Renewed Faith (CSA Case Files 3 / Military Romance) (17 page)

“Let’s hope that doesn’t happen,” Ethan murmured, tapping his thumb on the table. “You have two and a half months left before he strikes again.”

“I’m using the date you gave me and narrowing down crimes that seem similar in nature over the past thirty years.” Taryn chewed on the eraser side of the pencil she was holding as she looked down at one of her papers, her glasses slipping slightly on her pert nose. “I’ve even broadened the search to include male victims. You never know.”

“Go back further than that,” Crest ordered, motioning Taryn’s way. “What if he’s taking over for a parent? It’s apparent that Fallon thinks there’s a missing key within this lipstick gesture the perp likes to execute.”

“I have a meeting with Taggart this afternoon.” Kevin glanced Jax’s way to see him looking down at his phone once more. “That is, unless Emily goes into labor.”

Jax’s head whipped up and when he realized that Kevin was pulling his leg, the yellow stress ball came flying at his head. Reaching out just in time, Kevin caught the sucker and immediately threw it back.

“You need it more than I do, buddy.”

“Fuck you.”

“All right, all right.” Crest called their attention back to the meeting. After a few more brief highlights, Kevin stood up to head back to his cubicle. Crest’s next words had his ass sitting right back down. “I had wanted to do this yesterday, as well as wait for Connor and Lach to be here, but I think now is appropriate. Kevin, we all know that you were close to your grandfather. Condolences and flowers are a nice gesture, but we wanted to do something a little more to honor his place in your life. In tribute to his love of the land and where he grew up, we made a donation in his name to your hometown in order to help with the difficulties that occurred from the drought that occurred there this last year.”

Jessie handed Kevin the envelope, which contained a receipt for the amount his team members had donated. The sum left him speechless and he had no doubt that his grandfather would be truly appreciative. Kevin could spout the
you didn’t have to
nonsense and even though he would mean it, their gesture should be taken the way it was given…with grace.

“Thank you, not only on my behalf, but that of my family.”

Kevin felt Jessie’s hand on his shoulder and he accepted her quick hug as she leaned down and wrapped her arms around him. Everyone else either shook hands or slapped him on the back while he gained his composure. Finally standing, he met Crest’s stare and nodded once more in gratitude. This team might not be related by blood, but he damn well considered them his brothers and sisters.

The sound of ringing indicated that someone wanted entrance into the office. They all had card keys that allowed them to bypass the security. If a client or visitor came to the door, they had to press a button for entrance. Jessie made her way to the front while some of the others disbanded back to their work areas. He and Crest stayed at the table.

Kevin was surprised to see Taggart being led in by Jessie. From the way the detective was looking at her ass, it was obvious that he was interested in her. Kevin happened to glance over at Crest, seeing that he had observed the same thing. He gathered up the papers in front of him and astoundingly the man walked back to his office. Was he that unaffected?

“Jessie, I have a conference call scheduled,” Crest said, stopping short at his door. His next words were more in line with how Kevin would have reacted had he been in the man’s shoes. “Would you please clear your calendar to take notes?”

Jessie continued walking past Kevin, unaware of what had truly transpired. Kevin waited until both she and Crest disappeared into his office before turning to Taggart, who was holding out a file. Taking it, Kevin then gave his friend some advice.

“I wouldn’t go there if I were you.” Kevin motioned for Taggart to follow him to his cubicle. “Don’t ask me why, but let’s just say Jessie is off limits to you.”

“Now you have my curiosity piqued.” Taggart pulled out Ethan’s chair and took a seat. Ethan had gone into Taryn’s office to discuss specifics on their case. “First, you didn’t tell me that you worked with such a beautiful young woman. Second, I certainly didn’t see a wedding ring on her finger. Third, I thought your interests were wound up with the manager of that club you go to.”

“All of your points would be correct.” Kevin sank into his leather chair and leaned back, sipping on his coffee. Taggart could get his own. “As I said, don’t go there. Just a word to the wise. I’d hate to see you end up getting beaten senseless, at least without being warned off first. Your regular MO could get you killed, if you get my drift.”

Taggart’s gaze travelled to the outer area of the cubicle, obviously not taking Kevin’s advice to heart. Shit, if the poor bastard didn’t want to listen to him, that was his unfortunate choice. Kevin set his coffee behind him on the desk and then opened up the folder Taggart had given him. Inside was a statement by an anonymous person who’d called the station. The male gave a detailed account of the night the latest victim was murdered with the exception of one thing.

“Taggart, where is the description?” Kevin glanced up at the detective, who was obviously waiting for his question. “If he saw the perp, why didn’t you bring the witness in?”

“The call was disconnected, but the officer was able to trace it.” Taggart leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. Kevin had a sinking feeling that the shit was about to hit the fan. “It was a pay phone from a gas station near the south end of town.”

“And the patrol that was sent there? What did they find?”

“A dead man.”

Chapter Fifteen

E
lle managed to catch a few hours sleep on Saturday morning, but her nerves were stretched so thin over this date with Kevin that she’d ended up making coffee and studying her measly wardrobe to pass the time. He’d originally said to wear something warm, but when he’d spoken to her on the phone yesterday, he’d changed his mind and told her to just wear something comfortable.

