Suspicion of Guilt (14 page)

Elizabeth expelled a heavy sigh. “Fine.”

Reece sent Denni a deep scowl that pretty much let her know what he thought of being her errand boy. Denni smiled at him, to let him know she couldn’t care less what he thought. If he hadn’t been barking up the wrong tree in the first place, Elizabeth wouldn’t be sitting on her couch, during her party, most likely getting ready to reject her application for a grant.

R
eece sat on the barstool in Denni’s kitchen, his fingers wrapped around a cup of steaming coffee—if it could be called that. His mood was about as foul as the sludge he’d poured from the bottom of the pot.

Since when had he gotten himself so connected to a woman that she could tell him to get lost without uttering a word?

That’s exactly what Denni had done. And he felt the sting of it, just remembering. He’d carried two paper cups filled with green globs of sherbet floating in red punch, to Denni and Elizabeth. He’d had every intention of dominating that conversation. Instead, he’d gotten distracted when Denni’s fingers had brushed his while the cup was being exchanged from his hand to hers. When her gaze lifted to his, the message was clear: take a hike and stop hounding Elizabeth.

So now he found himself alone, in the deserted kitchen, drinking the bottom of the pot, which was fitting, since he felt like a bottom-dweller himself.

Footsteps on the linoleum alerted him and he looked up. “Hi, Mac.”

“Hey, now. What are you doing in here all by yourself? Don’t you know there’s a party going on in there?”

Reece gave a short laugh. “What are
you
doing in here?”

Mac sent him a sheepish grin. “Parties are for the young. I took on out of there lickety-split before Ruthie could get jealous and accuse me of flirting with that cute little curly-headed girl.”

Real amusement now filled Reece, lifting his spirits. It figures Mac would think Rissa and her fake Southern-belle accent were cute.

Mac walked over to the coffeepot, stared at the empty decanter and sighed.

“Sorry, I got the last of it.” Reece help up his mug for emphasis. “You’re not missing much, believe me.”

“Ah, just as well.”

“What are you doing, Dad?”

Raven breezed in, her eyes narrowing as she looked from Mac to the empty coffeepot.

“Nothing. There’s not a drop left for me to take.”

“Good. You don’t need the caffeine with that blood pressure of yours.” She walked over and planted a kiss on his cheek. “I’ll find some decaf and make a nice fresh pot of non-blood-pressure-raising coffee.”

Mac patted her cheek and took a seat on another stool. “Aren’t my daughters the best?”

“Sure they are,” Reece said, thinking of one daughter in particular. Denni was the best for him. That was one reality he couldn’t escape.

He sipped at the bitter-tasting liquid.

“So, Reece. Denni says you’ve been on this case for
awhile now. Why do you think you’ve been unsuccessful in finding the person responsible for Denni’s troubles?”

Denni’s sister had that hard-nosed-reporter face on. The one he’d seen a thousand times from the local press. And he wasn’t impressed. Especially when she seemed to be implying that he wasn’t doing his job.

“I’d say a lot of that has to do with Denni’s insistence that no one could possibly be behind it.”

“No one?” Raven pushed the button and a red light came on just as the pot began to brew.

“Apparently, there must be a phantom here out to cause all this mischief, because your sister won’t admit that even one person she knows could possibly be out to do her harm.”

“Well, that’s just Denni. She’s like a mother who staunchly believes in her kids.” Raven leaned on her elbows. “You’ll just have to stop trying to get a date and do your job.”

Anger bit him hard and he frowned. This girl was definitely looking for a fight.

Mac chuckled. “That’s my daughter. Straight to the point. But I have to agree with her. You are too worried about getting close to my Denni. Find whoever is doing these things, and save the romancing until afterwards.”

“Yeah,” Raven gave him a quirky little grin. “A girl can’t resist a hero.”

“She can if he doesn’t go to church.”

A groan sounded from Raven’s throat and she rolled her eyes. “You’re kidding? She’s keeping you at bay because of church?”

She made a good point as far as Reece was concerned.

“Raven, honey,” Mac broke in, “You know the way things work.” He turned to Reece. “You two might be
happy in the beginning, but eventually, the relationship would turn sour. You’d want things from her she couldn’t give you. And you’d resent it.”

