How busy could one of two deputies be in a town with less than fifteen hundred year-round residents and the tourist traffic down to boaters, backpackers and fifty-five-plus couples?
Im sure hell get some time off soon.
When he does, you two should go bowling, or head over to the grill for a game of pool. Eileen set a hand on her hip. Youre so practical, the pair of you. All I want is one grandchild before I retire, and what does Zack do? He dates a tourist for two weeks, then drives her down to OHare and says goodbye. Doesnt get her address, home or e-mail. I bet he never even thought to ask for her phone number.
Maybe she wasnt the right one. They were almost at the door. Move, Shannon, he said to his curious Irish setter. Eileen wants to leave.
The big dog barked and began sniffing the womans leg. She halted and rolled her eyes. Doggie treats! I never gave them a thought. Ill run some out here first thing tomorrow morning.
Shannon likes soda crackers. She can snack on those instead.
Crackers? My God, Johnny Grand, did you treat your wife like this?
Now it was Johnnys turn to stare. Excuse me?
She strengthened her grip on her shoulder strap. Im sorry. That was out of line. I just cant help wondering why a couple as lovely as you and Meliana broke apart. Your wifes a skilled surgeon, and yet she bandaged more knees and treated more stings and bites whenever she came up here than Dr. Fellrest his souldid in all his time on the lake. The womans an angel.
Wanna bet? Johnny thought with equal parts humor and regret. She has her moments, he agreed.
How did you meet?
Oh, no, she was settling in. Its a long story, really long. Ill tell you about it another time. Right now The phone rang behind him.
Im expecting a call, he lied. An important one.
She patted his arm. You take it, then, and Ill let myself out.
Walk her to her car, Johnny ordered Shannon in a low voice. He picked up. Yeah, Grand here.
I know youre there, Grand, but you should be here.
Johnny waited until Eileen was out of earshot before turning away. Julie? Why the hell are you calling me at he squinted at the burled wall clock that had come with the house eight at night?
Your wife got a rose.
He watched as Eileens 81 Taurus sedan rolled off. What?
Actually, shes gotten five roses in four weeks. Long stemmed, white, from aha-hasecret admirer. And those werent funny ha-has.
Johnny sat on the arm of the sofa. What were they?
Worried. I take it your good buddy Chris didnt call?
About roses? No.
Okay, heres the deal. Someone tried to break in to yourher town house today around five. We thought the alarm scared the guy off. Everything looked okay inside. But later, after wed left, Mel found a white rose in her lingerie drawer. It isnt the first one shes received. It is the first one thats really violated her space. The other four didnt involve a break-in. Also She took a breath and Johnny heard the faint shudder beneath it. Some of her lingeries missing. She figures five or six pieces. One of them is that bustier thing she wore under her wedding dressyou know, the strapless bra slash corset slash garter belt number.
Johnny swore. Did she call you?
Yeah, but only this time. She didnt mention the other four flowers until today. Blackburn was with her when she opened the drawer, but I figuredand I was righthed be as likely to contact you as cut off his foot.
Johnny searched the low tables for his car keys. What are you doing about it?
Theres not much we can do. We dusted for prints, but you know as well as I do we wont find anything. Well also talk to her neighbors. So far, though, it seems like you bought into a complex where people mind their own business. Are you coming down?
Yeah. He checked under the sofa cushions for the keys. Dont tell Mel, okay?
You know, I really hate it when people say that to me. Shes my friend, Johnny. She kept me from getting hysterical when I thought my mother was having a heart attack. Then she very calmly ran the tests and removed her gall bladder. Ill give you two hours before I blab.
Youre all heart, Jules.
He spotted his keys in a ceramic bowl beside the door, grabbed them along with his jacket and whistled for Shannon. Do me another favor, okay?
What is it?
Ask Mel if shes gotten anything else with those roses.
IT WAS NINE OCLOCK when Julie reappeared at her door. Meliana greeted her with a canny You called him, didnt you?
Julie reddened just enough for her to see. You cant possibly know that.
