Authors: J. M. Griffin
Outside the door I heard him say, “Lock the door and slide the bolt, dammit."
The bolt shot home and I turned the lock in the door handle before I went through the apartment to complete the job in the other rooms. After the windows were closed and secure, I turned the central air conditioning system on.
The cruiser started and pulled away while my heart still hammered. I wondered if he'd wanted to toss caution to the wind like I did or what. His lips tantalized me, but his badge was a negative factor.
It had occurred to me early in my career that involvement with law enforcement agents often ended badly. With that in mind, I had sidestepped the possibility at every opportunity. That didn't stop the guys from pitching broad hints and invitations my way. I kept relationships on a casual level and never, ever slept with any of them. It's an extremely easy way to get burned.
When a fundraiser was held for a fallen officer or a pet project needed help, I was the first to be called and never said no. I just drew the line at the rest of it. No thanks. Though, this enigmatic state trooper managed to get under my fingernails and wouldn't ya know it, I'd lost the war with myself already. Well, shit.
I dumped what was left of the debris strewn across the bed onto the floor and crawled under the covers, clothes and all.
I could hear thumping on the door. As I went through the kitchen into the back hall, a deep voice uttered a long stream of expletives.
The bolt slid back and I undid the rest of the locks. With a chuckle, I opened the door to find Aaron amidst a pile of bags and boxes on the ground.
"I couldn't get the door unlocked, doesn't this key work?” he asked.
"Only in the upstairs door, I bolt these doors at night, I apologize. I'll have a set of those keys made for you today.” My hair was wild and my mouth tasted like sour milk. I knew I must be a sight. I had been up for a while, but hadn't worked miracles on myself as yet.
He stared a moment and then laughed. “Did you just get out of bed?"
"Kinda, it was a long night. Let me help you with those bags."
I lodged the door open and trundled several bundles up the stairs as Aaron unloaded more boxes from the back of the SUV. When I came downstairs, he'd closed the hatch and turned to me with a chuckle. I figured I must look pretty pathetic if all he could do was laugh.
"Why don't you make some coffee, you look like you could use it. I bought muffins at the Salt & Pepper Deli and we'll share.” His smile lingered as he stared at my disheveled appearance. Then the huge frame filled the doorway as he hustled boxes upstairs.
I agreed to the coffee and muffin idea. Retreating to the bathroom, I stared in disgust. My dark hair was a wild halo of snarled curls that surrounded my head. Dark rings of mascara sloped under my bottom eyelids. Crap.
With a quick swipe of the washcloth, I removed the mascara, then brushed the mop of hair into a bundle and clipped a barrette into it. It took a minute to scrub my teeth and gargle. Once that was done, I felt halfway human.
In the kitchen, I prepared coffee and took a couple plates from the cupboard for the muffins. I'd set them next to the coffee cups when Aaron shuffled into the apartment, a heavy sheen of sweat on his face.
"I forgot to ask if the apartment was fitted with air conditioning. Man, it's warm up there.” He wiped the sweat off his face with a paper towel from the roll on the counter.
I nodded and said the whole house was air conditioned. He looked relieved and straddled one of the stools as I set out the napkins.
Rich, aromatic brew filled each of the cups as I poured and talked.
"Thanks for the muffins, I'm starved."
"My pleasure, I figured you'd take pity on me and make coffee if I came bearing gifts.” His glance strayed around the kitchen before it settled on me once again.
"So, what is it you do, Aaron?"
"I work for the gaming commission. I should have told you that when I asked to rent the apartment, sorry."
"No problem. I just wondered."
"I thought you might be at work. Do you work?"
"Yes, I'm a professor at a university here in Rhode Island."
"So, you must have the option of taking the summer off, then?"
"Mmm, I usually don't teach the summer semester. That way I can paint. My aunt and I used to air paint outside together."
"You must miss that, then. Is the artwork on the walls yours?” His glance moved through the doorway and around the next room as he spoke. The kitchen doorway arched into a formal dining room where paintings adorned the walls.
