Chapter 5

Cole knelt on one knee beside Jack. His heart ached. The glassy stare, the blood, the large scissors rammed viciously into his upper abdomen told Cole more than he wanted to know. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Jack had been his friend for so many years that he hadn’t even considered this a possibility. Somehow he’d just thought that they would go on being best friends forever.

But the facts were before him. Only questions remained. Who had murdered Jack? And why?

As if he didn’t know! As far as he knew, there was only one possible reason anybody would want Jack dead. Somebody had found out what Jack was doing with the skeleton. And there was only one person that could be.

Three people knew that Jack had identified Carl’s remains: Tori, Richard, and himself. He knew he hadn’t killed Jack, which left two other suspects. Tori couldn’t kill anybody anymore than his mother could, which left one suspect.

Guilt joined his grief. If he hadn’t told his father that Jack had identified Carl, his friend would probably still be alive. Unable to believe that his father had betrayed him like this, he struggled to hold back his tears.

He needed to remain calm, to think clearly, because Tori would be just as affected by the news as he had been to find Jack. She was a terribly caring person, and she would probably grieve for a while, even though she had hardly spoken to Jack. The last thing he wanted was for Tori to feel obligated to comfort him.

Before he could go to her and explain why he’d sent her from the scene so abruptly, he needed to call the police.

Steeling himself for what he must do, he rose and started to reach for the phone. Then he noticed the calendar. On the right-hand page for that date, his name had been printed in ink next to 9:00 p.m. Oh, no! If the cops found that, he could be in serious trouble.

Cole took the handkerchief from his back jeans pocket and went to the phone. Laying the material across the handset, he picked it up then used his pen to dial 911. When a man answered, he spoke as calmly as he could so as not to give the impression that he might have something to hide. If he didn’t keep his cool, Tori would be even more upset than she must be after the way he’d sent her from the building.

“Send the police to the coroner’s office,” Cole said when an operator answered. “There’s been a murder there.” Then, so the man couldn’t question him, he hung up.

As he slipped his pen back into his pocket, his gaze fell on the calendar again. Concerned that he would be implicated in his friend’s death, he used his handkerchief to tear off the page and stuffed it into his pocket. Then he hurried from the building, quickly wiping his fingerprints from everything he remembered touching.

 ***

        Tori watched Cole sprint across the parking lot. Even before finished digging his keys from his pocket, the car beeped to indicate her door was unlocked. Cole went directly to his door while she got in the passenger side.

Although she was curious, she waited until he was on the street before she questioned him. “What happened in there?”

“Jack was murdered.”

In an instant, her heart went out to him. He and Jack had been good friends, and Cole had to be feeling more than the apparent disinterest that was in his voice. She felt a touch of grief herself, and she didn’t even know Jack. Speaking sympathetically, she said, “Oh, Cole, I’m so sorry. Shouldn’t we call the police this time? The sooner we do, the easier it will be for them to catch the killer.”

“I already did. Now I’m buying us some time. We need to talk to Dad.”

“Why?” she asked, stunned.

“Other than us, he’s the only one who knows about Carl. I hate to say this, but he had to have killed Jack. It’s the only logical explanation. I want to see if I can get him to turn himself in before the cops find out.”

“Do you really believe that Jack was killed because of your uncle?”

“I can’t think of any other motive. Or did he mention another project that would endanger his life when you two were alone?”

“Well,” she admitted, “no, but …”

“I don’t like to think that Dad could do something like this, but I don’t have any other choice. Everything leads back to Carl. Other than you, me, and Jack, Dad was the only person who knew—unless you can come up with another theory.”

“I wish I could,” she said sadly. “I don’t like the things this mystery is doing to your relationship with your father. And I definitely don’t like you accusing him without more information. You should be siding with him, not against him.”

“I want to, honey.” He sighed heavily then admitted, “I really do. It’s just so hard with everything I know, and especially considering the way he was acting the night he got to town, not to mention when I first talked to him on the phone after you got to town. Too much doesn’t add up, and he’s left too many questions unanswered. But I swear to God, Tori, if he would be honest with me …”

She interrupted him. “What makes you think he’s not being honest?”

