“I’ll close up when I’m done, Miss Reynolds. Have a good evening.” Dr. Dick ushered his five o’clock patient into his inner office, and I took my purse out of my desk drawer.
I had one stop to make before I left the building. Ryder.
Maybe I couldn’t get answers out of Daisy, or for that matter Dr. Palmer, but Ryder was a whole different ball game.
Hurrying across the hall, I pushed on the door to his suite and found it unlocked. “Ryder? Come out, come out wherever you are.”
He opened the door to his office and stood there looking sexy as hell. No way would I allow him to distract me with his body this time. I was on a mission.
Pushing past him, I entered his office and took a seat.
“No need for me to tell you to make yourself comfortable. Looks like you’ve got that down pat.” He smiled at me and crinkle lines formed in the corners of his eyes. It only added to his sexiness. Damn him.
I had to stay focused.
“Daisy. I’ve come to talk to you about Daisy. Your sister Daisy,” I added, pointedly.
“Yes, Daisy is my sister.
And before I forget, thank you for being so kind to her.”
I regarded him with open surprise. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You’d be surprised at how some people treat her.” Ryder was unable to hide his bitterness.
I didn’t know what to say.
Instead, I reached across the desk and placed my hand on top of his in a gesture meant to comfort him. He put his free hand on top of mine and I could tell something had changed in our relationship. It had grown a tiny bit, deepened, like a seedling poking through rich, moist soil.
“So, how is Daisy doing? I haven’t heard from Dick lately - except to pay Daisy’s therapy bills. Is she making progress with him?”
“Ah, I, ah…” I stammered and looked down. How could I answer that when I had no idea? Even worse, when I’d never actually seen her in a session before.
“So she isn’t getting any better.” It was a statement, not a question. “I was afraid of that. Dick thought he could help her. Despite what the others told me, I believed him. I wanted to believe him, Becca.”
“I’m sure he’s doing all he can for her,” I said without total conviction.
“Shrinks, neuros. Gypsies might stand a better chance.” He took his hands away from mine and scrubbed them across his face.
“How does Daisy know Max?”
He exploded at me, “Have you seen Chernov near my sister?”
“No.”
His eyes narrowed. “Then how do you know they know each other? Daisy sure as hell didn’t tell you.”
“No, but Max did.”
“You don’t listen, do you?” He leaned forward to emphasize his words. “Chernov is bad news. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay away from him.”
“I don’t see him the same way you do.”
He snorted. “Daisy is forbidden to go anywhere near Chernov. And if he violates that, I’ll kill him.”
The words weren’t spoken as a threat. I knew Ryder meant what he said.
“Max is very fond of Daisy. I know it for a fact. When he and I were visiting Dmitri Ivanov, Max made it clear that I should keep Daisy out of my investigation.”
Ryder slammed his fist down on the desk making everything shake, rattle and roll around. “What the hell are you doing ‘visiting’ Ivanov? Are you insane?” He put his hand up. “No, don’t answer that. Damn Chernov to hell for risking your life around the likes of Ivanov.”
“I asked him to take me there. Max didn’t want to.”
“Max never does anything unless he wants to. Trust me on that. My life would have been a hell of a lot different without Chernov in it. And so would Daisy’s.”
“I think Daisy may be a key to the O’Malley and Blake murders.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“She may know something or have seen something, Ryder. I need to talk to her to see what she knows.”
“No. You aren’t questioning my sister. You’re going to stay away from her. And let me assure you. She doesn’t know anything about the murders. Daisy lives in her own world. A world that we can’t penetrate.” He leaned forward and rammed his index finger against the top of his desk to underscore his point. “I’ll do anything to protect my sister. And that includes making sure you don’t bother her.”
“You don’t scare me,” I said with false bravado.
“I should.”
“Well, you don’t,” I lied.
“Becca, if you’re dealing with people like Chernov and Ivanov, you’re in way over your head. Get out now before you can’t get out.”
“Max warned me about you.”
Ryder threw back his head and laughed. “That’s a good one.”
“Just what is it between you two?”
“It’s ancient history. And that’s how I’m going to keep it.”
“I’m trying to protect Daisy. If she did see something, the killer might come after her.”
“You let me worry about my sister. You worry about yourself.” Ryder stood up signifying he’d had more than enough of our conversation.
“Ryder, let me talk to Daisy. She may know something that could solve this whole mess.”
“Stay away from my sister,” Ryder rounded his desk, practically growling the words.
“Ryder?” I pouted and tried to look pitiful.
“Doesn’t cut it with me, Becca. Save the sad looks. I think we’re done here.” He lifted me to my feet and ushered me out of his office.
“Daisy’s in danger. I feel it in my bones,” I said with conviction.
“Take some Tylenol. And leave my sister alone.” He shut the door after me.
I punched Max’s speed dial on my cell phone. “I need to talk to you. About Ryder’s sister.” I snapped the phone closed. That should get a reaction.
Granddad straightened his tie in the mirror. The tune he hummed sounded vaguely like an off-key version of “Some Enchanted Evening.”
I shuddered involuntarily not wanting to think about what he was going to be doing tonight.
“Higgins’ food is in the refrigerator. Be sure to warm it up to room temperature before you give it to him,” Granddad said as he rubbed the cat behind the ears. Higgins rewarded him with loud purrs.
