Embracing Danger (14 page)

“Down at the center playing chess with some of his friends. He’ll be home soon. Now you wanted to know about the night your mother died? Such a sad affair. And they never found who did it either. So tragic.”

Shane stroked the cat and its furry tail curled around his hand. “Can you remember anything about that night, Del? Anything at all?”

Del laughed and set down her glass. “The funny thing about getting older is I sometimes don’t remember why I went into the kitchen but I can remember Christmas when I was eight years old. So yes, I do remember that night. George and I were sitting here after dinner watching ‘Dallas’ on television. That J.R. Ewing was such a rascal. Anyway, when we were sitting here we heard what sounded to me like the backfiring of a car. But George said right away that he thought it was gunshots and he would know as he was in the Korean War. I couldn’t believe there could be anyone shooting in our neighborhood so I walked out onto the porch, which of course got me yelled at by my husband.”

“George was correct. If there was an active shooter situation then being outside wasn’t a good idea,” Shane said. “Best to stay indoors and call 911.”

“Back then we’d never heard of an active shooter situation, son.”

Good point. Things had changed in the last thirty-plus years.

“That’s true. Go on.”

“I stood on my front porch for quite a while, waiting to see if I would hear any more but there was only silence. Then maybe five or ten minutes later I saw a man run from the house and get in a car parked a few blocks down.”

Arden’s grip had tightened on the couch cushion, her knuckles white with tension. Hearing the story firsthand was turning out to be more intense than reading about it in a police report.

“Did you recognize that man?” Shane asked, placing a reassuring hand on Arden’s thigh and giving it a light squeeze. She placed her own hand over his and entwined their fingers together. If anyone had told her a few weeks ago she would be spending this much time with Shane voluntarily and even allowing herself to touch and hug him she would have said they were crazy. But in a few short days, he’d managed to sneak under all her defenses.

“It was dark but most of the porch lights were on all down the street, so I got a good look. It was David Hollis. I’d seen him come and go ever since Ben and Susannah moved in. He and Ben had a difficult relationship but he doted on you, Arden. He never came over empty-handed. He always had a doll or a stuffed animal. He liked to sit with you out in the backyard while you played.”

Frustrated she couldn’t remember any of this, Arden fidgeted in her seat. Jason’s firm was looking for her uncle but this story made her want to meet him more than ever. Anger at her father bubbled in her abdomen as she thought about all he’d robbed her of. Family. Heritage. Perhaps when she’d been a child she could see the reason but she’d been an adult for a long time now.

Shane leaned over, his elbows on his knees. “You spent a lot of time with Susannah and Ben?”

Del scrunched up her face for a moment. “Not Ben. He was traveling so much for work. But Susannah? Yes, I did. She was a new mother and needed the support of someone who had some experience. We’d have coffee several times a week and I babysat many times. If the weather was good we’d sit out on the front porch just visiting. She was a sweet woman but I could tell she wasn’t happy with Ben. You could hear them fighting when the windows were open. I told the police that but they said Ben was out of town.”

Shane pounced on Del’s statement. “You think Ben had a reason to kill Susannah?”

Not even realizing she’d been holding her breath, Arden painfully exhaled when Del nodded. Her hand fluttered to cover her mouth as if she was about to say a dirty word.

“He had a few reasons. One was money of course. From my understanding, she had a large trust fund from her father Charles although I never discussed it with her nor did she act like she had a lot of money. With Ben struggling with his business that must have been tempting to say the least.”

Arden’s father had never mentioned a trust fund the few times he’d spoken about his wife but then he’d lied so often she couldn’t believe anything anymore.

“What was the other reason?” Shane asked, glancing quickly at Arden.

“Everyone knew…you know…about her and David.”

“Everyone?” Arden heard herself echoing. “Even my father?”

“I don’t see how he couldn’t have known, dear. It was the talk of Hemingdale society. But I can’t say for sure, of course. Susannah and I never spoke of the situation.”

“But Daddy was out of town?”

Del nodded. “Yes, that’s what the police said.”

“What about David?” Shane queried. “If he ran from the house shortly after Susannah was shot, you’d think he’d be suspect number one.”

“The newspapers said he wasn’t actually here,” Del replied with a snort. “That he was over at the Lone Wolf Lounge tying one on and playing pool. There were witnesses and even a…ahem…lady of the evening who said he spent the night with her. But I know what I saw. It was David Hollis. I’m sure of it.”

A love affair gone wrong? Had David Hollis taken Arden’s mother’s life?

Or had Ben murdered his own wife to get his hands on her trust fund?

She had to find her uncle and father to get any answers.

‡

A
unt Lydia’s cocktail
party that evening was in full swing, and from what Shane could see it looked like the entire town of Hemingdale had scored an invite. The house was bursting to the seams with bodies and he’d been introduced to so many that there was no way he would remember their names ten minutes later. Luckily most of the guests weren’t all that interested in him.

They wanted to meet Arden.

She was the star of the party and from the way people were eyeing her up and down, Shane could see why Ben had taken her away and given her a new life. No one had yet been so gauche as to bring up the murder, but he could see it in the way they looked at her, that wondering.

How much did she know? Did her father do it? Or her uncle?

Shane’s job tonight was to be a shield between her and everyone else. If anyone stepped one toe out of line he’d be stomping on it with a sledgehammer. Arden was happy and smiling, and nothing and no one was going to ruin that for her.

He grasped her hand and pulled her off to the side of the room. “Can I get you another drink? Something to eat?”

She held out her empty martini glass. “I am thirsty but no more alcohol. I don’t want to get drunk or even tipsy in front of a bunch of people I just met. Maybe a soda?”

