Read A Case of the Heart Online
Authors: Beth Shriver
Still leaning against the counter, he looked down at his boots, crossing one over the other, his black locks falling down around his forehead.
She held her hand over the receiver and gave him an apologetic lift of one eyebrow. “She wants to talk to you.”
The corners of his mouth turned upward as he reached for the phone, keeping his eyes on her. She stood next to him and finished the dishes while he and her mother made small talk. When, apparently, her mother popped the question, Liz couldn’t believe her ears.
“I’d love to come, Mrs. Adams.”
She dropped her jaw and a plate into the sink at the same time as she looked over at him. He winked at her and continued to make Christmas plans with her mother, watching her squirm.
Chapter Fourteen
Liz drove to the police station and parked close to the entrance. She scanned the parking lot and spotted Alex sitting in his car. He had a sixth-sense-cop thing that was annoying because she had never been able to take him by surprise, so she walked up behind his window and waited.
“Hey, Liz.”
She stuck her head in the window. He was busy doing his paperwork. He smiled knowingly but didn’t look up as Liz rested her chin in her hand, elbow on the window frame, waiting for his attention.
“How did you know it was me?”
“Your perfume. Chanel. You’re not going to believe what I have a hankering for.” He stopped writing, sunk his pen into his breast pocket, and flipped his notepad closed.
She was stumped for a moment, then beamed. “Donuts.”
He nodded with reluctance. “Follow me to Dunkin’?”
“You’re never going to live this down, you know.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He gave her an annoyed stare.
She pulled in a few minutes behind him and swallowed a laugh when she saw him sitting in a booth with the neon sign, Dunkin’ Donuts, hanging above him. She walked in casually but couldn’t suppress the grin.
He gave her a cautious look. “All right already, what do you want?”
“Whatever you usually get, I’m sure you’re the connoisseur. And coffee with...”
“Cream and sugar,” he finished for her.
She enjoyed observing him wolf down a jelly donut, a sight she thought she’d never see.
“You missed some.” Liz dabbed a little jelly off of the corner of his mouth. Her eyes trailed up to his, and she suddenly felt too close. She slowly sat back in her seat, wishing she hadn’t done the mouth-dabbing thing.
He leaned back into his booth spreading his arms across the back. “So, does this count as a date?”
“No, this is work,” she said confidently.
“That’s disappointing. According to your mother, I’m your boyfriend.” His vivid blue eyes danced playfully, and his defined lips parted, waiting for her response.
The kiss he gave her the night he took care of her after the Sanders episode replayed in her mind. It was a sweet kiss, one that resembled certain tenderness and nurturing. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
He sat back, his eyes wide with a hint of bewilderment. “Why?”
She sat up straight in her seat. “I’ve heard you’ve had a lot of relationships.”
His eyes faded into disappointment as his brows gathered into a confused expression. “Well, you heard wrong. Maybe when you first met me I dated around little, but it’s not like that now.”
What was she doing? She closed her eyes to regroup. “Sorry, it’s none of my business. It’s not like you need to answer to me.” She was as guilty as Michael, and the rest of those who fell prey to gossip, the ones she defended him against.
Alex sighed, looked away a moment, then back to her. “Maybe we just need to get to know each other better. Even though we’ve known each other for a while, it’s been a work relationship, and obviously a lot of rumors.” He chuckled. “No wonder you never wanted to meet me outside of work. You think I’m some sort of womanizer.”
Humbled, she tried to explain. “It’s not you. It’s me.”
He smiled. “You know, I hear a lot of good things about you.” He leaned in closer to her with his arms folded on top of the table.
“Really?”
“Professionally speaking, you’re very much admired. You’re considered somewhat of a workaholic, a Christian and soft on the eyes.” He leaned his head to the side, a grin on his handsome face.
She tilted her head and shrugged. “I have a hard time believing that the cops I know really spend that much time thinking about me.” She chuckled. “But I guess I am a version of that.”