“I know him. I can tell by every movement and statement he makes, by the inflection in his voice when he talks, by the expression in his eyes. I’m convinced that, even if he didn’t kill Carl, he knows who did.”

 ***

        Richard couldn’t believe it when she’d called him, but now there was no doubt in his mind. She’d hardly changed in twenty-one years. Even her hair was the same shade of red he remembered from the last time he saw her.

“Why did you come here?” he asked as he sat on the edge of the bed. “Why couldn’t you let me handle everything?”

“Because I only trust one person,” she replied, pacing before him. “Me.”

“You used to trust me, and I haven’t done a damned thing to have lost that trust. I can handle Cole now as well as I did when he was a child.”

“Don’t be so sure of that. I’m taking care of things. Go back to the farm with your new wife.”

“Oh, knock it off,” he said, exasperated. “It’s been years since you’ve had any claim on me, and jealousy doesn’t become you. Now why are you back? I thought you were out of my life for good. That was our deal, anyway—my silence for your disappearance.”

“Well, I am back, Richard, and I’m staying until I have what I want.”

“Which is?”

“Assurance that nobody will ever find out what happened.”

“How do you plan to accomplish that?”

“You have to talk Cole out of any more restoration. He has to stop, Richard. He has to.”

“I’m trying, but I can’t push him too hard or he’ll start digging to find out what I’m hiding. That’s his nature, and you know it. He’s always loved a mystery, so he’s not going to stop trying to solve it until he has answers, especially a mystery that directly involves him.”

“I don’t care. Too much has already been uncovered. We have to stop him as soon as possible. The woman he has working for him, too. She’s the one who started all of this.”

Richard shook his head. Not only did she look the same as he remembered, she still had that stubborn streak that nobody could stifle.

“I’ll try again,” he agreed, “but I can’t guarantee anything. Now get out of here. He’s supposed to be here about ten-thirty, and he might run into you on the elevator.”

 ***

        Cole pulled into an empty parking space and stopped the Rogue. Although he started to get out, Tori sat unmoving. On the long ride back to the plantation, she had done a lot of thinking, and she had begun to feel guilty.

With his feet on the ground, he turned toward her and questioned her in concern. “What’s the matter, honey?”

“Nothing.”

Getting back in, he closed his door and faced her as he laid his hand on the back of her seat. “You haven’t said word one since we left the morgue. It’s obvious that something’s bothering you.”

“Of course, something’s bothering me,” she snapped. “Your friend was murdered—probably because he identified Carl’s remains. And he wouldn’t have done that if I’d been able to stifle my curiosity. This is all my fault.”

“No, it’s not, Tori. This would have come out, anyway, because my curiosity would have eventually gotten the better of me. I would have torn down that wall myself. I’m just sorry that you had to find him. It couldn’t have been easy for you.”

He slid his caressing hand over her hair. Even though he stroked her hair tenderly, Tori felt no sparks; no fire began to grow. From the moment they’d walked into the morgue, she’d been numb, and that dazed state had turned into limbo when Cole told her about Jack. Because of her inability to control her curiosity, a man was dead. Who would be next? Cole? His father? Her? What had she done by breaking down that wall?

“Was he married, Cole?” she asked.

“Jack? No, honey, he was single. He didn’t even have a girlfriend. Jack was married to his job.”

“Then I didn’t take away some child’s father? I couldn’t live with myself if I had.”

“He didn’t have any children, either.” Cole ran his hand over her hair one last time then caressed her neck and pulled her toward him. After planting a very brief kiss on her lips, he released her.

Tori gasped as he pulled back and stared at him in wonder. How could such an innocent, dispassionate kiss have sent such wild sparks through her? It was as though everything that had happened that night suddenly disappeared and nothing mattered except getting to a private place where they could continue the embrace.

Cole smiled that seductive, crooked grin and spoke in a low, calming tone. “Now stop blaming yourself. It isn’t your fault, and it’s as simple as that. Are you ready to go upstairs and talk to Dad now?”

