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  “No, he’d just purr a robber to death.”

  “Reason I got to thinking about it all of a sudden is that your hubby made bail. I suppose you know about that damn jury.”

  She diplomatically decided not to mention the fact that she also knew the mishandling of the original investigation by the sheriff’s office had contributed to the jury’s indecision. His insinuation that she needed a lock to keep Alex away was offensive, but for now she decided to let it slide. She said, “Yes, isn’t that wonderful news?”

  A frown drew his brows together and when he changed position, she was aware of the creaking sound of his leather holster. “I guess that depends on your point of view.”

  “I just have a feeling that everything is going to work out great.”

  “It almost did,” he persisted.

  Resisting the urge to turn around to make sure Alex wasn’t on his way out the door, she added, “Is there something I can do for you, Sheriff?”

  “Just a friendly word for an old friend’s niece,” he said, his gaze never leaving her face. “Alex Chase is rotten through to the core, just like his father and his brothers. It wouldn’t surprise me if he turns on you, next.”

  “Why would he turn on me?”

  “Maybe you know something he doesn’t want you to talk about.”

  “Like what?”

  “Little details, things you might not even know you know. How about I come out to your place tomorrow afternoon and we’ll have ourselves another conversation about the night your uncle died. I’ll bring along a few tools and install a decent lock for you while I’m there.”

  “That’s not necessary,” she said, thinking fast. She couldn’t decide if she should mention Alex was living with her or not. Surely, he already knew, didn’t he? Didn’t Kapp’s deputies keep track of things like that? “I took care of it,” she said cautiously.

  “Good, glad to hear it. I’ll be to your place right after lunch, okay?”

  “Fine. I have nothing to hide.”

  Sheriff Kapp grinned. “Now, Elizabeth, everyone has something to hide.”

  “Do you say that from personal experience, Sheriff?”

  Kapp chuckled. “I swear, there’s a little of your uncle in you, after all.”

  Liz decided she’d think about his remark later, but she was pretty sure he hadn’t meant it as flattery.

  His expression grew serious and it seemed to Liz as though he was ready to touch her arm. At the last second, he tucked his hand in his jacket pocket instead. “If someone is chasing your uncle’s fortune,” he said, “then you’re the next one in line.”

  “That’s absurd.”

  “I hope so. Don’t worry, though. We’ll have Alex Chase back in custody before you know it.” With another tip of his hat, he nodded.

  Liz watched him sprint back across the street where he hooked up with his deputy and the two of them entered a small cafe on the corner well known for its fish and chips. Relieved that Alex hadn’t come outside, she thoughtfully re-entered the restaurant, moving through the tables as quickly as her bulk allowed.

  Was it a coincidence that Kapp had shown up on this street when she just happened to be standing there? Since he didn’t seem to know Alex was staying at the house, did that mean he was following her?

  Alex wasn’t at the table. She looked around the restaurant and saw him leaning against the brick wall in back, talking on the phone. She also saw the turned heads of nearby diners and knew the fact that Alex had dined at Tony-O’s would spread through the small town like a rabid brush fire. Joining Ron and Emily, she took a deep breath. Her stomach had immediately retied itself in a knot.

  “You look contemplative,” Ron said as she sat down.

  “I just ran into Sheriff Kapp.”

  Emily’s sharp intake of breath was followed by a hasty search of the restaurant. Did she expect the long arm of the law to reach right into the restaurant and snatch Alex away? This reaction surprised Liz who thought Emily’s reserve about Alex would be a lot harder than this to wear down. “The sheriff?” Emily gasped. “Here?”

  “It’s okay, Emily. He’s gone. I’m so glad you listened to Alex.”

  “I can imagine how much it meant to you to learn that Alex is innocent,” Ron said. “However, frankly, I don’t know how much of his story Emily believed.”

  Emily had recovered her composure. To Liz’s dismay she said, “Not very much.”