“I thought all those descriptions were fairly accurate,” he said with certainty.
“I’ve actually heard a lot about you too.”
“Let’s have it.”
“You’re an honest cop, make good judgment calls, and I guess I could use your phrase ‘soft on the eyes,’ but I think the younger women usually refer to the word
hot
.”
“Interesting. This has been good for us already.” He smile with relief.
Her heart fluttered in her chest as his eyes crinkled and his dimple popped out. “Yeah, I guess it has.”
His description of his past relationships hit her hard. It wasn’t at all what had been spread around, and he seemed so sincere. Now that he’d cleared up her misconceptions of his “womanizing,” she was ready to give him the benefit of the doubt and see where the relationship would take them.
She paused, wondering if she should ask him what was on her mind. She’d already overstepped her bounds, so why stop now. “Why did you leave Chicago, Alex?”
The static from his radio resonated in her ears. He sighed and paused a moment, still looking at her before getting the radio. The dark sadness in his eyes spoke to her more than words.
Her throat tightened at their depth. She gathered everything off the table and threw it away as Alex reluctantly accepted the responsibility to go on a call. She was actually relieved they were interrupted, and he had a reason not to respond. Whatever the answer was, he wasn’t ready to share it with her.
As they walked out to their cars, she felt his hand at the small of her back. Before she could let herself enjoy the feel of his touch, she found herself in her car driving to the office.
****
Alex called on his way to Carl’s. “What’s your ETA?”
“I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
“I’ll be there a couple of minutes after you. Wait for me before you go in.”
“Don’t worry, I will.”
As she drove up and down the side streets trying to find a place to park, she observed the action on the corner. A couple of guys were standing around doing nothing
.
One wore a beanie and had numerous tattoos on his arms. The other had a multicolored Mohawk and wore a dog collar. When Liz didn’t give them the attention they were trying so hard to get they started to walk toward her.
Liz had learned to drive like she meant it and avoid eye contact unless she was stopped. Once you did meet eyes with them, you didn’t look away. It was sort of like the rules of the jungle, which had to be followed to survive.
Alex drove up and she waved, hoping he would wave back, and these guys would find someone else to bother. He gave a quick flick of his siren to signal he’d caught the message. The punks played it cool and walked past her car and around the corner of the building.
Alex parked right in front of the store and was leaning against his car when Liz walked up.
As they walked through an aisle that lead to the cash register, Liz glanced at the magazines. There was not a single one her mother could set eyes on. She stopped at one and gaped. Alex chuckled and encouraged her to keep walking.
She’d let Alex do the talking since this was more law enforcement. That meant that he would do the enforcing, and Liz could leave if things got hairy.
Carrie was behind the checkout counter talking to a guy a little older than she was. She looked their way but didn’t acknowledge them. She appeared small behind the counter. Carrie was a pretty girl, but her body posture and her lack of expression took away from her good looks, making her appear older than her eighteen years.
As they approached the counter, the guy saw Alex and left in a rush.
“What’s he in a hurry about?” Alex saw the guy slip through the back.
“Guess he doesn’t like cops,” Carrie said holding his stare.
“Carrie, I talked with the placement where your brothers are staying. They are doing really well. Thought you might want to know.” She moved her gaze from Alex to Liz.
“Good. Thanks.” Carrie’s bored tone told them she didn’t want them there.
Alex held up the sketch of Pirelli. She tried not to show it, but Carrie’s eyes widened when she saw the picture.
“Your boyfriend sells drugs to little kids. There’s nothing I hate more than jerks like your boyfriend, and if I ever see him around that school again, he’ll have to deal with me.”
He was being awfully intense. If he had a game plan, Liz wished he had let her in on it. Carrie looked like she was going to cry or hit him. Liz wouldn’t want Carrie to hit her. She was small but seemed pretty tough in an angry sort of way.
Alex didn’t even blink. “The narcotics cops at Scotty’s school have a positive ID on him.” He stepped back, rigid and unyielding, and crossed his arms over his chest.
