Читать книгу Exposing Casey - Deanna Lee - Страница 7

My new neighbor is a jogger. The kind of jogger women plan their mornings around. I encountered him, sweaty and wearing a pair of little red shorts, when I was leaving for work. He’d held the door for me, told me I looked great, and disappeared inside. For the love of God, I had no idea how I was going to get anything done, ever again.

By the time I’d gotten to the gallery, I’d managed to push Shawn and Connor both out of my mind enough to actually think. The few looks I’d caught from people told me that everyone was curious about my sudden departure and return; but the only people that needed to know why knew and even understood. I glanced toward Jane’s office. The blinds were open and she was staring at her computer screen like it was cursing her out. She looked out at me and motioned me to come in.

Great, she was going to share the pain. I grabbed my handheld and went into what most of the staff considered the lion’s den. Jane was a great boss, but she was also something of a taskmaster and some people found her difficult to please. I pulled the door shut behind me and sighed.

“Inquiring minds?”

“No questions as yet.” I walked to the grouping of chairs in front of her desk and picked one out. “What are you staring at?”

“Kenneth Victor.”

Yuck. I hated that guy. “No.”

Jane chuckled. “He’s good money for the foundation and you know we can’t ignore him. James wants him in here for a special focus show at the end of summer, which means, being the anal-retentive person he is, he will be here tomorrow to measure the space he has and make plans with us for it.”

I could feel it coming and I wanted to get up and bolt from the room before she had time to say it. I slouched down in the chair. “Just say it and get it over with.”

“He’s requested to work with you while he is here.”

Sorry bastard. Of course he had. He’d done two other shows with the gallery and both times, I’d had to work with him at his request. Keeping a high-ticket artist like Kenneth happy kept the foundation in money. Since the Holman Foundation funded an arts academy, a halfway house for abused women, a cancer hospice facility, and several youth centers throughout the city of Boston, I couldn’t very well do anything to damage its chances of making money.

“This sucks.”

“I know, and I’d do it myself but he’s such a diva when he’s crossed. You don’t have to have contact with him outside of the gallery, and if he tries to even hold your hand you’re to report it immediately.” Jane pursed her lips. “I don’t like it, you know. I realize that Milton forced you to play hostess to him and you can tell me ‘no.’ He’ll make do with me or Mercy.”

“You know he won’t.” I frowned. “I guess I can take one metaphorically for the team. But if he touches me, you’ll know about it from the wails of pain you hear.”

“Understood.”

She didn’t look comfortable; and I knew she wasn’t very happy with herself for even asking me. It made it easier to think about doing. Because at the very least she was as angry about it as I was going to be in the morning. Kenneth “barely human” Victor had a reputation for being irrational and very difficult to work with. Anybody that didn’t jump to the snap of his fingers was working against him and that was his most charming quality.

“Men don’t take rejection well.”

“No one takes rejection well,” Jane corrected. “I take it you had another conversation with Connor?”

“Yes, he came by my apartment. I guess he was hoping to talk me out of it.” When I’d first started working directly for Jane, I called her Ms. Tilwell, and never got personal with her. Now, a year and a half later, she knows just about everything. She’s one of those women who inspire trust and faith without even trying.

“You’ll both move past it eventually.”

“Well, I had two weeks alone to think about what I wanted in my life. He spent the last two weeks trying to figure out what he could say to make things right again.” I shook my head and stood. “I need to clear out my schedule for tomorrow.”

“Give me anything you can’t pass to the admin staff.”

“I sure will.” And I was going to start with the ladies’-club luncheon I’d agreed to attend. We all hate them, and I’d drawn the short straw last month when we’d decided who would go. “The club luncheon is tomorrow.”

She sat up straight in her chair. “You’re kidding me.”

“Nope.” I smiled sweetly and walked to the door. “At least the food will be good.”

“Who could enjoy food with all of those rich ancient socialites?”

I left with that question unanswered. Jane had her issues with the profoundly wealthy and it was a subject we’d disagreed on in the past. I grew up with my maternal grandparents, and I’d grown up much the same way as those rich old socialites we all hated to dine with. They might be drowning in money, but most of them were generous and thoughtful with it. Back at my desk, I found a message from Shawn about the security system.

The phone rang a few times before he picked up.

“Detective Shawn Tranner.”

I smiled. His voice was nice and made me a little warm, which was irritating. I wasn’t about to jump into another empty physical relationship with an emotionally unavailable man. “Hello, this Casey Andrews.”

“Ah, yes, my mysterious neighbor. I’ve made an appointment with a security firm to install the system. They’ll need access to your apartment.”

“When?”

“Thursday at one p.m.”

“I’ll put in on my calendar.” I picked up my handheld and tucked the headset between my shoulder and neck. “Detective, huh?”