“You want me to go with you?” she asked incredulously, more shocked by her response to his unexpected kiss than his question.

“You bet I do. I want him to more than meet you. If he does, he’ll see that I’m not going to let him hurt you. I’ll protect you through all of this, Tori. I won’t let anything happen to you. Let’s go on up now.” He grinned again. “But I’m warning you, you’ll probably have a touch of déjà vu. He’s got your room.”

Instead of holding her hand as he had done on numerous occasions, he casually draped his arm around her shoulders. His fingertips toyed with her collarbone. Again she felt no sparks, no excitement. Why? Just seconds ago she was ready to jump into his bed when he kissed her. Now she felt nothing again. What was happening to her? Why was she hopping from one emotion to another? Was it because of everything that had happened? Or was it because she was losing interest in Cole?

 ***

        As they got onto the elevator, Cole wondered what was going wrong. He wanted to seduce her so she wouldn’t go back out to the mansion, but his heart just wasn’t in it. Apparently, he was too afraid—not for himself, but for Tori. Somehow, whether he was up to the task or not, he had to show his father how deep his interest in Tori was. Somehow he had to convince his father that she was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, whether he was sure if he wanted that or not, which he definitely wasn’t. If nothing else would, that deception, even though his inner turmoil was so strong, would stop his father from hurting her. At least, he hoped it would.

At his father’s room, Cole knocked on the door. In only moments, a man opened it. Glancing at her, Cole noticed that Tori studied Richard curiously, as though trying to determine if they looked alike.

Moving his hand to her neck, Cole directed Tori to the bed. They sat down together while Richard dragged a chair over to sit facing them. As he made the introductions, Cole slid his arm around Tori’s waist and squeezed it tenderly.

“Dad,” Cole said as he smiled at her, “this is my restoration expert, Tori Young. Tori,” He nodded toward his father. “this is my dad, Richard Marshall.” The pair shook hands and greeted each other cordially. “Now that the intros are over, let’s get down to business.”

If I can, he thought as he gazed longingly at the woman in his arm. The craving to feel her body against his was back, and he wanted to get her to his house as soon as possible. He wanted to taste more than just her lips; he hungered for the full flavor of her.

“Fine with me,” his father said without acknowledging Tori. “What did Jack have to say?”

Startled back to reality, Cole glared at his father. “You know what the hell he had to say—not a damned word. Why are you putting on this act? It’s me, Dad, not some fool who just walked out of the nut-house.”

“What are you talking about?” Richard asked innocently.

“I’m talking about murder, damn it. Cold-blooded, premeditated murder. How could you do such a thing? And it wasn’t just once. It was twice. For God’s sake, Dad, turn yourself in.”

Richard stiffened in his chair. Then, after a momentary pause, his eyes widened. “Wait a minute. Are you saying that Jack was murdered? And that you think I did it?”

“Nobody else knew what he was doing for us.” Cole wanted his father to be innocent, but he couldn’t think of one other person who could have murdered Jack. Somehow he had to convince Richard that he would be better off if he cooperated. “Dad, if you turn yourself in, we’ll go to the police station with you. We’ll do everything we can to get you out of this mess. Although, I don’t know what that could be.”

Tori sat silently, confused by the ease with which Cole used the word we. It was as though he’d been using it for years instead of minutes. Across from her, Richard examined her. The expression of distrust on his face unnerved her, and she instinctively snuggled closer to Cole. He moved his arm upward so his hand rested on her ribcage then tightened his protective embrace. Tori sighed, glad that he was there.

“You can stop looking at Tori like that, Dad,” he ordered. “Because she opened that wall, she’s involved in this with me, and I’m not going to let anything happen to her. Do you understand that? I won’t let you hurt her like you did Jack.”

“I didn’t hurt anybody, son,” Richard denied. “I swear it.”

“You’ve been doing a lot of swearing lately, but that doesn’t mean I believe you. I want to, but I can’t. There are too many coincidences that lead to my accusations. Are you going to join us at the police station or not? I’d hate to have to turn in my own father.”

