Chapter Eleven #3
Charly shook her head. “I just know it had to be Kerrick who left that note.”
The discussion about her parents had obviously grown too painful or uncomfortable to continue. He hadn’t meant to go back into the subject just now, but the truth was that talking about her parents’ case was far easier than analyzing his sister’s.
“He would do something like that,” she went on.
“And another thing—” she looked directly at Billie then “—how did he know Briana had bought the same beer he liked? He couldn’t have seen the beer clearly in that bag.
And since he wasn’t in the store when she picked it out and paid for it, he had to have seen it after that. ”
“You’re right.” Billie had already come to that conclusion, but he was restraining the urge to pounce on that one detail.
“One of the things I’ve learned from the brilliant attorneys the agency employs is that when being questioned by the police or anyone else relevant to a case, never say more than necessary.
Never offer information that could incriminate you.
Kerrick Rogers incriminated himself. Either because he let his mouth override his brain or just because he wanted to sound like he knew more than we did.
Whatever the case, it bears further investigation. ”
“Do you think he’s realized his mistake?” Charly pushed her chair back, stood, picked up her plate and carried it to the trash can to empty it.
Billie followed and did the same. “If he’s smart it has crossed his mind.” They walked together to the sink.
As she rinsed her plate and fork, her gaze narrowed. “Maybe he sent the note to distract us from focusing on his slip of the tongue.”
Billie rinsed his plate, barely holding back a grin. “That would be my assessment.”
She stacked the plates and forks but left them in the sink and dried her hands. “I’m not sure I can wait until morning. I think we need to go question him right now.”
Billie shrugged. “Let him stew. If we’re right, by morning he’ll be even more out of sorts after worrying overnight.”
“Okay.” She set her hands on her hips. “What do we do, then?”
Loaded question. He exiled the thought. “Let’s talk about who else may have left that note.”
“It was him,” she countered. “Had to be.”
“But what if it wasn’t him?” Billie challenged. “What if it was the guy who was your husband’s friend and who would like to be more than a friend to you?”
She made a face. “Vince?”
“He brought you that truck to use.” The guy definitely wanted her attention.
“Why would he get involved?” Her frown deepened. “He was only about twenty-two or -three when my parents were murdered.”
“People kill at far younger ages,” he reminded her.
“But I don’t think Vince is the killer type,” she argued. “I don’t think he’s ever even had a parking ticket.”
His head went back in an aha gesture. “So you like him, too.”
“No.” She scowled. “I mean, sure I like him as a neighbor. Maybe even a friend. But I do not like him like that. Never. I can’t be around him without thinking about Alex.”
“Why not?” Billie hadn’t meant to ask the question.
In fact, he hadn’t intended to start down this path, damn it.
Who she liked was none of his business and was completely irrelevant to why he was here.
But he hadn’t been able to resist. She made him want to spar with her.
Made him want to kiss her actually…but that would not be a smart move just now.
He desperately needed her help… He could not risk alienating her on any level.
“The truth is,” she said pointedly, hands still on her hips, “I haven’t wanted to like anyone else that way.
Not since I met Alex. I was eighteen years old then.
He was my everything and then he was gone.
” She drew in a big breath. “Actually, I had begun to think that part of me had gone out of business for good.”
Now he felt like a total ass for starting this thing. “I’m—”
“But,” she interrupted, “lately I’ve had these feelings that were so foreign to me that I almost didn’t recognize them.”
Before he could respond, she grabbed him by the face with her hands, drew him down to her level and kissed him hard.
He pulled her into his arms and deepened the kiss. Despite the nightmare of all that had happened and despite his misgivings, he relaxed against her soft body. Lost himself to the feel of her lips on his.
But then he stopped. Drew back. He wasn’t using her to distract himself and although he felt this need for her was more…he wasn’t taking the risk.
“We should slow this down and maybe get some sleep.” He tried hard not to sound so breathless but that hadn’t worked. She made him breathless…made him want her more by just looking at him the way she was at the moment.
“You’re right. We should call it a night.”
But rather than show him to the door, she led him to her bedroom. He didn’t resist. Instead, he slowly undressed her while she undressed him. He kissed his way down her throat. Picked her up and carried her to the bed. Her arms and legs went around him and the rest of the world disappeared.