CHIP EYED GARY, waiting for him to answer his question. Lana pinched him again, but he ignored her. She considered herself a tough cop, but Gary was one bulked-up dude. He’d be a serious adversary for anyone, male or female.
“Why the hell should I care?” Gary asked with a shrug.
Chip felt Lana relax.
“I thought I should run the idea by you first, considering how you did me such a solid with that recommendation for ADS,” Chip said.
“Hell, anybody’d be better than old man Jensen,” Gary said.
“Why? Did he make a lot of noise late at night?” Lana asked.
“Nah, he went to bed at nine every night. But he was a nosy jerk, always poking around in my business.”
“Oh,” Lana said. “Good riddance, then.”
“This is a nice neighborhood,” Gary said with an approving glance around him. “It’s convenient to most expressways. There’s a grocery and a pharmacy two blocks away. You already know it’s not too far from the university campus.” He nodded. “You guys would like it here.”
“Thanks, Gary,” Lana said, “because this place is perfect for us.”
“It is, isn’t it, hon?” Chip gave Lana another quick squeeze, and she gazed at him with a huge smile.
“No problemo,” Gary said. “Listen, I’d invite you guys in, but I’m late for an appointment.”
Chip nodded. That sounded like a lie. Or an excuse to keep them out of his house. Maybe he didn’t want them to see new holes in his walls.
“We have to go, anyway,” Lana said. “But thanks.”
“Yeah, you’ve probably got more places to check out,” Gary said. “Later.” He lifted his hand in farewell and moved away.
Chip waited until Gary had entered his home before he released Lana.
“Do you think he bought us as a couple?” she asked.
“Yeah, I do,” Chip said.
“I’m going to rent this house even if I have to do it alone,” she told him.
Chip nodded. He’d figured that much out when she’d kissed him. He’d been surprised by her move, which left him wanting far more than a friendly peck on the cheek.
“If we do move in together,” Chip said, “we can’t behave like we’re mere friends, or Gary will get suspicious.”
“I know that,” she said.
“Do you?” Chip asked.
“Of course.” She narrowed her eyes. “Is that going to be a problem for you? You might have to kiss me on occasion to make it look real.”
Chip dropped his gaze to Lana’s very kissable mouth. “On the lips?” he asked softly.
She nodded, looking uncertain.
“Oh, I think I can manage that,” he said. “So, you’re really going to do this even if I don’t?”
She lifted her chin. “Yes.”
Chip stared at the house she wanted to rent. Typical Lana Lettino behavior. Once she got an idea in her head, she was like a pit bull and wouldn’t let it go. No matter how impulsive the plan. Had she really thought this idea through?
Damn. Could he let her move in next door to a possible murderer without being there to protect her?
“There’s something else,” she said.
“What now?” he said, returning his gaze to her.
Tucking a lock of hair behind her left ear, she asked, “Are you busy Saturday night?”
“Why? Are you asking me out?”
“Yeah, I guess I am. I’ve tentatively set up a double date with Bubba and his wife.”
“Because he’s still on your radar?”
“Right.”
Chip folded his arms. “How did a double date happen?”
“You know he’s married to Tina?”
“One of the twins?”
Lana nodded. “It was actually her idea. I ran into her at the grocery, we started chatting, and I told her you and I were dating.”
“I’m relieved to know we dated before we moved in together.”
A smile tugged at her lips. “You’re a funny guy, Chip.”
“I guess that’s why you can’t keep your hands off me,” he said.
She crossed her arms and glared at him. “So, you’ll do it?”
“Go out Saturday night? Sure.”
“And you’ll move in here with me?”
Chip held up the lease. “I’ll let you know after I study this.”
“Don’t take too long,” she said. “There are other prospects interested in this house.”
WHEN LANA ENTERED the noisy locker room of her station house on Tuesday morning, she still hadn’t gotten an answer from Chip about leasing the house. She’d spent her day off Monday babysitting for her sister so she could work in the field, and had texted him twice. He’d responded that he was still thinking about it, that it was a big decision.