  “He told us he’s innocent,” Ron said.

  “What good is the word of a murderer?” Emily insisted.

  “I believe in him,” Liz said gently. “Totally.”

  “But he confessed. You have to be cautious—”

  “He said there were details he couldn’t talk about,” Ron interrupted. “I don’t think he likes Sheriff Kapp much.”

  “That’s true,” Liz said, once again appreciating Ron’s levelheaded insight. “The sheriff won’t rest until Alex is convicted. In fact, he’s coming out to my place tomorrow after lunch to interview me again. I know Alex doesn’t want me telling the sheriff the truth—I’m just not sure what to do.”

  “I think you should listen to your husband, Liz,” Ron said.

  Emily shook her head. “How can you say that? Alex Chase is a murderer.”

  “He’s not,” Liz said yet again. Glancing from one to the other, she added, “Don’t tell Alex about Kapp, okay? He has enough to worry about right now. He’s trying to protect me from everything and everybody.”

  Emily pointed over Liz’s shoulder and said, “Speak of the devil.”

  Alex put his hands on Liz’s shoulders as she turned to gaze up at him. “Are you okay?”

  “The fresh air helped.”

  “Are you hungry?” he added. “Shall I order something for you?”

  “No, really, I couldn’t eat a bite.”

  “I just talked to Dave down at the station. Are you ready to go?”

  Liz decided she’d rather face Kapp than more of Emily’s blatant animosity. She said, “You bet.”

  Alex put on his jacket and took out his wallet. “Lunch is on me,” he said firmly as he laid money on the table. Looking at Ron, he added, “Thanks for listening. I appreciate what a good friend you’ve been to Liz during these…trying…times.”

  Ron retrieved Liz’s purse from her chair and handed it to her. “Liz is special to a lot of people, Alex.”

  “And you’ll be wise not to forget that,” Emily added.

  “Emily!” Ron snapped.

  Emily looked at Liz. “If you need anything, and I mean anything, call me…or Ron.”

  “I will, thanks.”

  “She’ll be fine,” Alex said. “I promise you.”

  Emily opened her mouth, apparently thought better of what she’d been about to say, and closed it, her attention riveted on her untouched salad.

  “You two run along,” Ron added. “I’ll try to get through to my hardheaded sister. If there’s anything I can do to help, just ask.”

  Alex said thanks and Liz promised to call Emily. As Alex took her hand, Liz realized how tempting it was to believe things were eking their way back to normal, and yet that wasn’t really true and might never be. Studying the faces of the many acquaintances who watched them leave, she wondered, was the murderer among them? If he or she was, what did they make of Alex’s hand wrapped around hers?

  “You are aware that your friend Emily is trying to marry you off to her brother, aren’t you?” Alex asked as they stopped in front of Liz’s car. She’d swept the street with a frantic glance as they emerged from the restaurant; Kapp’s car was still parked across the street but he was apparently still inside the cafe. She breathed a sigh of relief.

  Alex’s truck was parked a space away. That truck was yet another of his belongings that Liz hadn’t gotten around to getting rid of.

  She said, “Don’t be silly.”

  “Don’t be naive. She hates me.”

  “She doesn’t even know you.”

  “Whic
h means she hates me because of what she’s heard about me.”

  “She and Alex have been staunch allies, Alex.”

  “Staunch allies of yours.”

  “Whatever.”

  “And they both know you filed for a divorce, right?”

  They not only knew, but Emily had actively encouraged her. She’d pointed out that Liz was young, she had a baby to consider, a future. Alex was as good as gone—forever.

  Liz spared Alex this information. Instead she said, “Twenty-four hours ago, this entire town was under the impression you were a murderer because you told them you were. Emily doesn’t know you well enough to accept your word as quickly as Ron does. You have to give her a while.”

  “I don’t have time to win a popularity contest.”

  She shook her head.

  “I’m sorry,” he added with a sigh. “I have a feeling Emily isn’t going to be the only one in town who will feel that way about me.”