"Some of it is, but most of it is Livvy's. She sculpted as well. There's a beautiful piece in the living room, if you'd like to see it."
At his nod, we went into the living room. He stared at the warm hued, three foot high lion. It stood on its hind legs with paws splayed as though in an encounter. The animal balanced on a tall carved wooden pedestal. I adored this piece of work and had been ecstatic when Livvy left it to me along with the house. It never occurred to me how important this lion would become in my life.
"When did your aunt sculpt this?” His eyes took in every exquisite detail. It was as though he committed it to memory, while his hand stroked the smooth surface.
"I'm not sure, I just know that one day it was here and I fell in love with it, so she promised it to me when she died. I never thought she'd die so soon, though."
We wandered toward the kitchen and he stooped to pick something off the floor. I polished off the last muffin and stared when he laid the exquisite stone on the counter with a question in his eyes. My mind ran a hundred miles an hour to come up with a good lie when a rap sounded on the back door. It opened and Marcus stood in the doorway in jeans and a t-shirt.
I watched as the two macho men take stock of one another. The room reeked with heavy draughts of testosterone or maybe I imagined it. While Aaron and Marcus measured one another, I slipped the stone off the counter and pocketed it.
Introductions were made, but I left out job descriptions. As far as I was concerned, if they wanted to know that much information, they'd have to develop a dialogue. Speculation filled both faces, but neither asked about the other.
Marcus sat astride a chair at the counter and eyeballed the empty coffee pot and my half filled cup. I pushed it toward him and he slurped it down while I made more. Aaron rose and with a glance at the empty spot on the counter where the stone had sat, he said he'd be upstairs. With uttered thanks for the help, he smiled and left.
"He's a big guy, huh? What did you say he did for a living?"
"I didn't say, but maybe he's part of the WWF.” A chuckle tumbled from my lips as I sat opposite Marcus who wasn't so small himself. His face was a study of disdain, which meant I'd probably annoyed him.
"Huh,” was all he said, and I smirked as I poured fresh coffee. He swigged down a mouthful as I lifted the stone from my pocket and set it on the counter.
"Did you find more of these stones?"
I sobered and said, “No, Aaron found this one on the floor just now, but I haven't had a chance to look around."
He nodded and left the subject alone.
"What are you doing here? Is it your day off or what?” I asked.
"Just came by to check on you. It wouldn't do to have anyone break in and accost you."
"I may not be a match for a man, but I can give anyone a bit of trouble. You needn't worry about me, Richmond.” My training included assault defense techniques, although to be honest, I'd never had to use them.
A chuckle escaped his lips and he nodded. “Yeah, I checked out your creds. You do have experience in hand to hand combat, so I'll keep that in mind."
My smile matched his as he rose to leave. His knuckles stroked my face and then he was gone. I wondered if he realized my reaction to his touch as I went into the bedroom to pick the wreckage off the floor. My little voice kicked in again with a warning about romantic involvement with a cop, especially this particular chick magnet.
With a depressed glance, I gazed around the room. Everything lay jumbled in a pile which I promptly stuffed it into the trunk. Damn, I'd spent so much time separating it, too. I started to clear debris off the floor when I found a few stones Marcus and I had missed the night before. An empty envelope sat nearby and I folded the stones into it and set it on the dresser.
I stripped the bed, changed the sheets and remade it. The room looked fairly decent by the time I finished and I turned again toward the trunk contents. The job was compounded by the fact that what had been in order was no longer and I had to start again from scratch.
My annoyance at the intruder was on a steady incline. I grasped papers from the trunk and with coffee in hand I stepped outside the French doors and sat on the deck to begin the process once more. A light breeze drifted across the shaded yard and I leaned back to enjoy the sweet smelling fresh air. Sheets of papers and letters fluttered from the end table. I held them in place with the coffee cup.
I strode around the deck in search of a more substantial paperweight. A basket of rocks Livvy had kept, sat in a corner. I'd painted them as a kid and she'd never gotten rid of them. My throat constricted with emotion at the thought of it. Picking one from the basket, I plunked it on top of the papers. A heavy sigh rolled from my chest while I studied Livvy's documents again.
