Noah heard a car pull up outside. He went to the living room and looked out the front window. “Tech crew’s here now.”
“Good,” Street said. “They can box all this stuff up.” He went to the printer, sorted the copies, and handed a set to Noah.
“We’re taking off early in the morning,” Noah told him. “If you need anything, just let me know. And please keep me apprised.”
Jordan was more than ready to leave J. D. Dickey’s house. Once they were on the road, she said, “You think you know someone, and then you find out she’s a sex maniac.”
“But you didn’t really know Charlene, did you? You’d only just met her,” Noah countered.
“That’s true. But it’s still disheartening.”
“Unless you can think of another restaurant, I guess we’re going back to Jaffee’s. Okay with you?”
“Depends,” she said. “Is he on the list?”
He laughed. “You want to look?”
“You do it.”
Noah pulled over to the curb, put the car in park and quickly went through the list. He saw Amelia Ann’s name and wondered how Jordan would react if she knew.
“No Jaffee,” he said.
She sighed. “Good.”
Noah thought about the long day he’d put her through. “You’re a real trouper, you know that?” He looked at her for a long second, then reached over and cupped the back of her neck with his hand, and pulled her toward him.
“What…?” she began.
His mouth settled firmly on hers. She hadn’t expected his kiss, yet she instinctively parted her lips for his tongue. He took full advantage, and the kiss deepened. Noah didn’t do anything half measure. The kiss didn’t last long, but it was thorough. When he sat back, her heart was pounding. Falling against the seat, she tried to catch her breath.
Noah didn’t look like he was having any trouble catching his breath. He put the car in drive and continued on.
“I’m in the mood for fish,” he said. “And a cold beer.”
No mention about the kiss, no thank-you or even a “wasn’t that nice?” comment.
Noah glanced over. “Something wrong?” he asked, knowing full well there was. She glared at him. “You look a little irritated.”
Ya think? “No, nothing’s wrong.”
“Okay then.”
“I was just wondering how you can be so laid-back…you know, blasé.”
“Laid-back and blasé are two different things.”
“Then you’re both. You just kissed me.” There, she’d said it, and it was out there for discussion.
“Mmm, sure did.”
“That’s it? ‘Sure did’?”
She’d sounded so furious, he smiled. Jordan was something when she was wound up.
“What did you want me to say?”
He had to be kidding. He knew exactly what she wanted him to say. That the kiss meant something. It was a big deal. But apparently it wasn’t. He’d kissed a lot of women. What was this to him: same old, same old?
She thought about reminding him of the wild time they’d had the night before. She could also point out that this morning he had acted as though nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. She knew that if he responded by asking her what she wanted him to say, she might very well pull a J. D. and punch him senseless.
She bet he’d remember that.
Even though, at the moment, it was a lovely fantasy, violence was never the answer.
They stopped at a red light and Noah looked over. “Now what are you thinking about, Sugar? You’ve got a perplexed look on your face.”
“Violence,” she immediately answered. “I was thinking about violence.”
He swore he never knew what she was going to say. “What about it?”
“It’s never the answer. That’s what my father and mother taught Sidney and me.”
“And your brothers?”
“They were usually trying to pummel one another into the ground. I think that’s why they all did so well in sports. They got to pound other teams.”
“So how did you get rid of your aggressive tendencies?” he asked, genuinely curious.
“I broke things.”
“Oh yeah?”
“It wasn’t vandalism,” she explained. “I broke things so I could put them back together. It was a…learning experience.”
“You must have driven your parents nuts.”
“Probably,” she agreed. “They were patient with me though, and after a while they got used to it.”
“What are some of the things you broke?”
“You have to remember, I was a kid, so of course I started small. A toaster, an old fan, a lawn mower…”
“Lawn mower?”
She smiled. “That’s still a sore subject with my father. He came home from work early one afternoon and found all the parts of his lawn mower, down to the nuts and bolts, spread out on the drive. He wasn’t happy.”
Noah was having a hard time picturing her with grease on her face and hands, screwing things together. Jordan was so feminine now. He couldn’t imagine it.
“Did you get the lawn mower back together?”
“With my brothers’ help, which, by the way, I didn’t need. The next week my father brought home an old, broken computer. He told me I could have it, but I had to promise I wouldn’t touch any more appliances, lawn mowers, or cars.”
“Cars?”
“I never worked on one of those. Not interested. And once I got a computer…”
“You found your calling.”
“I guess I did. What about you? What were you like as a little boy? Were you packing a gun back then?”
“Ornery,” he answered. “I got into my share of fights, I suppose, but we lived in Texas,” he reminded her, “and that meant playing football in high school. I did all right and ended up getting an athletic scholarship to college. All through school I was always a model student.” Even he couldn’t say the lie with a straight face. “I didn’t like rules back then.”
“And you don’t like rules now.”
“I guess I don’t.”
“You’re a rebel,” she said.
“That’s what Doctor Morganstern calls me.”
“May I ask you something?”
He pulled the car into the parking lot behind the Home Away from Home Motel’s courtyard. “Sure. What do you want to know?”
