He agreed that she shouldn’t stay at her folks’ house—certainly not alone. Neither he nor the Metro-Dade police had any idea what had happened, and the houses in that area were way too few and far between for him to feel safe with her there.
“I’m telling you, Jesse, there’s no way my folks were connected to anything criminal,” Julie said, at a loss. “I’d give my eyeteeth to help. In fact…I think I could kill with my own bare hands, if I knew who did this. But they were as honest as the day is long.”
“I know that, Julie.”
She sighed, running a finger around the glass of wine she had ordered. “I’m glad you’re on this, Jesse. The other guys…they didn’t know my folks.”
“Lars is a good man. So is Abe. A bit of an ass, but a good detective.”
That brought a hint of a smile to her lips. “Still, no matter what you tell people…Everybody seems certain that my dad had turned a blind eye to some drug deal, at the very least. The thing is, you and I both know that there was no such thing going on.”
“Of course.” He patted her hand. “Did your mom or dad ever say anything to you about anything strange going on out there?”
Julie shook her head. “No.” She hesitated, frowning. “Actually, once…” She fell silent, shrugging.
“Once what?”
“Oh, something silly. It can’t have anything to do with what happened,” Julie said.
Jesse touched her hand. “Julie, I don’t care how silly you may think something sounds. Tell me what it is.”
“Um, well, I lose track of time, but a few days ago, maybe a week, when I was talking to my mom, she was getting into talking about ETs. You know, extraterrestrials.”
“Oh?”
“She said there were weird lights. I’m sure it was just someone out in an airboat, but…”
“But?”
“Well, my mom was getting on in years, but her vision was good. She thought the lights were coming from the sky. That’s why she got it into her head that aliens were searching the Everglades.”
“A lot of planes come in that way,” Jesse pointed out.
“The lights from planes don’t stay still.”
“Helicopters,” Jesse said.
Julie shrugged. Then her face crumpled and she began to cry. Jesse didn’t try to tell her that it would be okay. He just came around the table and held her.
Helicopters. If anything big had been going on—the police searching for someone, for instance—he would have known about it.
Maria had had fine eyesight, no more fanciful than the next person. And she had seen lights.
Jesse knew that there had been an airboat behind the house the night Julie’s parents had been killed. That wasn’t surprising. Airboats abounded. But helicopters…
They were uncommon, especially in that area. Not unless someone was looking for something.
But in the middle of the night?
“Jesse, what could it have been?” Julie whispered, as if she had been reading his thoughts.
“I don’t know. But I swear, Julie, I will find out.”
The casino didn’t compare with a place in Las Vegas or Atlantic City—there were no roulette tables and no craps—but it was nice, and it was apparently quite convenient for people in Miami with a free night but not the time to really get away.
It was thriving when they arrived.
The three men tried to encourage Lorena to try her hand at one of the poker tables, but she managed to convince them that she preferred slots and would be happy wandering around, just getting to know the place. There were several restaurants, and though there were tables offering free coffee, she opted for café con leche at the twenty-four-hour deli. She noted the numerous security officers and stopped to chat with one young man. His name was Bob Walker, and he had bright blue eyes, thanks to a dad who had come to the States from the Canary Islands, and superb bone structure, thanks to a Seminole mom. He told her that Casino security departments and the Miccosukee Police were two separate entities, but of course they worked together, just as Security would work with the Metro-Dade police or any other law enforcement agency. He’d sounded a little touchy at first, but as they spoke, he explained with a grin, “Too many gamblers drink, lose and get belligerent. And they think we can’t take care of them. We do. We have the authority.”
She grinned. “I don’t intend to get rowdy,” she assured him.
He flushed, and she thanked him and went on.
The place was big, and she wandered a while before finding a slot machine that looked like fun. It had a little mouse, and a round where you got points for picking the right cheese. She liked the game—it might be stealing her money, but it was entertaining.
Out twenty bucks, she left to walk around some more.
It was fascinating, she thought. The crowd was truly representative of the area, running the entire ethnic gamut. Miccosukee, Hispanic, Afro-American, and whatever the blend was that ended up as Caucasian on a census form.
She could see the poker tables and was aware that, from their separate poker games, the guys were also keeping an eye on her.
She was frustrated, throwing away quarters when she should have thought of a better lie when she had run into Michael in the hallway. This would have been the perfect time to have gotten into the lab. Still, since the mouse game was diverting, she went back to it. She was just choosing her cheese bonus when she was startled by an already familiar voice.
“What are you doing here?”
She looked up to see Jesse Crane, leaning casually against her machine. It made her uneasy to realize that his scent was provocative, and that he looked even better in his tailored shirt, khakis and sport jacket. When she glanced up, the bright green of his eyes against the bronze of his face was intense. She wouldn’t want to face him at an inquiry, that was certain.