She nodded at her coworkers, their conversation a blur of noise that she was too preoccupied with her own thoughts to join. She opened her locker, stuffed in her purse and withdrew her sturdy work shoes.
The more she envisioned living with Chip and thought about the prospect of kissing him, really kissing him, the more she looked forward to that happening.
She stepped into her shoes. Was she getting in over her head with Chip? None of her past relationships had lasted more than a couple of months. Was she about to get even more screwed up about men than she already was?
Her biggest fear was she’d turn out like her mother, a woman who made lousy decisions about love and life. After her dad had left, her mom had worked her way through a string of disastrous relationships that started fast and ended badly.
Maybe Lana ought to rethink her brilliant plan. Was she repeating her mother’s behavior by moving in with Chip so quickly?
No, of course not. This was a practical decision for two old friends.
Yeah? If so, then why did she fantasize about kissing that old friend?
She jerked the second shoelace taut and tied a bow. Winnie Zeder had called to inform her the house was still available, but it wouldn’t be for much longer. The deal was a good one, especially the part about the first year’s rent money going toward a down payment.
Maybe she should call Winnie and tell her the answer was no.
Lana stood and slammed her locker shut. Patrice Skinner, who used the adjacent locker, shot her a questioning glance. Lana shrugged and offered her friend an apologetic smile.
The hell with Chip. She’d call Winnie back and commit to renting the house alone.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket, signaling a text. She withdrew the device and read a message from Chip.
Zeder agreed to a three-month lease. I’m in. Start packing.
A charge of electricity traced her spine, and Lana leaned against her locker. Was she really going to do this?
Yes, by God, she was.
“Come on, Lana,” Patrice said. “I know something’s going on in your head today, but it’s time to go to work.”
Kelly Wentworth stepped toward Patrice. The two slapped high fives and said in unison, “Make it count.”
This was a ritual the three performed every day in the locker room, before roll call.
“Yeah, make it count,” Lana muttered as she texted Chip her okay.
“Girl, you’d better not stay this distracted on the job,” Patrice warned. “That’s a good way to get dead.”
Lana slipped the phone into her pocket. “Sorry,” she said. Her friend was right. She was on duty and needed to focus.
She slapped Trice’s palm. “Make it count.”
After roll call, where all three squads patrolling their district on the morning shift were alerted to nothing particularly new or exciting by Lieutenant Marshall, Lana’s sergeant, Rudy McFadden, stepped to the lectern.
Spit-and-polish as ever in his crisp gray uniform, Rudy announced, “All rookies remain behind. I need to have a word.”
Lana stiffened. Rudy’s request was highly unusual, so something was up. Had they screwed up somehow?
She exchanged a look with her four other squad members, which today was a mixture of first-year and more experienced officers. The two senior members shrugged, apparently unconcerned since the briefing didn’t involve them, and moved out of the room.
Patrice gazed adoringly at their sergeant. Trice tried to hide it, but Lana knew her fellow rookie thought Rudy had hung the moon. Kelly stood at parade rest, with her chin lifted, waiting calmly for her orders.
Okay. No one else looked alarmed, but what if Rudy had discovered Lana had been investigating Danny’s death? Would he order her to cease and desist just when she’d finally narrowed her suspects? Just when Chip had agreed to move in with her?
But that didn’t make sense. If that was the problem, why ask the other first-years to hang back?
Rudy assessed the assembled group without speaking for several long minutes. His method of torture. Lana shifted her weight. Something was definitely up. There’d been more rumors about corruption in the department. Did it involve her class? God, she hoped not.
“What’s going on, sir?” Kelly asked.
“I’m trying to decide if you rookies are ready.”
“Ready for what, sir?” Patrice asked.
“Congratulations. You’ve passed your probation.”
Lana stared at Rudy. What was he going on about? Everyone from her class had completed a year and finished with probation.
Grinning, Rudy dangled a set of car keys in the air. “And I mean by that, the new fleet finally arrived. You pansies are getting your take-home vehicles.”
The room erupted into whoops of joy.
