Jane could have been a contortionist. She’d been captured in various movements of incredible grace and agility Kelly was certain she could never mirror—certainly not in another week!
“It’s all okay?” Doug asked her as he and Quinn brought in the luggage.
“It’s great,” she said.
“All right, I’m getting out of here. You two must be beat,” Quinn said.
“I slept on the plane,” Kelly said, but yawned. “It wasn’t all that comfortable, though.”
“Sorry,” Doug said dryly.
“Oh, I didn’t mean…um, you were a great pillow, really.”
Quinn laughed and headed for the door. Kelly noticed a look pass between the brothers before Doug quickly said, “I’ll walk you out. Kelly, go ahead and wander around, explore.”
She nodded, thinking that she’d like coffee, but wondering if something without caffeine would be in order, especially if she hoped to get a nap in before practice. In the kitchen, she was touched to see a big bag of dog food waiting on the counter—Sam’s brand. Their arrival had been carefully thought out. It was evident that Doug had talked to his brother and told him what to have in the house.
As she made tea, she decided that she was ravenous, having forgone dinner on the plane, and was digging around in the refrigerator when Doug reappeared. He seemed somewhat distracted. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Now, there’s a crock. You walked your brother out because he had some little secret to tell you.”
“Not a secret.”
“Then what?”
He let the question slide, coming to join her at the refrigerator. “You must be starving. What are you in the mood for?”
“Food.”
“An omelet?”
“Sure.”
He didn’t actually shove her aside, but he took charge, getting various ingredients out of the refrigerator. “Can you manage a toaster?” he asked her.
“I think so,” she told him.
“Bread is over there.”
They’d been left a choice of bread as well, everything from white to whole wheat and multigrain. She turned to O’Casey. “Do you want to choose the carbs?”
“You choose.”
She opted for the multigrain.
He obviously could cook. The eggs were whisked, the ham and cheese chopped. Within minutes the pan was sending out an alluring aroma. He looked up, aware of her stare, and said, “Police academy.”
“What?”
“We often wound up studying the books at one another’s houses fairly frequently, so we learned to cook.”
“I see. You learned to be incredibly suspicious and how to cook. That’s great.”
“How do you like your omelet, a little runny or well done?”
“Cooked all the way through.”
“Coming up.”
“Juice?”
“Sure.”
In another minute, they were seated at the counter. Kelly was so hungry, she completely forgot conversation until she had finished every bite on her plate.
“That was great,” she told him honestly.
“I strive to please.”
“Then could you please point me to a shower? I’m beginning to feel the itch of being on a plane all night.”
The bath was charming, with a lot of deco features. She knew the house had to have been built in the twenties. There were a number that had been built in a similar style in the L.A. area, especially in Beverly Hills. This house was on a more modest scale, but what it lacked in size it made up for in charm. It was neat and clean, but lived-in—comfortable. Kelly didn’t know whether to give the credit to O’Casey or his sister-in-law.
Doug called from the bedroom that he was taking the dog into the front yard area as she stepped beneath the water. She was thankful that the old place had a good water heater. Emerging a few minutes later, still warm from the hot water and sated with the meal, she knew that she could sleep. As she towel-dried her hair, she heard O’Casey and Sam come back in. Then she heard water running and assumed that Doug had taken the shower in her wake. Yawning, she stretched out on the bed in her towel, and a second later her eyes were closed.
She was groggy when she heard his voice. “Kelly, you’ll be more comfortable under the covers.” Blinking, she rose—and realized she’d already lost the towel. But it didn’t matter. He knew what she thought, that he was a cop first and foremost in his heart, no matter what he said. The barrier had been established, just as the relationship had been.
He turned down the bed and she crawled back in. “You must be really exhausted,” she murmured. “You didn’t sleep on the plane at all.” She felt his arms come around her.
“I don’t think I could ever be so exhausted that…” He didn’t finish the sentence with words. Instead, she felt his lips against the nape of her neck, her shoulder blades…He moved against her. And he was right. For a man who should have been very tired, his behavior was incredibly vivid and electric.
She wasn’t so exhausted herself, she realized. Either that or he had a true talent for awakening her. Yes, awakening her and arousing her.
His lips and fingers created the most exquisite heat, stroked with dampness, offered touches that
were beyond intimate and far beyond eliciting. She turned into him, mesmerized, allowing the seduction, then flaring into excitement herself, bursting into an equal hunger, like a match tip newly struck. She began returning every touch, every stroke, every erotic caress….
He deftly moved the length of her body about, finding the line of her back, the rise of her hip. The back of a knee. The flesh of her inner thigh. Higher. Lower. The deepest, most central zones….
She was amazed, growing ever more comfortable in his arms, yet challenged, brought to new heights. She was stunned by the movement, the rhythm, the deep thrust and equally evocative slow withdrawal…and the feel of his muscles beneath her fingers, against her.
She closed her eyes, oblivious to everything but the longing and then the climax that came with such a volatile burst of ecstasy that it seemed to shatter her very essence.
Later, snuggled against him, she was surprised to realize that she finally felt safe. But what if he weren’t with her? She closed her eyes, not wanting to think about that. There were times one should just be grateful for the moment.
She snuggled more tightly into his arms and discovered that he was awake. “O’Casey?”
“Hmm?”
“You should be sleeping.”
“I will be.”
She lifted up onto an elbow and stared at him. “Just what did your brother tell you?” she demanded.
“It really wasn’t anything that important.”
“Well then, what?”
He looked at her, those cobalt eyes shooting into hers. “He’s been doing some research.”
“So what did he find out? Anything earth-shattering?”
“Maybe yes, maybe no.”
“What?” she demanded.
“Our friend Lance Morton happens to be from Sandusky, Ohio.”
Her eyes narrowed. Inwardly, she admitted to a little spasm of unease. “Lots of people are from Sandusky, Ohio,” she said.
He rolled to look at her more closely. “Yes, that’s true. But Lance Morton just happened to be back in Ohio visiting his mother on the same night that Sally Bower drowned in her bathtub.”
CHAPTER 19
Kelly refused to be disturbed by the information about Lance Morton. Doug had a damned good intuition that, although he might never be able to prove it, Lance had delivered the roses as well. Despite all this, however, sheer exhaustion enabled him to sleep. It was strange to realize that he could do so easily enough because Sam was out in the living room. If anyone came near the house, the dog would sound an alarm.