She wondered what it was about certain people that made them instantly attractive. About certain men, she corrected herself, and the thought was even more disturbing. Michael Preston was definitely good-looking; Hugh was charming; Jack Pine exuded a quiet strength. But Jesse Crane…Just the sound of his voice seemed like a sexual stimulant. The least brush of his fingers spoke erotically to her innermost recesses. She was tempted to touch him, because just the feel of crisp fabric over muscled flesh would be arousing.
A blush was rising to her cheeks. She looked away from his eyes, but her gaze fell on his chest. And then below.
She closed her eyes.
“Hello?” he said softly.
What was she doing here? She forced herself to focus. To shake off the ridiculous sensation of instant seduction and sensuality.
Nothing, frankly, accomplishing nothing. “Um…gambling,” she murmured.
She arched a brow, shrugging as she looked at him and hit the button on the machine again. “Losing money. What about you?”
He shrugged. “I live in the area.”
“So do I, remember?”
“Who did you come with?”
“A group from Harry’s.”
“And who would that group be?”
“Michael, Jack and Hugh.” She stared at the machine, trying not to let him see her mind working. “Are you out for a night on the town? Or just passing through?” Her machine did some binging and banging—three cheeses in a row. She had a return of ten dollars. Not bad.
“Why?” he asked.
“Just curious. Well, actually, if you’re heading out…” She yawned, moving away from the machine. “I’m not much of a gambler. I was thinking of going back, but I came with the guys.”
“I’ll give you a ride,” he told her. “Who should we tell you’re leaving? Michael?”
“Um…any of them, I guess,” she murmured. Not Michael. He might get suspicious. “Hugh is right there—we’ll just tell him.”
She slid off the stool, ready to head for Hugh’s poker table.
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Jesse asked.
“What?”
> “Your money.”
“Oh. I didn’t lose it all?”
“No. There’s more than a hundred dollars there.”
“Oh. Of course I want it,” she said.
His eyes seemed to drill right through her. “Do you?” he inquired lightly. “I didn’t think money means a thing to you.”
She ignored him and gave her attention to the machine, hitting the “cash out” button.
“You have to wait for an attendant,” he told her. “I’ll let Hugh know you’re leaving.”
“Sure. Thanks.”
The place was busy, the wait for an attendant long. She was ready to leave her winnings for some lucky stranger, she was so antsy, but she didn’t know whether she was being watched. By the time they actually left, she fumed silently, the men might well be right behind them.
Finally, money stuffed into her bag, Lorena hurried past the slots and found Jesse waiting for her at the end of the row.
She quickly checked to make sure that the three men from the alligator farm were still at their tables.
They were.
“Sure you want to go?” Jesse inquired.
“Yes, thank you.”
As they turned to leave, his set his palm against the small of her back, nothing more than a polite gesture. Even so, she felt that touch as if she had connected with a live electric current.
Outside, Jesse didn’t speak as he politely seated her on the passenger side and slid behind the wheel.
She felt the silence.
“Thanks for taking me back,” she said nervously.
“Not a problem.”
Again there was silence. Uncomfortable silence. It should have been a casual drive. It wasn’t. It felt as if the air between them was combustible.
“Is our casino a little too tame for you?” he asked at last.
“No. Honestly, I liked it a lot. All I ever play is slots, anyway. I don’t understand craps, so it doesn’t matter to me if there’s a table or not. I guess I’m just not that much of a gambler.”
“I’d say you were.”
“Pardon?”
He glanced at her sharply. “Oh, you take chances. Racing out here like the wind. Working at Harry’s. Going out with three men you’ve barely met. Especially when there have just been two truly gruesome murders in the area.” His tone was amazingly matter-of-fact.
“I hardly think I’m in danger with my co-workers.”
He didn’t say any more until they had taken the turn into Harry’s. She was digging in her purse for the pass that would open the door after hours when he startled her by leaning over and gripping her shoulder. The force was electric, and when she looked at him, she was certain she had guilt written all over her features.
“I really don’t understand why you’re lying to me. Or what makes you think I’m such a fool that I believe you. What are you doing here?” he demanded roughly.
“Working!”
“You know I’ll have you checked out by morning,” he said.
She prayed that he couldn’t feel the trembling that was suddenly racing through her.
“Go right ahead. Check me out. I’m an R.N. You’ll find that to be a fact.” She reached for the door handle.
“You’re playing with fire.”
“I’m working. Earning a living.”
“Two people, shot. I’d bet everything I have that the killer or killers didn’t even know them. It was cold-blooded murder, as cold as it gets.”
“Look, I know you’re going to check me out. Believe me, you won’t find a criminal record. I’m out here to work.”
“Right.” The green of his eyes was sharp, even in the dim light. “You’ve come down here to start over, start a new life, that’s all.”
“May I get out of the car now?”
He released her. The sudden loss of his touch created a chill.
Tell him the truth!
But she couldn’t. She had nothing to go on. And he couldn’t help, not if she couldn’t offer him some kind of proof. And, anyway, could she be certain, absolutely certain, that he wasn’t in any way involved?
