Wild About The Bodyguard (6 page)

An hour after
tracking down McPherson’s place of work—not what he’d
expected—Chase drove into a San Bruno parking lot. As he sauntered
in through the establishment’s glass entrance doors, Chase cast a
look around. He liked the atmosphere of a public health club. Music
pumping, people of all builds and ages working hard, or taking a
well-earned timeout at the water cooler. More earthy than the gym
at the club.

He spotted
McPherson sitting in a cubical off to one side of the main workout
area; he was immersed in his laptop’s screen. When the receptionist
asked if she could help, Chase said he was enquiring after a
membership and had been given McPherson’s name.

Soon,
McPherson was striding out toward the reception counter, arms
swinging and big politician’s smile beaming. Seemed everyone had
their teeth whitened these days.

McPherson
offered his hand. His grip was firm and eager.

“
Let’s take a
seat,” McPherson said, moving toward a table and chairs, “and I’ll
get some deets.”

“
Mind if we
go through to your office. More private.”

McPherson
looked at Chase twice, and then ushered him through. While
McPherson took a seat behind his laptop, Chase closed the door
before taking an adjacent chair.

“
Nice looking
set-up,” Chase offered, glancing out the window panel upon a fleet
of faithfuls putting their all into treadmills and rowing machines.
He found a believable way to ease into the conversation. “A friend
owns a gym. It has the works, dance studios included.”

When an image
of the pole in Sammy’s living room flashed into Chase’s mind, he
set it aside.
Not that kind of
dancing.

McPherson sat
forward. “Where’s your friend’s gym?”

He picked a
place. “Pacific Heights.”

“
I’d have
thought he’d give you a good rate.”

McPherson
caught on quick.

Chase flipped
out his still current P.I. licence and McPherson’s eyebrows shot
up.

“
I’m under
some kind of investigation?” he asked.

“
I’m asking a
few questions for a mutual friend. Samantha Mayne.”

“
Is Sammy in
trouble?”

“
Would it be
a surprise if she were?”

McPherson
leaned forward more, lodging his elbows on strong hairy knees.
“From what I remember, Sammy was a lot of fun, but her nose was
always to the grindstone. She had dreams of being an
actress.”

“
You were
seeing each other in junior year?”

“
We knocked
around together. There was a group of us. All tight. I would’ve
liked more...you know, like have her wear my class ring. But while
some girls were daydreaming about marriage and having babies, Sammy
wasn’t distracted by boys. We were more friends than
anything.”

Chase cocked
a brow. So, she
had
been a good girl.

McPherson
grabbed his bottle of water and knocked back a gurgling mouthful
before asking, “What’s this about?”

“
Ten years
ago, Samantha and her sister were the victims of a crime. A
robbery.”

“
Where?”

“
Their
apartment. A piece of jewelry was taken.”

“
Sorry. Don’t
know anything about that.”

Chase trusted
his gut. McPherson’s expression was calm, clear. He’d known nothing
about the theft a decade ago and couldn’t see any reason to know
about it now. Chase took in the awards and champion photographs
hanging on the walls. This guy worked hard, competed and found
reward in effort as well as achievement. Not a former cat burglar.
Certainly not a man who had progressed to more nefarious
crimes.

“
You had a
buddy back in high school,” Chase went on. “Murray Elson.”
Boyfriend number two.

“
We kept in
touch after he joined the services.” His jaw flexed as he pushed
aside his water. “He was killed during a tour last
year.”

Chase’s
stomach muscles clenched. Who could express the pride and gratitude
felt by so many toward those who’d given so much?

Chase had one
more question for McPherson—one of personal as well as routine
importance.

“
The original
report,” Chase said, “lists a David Green as a person who might be
of interest.”

McPherson’s
gaze narrowed as he cast his thoughts back. “Don’t recall that
name.”

“
Apparently
he was in the drama club with Samantha.”

“
I wasn’t
into that acting crap. Not that I wasn’t proud of Sammy that way. I
went to a couple of her performances. She had a certain quality.
Something really special.”

Chase stopped
himself from saying
I
agree
.

McPherson went
on. “But I don’t remember a David Green.”

Chase got to
his feet, opened the door. “I’ll let you get back to it. Thanks for
your time.”

“
Can I ask?”
McPherson stood, too. “Why are you investigating this now, nearly a
decade after the theft?”

“
Ms. Mayne
believes she might have tracked the piece down. I suggested we do a
little background work and try to fit some pieces together before
going forward.”

They shook
hands and, a moment later, about to slip into his vehicle, Chase
heard McPherson call out. The fitness instructor was jogging over
in shoes obviously fitted with NASA quality springs; he was
bouncing on air.

“
Just
remembered something I thought might be of interest.” McPherson
pulled up. “I met Sammy’s sister a few times. Nice lady. A bit of
an overachiever, but I get that. After their mom passed, Ann must
have felt the pressure to hold it all together.”

“
Ann Mayne
had been acting strangely?”

“
Only insofar
as she was grieving, like Sammy. It was her boyfriend who made my
scalp crawl. A person’s eyes reveal a lot. That guy’s eyes
were…”

“
Shifty?
”

“
Guarded.
Like he wasn’t sure if you knew what he was thinking.” Backing
away, McPherson added, “Say hi to Sammy for me. Tell her it’d be
fun to catch up.”