Reece’s cheeks blazed. “I’d marry her.”
What??
He most certainly would
not!

“That’s noble of you,” Mac replied. “But Denni was raised to know that God has to be first. His ways are higher than ours even if we don’t understand them, or particularly like them. And He does have His reasons.”

Raven snorted. “When two people are right for each other, they should be together. Regardless of any so-called rules.”

“Well, that’s your opinion, missy,” Mac growled.

Reece was tempted to tell him to watch his blood pressure. Raven poured a cup of the decaf that had just finished brewing. She set it on the counter in front of Mac and laid her head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Dad. Denni has to do what she thinks is right.” She looked up and winked at Reece. “But if she isn’t careful, some other girl without the same standards is going to come along and snatch the handsome detective right out from under her nose.”

Reece returned her wink and shook his head. Not a chance of that ever happening. Denni was his one and only and if he couldn’t have her…well, he’d managed to stay single for thirty-five years. The next fifty years or so shouldn’t be that much of a problem.

“Hey, you three are missing all the fun.” Keri breezed into the room and grabbed a cup of punch from the table. “Justin and the boys just put on the Macarena.”

“Is that song
ever
going to go away?” Raven asked, not even bothering to hide her smirk.

“Nope. It’s become pop culture. It’s here to stay, along with the Hokey Pokey and the Chicken Dance.”

“Ugh. Let’s don’t start talking about the Chicken Dance. I’ll never forget the humiliation of doing it at high-school basketball games.”

“Ahh, the price of being a perky little cheerleader,” Keri said with a laugh. “I think Denni’s about ready to open gifts. You coming?”

“Yep.” Raven pressed a kiss to Mac’s balding head. “Let’s go.”

Reece followed. He thought of his gift out in the truck but decided to wait. Maybe he’d give it to her later. A grin played at the corners of his lips. He didn’t want to share her attention when she saw his gift.

Denni smiled and thanked each person for their gift. From Ruth and Dad she’d been given a sizable check to go toward Mahoney House. With all the repairs lately, it would definitely come in handy. The electric bill, for one thing, came to mind.

The girls had chipped in and got her a gift certificate to a local day spa. Raven had bought her a full-length leather jacket she’d been dying for, but never would have spent the money on in a hundred years. Keri, Justin and the boys had bought her a complete set of C. S. Lewis’s
Chronicles of Narnia
. Hardback and leather-bound. Secretly, this was the gift Denni most treasured. And Mrs. James had brought her a plaque with a line from “Mending Wall” by Robert Frost, Good Fences Make Good Neighbors etched into the wood.

Denni had to choke back a laugh at the sentiment. It should have read Taller Fences Make Good Neighbors. Things had been much calmer since Reece and Sean had
raised that fence. After several more minutes, the gift-opening came to a conclusion and everyone went back to mingling.

Raven grabbed her hand. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for cake and ice cream.”

“Oooh, me too. Let’s go.”

“Everyone, let’s rally. The birthday girl wants her cake,” Raven called, commanding attention.

“Does she want to eat it too?” Rissa’s overblown Southern accent rose above the crowd, her corny joke inciting a wave of laughter.

“Yeah, I do, so I want to hear some singing.”

“Wait, we have to light the candles.” Ruth’s voice rose in panic. She shot across the room faster than Denni would have thought possible for a woman her age. Her eyes shot Denni a warning. “Don’t come near this kitchen until I have the cake prepared. You hear?”

“I hear.” Denni smiled.

“Sounds like it might be a good time for my gift.” Reece’s voice next to her ear, sent a shiver through Denni.

“You cold?” he asked.

Nervous laughter bubbled from Denni. “In this stuffy room? I don’t think so.”

“My gift is in the truck. Will you come outside with me?”

“You shouldn’t have gotten me a gift, Reece.”

“Only a creep goes to a birthday party without a gift.”

“You could never be a creep.” The words left her before she thought.

Reece’s eyes grew dark with emotion. He slipped his arm around her, resting his palm against the small of her back. “Come on.”

Warmth spread out from his fingers, across her back
and Denni could no more have refused his simple request than she could have woven gold from her hair.

Once outside, in the glow of the porch light, Reece waved her toward the swing. “I’ll be right back.”

