Beautiful Triad (11 page)

Drew’s mother might just shrug. She was used to his eclectic, freewheeling approach to life. She also very much liked Lauren. Rob knew this because Mrs. Fletcher had treated him recently to an excruciatingly long discussion on the subject. At the time, it had amounted to torture because he’d been forced to agree that yes, Lauren was very pretty, remarkably intelligent, and what was more, might be an incentive for Drew to finally settle down.

In short, yes, the perfect girl.

For both of them, apparently.

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78

Kate Watterson

The cabin was much like his, an overblown version of recently acquired wealth, certainly ostentatious as a vacation home. Ben considered the three stories of glass and logs as he hiked down the small slope and cynically remembered what it felt like to be nothing but a professor at the entry university level, teaching wide-eyed freshman sociology and psychology.

It had sucked, actually.

Little money, lackluster lectures to mostly mediocre students who took his classes to fill up slots in their electives, assuming it would be easy…damn, he did not miss that at all.

The first book hadn’t sold well. He’d wanted to address the psychological aspects of the basics needs of human beings, the primary one being nourishment. Why do some people overeat, dislike certain foods, what are the dynamics of the family meal, and so forth.

The mediocre response was disappointing, and the second book did only a little better, concentrating on the impact of sleep disorders. The third, however, so well timed for the market, was a smash. Slap the title sex on anything, he’d discovered, and it tended to make people part with their money. If the author has a bunch of letters after his name and pretends to know something about it, all the better. His current work in progress—already contracted—was about some of the more unusual aspects of relationships and sex. Kinky sex was going to sell even better than the more straightforward edition, or so his editor believed.

Regina had laughed about it, but she had loved the change in their lifestyle.

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There were two vehicles parked in the smooth gravel drive and he noted the Indiana plates with interest. Since there really wasn’t a formal front door, he went up the steps to the spacious first deck.

Several sets of French doors were open to the warm day and he could hear voices inside. One was deep, and then another male spoke, and a woman laughed, the musical lilt of it drifting out.

He rapped on the doorframe, the sound sharp. “Hello?”

The man who came to the door with a curious expression on his face was tall, athletically built and dressed casually in only a pair of jeans. He had a nice muscular chest and his features were chiseled and striking, his good looks accentuated by wavy ebony hair and a light summer tan. He lifted his brows. “Yes?”

Ben attempted a pleasant smile. “I’m Dr. Heaton from next door. I understand the sheriff has been here and you were able to give him some information. I wondered if you would mind telling it to me as well.”

The young man—at guess in his late twenties—showed

comprehension in the slight widening of his eyes. “I’m…well, yes.

Please come in.”

How did one talk to a man whose wife was missing?

Uncomfortably, Ben was learning. No one knew what to say. Not even him, though he’d thought about it a lot.

He accepted the invitation, stepping through as the screen door opened, giving his host a slight nod. The younger man stuck out his hand. “Rob Hanson. My uncle owns this place.”

Ben shook the offering and allowed a slight smile. “I don’t believe I’ve ever met him.”

“He doesn’t come up much and lives in Europe most of the time.

I’m just using it for vacation.”

“It’s a nice place.” Ben glanced around. It
was
nice. He liked it better than all the fancy crap Regina had dragged into theirs. Rustic suited the surroundings. Leather chairs and a few scattered antiques.

Perfect.

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Kate Watterson

“Yes…thanks. Uhm…I assume you want to talk to Lauren. Drew and I really don’t have much information except we might have heard a scream the other night. Obviously, if we thought it was someone in distress we would have done something.”

Guilt. Well, Ben supposed he might feel the same way if their positions were reversed. He inclined his head in silent agreement.

The other two occupants of the house were in the kitchen. A blond man similar in age to Rob Hanson introduced as Drew Fletcher, and the young woman who had apparently seen the man who took out his boat. Lauren Hanes shook his hand, a look of grave sympathy on her face, and murmured, “I suppose if you are here, there hasn’t been any word about your wife.”

Ben politely took and released her slender fingers. “No, I’m afraid not. I’m sorry to bother you with this again, but can we perhaps sit down and you tell me exactly what you saw?”

“Of course.” She led the way back into the open living area and chose a seat on a leather couch. The two men followed, one sitting down next to her and the other perching on the arm on the other side.

There was a slight protective air about the position he found interesting. Miss Hanes was a strikingly pretty brunette with what he liked to term as a willowy figure, slender but with nice curves in the right places. She wore only a bikini top and a pair of shorts and there was a hint of pink across the top of her smooth shoulders. It was easy to guess the three of them had been out earlier on the water and maybe just came in for lunch.

He cleared his throat. “Apparently you saw a trespasser on my property a few days ago?”

She nodded. “I was reading down by the lake. It was a little too hot in the sun so I was sitting on the bank in the shade. I noticed him first because he seemed to be looking around. It wasn’t suspicious particularly, but did strike me as odd at the time. Then he took something out of his pocket and opened one of the bay doors and backed out the boat up to the main dock. When he saw me sitting Ebook piracy is stealing. It is a federal offense.

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there he really gunned it and sped off, but a lot of people drive boats that way.”

“Can you describe him for me?”

She did so in a way that told him she’d got a fairly good look or else was more observant than most people, right down to the color of his shirt. At the end of the recital, she slowed and trailed off, a tinge of horror suddenly showing in her face. “…odd he was wearing a tie…I…”

The ensuing silence was acute for a moment after her stammering halt, a contrast to the sunny, expensive room. The blond reached over and squeezed her hand. He had that tanned Key West kind of handsomeness of sun-streaked hair and clean cut features, his brow currently furrowed in concern as he stared at the girl next to him.