“Go ahead, son. Turn me in! I’ll be out in no time because I didn’t do anything. I’m innocent, Coleman, and if you can’t trust me enough to believe that, maybe I don’t need you as a son.”

“If you can’t trust me enough to tell me the truth,” Cole returned angrily, “I definitely don’t need you as a father.” With his hands on her waist, he pushed Tori to her feet at the same time he rose. “We’re going to the cops, Dad. And there’s no telling when they’ll be here. Come on, Tori.”

Stumbling along as he pushed her toward the door, Tori glanced over her shoulder. “Good night, Mr. Marshall.”

But he didn’t return her farewell as Cole opened the door and escorted her out. Too confused by what had happened, Tori remained silent. Beside her, Cole strode to the elevator. Even on the ride to the ground level, neither spoke. Tori wanted to, but she didn’t know what to say. Cole was going to turn his own father over to the police. Granted, she’d told him that he should, but it wasn’t what she wanted—especially now that she’d met Richard. She couldn’t believe that he was a murderer, even if Cole himself suspected it.

At his Rogue, Cole leaned against it and gazed down at Tori with a gleam in his eyes. Seductively rubbing her upper arms, he asked, “Well, honey? Are you ready to go to my place?”

“Absolutely not!” she exclaimed in amazement. “How could you even ask after that performance with your father?”

“That’s all it was, too,” he admitted. “A performance. I can’t turn him in. For God’s sake, Tori, the man’s my father. Surely, you didn’t believe what I was saying.”

“I certainly did. I think he believed you, too.”

“I sure as hell hope so. Maybe it will get him to the cops.”

“Then you don’t really believe he killed Jack?”

“Oh, I believe it all right, kind of.” He grabbed her arms firmly and spun around to pin her against his truck. “Now about coming to my place.”

The idea was tempting, especially with his body pressed so securely against hers. When he’d held her in Richard’s room, she’d been shocked by the unforeseen explosion of desire that had blasted through her. But she had also loved the feeling. Still, she couldn’t agree to his suggestion. If she did, he would expect more than conversation. His being her client didn’t even matter anymore. She simply wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment. Until she was, she had to avoid getting herself into a position where she might weaken.

His head inched closer to hers. His green eyes locked with her gaze, and she found herself unable to break the spell. At the last moment, she willed herself to move and turned her head so his lips caught her cheek.

He pulled back, looking down at her in obvious confusion. “Why did you do that?”

“I don’t want you to kiss me,” she replied flatly.

“You didn’t complain in the car.”

“Well, I’m complaining now.” Pushing him away, she darted toward the other side of the lot where her Prius was parked. When he grabbed her arm about halfway there, she glared up at him. “Stop that.”

“Not until you stop running away from me,” he returned irritably. “I thought we were past that. What’s wrong with you tonight, anyway?”

“Nothing—and everything. I want some solitude, Cole. So let me go home.”

“Home?” he asked with his boyish grin.

“To the mansion,” she corrected, studying her hands in the dark.

“You called it home,” he reminded her. “Is that really how you think of it?”

Drawing in a deep breath, she lifted her head to let her eyes meet his. The heat in his shadowed gaze was as obvious as if there had been daylight. There was only one way to combat the desire spreading through her. She had to force herself to remain calm. “It’s where I live, isn’t it?”

“Yes, but you know what they say about home. It’s where the heart is.”

“You’re impossible!” she exclaimed, jerking her arm free. “I’m going back to the mansion. Good night.”

She rushed to her car, got in and pulled out of the lot. As she drove away, she saw that he hadn’t moved.

Wouldn’t he ever understand that she wasn’t interested in romance? she wondered as she drove past him. Just because she was attracted to him—and he obviously knew that she was or he wouldn’t keep making the comments he did—it didn’t mean that she wanted a relationship. She would be content with only her dreams of their making love.

Glancing in her rearview mirror, she saw him cross the lot. She didn’t know why, but she had a feeling that she hadn’t seen the last of him that night.

 ***