Denni exhaled a breath as she sat in the coolness of the summer night. A gentle breeze sang through the leaves and she could have sworn a love song was being composed on her behalf.

“Here you go.”

She smiled at Reece and took the gift he held out. He dropped into the swing next to her. Denni could feel his tension as she slowly removed the gorgeous purple ribbon and tore into the paper. A soft gasp escaped her and quick tears sprang to her eyes. “Oh, Reece.” In a beautiful cherrywood frame was an eight-by-ten photograph of Denni and her mother. One that had nearly been destroyed in the flooded basement. Lovingly, she fingered the edges of the picture frame.

“You like it?” he whispered.

“How can you even ask?” She stared at him. “How did you do this?”

“I sent it away to a shop in Kansas City that restores old photos. I just happened to get it back last week and knew it would make a perfect birthday gift.”

“It does,” she said. “It’s the most perfect gift I’ve ever received.” Without even considering the implications, she moved close and wrapped her arms around his neck, she pressed her mouth close to his ear. “Thank you, Reece. From the bottom of my heart.”

She felt his quick intake of breath and his fingers pressed against her back. She pulled away, inches from his face. He squinted and fixed her with his gaze, searching.

Denni smiled and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek,
then slipped out of his grasp before he could take it further. Nothing had changed. Not her feelings, and not the aching reality that he didn’t share her faith.

The door opened and Keri poked her head out. “All right, birthday girl, the candles are all lit. Get in here before someone calls the fire department.”

“Denni is mocking you.” Mother’s voice hissed in her ear. And the old hag knew she couldn’t say anything back. The whole room would hear. She glared at Mother, but that didn’t shut her up. “Look at her. She’s having a good time, isn’t she?”

Denni was smiling, especially at the detective.

Anger burned.

“Do you think Denni deserves to have a good time?”

No, no she didn’t deserve it. Not at all.

“When? When will you make her pay?”

“Patience, Mother,” she whispered, then glanced about to be sure no one had heard her.

A ring of laughter rose up from the crowd in the room. She must have missed the joke. Now everyone was filing out of the room toward the kitchen. Everyone but Denni. Denni was headed her way.

She gritted her teeth as Denni walked by and winked, as though everything were fine between them. As though they were best friends. What kind of reality did Denni Mahoney live in?

“What are you doing all by yourself in a corner? Go mingle.” Denni grinned. She had never seen Denni so happy. But all that was about to change.

“Ask her where she’s going,” Mother commanded in her ear.

“Where are you going, Denni?”

“Down to the laundry room to get a case of pop from the shelf. This is one thirsty bunch.”

Silent glee flowed through her. Her opportunity. She’d waited like a trooper through the opening of the gifts, the blowing out of the candles. And now, her patience was about to pay off. Because Denni was going down to the basement. And basements were the perfect places to get rid of unwanted things. And people. And this was it. She’d waited long enough.

Watching Denni leave the room, her heart began to pound. Finally. Finally, Denni was going to get what she deserved.

She started to follow her.

“Wait!”

“What, Mother?”

“You can’t just follow her. What if someone is watching?”

That was true. She’d detour through the kitchen.

Her palms dampened in anticipation and she slowly made her way toward the kitchen. Only Ruth stood in the room, her hands plunged into a sinkful of sudsy water.

This was getting better and better.

“Where is everyone?” Mother asked.

“Where is everyone?” she repeated to Ruth.

“Oh, hi, sweetie. You know they all had to go out and take a look at the new fence.”

“I see. Maybe I’ll join them.”

“You do that, honey.”

With a cautious glance around, she slipped toward the basement. No one was in sight as she slowly opened the basement door and closed it behind her. Her hand touched the light switch on the wall at the top of the stairs and pressed it down. Darkness overwhelmed the
room. She pulled her flashlight from her waistband and switched it on. Slowly she descended the stairs.

A shadow that could only be Denni, poked her head out of the laundry room at the bottom of the stairs. She squinted against the light shining in her eyes. “Who is it? Wh-what are you doing?”

Oh, no. She wasn’t about to speak and give herself away. Before Denni could react, she snatched the crescent wrench from the table next to the laundry-room door. She knew what she had to do. Her arm came up, just as Denni’s eyes went wide with horror.