“Have you ever been in a relationship that lasted more than a week or two? Have you really ever committed to one woman, even for a little while?”
He didn’t waste a second thinking over his response. “No.”
If the abruptness in his answer and his emphatic tone were an attempt to get her to drop the subject, he was mistaken.
“Goodness. Aren’t you Mister Sensitive.”
He parked and opened the door. “Sugar, there’s not a sensitive bone in my body.”
He was wrong about that, but she wasn’t going to argue.
“What about you?” he asked. “You ever been in a long relationship?”
Before she could answer, he came around and opened her door. Taking Jordan’s hand, Noah walked toward the street. The lot was dimly lit by a lamp at the far end, and the only sound was the night settling in around them.
He stopped for a moment and stared into her eyes. “I know what you’re all about, Jordan Buchanan.”
“And would you care to explain it all to me?”
“No.”
And the subject was closed.
“I’M TELLING YOU RIGHT NOW, IF JAFFEE’S BISTRO IS CROWDED, I’M going in the back door and eating in the kitchen.”
Noah asked the obvious question. “Why?”
Jordan looked at him as if the answer should be obvious. “I don’t want to go through another inquisition. And I certainly don’t want people glaring at me while I eat. It’s bad for the digestion.”
“People are curious, that’s all,” he reasoned. “Face it, Sugar. You’re news.”
“O
h, I’m news all right,” she said. “Since I arrived here three people have died. If you consider the number of times I’ve been here, the number of residents, and the number of unexpected deaths, and then leave room for a statistical anomaly…”
“Which I’m guessing would be you.”
“That’s right. I’m the deviation in my calculations.”
“Of course you are,” he said drily.
“You can, therefore, draw one conclusion.”
“Which is?”
“I’ve started an epidemic.”
He put his arm around her and pulled her toward him. “That’s my girl,” he drawled.
“This isn’t funny.”
“Sugar, it kinda is.”
She sighed. She couldn’t believe how quickly she became rattled these days. “Okay, maybe I’m being a little unreasonable, which, by the way, is totally not me. I’m always reasonable. But here…I can’t seem to think straight.” Especially when I’m around you, she silently added.
They walked around a corner and crossed the street. Jaffee’s was directly ahead of them, and Jordan could see a few customers inside, but most of the tables were empty.
“We get in, we eat, we get out. Agreed?”
“That sounds like a wonderful dining experience. Can we sit at a table, or must we stand while we eat?” he asked as he swung the door open.
Angela looked happy to see them. “Hey, Jordan,” she called out.
“Hey, Angela. You remember Noah.”
“I sure do,” she said, smiling. “Your table’s waiting for you. With all the big doings today, you must be hungry as all get out.” She took their drink orders and said, “You two got in just under the wire. I was about to take off the tablecloths.”
“Slow night?” Jordan asked.
“Always is on poker night,” she said. “We shut down an hour early so Jaffee can get the kitchen cleaned up. He hates to be late for poker.”
Noah went to the men’s room to wash up, and when he returned, the drinks were already on the table, and Angela was waiting.
“I hate to hurry you along,” she said. “And I promise you can take your time once I get your dinner orders in, but Jaffee would really like to get started fixing your meals.”
She made a few recommendations, and as soon as they ordered, she hurried back into the kitchen.
Jordan relaxed. The last table had cleared, and she and Noah were the only customers in the restaurant. Neither Angela nor Jaffee interrupted them.
Noah raised his bottle of beer. “To our last night in Serenity.”
She hesitantly lifted her glass of ice water. “Hopefully, our last night in Serenity.”
He took a long drink. “Any more murders, they’ll have to change the name of the town.”
She smiled. “I guess I overreacted, didn’t I? I was certain we’d be surrounded by a crowd again, asking all sorts of questions about the fire and about J. D. But look at us. We have the entire restaurant to ourselves, and we’ll get to eat dinner in peace. That’s a nice bit of luck, isn’t it?”
Noah smiled back, but didn’t comment. Angela was busy folding tablecloths, but he noticed the tray that she had just placed on one of the tables was stacked with decks of cards. Jaffee obviously hosted poker night at the restaurant. Noah wondered how long it would take Jordan to catch on.
Jordan wasn’t paying Angela any attention. She was busy thinking about the list Agent Street had compiled.
“What will happen to those tapes J. D. made?” she asked in a whisper. “Will they be made public?”
“Probably not.”
“You know what I don’t understand? Everyone seems to know everyone else’s business, so how was Charlene able to hide her little…hobby?”
He laughed. “Hobby? Never heard it called that before.”
“How were any of those people on the list able to hide their extracurricular activities?” she asked.
He shrugged. “You want something bad enough, you figure out a way to get it.”
She tilted her head and looked at him inquisitively. “Have you ever wanted something so badly that you would risk everything?”
Noah stared at her for a long moment. “Yeah, I guess I have,” he said quietly.
Their conversation ended when Angela returned to carry their empty dishes back to the kitchen. Jaffee came out to say hello, and also to ask Jordan if she would mind taking a quick look at Dora.
Noah stood when she did. “Who’s Dora?” he asked.