So this is what it had come to. Not only could I not solve the murders, but I was babysitting the damn cat.
“I think I’ve got his care and feeding down pat.” I reached over to imitate Granddad’s ear-rubbing thing with the cat. Higgins started licking me, and I figured we were making progress until he bit down on the spot he had cleaned.“Ow!” I snatched my hand away and examined it to see if he’d drawn blood.
“Now look what you’ve done.”
Higgins picked a prime spot on the carpet and was doing a good imitation of the dry heaves. Granddad rushed over to him and picked him up, clutching the cat close. “It’s okay, boy. Daddy’s here. Becca didn’t mean to upset you.” He glared at me, and I swear the damn cat copped a Cheshire grin.
“He bit me.” I held out my hand.
“If you hadn’t been waving it under his nose, irritating him, he wouldn’t have been tempted.
A car horn blared, and Granddad dropped Higgins down on the couch. “That’ll be Louisa Mae. Gotta run. Now try not to do anything to cause problems between you and my boy here.” He gave Higgins a final pat and received a lick on his hand in exchange.
This time a bite didn’t follow.
“What time will you be home?”
“That’ll depend on Louisa Mae. Don’t wait up.”
The horn sounded again.
“That is one impatient little lady.” Granddad chuckled and pulled on his suit coat and then winked at me.
I watched Granddad and Louisa Mae greet each other and then shut the door. I was alone with the cat. A perfect ending to a perfect day.
Higgins got up off the sofa and came over to me. I figured he’d rub up against me and then I’d warm his food. Instead of twining around my ankles, he bit me. Hard.
“You damn cat!” I hopped around clutching my hurt ankle. And then he bit down on my other ankle. “What the hell?” In a moment of anger, I wanted to drop-kick his sorry hide across the room.
Then I reeled in my temper.
“Look, cat, you and I have to find a way to get along. Do you hear me?
I’ve had a sucky day. No, make that a sucky month. I’ve got people dying left and right. I’ve got people not talking to me. I’ve got questions and no answers. This is my home, too. I deserve some respect. Not scratches and bites.” Okay, I’d gone around the bend. Here I was trying to reason with a cat. But I swear Higgins had stopped his assault on me and sat there like a statue, appearing to listen to my side of things.
“Truce?”
He meowed and started toward the kitchen. I guess in cat language that meant he’d think about it. But first the important things. Like food.
I warmed his tuna and milk in the microwave, testing the temperature like I would for a baby. I put it down, certain he’d turn up his nose, but he changed his stance and began nibbling at it like he was doing me a favor.
An unexpected knock at the back door startled me. I peeked out through the curtains and there stood Max under the porch light.
I let him in. Higgins stopped eating and scoped him out, smelling his legs and allowing Max to touch his fur. “Nice cat.”
Whatever.
“I got your message. I guess I didn’t make myself clear earlier. You need to stay away from Daisy.”
“No, I think I understood that. But I understood it even better when her brother explained that I needed to stay away from her.”
Max showed no sign of irritation at my use of Ryder’s relationship with Daisy. “I think she’s in danger,” I stated simply.
Max started to wag his index finger at me and then stopped. “You let me worry about Daisy.”
“Funny, Ryder said the same thing. With the two of you protecting her, I guess she’ll be safe enough.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I hadn’t heard that tone in Max’s voice before. Not even when we’d left Ivanov’s.
“I simply meant you are both strong, independent men. I’d feel safe if you were both protecting me.”
He groaned. “Protect you? I put you at serious risk when I took you to Dmitri. I want you to forget that the meeting ever took place, Becca. For your own sake. And for the good of your family.”
I narrowed my gaze. “Are you threatening me, Max?”
“Not I, my-ah sladkaya. But make no mistake, you are dealing with immoral criminals. They kill people for a living. They break the law each and every day. Your life and the lives of those you love mean nothing to them. You cannot bargain with them. You cannot reason with them. I would hate to have anything happen to you.”
I narrowed my eyes, sensing something. “You know more than you’re letting on.”
He took me by the shoulders, speaking urgently. “This is not a game.”
“Who said it was?”
“Rebecca, drop your investigation.”
“I like how you say my name.” I gazed into his dark brown eyes and sighed. He was a hunk. No doubt about it.
He leaned closer. His grip on my shoulders eased, and he caressed my back. I closed my eyes and melted into him.
“No! You are not conning me out of what you want with those sexy lips or yours.” He pushed away from me, clearly annoyed.
I opened my eyes and blinked.
The spell was broken. And Max was headed out the back door without a glance back in my direction.
Higgins eyed me with a look that said, “I told you so.”
“I don’t see you wowing the girl kitties, either.”
He turned his nose and his tail up in the air and stalked away from me.
First Ryder admired my backside and now Max thought my lips were sexy. I think I should be the one purring.
Focus, Becca. Focus. I had to find a way to protect Daisy with or without any help from Ryder or Max. Sure, they were convinced they could protect her. Maybe. Maybe not.
But I wasn’t having one more person die if I could somehow prevent it.
But who could help me?
Who could unlock the puzzle?
Think, Becca. Think.
And then it came to me.
Why hadn’t I thought of this before?
Well, maybe I had. But this time I knew what I had to do.
I grabbed my car keys from my purse and threw on a hoodie. I finally had a plan.