Crime & Passion (9 page)

“I don’t follow you, sir. After Lindsey
arrived, I left. I never discussed anything with her.”

“The message says ‘Maddie.’ Lindsey says no
one calls you that.”

She nodded. “I don’t like it.”

“So all I need to know is who thinks they’re
an exception to that rule. Who calls you Maddie?”

She shrugged. “My dad, but I highly doubt
he’s running around town terrorizing people.”

“Your dad?” Stone’s bushy eyebrows furrowed.
“No. I meant who here calls you that. Lindsey said you complained
about Donovan using that name.”

“Donovan tends to do what he pleases, not
caring much what anyone thinks.”

“So Donovan Andrews is the only person in
town who calls you Maddie?”

It was said lightly, almost too casually.
Madeline could have smacked herself. She knew Donovan already
worried because he punched Frank Johnson before the man’s murder.
Now Stone thought this provided a link that Donovan wrote the
message.

She clasped her hands in her lap. “You know
Donovan didn’t do this. I don’t understand why you’re asking about
him.”

“Does anyone else call you Maddie?” he
persisted.

She sighed. “No.”

He nodded, as though he expected that answer
all along. “That’s all I need from you right now. You’ve been a
great help. I know it must have taken courage to come here, given
the threat left by the killer.” Stone stood up and motioned his
hand to the doorway. “I’ll have officers check on you often until
we catch the person responsible for this. We take your safety very
seriously.”

“Wait a minute!” Madeline stood up, clenching
her hands into fists. “I know you’re trying to turn this against
Donovan. He’s been taking care of me all day. He’s making my
apartment more secure as we speak. How could you think he had
anything to do with this?”

Stone shook his head. “I can’t discuss the
details of this case. Thanks for your time.”

Madeline put her hands on her hips, refusing
to leave until Stone listened to her. “Wouldn’t it make more sense
if someone tried to frame Donovan?”

Stone walked to the doorway. “That’s a good
theory.”

She could tell he wasn’t even considering the
idea. She needed to be more convincing. “Think about it. The police
uniform, the baton, writing Maddie on the wall. Lots of people
heard me tell Donovan off for calling me that. Why would he be so
stupid to do things in a way that pointed him out as the
culprit?”

“We’ll take everything you said into
consideration.” Stone opened the door.

Madeline had the sinking feeling that Stone
had a reason to suspect Donovan before asking her about the
picture. She’d only provided the piece of the puzzle that confirmed
his suspicions.

“Look,” she said quietly, not wanting anyone
to overhear her. “Maybe the killer put Maddie on the wall thinking
people call me that. It would be a reasonable assumption. Maybe he
wants you to suspect my friends.”

“I’ll keep that in mind during the
investigation, Miss Scott.” Stone looked into the main room of the
station. “Ah, Andrews, there you are. Miss Scott’s ready to leave.
I understand you’re taking her home?”

Donovan stepped into Madeline’s view. “Yes,
sir.”

Stone glanced from Donovan to Madeline and
back. “Since I know you’re with her, I hold you personally
responsible for her safety.”

Madeline widened her eyes as she looked at
Stone. Was that a subtle warning to Donovan that if he hurt her,
Stone would know it was him? She couldn’t believe it. He really did
think Donovan murdered Frank.

“You can count on me, sir,” Donovan replied,
not seeming to realize the implied threat in his Chief’s words.
“I’ll be back in a few hours for my shift.”

“Good. New evidence came up that I’d like to
speak with you about.” Stone turned his attention to Madeline. “I
hope I can trust you not to say a word to anyone about our
discussion. There are certain procedures I need to follow in a
delicate case like this.”

Madeline nodded and dropped her gaze to the
ground. There was no way she’d let Donovan walk into this blind.
She didn’t care what their procedure was. If Stone didn’t want her
talking to Donovan, he should have been craftier about hiding his
suspicions.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said in mimic
of his prior comment, meaning it just as much as he had.

She followed Donovan through the station to
the parking lot. He opened the car door for her and narrowed his
eyes.

“Something’s wrong. What happened in
there?”

Madeline slid in and fastened her seat belt.
“Take me home. We have to talk.”

