Hometown Detective (Cold Case Detectives Book 6) Read online

  She hit the ball hard and it crashed into the hole. “Now you know the background of me and my twin sister, how we got separated anyway.” She sank all the solids except the eight ball. Roman had all of his striped balls still on the table.

  Calling the corner hole, she shot the eight ball there. Then, smiling slightly, she held her cue stick upright. “What about you? Everybody has a story. What’s yours? Do you have any tragedies haunting you?”

  His childhood had been heaven compared to hers. Heaven compared to most he met. He supposed he should be happy she didn’t use her past to segue into her sister’s case.

  “The only tragedies I’ve experienced are the ones victims tell from their graves.” He inserted more coins. “I’ll break this time.”

  He racked the balls. As he leaned over and broke, he wondered how Kendra had gone from a runaway to a shop owner. She looked young for her age. Late twenties instead of forty-one, just a couple years younger than him.

  He sank two solids. Grinning at her, he moved to his next shot.

  She smiled back. “You haven’t told me about your childhood.”

  “Nothing to tell.” He made his next shot and sank another ball. “I was an only child of an apothecary and a crime novelist. I grew up in a fantasy world.”

  “Crime novelist.” She tapped her forefinger on her lower lip. “William Cooper... The William Cooper? The Australian?”

  “You’ve heard of him?” His father was a popular novelist but not the Stephen King variety.

  “Who hasn’t heard of him? Wow. You’re the son of a celebrity. And Australian. You have a very subtle accent.”

  “I was basically raised in the States.”

  “You do have a Rick Grimes kind of look to you,” she said.

  Great. She thought he looked like the star of The Walking Dead. “My dad’s not really a celebrity.” He made his next shot and missed. “That was your fault.”

  She laughed lightly. “And your mother is a what? What’s an apothecary?”

  “She bought an old pharmacy and turned it into an apothecary museum. She studied chemistry in college and developed an odd fascination with herbal medicine.”

  “That’s not so odd. What’s odd is they have a son who became a crime detective.” A band had begun to play and she started tapping her foot to the beat.

  “That’s odd?”

  “Well...maybe not since your dad is a crime novelist. But your profession isn’t as...fascinating as theirs.”

  “Are you always this blunt?” He didn’t dislike that about her.

  “Best way to be. I wish everyone treated me the same.” Still holding her stick upright, her enchanted expression smoothed and her foot stopped tapping as though something came to her. “Wait a minute. I know that museum. It’s here in Chesterville.” She sucked in a breath. “Are you from here?”

  She caught him. They now had a connection. She lived in his hometown. “It’s your turn.”

  “You are?”

  “Are you going to rob me of my chance to beat you?”

  Laughing, she went to make her move, missing the striped ball. “How is it that you’re from here and assigned to my sister’s case?”

  “There is no case yet. My boss made me come. He did that on purpose.”

  “So you could see your family? How sweet. A lot of bosses aren’t like that.”

  “I didn’t want to go see them.” This might venture into the Too Personal zone. When he’d lured her out tonight, he had done it with the intention of sharing a night with her before he went back to work in Wyoming or wherever the need took him. He hadn’t anticipated getting to know her and she him.

  “What? Why not?”

  He leaned over the table, aiming his stick.

  “You do have a tragic story to tell.”

  “No, I don’t. I just didn’t feel like seeing them now, that’s all.” He hit a ball and it plunked into a hole.

  “They’re your family. Don’t they know you’re here?”

  Standing up, he turned and stepped toward her, stopping close. “I came here to see you.” He moved around her to make his next shot, sinking another ball.

  “Is it because they’re so much larger than you?”

  “No. I love my parents and they love me. I had a painfully normal childhood.” He dropped another ball.

  “What is that?” she asked as though she didn’t know.

  “Normal. Bedtime stories.” He’d had lots of those. “Be home by ten. Eat your vegetables. Don’t drink. Don’t smoke. Don’t do drugs. You can do anything you put your mind to do. Love you and hugs.”

  “What’s so painful about that?”

  She didn’t get it and he wasn’t going to explain. His childhood had been painful because it had been so idyllic. But idyllic hadn’t prepared him for the world. All the encouragement to do what his heart told him hadn’t opened his mind and soul to awareness of what his heart told him. His heart hadn’t told him anything. He’d gone to school to become a crime detective because he’d always been fascinated with his father, his imagination, his success. He’d never achieve that kind of success. He had to be satisfied with what he had.

  He continued to drop balls up to the eight. He was going to cream her. Noticing her slanted smile, he sensed her good-sport realization that she was going to lose.

  Moving to make the final shot, he stopped close to her again, seeing her sparkling green eyes get all flustered again. “Any last words?”

  She breathed a shaky laugh, one born of attraction.

  He called the hole and won the game.

  Wandering over to him, she held her stick in one hand, not having to tip her head back much to look up at his face. He took in her relaxed face that held a hint of flirtation and felt himself responding. “Are you as good at dancing as you are at playing pool?”

  “Yes. And I love country music.”