“Awesome,” Patrice shouted, pumping her fist into the air.
“About damn time,” Sean O’Malley muttered.
Lana swallowed. This of course was welcome, wonderful news for her class. One of the benefits of being a sworn Miami-Dade County cop was the privilege of driving their marked police vehicle home every night. That benefit saved on gas and insurance, not to mention wear and tear on an officer’s own vehicle. In fact, you truly didn’t need a private car if you didn’t mind everyone knowing you were a cop. Neighbors loved the idea because a police car sitting in the driveway next door made an area safer from crime.
Kelly stepped in front of Lana and gave her a stinging high five.
Lana smiled, trying to share in the happiness in the room. She’d looked forward to taking advantage of this perk since her first day on the job. Driving her service vehicle made her feel special, as if she were contributing something worthwhile to her community, as if she were part of something important.
But now she realized with horror that she couldn’t park a police vehicle in the driveway of her new home. Gary Shotwell would keep his big mouth zipped the minute he realized she was a cop. He’d hide his activities and wouldn’t be the least friendly to her or Chip. They’d be pariahs.
Nothing would blow her undercover caper faster than driving a marked police car home.
ON SATURDAY MORNING, Chip placed the last box of books in the bed of his truck. His mother stood beside his vehicle, obviously trying not to cry. He sighed. Why had he ever thought he could live with his parents again?
He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly, inhaling the subtle flowery fragrance she always wore. At least his father wasn’t home to add to the drama. Thank God for that regular Saturday golf game. Although, now that he considered it, his dad had seemed delighted with the news he was moving out.
“Are you sure this is what you want to do, Chip?” she asked when he pulled back.
“Come on, Mom,” he said. “You knew when I moved in it was only temporary.”
She nodded.
“I can’t study here,” he reminded her. “There are too many distractions.”
“But is moving in with Lana Lettino the right thing to do?”
“Why not?”
His mom bit her lip and didn’t reply.
“We’ve been over this. Lana and I have been friends for years.”
“Right. Friends,” his mother repeated.
“Yes, friends. We’re splitting the rent, and I’m only moving ten miles away, not to the other side of the country this time.”
His mother nodded and looked across the street to the Kilpatricks’ house. Chip followed her gaze. Mr. Kilpatrick was in his front yard, adding gas to a lawn mower. Surely his mother wasn’t worried about what people would think?
“No one cares about people living together before marriage anymore.”
“I’m more worried about your feelings. I know you’ve always had a thing for Lana. You were heartbroken when her family moved away.”
“Ancient history, Mom.” Chip gave her a quick kiss on her cheek. “I’ve got to go. I’ve got three hundred pages to read before class Monday morning.”
“You’re certain the rental company delivered the bed?”
“Yes, ma’am, and the chest of drawers. Please stop worrying.”
Kilpatrick revved his lawn mower to a noisy roar, effectively shutting off further conversation. Chip breathed a sigh of relief.
His mom nodded and stepped back.
“I’ll call you later,” Chip yelled as he opened the car door and slid onto the seat, which had been warmed from the October sun. As he pulled away, he looked in the rearview and caught his mother swiping away a tear. He shook his head. He was close to thirty and his mother still didn’t want to cut the apron strings.
But he was so out of here. No matter what happened with Lana as a roommate, he wouldn’t be moving in with his parents again. He’d learned that lesson, at least. If money became a problem, he’d start selling his boards. He didn’t have time to surf anymore.
When he braked in front of his new home, his gaze zeroed in on the for-sale sign still in the front yard. Wrong. This house was no longer for sale. He’d signed the lease himself, handed over the deposit, and Winnie Zeder had given him the keys after completing the walk-through on Wednesday.
He’d been surprised the owner had agreed to the short-term lease, but suspected Lana’s career as a law-enforcement officer had helped their case.
He exited the car, moved into the yard and jerked the sign out of the grass. Lana had been pleased that he’d signed the lease himself, which was a more logical way to handle their situation since she already had a lease and a place to return to. He didn’t. Once her surveillance of Gary ended—however it ended—she could move back to her apartment, and he could seek another roommate on campus.