“I got my gold badge about two years ago.”

“So you don’t work the street?”

“Only as an investigator.”

Not as dangerous, I thought. I glanced toward Jane Tilwell. Jane had been a cop in Georgia until she’d been shot in the line of duty. “Well, I was thinking I could bring home something for dinner and we could get to know one another.”

“Sounds good. I’m on shift until about six.”

“Pizza or Chinese?”

“Chinese is good.”

I relaxed a little in my chair and smiled. “Good. I’ll see you then.”

Ending the call, I began to self-lecture. The sexy jogger neighbor was off limits sexually. He had to be. I can’t jump from one man to another like some woman on a cable show. Well, I shouldn’t jump from one man to another. My sexuality had always been both a hindrance and an asset for me. I enjoyed sex and liked to have it, a lot.

I figured that ending my relationship with Connor, such as it was, would have some rather frustrating repercussions. However, my body was not in charge of my life and I was finished with heeding its call over my better judgment. Detective Shawn Tranner was my neighbor and would remain just that.

Rearranging my calendar to accommodate Kenneth Victor was as irritating as just about anything can be. Kenneth was a talented artist and worked in many forms. He had several homes and one was in Boston. Since he’d only just finished a run in New York, I’d figured it would be six to eight months before he’d come back to Boston for another show. I’d been mistaken, and it was irritating. He’d never done a small special-focus show so I hadn’t anticipated that interest. It would allow for a smaller, more limited, collection and it would require more of my attention.

The first time I’d met Kenneth he’d asked me out. Milton Storey had been the director of the gallery at the time and had insinuated strongly that I should do anything to make the artist happy. I’d told them both to shove it. Milton hadn’t been stupid enough to fire me for it. Thankfully, that troll had been gone from the gallery for quite a while.

“Kenneth Victor?”

I looked up from my computer. Mercy was standing there. “Yes?”

“The last time he was here he asked for you specifically. This time he’s asking that you personally handle not only his arrangements but also his show.”

I flushed bright red with embarrassment. “I’ve done nothing to encourage his requests.”

“I realize that.”

“We all do things we hate for the sake of the foundation.”

“Yes.”

“If he gets out of line, I’ll take care of it.”

“Just keep me informed.” She frowned and crossed her arms. “I don’t like it at all.”

“I appreciate that.” I smiled and almost laughed. “I really do. I can take care of myself, promise.”

“The guy from last night?”

I shoved my chopsticks into the rice in front of me and picked up the little box it was in. “Well, we had a relationship. It’s over and he didn’t exactly agree.”

“Men don’t appreciate having their supply cut off.”

I glared at him briefly and then started to laugh. “Very rude thing to say.”

“I’ve gotten a good look at that body you’re hiding in that big T-shirt. Can’t see how I can blame the man for being a little pissed about losing you.”

I couldn’t help but preen a little under the warmth of his gaze. Shawn Tranner was the kind of man who made a woman feel sexy and feminine with just a look.

“He never really had me.” I grabbed a pack of soy sauce for the rice and met his gaze across my coffee table. “How about you? Got a girlfriend, militant ex-wife, or a side piece?”

“No, yes, not right now.”

“So why did you get divorced?”

“I wanted children and she didn’t. I thought we could talk about it and she took a surgical option to prevent accidental pregnancy.”

“Nice.”

“I came home from a conference and she was recovering from having her tubes tied. Stunned barely covered my feelings on the subject. She’d altered the course of our future without even giving me a choice. I filed for divorce.”

“I take it she wasn’t happy?”

“No. She considered our divorce a failure and Dana doesn’t do failure. By the end of it, I’d forgotten why I ever loved her in the first place.”

“Ouch.” I sat back against the couch and poked that rice a little before snagging a piece of chicken out of one of the containers between us. “How do you like the neighborhood?”

“It’s interesting. Everyone I met was happy to have a cop on the block.”

I had no doubts. The neighborhood was full of widows and single women with children. I’m sure half of them had spent the morning loitering on their front steps to watch him jog around in his little red shorts. It had occurred to me that I should warn him about that, but it would also be sort of amusing to watch the women chase him around. I could even get some cookies or brownies out of it. Lois across the street made amazing peanut-butter cookies.

“Tell me about your job.”

I glanced up from my food and smiled. “You’ll find it boring.”

“I promise to at least pretend to be interested in it.”

“Okay, I’ll remember that. I’m a buyer and negotiate the resale of fine-art pieces for the Holman Gallery. The gallery is the cornerstone of the Holman Foundation. It’s also my job to supervise the administration staff for the gallery and work as Jane Tilwell’s assistant. So, I wine and dine artists on occasion as well.”

“And Jane is?”