Comfortable? That excluded her five business outfits that she wore when managing the club. All were pantsuits, with tapered suit jackets. Just because the submissives wore erotic outfits didn’t mean that was how she should dress. Elle was there to represent the club’s management and she did that in the most professional manner. It didn’t matter that she felt moments of envy upon seeing the subs wear next to nothing while enjoying the touch of their Doms, letting their responsibilities fade away into the night.

Elle’s cell phone rang on the nightstand. Her heart rate instantly sped up and she tightened her grip on the handle of her cup. Was Kevin calling to cancel? That would be for the best, before this went any further. She’d tried to warn him and maybe he’d finally seen reason. Leaning forward, careful not to spill any liquid on her bedspread, she snagged the phone. It was Lauren. Elle couldn’t decipher what emotion rushed through her veins. Disappointment or relief?

“Hello?”

“Hey, Elle. I’m coming by in an hour to drop off some new inventory. There was a special order placed by Flint and he asked that it be at the club before he and Shelley arrive.” Lauren designed specialized BDSM equipment by adorning gems to the items, giving them a unique look. There was no doubting the woman’s talent and many of the Doms and subs placed orders with Lauren. “I have Connor’s access card, but if you hear me downstairs, I didn’t want you to think someone had broken in. Also, I’ll need a secure place to leave it. It’s quite expensive, so I was thinking you could put it in the safe for me.”

“Oh. No problem.” Elle tossed the pillow off of her lap and scooted to the edge of the bed. “With the upgraded security system, I highly doubt even the FBI could gain entrance into the club.”

Lauren laughed and in the distance, Elle could hear Connor ask what was so funny. For a split second, she was surprised to hear Connor’s voice, as he would normally be at work but then it dawned on her it was the weekend. Her attention was immediately drawn to the open dresser drawers. She would obviously wear jeans today, but she’d worn her nicest sweater in Wisconsin. Kevin had already seen her in it. Shit, why was this even an issue?

“Elle?”

“What? Oh, sorry,” Elle replied, cringing when she realized she’d missed half the conversation. “Can you repeat that?”

“I said I was wary to call in case you were asleep, but Connor has special plans for me this afternoon and I only have an hour to drop this stuff off at the club.” Elle placed her cup on the nightstand as Lauren continued to talk and then she grabbed a sweatshirt. Holding the phone away from her ear, she slipped it over her head. Tucking the phone back into place and then grabbing her cup, she padded around the partition. “…don’t sound tired.”

“No worries, I wasn’t asleep.” Elle opened the microwave door and placed her mug inside. Pressing the reheating button, she leaned against the counter to wait. “I have—”

Elle broke off her words, berating herself for almost having told Lauren about her afternoon plans. The woman was busy herself and didn’t have time for another girl’s problems. It wasn’t as if they were friends. Emily’s words came back to haunt Elle, reminding her that Lauren and Emily both had tried numerous times to take her to lunch and get to know her better. It was Elle who kept them at arms length.

“You have…?” Lauren questioned, waiting for Elle to finish her sentence.

“I have a date with Kevin.” Elle closed her eyes as the words rushed out and then held her breath. She shook her head, wondering what the hell she was doing. Slowly exhaling, she tried to get things back to normal. She shouldn’t have mentioned it. “That’s why I’m up. Like I said, no worries about the call. I appreciate the warning. You have a great day.”

“Elle, wait,” Lauren called out, her curiosity causing Elle to tighten her fingers on her phone. So much for trying to regain some normalcy. “What time is Kevin picking you up?”

“Um, one o’clock,” Elle answered distractedly, wondering what that had to do with anything. The microwave beeped and she spun around, grateful to have something to do. She tried again to get things on even ground. “If you just put the inventory behind the bar in the cash box cabinet, I’ll make sure that Flint gets his order placed in their personal club storage safe.”

“Elle, would you like some company while you get ready for your date?”

The offer hung in the air. Elle wanted to say yes, but the word wouldn’t come out. She stared into the microwave and had it been a portal to another world, she would have gladly crawled inside. Instead, she had no choice but to stay here and deal with this life that had been given to her. She always reminded herself that she had choices, whether bad or good, and one was looming in front of her. The speed in which her life was changing was a little much and maybe, just maybe, having a small anchor might not be such a bad idea.

“Yes, I would.”

*   *   *   *

“How’s that?”

Elle turned to the standing mirror that was attached to the bathroom door, which was now swung open for full access, and took in her appearance. Her long black hair was left down, something she rarely did. It flowed down her back, while the scarf hung around her neck, giving the front of her some color. The burgundy and brown colors contained rich tones, which brightened what Elle had thought to be a dull brown in the sweater she wore.

“No wonder you’re good at what you do,” Elle muttered, amazed that something so old could look so new. The scarf had been tucked back into a dresser drawer and the sweater had been in the lower one. She’d have never thought to put the two together. Her eyes met Lauren’s in the mirror and Elle tried to convey her appreciation without making this seem awkward. “Thank you for doing this. I know it’s silly, but—”

“Nonsense.” Lauren turned and walked back to the kitchen table where she had a bottle of water. She brushed her auburn curls over her shoulder, took a seat and smiled. “I have an ulterior motive.”

Elle’s defenses immediately went on alert and her body tensed. People usually had an ulterior motive, but she would admit to thinking—wishing—that Lauren’s offer had been different. She waited.