Yeah, right, because I dont know you at all, do I? We only got arrested together in Mindanao and had to spend ten days in a sinkless hellhole shouting at anyone whod listen to us that, no, we werent soliciting and we certainly hadnt been using the act as a cover to deal drugs.
Thats what you get for carrying white powder in your purse.
It was a free sample of Oscar after-bath.
Which we couldnt make them understand, because they didnt bother to run any tests and we didnt speak the languagewhich I thought you said you did.
I speak Hawaiian, Julie. Thats a big linguistic step from the Philippines. Because she really wasnt annoyed, Meliana let the door swing open. Is he coming down?
Unless he forgets to gas up. Always a possibility.
Hey, hes my husbandIll make the nasty cracks. Linking her fingers loosely behind her back, she watched her friend stride along the short corridor, pause, then glance from side to side. Chris isnt here, Julie. I sent him out with patrolman Dick
Dirk.
Meliana smiled. Theyre talking to Mrs. Feldman. Shes the only bona fide snoop in the area.
Everyone I know lives with curtain twitchers. What makes your neighbors so special?
Not special, professional. Most of the people around here dont get home until six or later.
No latchkey kids?
Busy on their computers. Chris made the rounds, Jules. No one saw a thing.
Mmm, well, as I see it, there wasnt enough time for the guy to have hauled butt up to your bedroom, planted the rose, swiped your lacies and hightailed it back out before we got here. That means he either did the deed while you were home and occupied, in which case hed have had fairly free access, or he knows your security code.
Which he rearmed, then set off on the way out?
Julie started for the stairs. He stole your underwear, Mel. You cant expect rational behavior. She glanced up. Is that thunder?
Theres a storm on the lake. Perfect backdrop for a murder mystery.
You need to date again, Julie decided.
I had a blind date lined up for tonight. Thats why Im not as upset as I probably should be about the break-in.
Youre as sick as your underwear thief. Is this the dresser?
Top drawer. White rose lying on a folded black slip. Patrolman Dirk bagged it.
Was it hothouse?
I saw a few spots on the petals. Id guess garden grown.
Youre as sick as your underwear thief. Is this the dresser?
Top drawer. White rose lying on a folded black slip. Patrolman Dirk bagged it.
Was it hothouse?
I saw a few spots on the petals. Id guess garden grown.
Thorns?
Shaved off. Which unsettled her and had her rubbing her bare arms. God, I hope hes not spying on me.
They often do.
Its creepy. Meliana drew her fingers across her throat and fought a chill. I dont want to be a bug under a microscope.
Its a burden, Ill admit. Julie sat on the bed and let herself sink back into the padded headboard. Tell me the truth, Melare roses the only thing this guys left for you?
That Im sure of, yes.
Of course, this could just be the beginning of a more frightening agenda.
Thats reassuring.
Im a cop. I deal in facts.
So do I, but I dont tend to approach patients families and tell them Ill be gutting their sons and daughters. She heard wind howling around the eaves. Andy McRae says its going to be a brisk fall.
And he knows that because?
He maintains the lawns and gardens in the complex. Means nothing, Julie. Your mother knows as much about flowers as he does.
Whereas you and I know nothing. A wry expression invaded her features. I wonder what Johnny knows?
More than me and less than your mom. She heard the door slam open and bang off the wall downstairs. Ah, good, a looming confrontation. I should have gone ahead with that date.
Johnny rushed in as if he expected the intruder to still be there. He had his keys in his left hand and a big red dog at his heels.
Delighted, Meliana went to her knees. Shannon barked and jumped on her. I didnt think youd bring her.
When he realized there were only the two women in the room, Johnny regrouped and shot Julie a dark look. That was a short two hours.
Hey, dont blame me. Julie stabbed a finger at Meliana. She guessed. Count yourself lucky Blackburn didnt find out. Hed have been a wall in your face before you got up the stairs.
Hed have been flat on his ass in the downstairs hallway.
Meliana ruffled Shannons silky ears. I love it when men do the testosterone thing. Johnny, do you even try putting your clothes together?
He frowned, glanced down at his jeans, T-shirt and jacket. Whats wrong with them?