  Good because he liked the song the band had started playing.

  * * *

  By the eighth or ninth song, Kendra wrapped her arms around Roman as the melody slowed. She couldn’t remember having this much fun with anyone. They’d drunk more beer and danced the night away. Last call had been announced and she regretted the night coming to an end. She’d forgotten all about why he’d come to town. She cherished moments like this, when the world’s ugliest blows fell away and only celebration lifted her.

  She didn’t think Roman paid much attention to how or why they’d ended up dancing this close, either. Maybe with whatever kept him from seeing his family he needed a getaway, too. Or maybe this had nothing to do with getaways. Maybe they just liked each other.

  She leaned back to see his ruggedly handsome face, so dark and edgy with those light gray eyes that could be a wolf’s. His gaze moved down to her mouth, and then slowly rose to her eyes. The beer must be clouding both their judgments.

  “All right, folks, time to close up.”

  Realizing the band had stopped playing and had begun to pack up their equipment, Kendra stepped back from Roman.

  “Why don’t you come back to my hotel room with me and convince me why I should start calling this a case?” Roman asked.

  “Do you expect me to seduce you into taking it?”

  “There’s nothing to take yet.”

  “Stop saying that,” she said, unable to repress a soft laugh.

  “And no, I don’t expect you to seduce me. I’d rather this night not end so soon, that’s all.” He swung her into a music-free turn and bent her over his arm.

  “Me, neither.”

  Grinning, he lifted her up against him.

  “Why is that?” she asked with her mouth close to his.

  “Let’s not think about it.” Moving back, he took her hand and led her from the pub.

  With her head fuzzy and light, she stepped outside with h
im. “For the record, I’m not going to sleep with you.”

  “Good.”

  She laughed because she heard what she’d been thinking and feeling, that together they’d enjoyed the evening and wanted to keep the momentum going.

  Chapter 3

  Maybe they just liked each other?

  Kendra rolled her head to the side to see Roman’s sleeping face not three inches from hers. She lay in the curve of his arm, with her breast, ribs, hip and leg pressed against him. Thankfully, she still wore her clothes and he his. But how in the world had the night gotten so carried away?

  What the hell had she been thinking?

  After arriving at the hotel room, Roman had taken care of her, all without infringing on her privacy. She almost liked him. The unpredictability caught her off guard. She hadn’t seen their connection coming. And she had completely forgotten he never answered her question about why he didn’t want to see his parents.

  What kind of man was he? She knew nothing about him personally.

  Easing away, she sat up, and then stood from the bed. Tiptoeing to the door, she quietly left the room. Finding a pen and notepad, she scrawled a note, her last-ditch effort to get him to change his mind about investigating Kaelyn’s death.

  * * *

  Standing outside Kaelyn’s best friend’s small two-story Victorian, Roman leaned against the trunk of a tree. He hadn’t given in to the nagging compulsion to investigate Kendra’s twin sister’s death. Yet. He kept telling himself that. Spending last night with her changed the dynamics. The note she’d left, too.

  Now he felt something for her. He didn’t think he’d ever had so much fun with a woman before. Hanging with her had been like hanging with one of his buddies. Add the bonus of her hot body and he couldn’t stay away.

  He should have left hours ago. He should be deep into investigating a real murder. Like a magnet, Kendra had kept him right here.

  “My sister was murdered,” she’d written. “I’m going to talk to Kaelyn’s best friend in two hours. With or without you.”

  Then she’d signed her name, a pretty scrawl.

  Since that’s where he now stood outside waiting for her, he must have already given in. She’d baited him with that note, probably even planned a visit with the best friend on purpose, to draw him in. He felt the resolve settle in and take hold. Yeah, he wasn’t going anywhere. Even if he proved her wrong and Kaelyn’s death was suicide, he’d stay until the end. He’d investigate her case.

  And yeah, he’d even started thinking of this as a case—but only because of what she’d brought to light about being in contact with her long-lost sister. Why had Kaelyn kept her reuniting with Kendra a secret? He had to find out.

  He wished he could smoke.

  Really. Why was he doing this?

  Because she’d go forward without him. Her note told him that much.

  Because in the off chance her sister had been murdered, she’d put herself in danger.

  Because...

  Because he cared.

  A few minutes later, Kendra drove up and parked. She saw him before she got out, shock registering before she smiled. She smiled a lot. Her sunny disposition had infected him for sure.

  He headed across the street.

  “You’re going to scare her standing out here like a stalker,” she said.

  “At least she’ll be expecting us.”

  He experienced a flare of attraction when he noticed she wore another sexy pantsuit.

  “What’s the matter?” she asked. “You look mad.”

  Mad? Hungry might be a better word. “Don’t make me start smoking again.” Passing her, he walked to the house.

  “How would I make you smoke again? You smoked?” She eyed him as though he didn’t fit the stereotype. “When did you quit?”

  “Six months ago. I only want to smoke when I get agitated. You made me stay and take your case.”

  “At least you’re calling it a case now.” She winked at him, infecting him more.