***

Donovan sat at Madeline’s dining table,
watching her make roast beef sandwiches. She hadn’t said anything
further about what happened at the station, and Donovan worried she
was upset about something else. Maybe she’d had time to think about
what happened between them earlier, how close he’d come to kissing
her.

Don’t be so self-centered, Andrews. She has
a million reasons to be upset, none of which have anything to do
with how you feel about her.

Madeline placed a plate in front of him and
sat in the chair next to his. She stared out the window, absently
eating her sandwich, still not speaking.

He polished off his own food in the awkward
silence, wondering how to bring up whatever bothered her. “Thanks
for lunch. That hit the spot.”

Madeline nodded while she chewed. Donovan
watched, mesmerized by the movements of her mouth.

Get a grip, man. She might be trying to
figure out how to tell you to get lost.

Her tongue darted to the corner of her lip to
lick away a small blob of mayonnaise. He looked away, chewing on
the inside of his bottom lip.

“Do you like the lock I put on the door?” he
finally asked in an effort to take his mind off her clever tongue.
He wondered what else it might be capable of doing. He cleared his
throat.
Think about the door lock.
“It’s the kind they use
in hotels instead of a chain lock. It’s hard to break through.”

“Thanks. I really do appreciate it.”

He pointed to the rod he cut for the window
frame. “And with this in place, no one can get in the windows. I
put them everywhere.”

She sighed. “I usually listen to the ocean
while eating or lying in bed. Guess I can’t do that for a while,
huh? Not until they catch the killer.”

He tried not to envision her lying in bed. He
wondered if she wore a nightgown or slept nude.
Poles for the
windows. Come on, man, focus.

“I’ll cut them down a little tomorrow. At
least enough to crack the window open and let the sound in.”

“None of that really matters.” Madeline
rested her fingertips lightly against his forearm. “I have to tell
you what happened today. Chief Stone told me not to talk about it.
I think he meant especially to you, but you have a right to
know.”

Donovan shifted his arm to take her hand in
his, trying to hide the thrill of alarm that shot through his gut
at her words. “It’s okay, Maddie. I won’t let on to Stone that you
said anything, if that’s what you want.”

“I don’t care what you tell him.” Her lips
tightened into a thin line and she met his eyes, a small crease
between her eyebrows. “I think they suspect you of being the
killer.”

“Me?” He tried to pull away from her, shocked
Stone already reached that conclusion.

Madeline gripped his fingers tightly and
shook her head. “I’m sorry, Donovan. It’s all my fault.”

“Your fault? You didn’t make me punch Frank
Johnson that night. I brought this on myself.”

“I don’t think they know about that.”
Madeline shook her head and blinked rapidly. “It’s the stupid
Maddie thing. Why did you have to call me that when I told you not
to?”

Donovan felt as though someone socked him in
the stomach. The bloody message said Maddie, not Madeline. It
hadn’t struck him as odd at the time. “Why do they think it was
me?”

“Well, Chief Stone knew I didn’t like to be
called that and he asked who called me that anyway.” She shrugged.
“You’re the only one. I think he wants to use that against
you.”

His mind raced through the possible
scenarios. He knew Chief Stone didn’t really like him, but it
wasn’t likely he’d arrest Donovan based on such weak evidence. He’d
need something more concrete to tie Donovan to the crime before
he’d make a move. Even if he really thought Donovan was capable of
murder, he wouldn’t want to admit to the whole town he had a killer
on his force who fooled him for the last twelve years.

He wondered if it would push Stone over the
edge if Stephanie Johnson told him about the fight Donovan had with
Frank. That might be enough to earn Donovan a suspension from the
force.

Madeline held her head in her hands, looking
down at her plate. “I’m so sorry. I tried to talk him out of it. I
suggested someone might be trying to frame you, but he didn’t
really listen to me.”

“Frame me? You think that’s what’s going on?”
Donovan shook his head. “It’s more likely this was a coincidence.
The killer saw your name in the paper, thanks to that rat, Brandon
Feldman. I’m sure the killer assumed people call you Maddie, like I
did.”