  Liz unlocked her car door and slid inside. “Thank you for telling them you’re innocent. No matter what, they’re friends and I don’t know how I could have kept seeing them and talking to them without them knowing.”

  “Ron is a good listener. I told him just about everything except about your scarf and your late-night visit to your uncle. Those details have to be kept secret, honey. I’ll meet you at home after I see Dave. We need to talk.”

  Liz had a very quick internal dialogue about whether or not to set Alex straight regarding such mundane things as respecting boundaries when this greater issue hung over their heads like smoke hangs over an imploding volcano. She decided she might as well be honest with him. She said, “You shouldn’t have followed me today. I told you I was going to a business meeting. You showing up like that made me feel as though you didn’t listen to a word I said.”

  “But it wasn’t business.”

  “That’s not the point. I just want you to know that from now on, you need to respect my independence.”

  One hand on top of the car, the other propped on his denim clad leg, Alex leaned down. His face was so close she could smell his aftershave. It had been months since she’d sniffed this exact odor and the way it came when mixed with his body heat. It made her head swim.

  “I have nothing but respect for you,” he insisted.

  She made herself get over the arousing sensation of his proximity. She made herself get over the desire for him that seemed to permeate every inch of her body and grew stronger with each passing moment. “Good. I’ve been on my own for six months.”

  “On your own because of me.”

  “And in some ways, it’s been a good thing.” At the hurt expression that flashed in his eyes, she added, “Don’t get me wrong, I would rather be part of a team than all on my own, but that means I’m an equal partner, not a child.”

  “I never think of you as a child, honey. You are all woman, every little delicious bit of you.”

  She nodded. “Well, as long as we understand each other.”

  “I think we understand each other, don’t you?”

  She wasn’t even sure what he was talking about anymore. Giving up, she returned his smile. “Perfectly.”

  Chapter Four

  Thanks to the phone call, Dave was outside waiting when Alex pulled up in front of Ocean Bluff’s only fire station.

  “I don’t think you’d better come in right now,” his friend said as he met Alex a few steps from the truck. He accepted the bag filled with his brother’s clothes and tucked it under one arm. Dave himself was a wiry man who barely came up to Alex’s chin.

  “Battalion Chief Montgomery heard about the new trial but he still thinks you’re guilty as hell,” Dave added.

  “Great,” Alex said, looking longingly at the station house, the doors all open. He could see the three red engines parked in the bay, all as shiny as the day they came out of production. He knew the big cardboard box inside to the left was used to collect toys for disadvantaged kids. This place had been his second home for three years; it might never be his to enter again and that thought created still another layer of ache in his heart.

  “It’s politics,” Dave said, glancing over his shoulder. He seemed nervous, which wasn’t his normal state by a long shot. Any man who could share the responsibilities of raising three little kids under the age of four, let alone maneuver seventy feet of hook and ladder through the narrow roads of Ocean Bluff, had to have nerves of steel.

  “Most of the guys think you got railroaded,” Dave added, lowering his voice a notch or two. “The rest think the old man pissed you off to the point where you were justified in stabbing him. Some of them think you should have received a medal or something. But Battalion Chief Montgomery, well, you know how he is.”

  Cautiously, Alex said, “He’s the logical choice for Fire Chief when Purvis steps down next year. He’s also as honest as the day is long.”

  “Plus he and Sheriff Kapp are suddenly buddies.”

  Alex stared at Dave. “What do you mean?”

  “Kapp was here earlier today.”

  “What did he want?”

  “I don’t know. Montgomery doesn’t exactly confide in me.” He looked over his shoulder again. His behavior made Alex jumpy and he found his gaze straying to the towering brick building, too.

  “Listen,” Dave said, his voice barely more than a whisper. “I’ll ask around. Meanwhile, this is a lousy spot to hold a serious conversation. I’m off tomorrow. Why don’t you come by the house? Ginny is taking the kids Christmas shopping so we’ll have a little privacy.”