Shane’s gaze swept the room before returning to Arden. “I think they’d love it. It would give them something to gossip about. As it is, I think we’re something of a disappointment. You’re too normal and not here with a raving lunatic.”

“They don’t know you like I do.”

He bopped her on the top of her nose with a finger. She’d managed to put her melancholy aside for the party and was in a good mood. “You’re becoming awfully saucy these last few days. You have quite the mouth on you at times.”

One shoulder lifted carelessly in her black cocktail dress that they’d spent the afternoon shopping for in Indianapolis. “You love it and you know it.”

Chuckling, Shane gave her a triumphant smile. “I do. Now that drink…”

He left her chatting with Lydia’s daughter Megan while he procured two fresh drinks and a plate of finger foods. By the time he returned, Arden’s sunny expression had turned to storm clouds. Clearly, Shane had been gone too long and needed to intervene.

Now.

Setting the two glasses and plate down on an end table to his right, he slid his arm around Arden’s shoulders. “What happened? You look ready to kick someone in the balls.”

Her lips were tight and her blue eyes gray with anger. “Men are pigs.”

“Pretty much.” Arguing that point would get him nowhere when she was in this mood. “Did one in particular say or do something that I need to punch them in the gut for? Just point him out.”

Groaning and rolling her eyes, Arden picked up her drink and took a sip. “I can fight my own battles. It’s just there is always at least one in every crowd. That guy that thinks that every woman wants him and is just waiting for a sign.”

“Some guy gave you the sign, huh? What did you do?”

“He said that maybe I might want to go somewhere with him after the party. To…you know…get to know one another better. He leaned close to me and ran his hand down my arm. Ick. I told him that I was planning to wash my hair and read a magazine.”

“Ouch. Did he back down?”

“He saw you coming this way and darted outside, probably to lick his wounds. Why are men such jerks? I don’t even know him. Why would he think I’d want to go anywhere with him?”

Shane could spend the rest of the night and the next day lecturing her about the delicate psyche of the hunter-male but he doubted Arden would be interested.

“It’s a numbers game, sweetheart,” he said instead. “If he comes on to a bunch of women then one might be interested. He doesn’t care about getting shot down.”

“He was creepy,” Arden declared with a shudder. “He needs to learn to keep his hands to himself.”

Yes, he did and Shane was just the man to teach him that lesson. He motioned across the room to Lydia who was having an animated conversation with the local banker. Or maybe he was a lawyer. Shane couldn’t remember. It was one of the two.

Lydia joined them and gave Arden a big hug. “You two look like you’re having fun. I’m so glad I gave this party. Everyone is so thrilled to meet you.”

Arden hugged her aunt back, the smile returning to her face. “And thank you for having us. This evening has been such fun and so interesting. I’ve met so many new people.”

“I completely agree. If you don’t mind,” Shane cut in smoothly. “I’d like to circle back around with someone from earlier. Would you ladies excuse me for just a moment?”

Both women nodded and launched into a discussion about how no one gave cocktail parties anymore. Shane ducked out of the house onto the back porch and saw his quarry. A lone man puffing on a cigarette leaned against the deck railing, blowing puffs of smoke into the chilly night air.

Shane sidled up about three feet away, still sipping at his whiskey. “Great party, huh?”

“Lydia always gives great parties. Best booze and food around.”

The words were slightly slurred. Arden’s not-so-prince-charming was well on his way to being drunk.

“I can see that. Plus some beautiful women too.”

The man’s face broke into a smile and he leaned more heavily on the railing as he tossed his cigarette away. “You’ve got that right but some of them are real bitches. You know what I mean?”

Shane moved in closer so he was invading the drunk’s physical space. The sandy-haired man was shorter than Shane by about six inches and had to crane his neck to see Shane’s face.

“You mean like when you touch a woman that doesn’t want you and doesn’t belong to you?” Shane stepped closer, their chests bumping. “Is that what you mean?”

The man’s mouth fell open, gaping like a fish but no words came out.

“Because if a woman doesn’t want you that doesn’t make her a bitch or whatever colorful name you’ve come up with to make yourself feel better. It might be a good idea if you didn’t go around propositioning women who don’t show any interest in you to begin with.”

The drunk was unsteady on his feet as he tried to put distance between them. “Man, she came on to me, not the other way around. If I’d known she was yours, I’d have stayed away.”

At least the guy hadn’t been doing this to other women all night. He’d singled out Arden for his attentions.

“She’s a human being, not a dog, so she doesn’t belong to anyone but herself.” Shane got right in his face, nose to nose, to make his point. “And she didn’t come on to you, asshole, and we both know it, so don’t even try that one with me. I really think you should pour yourself into a cab and go home and sober up before you do something else that’s even more stupid. Like punching me. I know you’re thinking about it. That would be a huge mistake, my friend.”

The drunk’s red face spoke volumes and for a moment Shane thought the man was going to take a swing. Eventually he must have thought better of it and he backed down, muttering a few not so nice words, before staggering into the house.

Shane chuckled to himself and sucked in a lungful of fresh air, the temperature much more mild than the previous night. He should probably go back in but the evening was pleasant and Arden was in Lydia’s more than competent hands. The older woman was as protective as Shane was.

“Did you scare that man?”

Turning on his heel, Shane grinned as he watched a smirking Arden approach. “I did and I don’t regret it. I wasn’t going to hit him or anything. All we did was chat for a few minutes.”

She joined him at the railing, her light floral perfume mixing with the aroma of freshly cut grass. He didn’t stop himself from reaching out and tucking a stray curl behind her ear and letting his fingertips linger a moment too long on her satin cheek.

Fuck being a gentleman.