“By the way, you’re not old enough to work in a store that sells liquor. I’d hate for you to lose your job.”
He had her where he wanted her, and she knew it. She whipped her head up, and if looks could kill, Alex was a dead man.
That’s your cue to step in, Liz thought. “Does any of this have to do with what made your dad so angry?”
Carrie waited a couple of beats but finally peeled her glare off Alex and over to Liz. “Yeah.”
“And Scotty ended up paying the price for it,” Liz stated, as Carrie ‘s gaze shot daggers at her and then turned away.
“Is Sanders just buying, or is he in on this drug ring too?” Alex asked still looking at Carrie.
“Drug ring?” She narrowed her eyes.
“That’s what you’re involved in, Carrie. Where does Sanders fit in?”
“Just a customer,” she mumbled with a sigh.
He waved his arm gesturing around the store. “And this is where it all happens.”
Carrie gave him a look. “I can’t be telling anything. I shouldn’t even be standing here talking to you.”
“Well, if you can’t get yourself out, at least get your brother out.” Alex turned and walked to the door. “And tell Pirelli I’m looking for him.”
Liz gave Carrie a curt wave and followed after him.
“Playing the bad cop today are we?” she quipped when they were out the door.
“Hey it worked.” He had quickness in his step with sort of a swagger.
Liz shook her head and pulled out her notes. “I don’t like Scotty’s involvement. I’m glad I placed him.”
“I don’t like that Tom Harris tried to beat Scotty out of being in the middle of all this. If anyone’s to blame, it’s his big sister, hanging with trouble like Pirelli.”
She stopped and became annoyed. “You need to get Pirelli. He’s bad news if he’s still going to that school.”
He lifted his head up and faced her. “Yes, but I’m going without you.”
She leaned back and decided silence was the best option, glad to turn Pirelli over to Alex. She had resolved to lie low and avoid the offenders from here on out.
Alex opened the door and took out his laptop and set it on the hood of the car. “I might get me a drug dealer out of this whole mess. That would make my day.”
“You’re such a cop.” She scrutinized his face and body posture evolving into Eastwood. “You think you’re Clint now?”
Alex sneered. “No, Clint is like me.”
Liz laughed as he squinted one eye shut and pulled his mouth up like a half-smirk imitating Clint Eastwood.
He adjusted himself to look at her straight on. “Just think, next week we’ll be looking through our stockings at your parents’ place.”
Surprised at his change of conversation, she shook her head and met his gaze. “I can’t believe you’re doing this. You don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“Are you really?”
“Your mom and I had a nice talk. Got things all planned out, even talked with your dad.”
Liz gasped and looked away for a moment. “What a nice guy you are.”
He leaned against the car. “If I’m not, your mother will make your life miserable.”
“You’re right. What’s in it for you?” Liz’s usual skepticism reared its ugly head.
“I’ll get to be with you.”
She smiled and began to twirl her hair. His enthusiasm surprised her.
He hitched a thumb on her twirling finger, giving her a mischievous smile. “Christmas with the Adams family.”
Their fingers remained interlocked, and Liz laughed at his depiction of her family.
“So what are you doing this weekend?” he asked, his thumb brushing over hers.
“I’m going over to Margie’s for dinner,” she said with reluctance and pulled her hand away to write some notes.
He chuckled. “That should be entertaining. Her household sounds like a war zone. Believe me, I know what it’s like to be in a house with four boys.”
She smiled at the thought of him wrestling and fighting with his brothers, tormenting his mother as a kid. Then the guilt set in. She couldn’t bring herself to tell him it was a date. Then again, she didn’t need to because it was an arranged get-together, not a real date. And she didn’t want to go, so that helped ease her conscience too.
“Do you want to come over tomorrow and watch the game?” The invite popped out of nowhere, but Liz wasn’t going to back down.
His face lightened as he replied with a nod, “I was hoping you’d ask.”