“The assistant director of the gallery.” I snagged a piece of broccoli from a container near him and shrugged. “The foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping children and families in Boston. We use the money we make with the gallery for the arts academy and the shelters.”

“It must be very rewarding to know that every day you help someone else have a better life.”

Yeah. That was pretty awesome. “A world without art would be a boring world.” I tilted my head and looked over his face. He didn’t look like he was pretending. “So, what about you? Why are you a cop instead of an accountant?”

“Well, math was not my favorite subject in school. I studied criminal justice in college with the intention to go to law school.” He shrugged, but I could tell the question had made him tense. “Four months from graduation, I decided that law school was not in my future. Nothing extraordinary happened…I had the grades and had already been accepted into three schools. I just didn’t want it. With the degree I had earned, I had a few options. Law enforcement satisfied my sense of justice and would allow me to put my degree to some use.”

“And your parents?”

“They were upset at first, but they love me, so they got over it and even managed to throw one hell of a party when I graduated from the police academy.”

“Good.” I couldn’t say the same. My grandmother had been absolutely furious when I’d left California and moved to Boston. She didn’t speak to me for a year, and still resented that I hadn’t returned when she’d demanded it. “Having family support is very important.”

“What about your parents?”

“I believe that they would be proud of what I’m doing. They both died in a car accident when I was three. My grandmother raised me.”

I rarely discussed my family. So it was a bit surprising that I’d answered his question without even thinking about it.

“The two of you don’t get along.”

I jerked and raised one eyebrow at him. “What?”

“The moment you mentioned her, your whole body tensed up. It’s my job to read people and their reactions.” He leaned back against the couch and picked up his water. “You didn’t live up to her expectations?”

“She wanted a doll.” I sighed. “As I child and well into my teen years she picked out my clothes and basically ran my life from the moment I woke up to the moment I went to sleep. She would have structured my dreams if she could’ve. My mother hadn’t done what she’d wanted. She’d married the wrong man, had the wrong child, lived the wrong life, and died the wrong death. My grandmother was never abusive, but she cut herself off after the loss of my mother.”

“So, she had your life all planned out?”

“Oh, yes, even picked out a man.” I rolled my eyes. “If you could call him that. He was a mama’s boy through and through. He didn’t cross the room without asking his parents if it was okay. Have you ever met a grown man that allowed himself to be called ‘Scooter’?”

He laughed softly. “No, saw a few on TV.”

“Right.” I shook my head. “It’s disgusting, and I could just imagine what kind of life I’d have with him. She thought she could control me all of my life, but the day I turned twenty-one I inherited the money my parents had put in a trust for me.”

“And you came to Boston?”

“I finished my degree and yes, moved to Boston.” I put down the chopsticks and grabbed my water. “She was unhappy at first, now she’s just bitter. I guess she figured she could keep me under her thumb with her money. But, I want to think that even without my parents’ money I would have come here and started the career that I wanted.”

I’d been telling myself that for years and I still wasn’t even sure I bought it. It was certain that I resented her dominant presence in my life, but would I’ve come across the country to escape her without any money? Dwelling on it would only lead to a sleepless night, so I pushed it aside.

“And now?”

“We exchange cards on the holidays and talk once a month.”

“It’s a shame.”

“You’re close to your family?”

“Yeah, we’re a big rowdy bunch but it’s fun. The holidays are always loud.”

It sounded almost foreign. In my grandmother’s house, I hadn’t even been allowed to speak at a function without being addressed. She was of that school of thought that children should be seen but never heard. Honestly, I’m surprised I came out of it at least halfway normal.

“So you’ve broken up?”

The casual tone of the question caught me off guard and I paused to consider my words. “We want different things. I want to make a life, have children, and grow old with someone. He’s more interested in the world and exploring all it has to offer. I doubt he’ll stay in Boston another year. I thought in the beginning that I could make him want those things, with me. If he wants to marry one day and have children, it became very obvious that he didn’t consider me the one.” I shrugged and glanced around my apartment. “I guess eventually I might want a house outside the city, but maybe not. Nature is sort of overrated.”

He laughed and shook his head. “So, no walks in Boston Common for you?”

“Maybe when Harvey comes back from the vet.”

“I wondered where the little pug I saw earlier in the month went.” He inclined his head. “And his name is Harvey?

“Yeah.” I pursed my lips and then laughed. “When I first brought him home he slid around the floor a lot because it was so slick. He hit walls a lot.”

“Harvey Wallbanger.”

“Yeah.”

He chuckled. “Cute.”

I liked his face and his smile. It was way too soon to be thinking about another man in my life. I glanced around the table at our mess and then stood up. “Well, we made a mess.”