So far, not one thing indicated she'd had any private concerns or deals with jewels. This bothered me since I didn't know what exactly to look for. I only hoped my gut would tell me when I came across it.
Movement on the deck above roused me from these pensive thoughts. I glanced up and saw a handsome face tower above with a flashing smile. The upper deck was shorter in width than mine and it gave Aaron a perfect view. I'd have to remember that fact when I wanted to sit out in next to nothing. I smiled back and asked how things were going.
"Nearly done for the moment. The furniture will arrive on Thursday. Does that fit in with the rug delivery?"
"Yes, they'll be here tomorrow afternoon."
He nodded and went inside. I could hear the back door close. His truck started up and rolled away. It would be a challenge to have him upstairs, but maybe safer for me. The bravado I'd exhibited with Marcus had been external only and I wasn't prepared for an intruder. True, I could give anyone a tussle, but did I really want to?
I took the bundle of papers inside and dropped them on the bedside table. Unable to concentrate, maybe some exercise would get the cobwebs out of my brain. While it isn't one of my favorite pastimes, it's necessary all the same. I run a couple times a week and go to the local gym in between. I figure an hour out of my day is no big deal.
The door lock clicked behind me. I attached the keys to a belt loop before I headed west across the meager horseshoe dam over the reservoir. Past state police headquarters toward the high school, I'd nearly finished my route and returned to the village when I slowed to a walk. Sweat trickled down my body and the cobwebs were all but gone, though nothing else had taken their place.
A bright blue Mini Cooper, sporting two wide white stripes, slowed as I crossed the horseshoe dam near the fire station. With a sideways glance, I turned and smiled while Lola Trapezi slid the side window down. Her car idled across the road from me as I walked.
"I hear you had the bomb geeks at your house the other night. What was that about and why wasn't I informed?” She smiled the famous Julia Roberts smile and eased toward the curb onto the fire station launch pad. I call it a launch pad because every time there's an emergency, these guys seem to take off at warp speed.
The car was small and I towered above it. Lola craned her neck to look up, cut the motor and stepped out to lean against the door. A petite, five foot or so woman, Lola had small bones and sweet features. Her oval face held a load of freckles while rich auburn hair flew in all directions. She was Italian by birth, but somewhere there'd been an Irishman in the mix. Deep chocolate eyes regarded me as I stood facing her. I wiped the sweat off my face with the bottom of my t-shirt.
"And how are you, Lola?” I laughed. “It was nothing. Somebody left a paper wrapped package on the doorstep and since I'd just audited a bomb class, I got paranoid and overreacted."
"That's not what I hear, but I'll let it pass. By the way, who's the hunk hanging around the house?"
"Which one?” My eyebrows shot up. I laughed outright at her incredulous expression.
"You mean there're two hunks hanging around?"
"Well yeah, one is a trooper, but he's there on business and the other is my new tenant."
"Cripes, you get all the luck. Must be those long legs and great body that draws ‘em in.” Pearly teeth glistened in the sunlight. Her tanned skin was to die for and I seemed to be the only one without color.
Traffic was minimal in the village and I wasn't surprised to see the same people drive back and forth. They slowed down as they passed us, geeking at what we were up to. People were curious about everything going on, especially in a small town like this one.
Changing positions so she could see, Lola stepped to the back of the car and leaned against the trunk. I sidled up next to her.
"What are they gawking at, for Chrissake? You been breaking the law or what?” Lola asked.
"Nah, they're just nosey and like to watch everything going on whenever they can."
"You're right, so tell me about this tenant."
"He came by the other day when Lanky Larry and I painted the apartment upstairs. He asked to rent it and I agreed, that's all. Larry says it's time I moved on and he's right."
She stared at me with all seeing eyes for a moment which made me real uncomfortable. I hedged a bit and then angled back against the trunk of the squat auto.
"You've done well dealing with Livvy's death and maybe Larry's right, though it's early days yet. Give yourself some time, Vin.” Her serious eyes steadied my chaotic thoughts and I gave her shoulder a squeeze.