“Computer,” said Jordan. “I’ll be right back. Finish your drink.”
“I’ll keep him company,” Angela promised. “You want another beer?”
“No, I’m good,” he said. “When does poker start?”
“In about fifteen minutes. The men ought to be drifting in pretty soon. Well, look there. Dave Trumbo’s getting out of his Suburban, and he’s got Eli Whitaker with him. They’re always the first to arrive. They’re best friends,” she added. “Eli’s the richest man in Serenity. Some say he could be the richest man in all of Texas.”
She jutted her hip out and put her hand on her waist. “I bet you’re wondering where he came by all that money. No one knows for sure, but we all like to speculate. I think maybe he inherited it. None of us would dare ask him though. He doesn’t come to town much. He likes to stay to himself. He’s real shy, and Dave’s the opposite. Never met anyone he didn’t like, he says.”
“Don’t any of the women play poker?”
“Sure we do,” she said. “But we don’t like to play with the men. They’re too competitive, and they don’t like to visit the way we do. We have our own poker night. Now here comes Steve Nelson. I don’t remember if you met him the other night or not. He runs the only insurance agency around.”
Jordan sat at Jaffee’s computer, unaware that the poker players were arriving. Back at their table, Noah wondered if Jordan could hear the commotion. It didn’t take long for the restaurant to fill up.
Jordan quickly solved Jaffee’s latest problem. He’d mixed up two different commands. While she heard people talking, she stayed focused on the daunting task of helping Jaffee understand what he had done so he wouldn’t repeat the mistake.
“Remember,” Jordan told him, “Dora doesn’t bite.”
Jaffee wiped his hands on a towel and nodded. “But if I get into trouble…”
She reassured him. “You can e-mail or call me.”
Jordan gave him a few suggestions for troubleshooting, but when she saw the glazed look in his eyes, she knew he didn’t understand a single word she was saying. She had a feeling she was going to be getting daily calls from him for a while. That thought made her smile as she headed back to her table. The evening was turning out to be a relaxing one after all. Her biggest dilemma at the moment was dessert. Should she or shouldn’t she? Noise intruded into her thoughts, and she came to a dead stop in the doorway when she saw the crowd.
Noah watched her enter the room and thought the look on her face was priceless.
A hush fell over the gathering, and all eyes were on her as she slowly walked over to him. “What’s all this?” she whispered.
“Poker night.”
“Here? Poker night is here? Why did I think…I just assumed…Do you think we could just leave now?”
“Doubtful.”
“We could sneak out the back…”
He shook his head. “Sneaking out isn’t an option.”
She understood when she turned around. Every man there was standing, and those who had not yet met her were waiting to be introduced.
Jaffee did the honors. There were so many she couldn’t remember half their names. Every single one of them said “Hey.” After the introductions, they bombarded her with questions.
They didn’t just want to know about the fire and J. D.’s terrible death. They also wanted to rehash how she had discovered the professor and then Lloyd in her car. Jordan wouldn’t have been surprised if one of them had asked for a reenactment. She answ
ered every question—sometimes twice—in their morbid curiosity. She was able to laugh a few times, and in between the questions, Dave, the natural salesman, tried to sell her a new car.
Noah got his fair share of questions too.
“Does Joe figure it was J. D. who killed those two men?” Jaffee asked.
“He’s a smart cookie,” Dave said. “I’ll bet he does.”
“I’d heard J. D. disappeared,” a man named Wayne interjected.
“Did Joe have enough to arrest him?” Dave asked.
“Doesn’t matter now, does it? The man’s dead,” Steve Nelson reminded the group. “Say, Agent Clayborne, did you and Joe happen to go through J. D.’s house?”
It was difficult for Noah not to smile. He knew what Steve was fishing for. He wanted to know if J. D. had kept records.
“Yes, we went through it. Everything was packed up by two other FBI agents and taken away. There wasn’t much there though.”
Steve didn’t have much of a poker face. Noah could see the relief in his eyes and understood why. He’d seen Steve’s name on the list not only for sleeping with Charlene but for some questionable insurance practices.
“Do you think we’ll ever know why J. D. killed those men?” Dave asked.
“Joe will tell us when he knows something,” Steve said with assurance.
“My heart goes out to Randy Dickey. He’s turned into a decent sheriff. This will be a hard blow for him. I think J. D. was his only family,” Dave remarked.
Noah noticed Eli Whitaker standing among the men, listening to the conversation but saying little.
“What do you do for a living, Eli?” Noah asked.
“I raise horses, run some cattle,” he answered.
“What breed?”
“The cattle are mostly longhorns,” he replied. “They seem to be the hardiest for this part of the country.”
Noah followed up with a couple of other questions about Eli’s operation, and before long the two were standing apart, having a conversation about ranching.
Dave grinned. “That’s the most I’ve seen Eli talk to a newcomer.”
The other men in the group took notice and all nodded in agreement.
Steve turned back to Jordan. “I know you two haven’t been here long, but you don’t seem like newcomers to me. You’ve brought a lot of excitement to our town. When are you and Noah leaving Serenity?”