Shawn stood as well and helped me gather the boxes and plates. “I’m going to have a home security system put in tomorrow when the guys are here setting up the security door. Would you like one installed as well?”

“Yes, that would be great. Can you call me when they are here so I can come home?”

“Not a problem.”

I snagged my purse from the countertop and rummaged through it to find a card. I pulled out the little silver case and flipped it open. “This has my cell phone number on it in case I’m not at my desk.”

He tucked the card into his front pocket and nodded. “So why is Harvey at the vet?”

“I’m getting him fixed.”

Wincing, he shoved his hands into his pocket and sighed. “That’s horrible.”

I laughed. “Not really. It’s important to keep unwanted births down and he has gotten out a few times to try and visit the people across the street. Of course, they have a female Great Dane.”

“He’s ambitious.”

“Indeed.”

Shawn checked his watch and sighed. “I gotta run. I need to go in early in the morning so I can take the afternoon off.”

I followed him to the door, resisting the urge to find another conversation to have that would keep him with me. Foolish thoughts flitted around in my head. “Thank you for handling this security thing. I really appreciate it.”

“It’s no problem. I’d feel better about you being here alone once we have the security door set up.”

“I can take care of myself.”

“I’m sure.” He reached out and almost touched my face before he apparently thought better of it. “But why should you have to?”

Great question. I had no answer, so I smiled. “Next time you see your mom, you tell her she raised a nearly perfect man.”

“Nearly?” Shawn asked and tried to glare.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure there is something wrong with you; I just haven’t figured it out yet.” I inclined my head and looked him over. There had to be something wrong with him.

“Let me know when you do.” He glanced toward the front door of the building and then focused on me. “Make sure to put your chain on.”

I nodded, but frowned. “We’ve never really had problems with crime in this neighborhood. I mean, some jerk tried to take your grandmother’s purse about two years ago, but she laid him out with her walker.”

His eyes widened. “You’re shittin’ me, right?”

“No.” I laughed. “It was a sight to behold. The guy was begging for the cops to take him away by the time they got over here. He tried to get in the cop car before he was even handcuffed to escape her. It took me a half hour to talk her into coming inside. As I said, Lavone was a stubborn woman.”

“Yes, she was.”

“Make sure to check your back door before you go to bed as well.”

The back door led to an alleyway and a Dumpster. I only used it when I had to take out the trash, but I nodded and agreed to check it before going to bed.

Once I shut the door and pulled the chain into place, I leaned against it and started to go over the reasons that I could not allow myself to tangle up with another man so soon. There was no real way to tell if Shawn was just as unavailable as Connor had been. True, he’d at least tried marriage once, but it could have left him bitter about commitment. I doubt he trusted women all that much, considering what his ex-wife had done.

I made quick work of turning out the lights before I went down the hall that led to my bedroom and the narrow back door that led outside. Just short of the small utility room that the hallway spread out into, I paused. I hadn’t taken out the trash since I’d returned from vacation, but the back door was ajar. Slowly, I backed up a few steps and glanced around. If someone was in the apartment with me, I hadn’t heard them.

Fear slid over me and rooted me to the spot momentarily. I heard about home invasions all the time on the news, but those stories had almost always seemed so surreal to me. The thought of it happening to me had never crossed my mind. Forcing myself to back up, I resisted the urge to turn and run. I wanted to see what was coming at me and I was relatively sure if the burglar was still in the apartment that he was in front of me instead of behind me.

The moment I realized I was wrong, my world came to a stop. In one horror-coated second, the wood floor behind me groaned softly under the weight of another person and I was shoved against the wall. I screamed, but he cut me short with a sharp jab in my side.

“Shut up.”

The whisper was fierce and determined.

“I don’t keep anything valuable here. There is a laptop in my bedroom and some cash in my purse. Just take it and go.”

“I’m not here for things, Casey.”

Oh, God, anything but that. Despair clouded around my heart and I squeezed my eyes shut. “Please don’t kill me.”

“No, I wouldn’t dream of destroying something as beautiful as you.”

“Casey!”

I jerked at the shout of my name and the man behind me yanked me back against his chest and covered my mouth with one gloved hand. “What happened to the old bitch who lived next door?”

It had dawned on me already that this man knew me, even if I didn’t recognize the voice.

“Casey!”

There was a loud snap of wood breaking and the man released me.

“Shawn, hurry!”

The intruder shoved me to the floor and darted out. The back door slammed behind him.

Strong hands were suddenly pulling me from the floor. “What’s wrong? I heard you scream!”

I pointed toward the door with shaking hands. “It was open. Someone was in here.”

“Stay here.” He released me and pulled a gun from the back of his jeans as he ran toward the back door. “Call 911, ask for a unit, and tell them there is an officer on the scene that needs assistance.”