After he’d moved all of his boxes into his bedroom and finished hanging his clothing in the closet, Chip reassembled the desk he’d brought from his parents’ home. It was afternoon by the time he finished and had his computer set up. No online access yet. That had to wait until Monday, when the cable company arrived. They’d decided not to install a landline.
Chip stood and stretched, feeling a satisfying crack in his back. He had to get to work, but first needed sustenance. Fortunately he’d visited the grocery store during one of the trips to deliver his belongings. A man did have to eat.
On his way to the kitchen, he peeked into Lana’s room, which contained nothing but a rented bed and a chest of drawers, delivered at the same time as his since, for now, she’d decided to leave her apartment intact. She was on duty until three o’clock, but she’d begin moving in tonight. He expected to see her around six o’clock, after a trip home to pick up a few boxes of her own.
Then they were headed to Bubba’s house for their double date, which had turned into dinner while the Dolphins played a rare Saturday-night home game. Thankfully Bubba owned a flat-screen television. Chip hoped Lana would bring some kind of TV with her.
Unsure how he felt about the upcoming evening with Lana, Chip considered how she had changed since high school—she possessed a lot more sharp edges now. Time changed everyone, but the years seemed to have been harder on her. Obviously Dan’s murder had rocked her world.
Chip’s gut tightened at the thought of how she’d investigated him. How the hell could she have ever, for one nanosecond, thought he could murder anyone—much less her brother? Apparently she didn’t know him any better than she’d known Dan. Chip pushed away the resentment. What good did it do?
So why had he agreed to Lana’s crazy plan to move in together? Sure, he needed to get the hell out of his parents’ house, but he hadn’t even looked for another roommate and had barely started the search for a small apartment.
Was it because he felt guilty over the cover-up the team had perpetrated after Dan’s murder? The idea had seemed plausible eight years ago, the right thing to do. Yeah, he did feel responsible for that screwup and now wanted to help bring Dan’s murderer to justice.
Or was his mother right? Did he still have a “thing” for Lana despite how she’d treated him? For sure he’d been protecting her forever, even if she didn’t know it. Or trying to, anyway. First from her father, and then from her brother.
What would it be like living with her? And how much time would they actually spend together with their busy schedules? Considering the circumstances, maybe it would be better if they didn’t see each other too much.
Would she sleep here tonight, after their date, or go back to her apartment? He closed his eyes against a sudden image of thrashing around in that bed with Lana, and quickly turned away. They were going to be roommates, friends again maybe, and nothing more.
And he couldn’t let go of the idea that she could consider him capable of murdering Dan, for God’s sake. She’d known him her whole life. How could she possibly believe he could be that person? And why had she never seen Dan for who he really was?
Before Coach’s retirement party, it’d been eight long years since he’d even had a conversation with Lana. She’d drifted into his thoughts every now and then during that time. He’d never completely forgotten about her, but what did they really know about each other at this point?
What he knew about her was that she was relentless, fixated on solving an almost-decade-old murder. Whether she believed it or not, that fixation could put her in serious danger, and his worry about that danger was the real reason he’d decided to move in.
Chip entered the kitchen, noting his prized coffee maker on the counter. No way could he study without hot black coffee. He opened a bag of freshly ground beans and made the first pot in his new home. He removed the only item from the cabinet overhead: his favorite mug.
Obviously they needed to stock the kitchen. Would Lana bring supplies from her apartment?
While the coffee brewed, releasing that familiar fragrant aroma into the room, he made a turkey sandwich, using his pocketknife to add mayonnaise. Once he had returned to his bedroom, he opened his huge tort textbook and groaned at a new thought.
Had Lana truly eliminated him as a suspect? Maybe part of her motivation for moving in together was to keep an eye on him, along with Gary. Just great. Would she snoop around his business, suspiciously looking for clues?
No question these new living arrangements would alter their tenuous friendship. Time would tell how much. Most likely she’d either clear Gary or find evidence to convict him within a few weeks. They might not even be speaking to each other by that time.