Actually, yes. Somewhere deep inside, based on instinct, she simply knew the man was completely ethical.
But she didn’t dare speak. He would send her packing.
“I’ll tell you what you’re not,” he said softly.
“Oh?”
“A very good liar. So whatever you’re up to, God help you.”
She stared straight at him. “I am a registered nurse.”
“And what else?”
“I dabbled in psychology, but a lot of those classes went toward the nursing degree.”
“So you came down here to bandage knees and psychoanalyze the great American alligator?” he inquired dryly. “What else should I know about you?”
“There’s this—I’m really tired,” she told him.
“And stubborn as hell. You’ve barely arrived and everything has gone insane. So I’m going to hope that you’re not dangerously stupid—or carelessly reckless.”
She wondered how he could simply look at her and be able to read everything about her. Or was she that transparent to everyone?
It’s just him, she thought with annoyance. Even when he wasn’t touching her, it somehow felt as if he was. And even when he grilled her, she was tempted to lean closer to him, to do anything just to touch him, feel a sense of warmth. Even with so much at stake, no matter how she tried to control her mind, it kept running to thoughts of what it would be like just to lie beside him….
“May I get out of the car now?” She asked again, once more feeling drawn to tell him that she actually wanted to stay. Put her head on his shoulders. Tell him the whole truth. But she didn’t dare.
“Well, I can’t arrest you. At the moment.” He turned away from her, shaking his dark head. “Good night, Ms. Fortier. And lock your door,” he said.
“I intend to,” she assured him, then exited the car as quickly as she could. Her fingers slipped on the little plastic ID entry card. She had to work it three times.
At last the door opened.
Jesse waited until she was inside, then drove away.
When he was gone, she didn’t bother heading toward her own room. She walked straight to Michael Preston’s lab. With no one around, she surprised herself with her ability to quickly pick the lock.
She knew it was dangerously stupid as she checked the big wall clock over the door, but she didn’t stop. The hatchlings began to squeal the minute she entered the room.
Almost as if they sensed prey.
She ignored the sound and started with the desk drawers, then the computer. She knew that she would need a password to access his important files, but she hoped to study his general entries and discover whether he was involved or not.
The clock ticked as she worked. She read and read, keeping an eye on the clock.
Almost an hour since she had left the casino.
Regretfully, she turned off the computer and made a last survey to assure herself she’d left nothing out of order.
Then she left the room, quietly closing the door behind her. She listened for the lock to automatically slip into place.
Just in time. As she hurried down the hall, she heard voices. She quickly turned the corner, out of sight.
“If you’re not bright enough to ask that woman out on a real date, I will.”
Lorena recognized the voice. It was Hugh.
Michael answered, laughing dryly. “Yeah, well, I kind of thought that she was interested. But she lit out like a bat out of hell once Jesse arrived.”
“She’s not a poker player. One of us should have stayed with her.”
“Is that it?” Michael said dryly. “Women have been known to find Jesse appealing.”
“Yeah, and then they find out that they’re lusting after the unobtainable.”
“He won’t be grieving forever,” Michael said. “And either she went with him because she wanted to, or…”
; “Or what?” Hugh demanded sharply.
“Or she wanted to get back here without the three of us.”
She heard the rattle of the lab doorknob then. “Locked,” he murmured.
“I’m asking her out,” Hugh said. “For an airboat ride. That’s innocent enough.”
“Hey, every man for himself, huh?” Michael said.
Hugh laughed. “Yep, every man for himself.”
She heard the lab door open and shut. Not knowing if Hugh had joined Michael or would be heading on down the hallway, Lorena fled.
As soon as she reached her own room, she thought of Jesse’s warning and made sure her own door was locked.
Then she dragged a chair in front of it, wedging it tightly beneath the knob.
Still, it was a long time before she slept.
Jesse sat outside the alligator farm complex, watching.
He’d left, parked on the embankment, and waited.
Once he’d seen Preston’s car return, he’d counted the seconds carefully, then slipped his car back into gear to follow.
Just in the shadows, off the drive near the main entrance, he parked.
He spent the night in the car, his senses on alert.
The grunts of the gators, loud in the night, sounded now and then, sometimes just one or two, sometimes a cacophony.
Strange creatures. He’d been around them all his life. They were an amazing species, having survived longer than almost any other creature to have walked the earth.
Their calls and cries could be eerie, though.
He stayed until daybreak, waiting, though for what, he wasn’t certain. Something. Some sign of danger.
Dawn broke. Light came softly, filling the horizon with pastels. There was a breeze. Birds cried and soared overhead.
He began to feel like a fool.
Then he heard the scream.
Chapter 6
Lorena bolted out of the bed, stunned and disoriented. The first sharp, staccato shriek that had awakened her had been followed by other screams and cries.
She threw on a robe and went flying out of her room, down the hall, and then burst out back to the ponds, the area from which the sounds of distress were still coming.
Then she heard the distant sound of sirens.