“Lauren?”

“He put something in the boat.” It was said very quietly. “I hadn’t thought about it until now. As far as I knew, I thought it was the owner of the house I saw, Dr. Heaton, and he had every reason to be there. That’s why he backed the boat up to the main dock, to put whatever it was inside.”

Very carefully, because his palms had gone damp, Ben asked,

“Something? Did you see what it was?”

She must have caught the undertone in his voice anyway. Her cheeks had paled slightly. “No, not really. He did it quickly and I wasn’t paying all that much attention at the time.” Then she added with obvious reluctance, “It was heavy enough to make the boat rock.”

None of them turned to look out over the spectacular view of the lake. Ben had to give them credit for it since they were now all thinking the same thing. He didn’t have equal self-control and glanced out the huge windows. The sun reflected in dancing sparkles over the water.

It was not only big, but pretty deep in places.

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Kate Watterson

There wasn’t much question. It could make one very large, two hundred acre wet grave.

He needed to get out of there before he completely lost his composure in front of three strangers.

Ben stood on legs that weren’t quite steady. “I appreciate you talking to me.”

* * * *

The perfect day had disintegrated as clouds began to build in the distance, beginning with a few white wisps that gradually gathered forces until they became towering anvil shaped monoliths. The heat turned from pleasant to cloying, the humidity and thunderheads promising an explosive exhibit of Mother Nature’s abilities.

A stormy evening, a possible dead body in the lake…a murderer out there…it sounded like a horror novel premise. No wonder Lauren was a bit jumpy. Drew had suggested they go out to dinner because, more than anything, they all wanted to forget a woman was still missing. Lights, laughter, and other people might banish Lauren’s uneasiness.

The parking lot was crowded as they pulled in, which was always a good sign in a restaurant. He parked his sports car between a gleaming, new SUV and a battered truck just as the first rumble of thunder sounded, jumping out to go open Lauren’s door. Rob unfolded himself from the miniscule back seat, and they all went inside. Even on a weekday night it seemed there was a wait at Gino’s and they chose the bar, ordering their drinks as they perched on stools. As usual, Lauren drew more than one glance from an appreciative male and he saw with amusement that Rob noticed it just as much as he did, a slight look of annoyance on his face. In a pale pink sheath dress that managed to be both casual and stunning at the same time, Lauren was worth looking at with her long legs and bare shoulders. The lights caught glints of gold in her shining hair.

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The normalcy of the busy room did the job. As she picked up her glass of wine, Lauren smiled at him for the first time since Dr.

Heaton’s unexpected visit. “I can smell the garlic in the air. Italian was a great choice. I am in the mood.”

“Maybe we should all order the same thing,” Drew teased her, as always captivated by the curve of her tempting mouth. He leaned forward until his lips almost touched her ear, inhaling the fragrance from her soft hair. “Because later on, if you’re in the
mood
, we can notch things up a little.”

She drew back, laughing and shaking her head. “Drew.”

But it was too late. He’d seen the flare of interest in those gorgeous blue eyes. She was intrigued. Good, it would keep her mind off of other things. Her sexuality knocked his socks off. Couple it with the fact she was smart and at heart a nice girl, it was no wonder both he and Rob were so hooked.

On the other side of her, a glass of bourbon on the rocks at his elbow, Rob raised a brow. “I’m almost afraid to ask what he just said.

Knowing Drew, it could be anything.”

“I’m going to ignore that comment, Hanson. Besides, I was just mentioning I had an idea or two for the rest of the evening, that’s all.”

Rob’s brow went up higher. “I see. I take it back with deepest apologies, Fletcher. At times—and we all know the ones I’m thinking of—you can be a damned genius.”

Lauren blushed. Vividly.

At that moment the hostess came to tell them their table was ready. They trailed through the sea of glass-topped tables, the subdued lighting and soft classical music adding to the ambiance.

Eventually they were seated in a corner that was perfect, secluded yet still part of the crowded room. Leather bound menus were handed out and he and Rob looked theirs over briefly and set them aside. Lauren pondered, her soft mouth pursed.

She glanced up at him and then at Rob. “You already know what you want?”

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Kate Watterson

Rob shrugged and reached for the wine list. “I’m having the chicken cacciatore. I’ll lay odds Drew is having it, too.”

Drew smothered a laugh. It was somewhat of a standing joke between them that they tended to order the same thing off the menu, purely by coincidence. Or in retrospect, considering the past few days, maybe it wasn’t coincidence after all. He said in a mild tone, “He’s right. We seem to have the same taste in food, and apparently other things as well.”

It was oh-so true.

She was living, breathing proof.

The arrival of the waitress cut off whatever Lauren was going to say in response. Rob chose a bottle of Chianti to go with their meal and the young woman nodded and headed off. Though it seemed like Lauren was absorbed in selecting what she wanted for dinner, Drew had to wonder if the abstracted look on her face wasn’t due to something else.

They were out in public together for the first time since everything had changed between the three of them. They’d all gone out to dinner often enough, but those were always double dates, her at Drew’s side, Rob’s date next to him, the chemistry of the situation quite different.

The subtle tension between her and Rob had always cast a slight shadow and now it was gone. Drew knew
he
felt a great deal more relaxed.

The wine arrived and was uncorked, poured, and Lauren decided on ravioli with a light sauce of butter and basil, her gaze following the waitress as she took the menus and left. “She’d love to figure out which one of you to flirt with,” she observed dryly, “but probably afraid she’ll step on my toes by picking the wrong one.”