As Chase
reversed and drove out of the parking lot, leaving McPherson and
his Rock body to jog back inside, he recalled from his research
that he hadn’t married. There were no photos of a girl on his desk,
either. Absolutely McPherson would have fun catching up with an old
flame like Sammy Mayne. And, although Chase recognised the twinge
beneath his ribs for what it was, he shouldn’t be
jealous.

Still, at the
thought of being with her again, he drove back to her address with
his foot to the floor.

Turning the
coupe into her street, Sammy recognized the car parked out front of
her condo. Pulling into the driveway, she spotted the man sitting
on her porch steps. He was concentrating on his smartphone.
Important message? Sammy grinned. She had one for him.

Chase had left
his card the other day. She’d programmed in his number. Now,
parking out of sight, she pulled out her own phone and sent a
text.

Haven’t heard for a couple of
days. Just a heads up in case you have something for me. I’m
unavailable till tomorrow.

Grinning, she
got out of the car and waited.

I do have
something for you,
he replied.
Can you put off the other?

Her fingers
danced across the keys.

Depends what you got…

This reply
took longer.

We should talk.

Sammy:
Talk?

Chase:
Um, yeah. Talk.

Sammy:
So, definitely no draping required.

Sammy was at
the corner of her condo now. She peaked around. Chase was smiling
at his phone, shaking his head, but in a good way. Like he was into
her, at least a little.

Chase:
I can’t stop you from draping if you really want
to drape.

Before she
could text back, another message came through.

But maybe
best to wait until we’re inside.
And
then.
I know you’re hiding round the
corner.

Her gaze shot
up from her phone. He was smiling over at her, his eyes
laughing.

As she
sauntered over, she held up both hands. “You got me,
officer.”

“
You didn’t
think I saw you drive in?”

“
You didn’t
look up.”

“
Didn’t mean
you weren’t on my radar.”

His voice was
so deep and rumbly, those words combined with that cheeky glimmer
in his eyes…Sammy felt intoxicated. She could never have believed
that trying to solve the mystery of that missing ring would ever be
fun. Now, she actually hoped Chase Wild didn’t get to the bottom of
this case too soon.

As she put out
her hand to help him to his feet, he hesitated before taking a
hold. The heat and strength of his fingers as they curled around
hers steamed through her blood. When he was on his feet, looking
down at her from his vantage point on that step, that intoxication
spiralled all the way up to her dizzy zone. She wanted to fan
herself.

As she skirted
around him, he followed her to the door, so close on her tail, she
was tempted to lean back and feel his solid frame connecting with
hers. How was he feeling? What was he thinking? And she didn’t mean
about the case.

She led him
into the kitchen where they cracked open a couple of
beers.

“
I spoke with
Jacob McPherson today.” Chase lowered his voice. “He let me know
that your other friend, Murray, didn’t come home from a
tour.”

It took a
moment for the news to sink in, and then she was flooded by
memories. Murray waving his inflated “number one” hand at
basketball games...helping herself and Faye with math whenever they
asked. They’d lost touch. Now, his life had been snuffed out early,
like her mother’s had been. It was difficult to grasp that you’d
never see that person again.

“
McPherson
also said he felt that your sister’s then boyfriend, now husband,
had behaved suspiciously around that time,” Chase added.

Sammy brought
herself back. “So, Jacob thinks Rick’s behind the
theft?”

“
He didn’t
say that. Neither did I. But we shouldn’t discount it.”

Sammy had
always had her suspicions. “Do you think Ann knew?”

Chase shifted
his weight onto the other leg. “First we need to sift through
whatever evidence we have, whatever additional information we can
find, and go from there. We want to approach this the right way.
That’s softly, softly.”

“
You’re the
cautious type.”

He averted his
gaze and mumbled, “That’s the best way,” before tipping back more
beer.

She thought
back to a week ago and how Chase had said there could be a
dangerous element involved in any criminal act. She remembered him
asking, “Do you own a firearm?”

“
Private
investigating would have its dangerous moments,” she
surmised.

“
Having
second thoughts?”

“
Just
wondering whether you’d ever been injured. Whether you were ever
hurt on the job.”

He seemed to
school his features. “No. I was never hurt.”

She wanted to
ask more except...clearly while he enjoyed chasing leads, he didn’t
want to be reminded of the past for some reason. Sure. None of her
business. Even if she was curious.

“
What do you
do for downtime?” she asked, changing the subject. It had nothing
to do with the case but he didn’t look as if he minded this
question. In fact, his chest inflated as he grinned.

“
I
renovate.”

“
As in
houses?”

“
One house.
My house. It’s a work in progress. Lots of sawing and painting and
boy’s stuff.” He nudged his chin toward the living room. “I take it
you dance.”

“
You mean the
pole?”

“
Yeah, I mean
the pole.”

As his lips
curved into a speculative grin, she played it up.

“
You must
have seen a girl dance before.”

“
I’ve seen a
few.”

“
Not at your
establishment though.”
The upper crust
Don.

“
Maybe I
should introduce it.”

“
Maybe you
should. Remind me to give you a demo sometime.” As he set his beer
down on the counter, she did the same and then moved to the
adjoining doorway. Running her eye up and down the pole, she
slanted her head. “Guess you don’t see them in every
house.”

“
Definitely
not in mine.”

“
You know
they have pole dancer conventions and awards and all kinds of
things,” she went on. “It’s big business. All the bits and pieces
that go with it, too.”

“
Pieces like
what?”