  Stopping at the door, he rang the bell as he absorbed her beautiful profile, lips still curved smugly.

  Blaire Bancroft answered the door. “Kendra.” She turned curious eyes to Roman.

  “Hi, Blaire. This is Roman Cooper. He’s the private detective I hired to look into Kaelyn’s death. Would you mind telling him everything you told me?”

  So Kendra had planned to trick him into coming here. Of course she would have already talked to her.

  “Oh.” Her frown told Roman she didn’t understand the need. “Sure. Come in.”

  Before arriving here, Roman had asked an analyst at DAI to look into everyone close to Kaelyn. Blaire and Kaelyn had gone to school together and had both married out of high school. Blaire had stayed in Chesterville. Her husband worked as a mechanic at a local garage and she stayed home with their kids. They’d waited and had them later in their thirties. Kaelyn had left town when her winner of a man dragged her to another town.

  Roman entered behind Kendra, and then stood beside her in the small foyer. Blaire’s toddler played on an old, faded rug in front of a television in the small living room. The scuffed wood floor needed refinishing. Through a wide archway, the kitchen looked messy. Breakfast dishes remained on the table and the counters needed a scrubbing. Busy mom.

  “How are you?” Blaire asked Kendra. “I hear your shop is doing amazing. I’ve been meaning to stop in.” She glanced at the toddler, who threw a stuffed monkey in the air and then sat transfixed by the Sesame Street episode. “I hate taking him in public, though.”

  Kendra laughed a little. “I can see you have your hands full. We won’t take up much of your time. Roman just has a few questions for you.”

  Roman loved how she unabashedly volunteered him.

  “All right. Sorry for the mess. I was just about to start cleaning the kitchen. It took me a while to get him to settle down.” She thumbed over toward her child.

  “How close were you with Kaelyn?” Roman asked, a standard first question.

  Blaire glanced at Kendra as though surprised she hadn’t told him. “Very. We were best friends through school and after.”

  “You remained close after school? After you were both married?” That would be important if Kaelyn revealed something no one singled out as significant.

  “Yes. We talked on the phone a lot and I saw her when she came back to Chesterville, which she did quite often. Her husband only trusted her to go see her mom.” She shook her head with a slight roll to her eyes. “Weird that he’d let her do that but not go out with friends when she was home. Kaelyn must have been able to snow him for once. He must have believed her.”

  “Tell Roman about how you suspected Kaelyn was having another affair aside from the one she had with Jasper,” Kendra said.

  Blaire looked from him to her, taking some time to think. “I wasn’t really suspicious. One time, she came over and had to leave early. I noticed she seemed anxious. I thought she must have had another fight with her husband, but she said she had another stop to make before she had to get back to her mother’s. I asked her where she was going and she wouldn’t say. She just changed the subject.”

  Kaelyn must not have shared the part about the second lover with anyone. Roman supposed he should have sat down with Kendra before coming here and allowed her to explain all she knew so far. Or make sure she did. She’d held out on him, probably for this reason, to get him here and to get him much more curious about the case.

  What about Jasper? Kaelyn must have known Jasper could take care of himself. But then, she must have been having this affair here in Chesterville at the same time, so why tell him? And if her husband didn’t trust her with anyone but her mother, she must have been very sneaky to avoid detection.

  “When did you last see her?” Roman asked.

  “Oh, about two weeks before she
died. I spoke with her the day before, though. She told me Jasper broke things off and she was pretty upset over that.”

  “Did she talk about her husband?” Roman asked.

  “No, not that time.”

  “But she did previously,” Kendra said, guiding the direction of the questioning.

  “The time before that, when she came to Chesterville, we met for lunch and she had a bruise on her lip,” Blaire said. “I had already suspected her husband was knocking her around. She tried to cover the bruise with makeup but I noticed. I’ve never seen her so low as she was then. She talked about wanting to close her eyes and not wake up so she wouldn’t have to go home to him. She scared me. I didn’t want to leave her alone, but she insisted.”

  “Don’t you think it’s possible her husband killed her?” Kendra asked.

  “Oh, I’m sure he would have, eventually.”

  “Did she ever talk about leaving him?” Roman asked.

  “Well, sure. All the time. But it was more like a daydream. I think she was too scared to try.”

  “Jasper told her he’d help,” Kendra said.

  “And he also told her he wouldn’t be with her. If she was having an affair with someone else who frightened her as much or more than her husband, she didn’t have much to look forward to.”

  Roman agreed that only supported her suicide. “You think she killed herself?”

  “It’s what the police think. She wasn’t happy. She never talked to me about killing herself but I can see how she’d be driven to that point.” She looked harder at Kendra. “Do you really think she was murdered?”

  “I think it’s a definite possibility,” she said. “Whenever I talked to her or when I saw her, she didn’t seem like someone who was about to off herself.”

  “Maybe she didn’t want you to worry,” Roman said.

  He earned a glower from her.

  “Thanks for talking to us, Blaire,” Kendra said, then turned to him again. “Let’s go.”