The brown jacket looked as if hed slept in it, the red T was torn and frayed at the hem and his jeans were the oldest pair he owned. Meliana hid her amusement. Nothing, I guess. Kneejerk reaction. I see Shannon swallowed your last hairbrush.
He moved his lips in a perfunctory smile. I wasnt thinking personal aesthetics when I jumped in my truck and raced down here. Is the rose gone?
Off to the police lab to be mutilated. Are you limping?
Eileen Crawford cleaned today. I tripped over the magazine rack.
Which she undoubtedly put back in its proper place. This isnt a big deal, Johnny. Meliana was going to repeat that until she believed it. Some pervert likes roses and underwear. He left one and stole the other. Maybe he just wanted something pretty to wear.
Or maybe hed rather you wore it for him.
Youre not going to be nice and let me delude myself for a few hours, are you?
Instead of answering, he looked around the room. You painted.
Julie and I did.
Its called coconut cream, Julie told him. We thought it was more soothing than the scary harvest gold that came with the place and Mel let you keep because you apparently grew up in a time-warp bungalow with parents who still arent aware that several decades have passed since the mid-seventies.
She means the walls looked dated. Meliana stopped an excited Shannon from hopping onto the bed. Thats a white-on-white quilt, handmade by Johnnys grandmother, Shan. You didnt have to come all the way to Chicago, Johnny. Im having the security code changed tomorrow. And I have a dog here most of the time.
His frown deepened. Where is Lokie?
Visiting my cousin in Joliet.
He made a disgusted sound. The kidsll rip her ears off.
If they do, Ill kick Joeys butt from here to Honolulu. Shell be fine. I taught her how and when to bite.
Julie chuckled. Then she sobered and craned her neck. Damn. Blackburns coming back.
With his sidekick Dick? Meliana teased.
Dirk.
Trying to lighten the mood here, Jules. Climbing to her feet, she ran her fingers through Johnnys rumpled hair. You look like you lost the battle with a wind machine. When his eyesrather stunning eyes, she acknowledgednarrowed, she let her hand fall. I dont think I mentioned this, and Im not sure if its relevant or not, but whites my favorite color.
Yes, we know that, Johnny said.
Lokies a Samoyed, also white. I found her tied up on the front porch right after you moved to Blue Lake six months ago. The vet figured she was maybe five months old.
I thought you said she was a gift.
She was. There was a ribbon around her neck with a card attached to it. It said: A beautiful puppy for a beautiful woman. Shes called Lokelani. I thought the Raymonds left her for me when they moved. There were always new dogs popping up over there. But then the roses started coming, and I started to wonder.
You think the rose guy gave you a dog?
She regarded them both, her husband the FBI agent and her friend the cop. White dog, white rose. She drew a deep breath. The white dog already had a name and, FYI, Lokelani just happens to be Hawaiian for heavenly rose.
Chapter Two
They had a brief and mildly unpleasant run-in with Chris in the downstairs hallway. Johnny and Chris had been friends of a sort once. Then Johnny had gone undercover for two years and a great many things had changed.
He was hitting on you at our wedding, Johnny said as he helped Meliana into his SUV. And he jumped on the first town house that came up for sale in our complex after we moved in.
He likes vaulted ceilings.
He likes you.
I like him back. But like isnt love, and Ive told him that at least a dozen times.
Chris Blackburn has the ability to be selectively blind and deaf when it suits his purpose.
Meliana grinned. Unlike another person in this vehicle, right? Will Shannon be okay while were gone?
I gave her food, water and a big plate of soda crackers.
Youre corrupting her, Johnny. Propping her foot up, she retied the lace of her sneaker. Do you know where youre going?
Where, yes. Why, no. Charlie Lightfoots a nutcase.
Wrong. In actual fact, he solves nutcases.
By picking up psychic vibes from objects, then translating them into emotions and, occasionally, physical traits.
Hey, its highly unlikely the cops will get anywhere with this. There were no prints and no help forthcoming from Mrs. Feldman or anyone else. I want to know who stole my lingerie and why, beyond the obvious, the color white seems to be significant. I know. She cut off his protest. White denotes purity, innocence, virtue.