Madeline looked up at him, her brown eyes
shining with emotion. “Of course, you’re right. I had all these
theories in my head, trying to find some way to convince your chief
he was wrong. You’ve been so nice to me, and I wanted to protect
you. But he—”

“Don’t worry about Stone.” Donovan stood from
the table and carried their plates to the sink. “If he doesn’t know
about my fight with Frank, I’ll be able to talk some sense into
him. Things will be fine.”

She trailed next to him as he walked to the
front door, twisting her hands together. “I hope you can.”

Madeline looked scared and alone. It touched
Donovan that she seemed genuinely concerned about him. He was even
more pleased she didn’t automatically assume the worst and believe
he’d try to harm her.

He gathered her in his arms and hugged her
quickly. The sweet scent of her light perfume danced in the air,
igniting his senses. Donovan released her and stepped back. She
didn’t want a fling with a player. Although a woman’s opinion had
never really mattered to him before, Donovan didn’t want Maddie to
see him as that type of man anymore.

Perhaps that should scare him more than it
did. Donovan usually couldn’t handle being with the same person for
a prolonged period—bothered by his date’s gossiping tendencies or
bored when they didn’t express an interest in anything he liked.
There was always something wrong with the women he’d been with in
the past.

Madeline made him feel different. All day,
he’d longed to see her again. Making her apartment secure became
the most important thing in the world. He cared for her, he
realized, and the thought didn’t make him want to run away as it
usually did.

“Be careful while I’m gone, Maddie.”

She nodded and the brown hair in her ponytail
bobbed up and down. “Don’t worry about that.” She picked up the can
of pepper spray he placed by the door. “If anyone gets in, I’ll
blast them.”

He smiled and flipped the steel bar off the
knob on the new lock. “Make sure you latch this when I leave and
don’t let anyone in the apartment.”

“Chief Stone said the cops will come by to
check on me a few times. I won’t let anyone in but them.”

Panic laced down Donovan’s spine and he
gripped her shoulders. “You thought it might have been a police
officer on the beach. Don’t let
anyone
in.”

Madeline’s eyes widened. “You’re right. I
don’t know where my head is. I’ll keep them outside.”

“Open the door, but leave the lock engaged.
You can talk to them without putting yourself in danger.” He let
his hands fall from her shoulders, satisfied he’d impressed the
possible danger on her enough. He didn’t want her terrified, just
cautious. “I trust the guys. They’re all good men. Better safe than
sorry, I always say.”

“Also, you don’t know your new partner all
that well.”

Donovan raised his eyebrows, surprised. “You
bring up a good point.”

If it really was a police officer on the
beach that day, Eric was the most likely suspect. Then again,
Donovan couldn’t believe he would be capable of killing
someone.

He shook his head. Madeline’s conspiracy
theories were getting to him. Eric was an officer sworn to uphold
the law. He wouldn’t murder anyone. Donovan was almost certain of
it.

Madeline kissed his cheek lightly. “Thanks
for taking care of me today. Will I see you again soon?”

The warmth on his cheek from her soft lips
distracted him. Who cared whether Eric Sanders was capable of
murder? Nothing mattered when Madeline was near...and she wanted to
see him again soon. That sounded promising.

“I’ll give you a call to check on you later
tonight. Would you like me to come over in the morning?” He
struggled to keep his voice casual. “I could go with you when you
walk the dogs. What time do you leave in the morning?”

Madeline’s posture relaxed slightly. “That
would make me feel much better. I leave at seven.”

“I’ll be here by six forty-five,” he
promised.

Donovan walked out the door, waiting to hear
her engage the locks before striding to the elevator. He felt like
barriers between him and Madeline had weakened today.

Then again, he couldn’t feel too happy. It
sounded like Chief Stone was on a witch hunt, and he thought
Donovan led the coven.

An hour later, Donovan sat in Kenneth Stone’s
office, waiting for the Chief to walk in the door and tell him his
fate. While getting ready for work, he’d had plenty of time to
worry.

What if Maddie was wrong? If Stephanie
Johnson came forward about the confrontation, he was in a world of
trouble. Maybe he should have told the truth from the beginning.
Too late for that now.