  “Sounds good,” Alex said. “There are a few things I’d like to explain to you.”

  Dave nodded tersely and backed up a few steps, effectively cutting short Alex’s inclination to clap him on the back or shake his hand.

  Alex drove off wondering what was going on. Dave had said Chief Montgomery and Kapp were buddies. Did it matter? Alex couldn’t see a connection or that even if there was one it pertained to him, but it was bothersome, nevertheless.

  Well, no matter what Dave dug up, telling him the truth about the night Devon Hiller died would feel great. Even talking to Ron had been a relief. Emily—well, Emily was another matter.

  Just how much sway did that fiercely protective woman have over his wife? he wondered. Hopefully, not too much because she was going to be one tough nut to crack. Would he try for Liz’s sake? Absolutely.

  What wouldn’t he do for Liz’s sake? After high school, after years apart, they’d been lucky enough to find one another again. He’d known immediately he still loved her. The miracle occurred when he discovered she still loved him.

  Would she really leave him when and if this was ever resolved? Once before, he’d felt it all slip away from him. Those weeks of sitting in his cell had been a nightmare. Then the trial, the divorce papers, the hopelessness—

  When Liz had told him last night that she hadn’t killed her uncle, he’d felt a surge of hope he was not going to relinquish. Liz loved him, he knew she did. She was just feeling the shock of having her husband back, looking out for her. He understood how hard-won this new independence of hers was. She would have to learn how to balance being self-reliant and protected by the man who loved her because he wasn’t going to go away.

  He pulled up beside Liz’s car. The rain had stopped and the sun was struggling to get through the high, wispy gray clouds. He spent a second looking at the grove of towering redwood trees that dwarfed the single story white house and felt the sense of peace he always felt when he knew he would see Liz within moments.

  As soon as he got out of the truck he heard himself hailed by Harry Idle, an apt name for a man who seemed to do very little except watch satellite television and keep track of his only neighbor’s comings and goings. Alex wasn’t too fond of Idle, but he walked out toward the fence to meet him as the older man sauntered across the country road.

  “I heard on the television that they let you go,” Idle said as he came to a halt. The balding sixty-year
-old had put on a few pounds since the last time Alex had seen him and after that bit of mild exertion, was breathing heavily. His weight was probably pushing three hundred and he smoked like a burning building.

  Alex said, “For the time being.”

  “I figure you did the community a favor by killing Devon Hiller.”

  Should he protest or get away? That one was a no-brainer. “Well, see you around, Harry.”

  But Harry was just getting wound up. Leaning against the mailbox post, he added, “That man ruined half this town when he put in that shopping mall. I had a nice little shoe store until Devon Hiller came along. Couldn’t afford to relocate at his fancy-schmancy mall so it went down the tubes. I haven’t had a decent job since. That’s when the Mrs. left me, too. And now, all these years later, my little girl is in a drug rehab program for the third time, all because our family got busted up by that tyrant. Downtown used to bustle. Now it’s dead. That’s all because of Devon Hiller. I’m just sorry someone didn’t put an end to that geezer twenty years ago.”

  “I really do have to run,” Alex said.

  “Can’t tell you how many times I thought of doing it myself,” Harry said, adding with a vaudevillian wink, “and I’m not the only one thought that way.” Pounding Alex on the back as though they were coconspirators, Harry lumbered back across the road.

  ALEX FOUND Liz at the table, spooning canned soup into her mouth in such dainty little sips that it made his heart flip in his chest. Raised in a family of men, spending his adult years around still more men, the feminine way she had of doing everything from applying lipstick to painting her toenails always fascinated him.

  She looked up and smiled. “Hunger finally got the best of me,” she said. “Don’t let Sinbad out, okay?”

  Using his foot, he gently nudged the cat back inside before closing the door. “I’ve been meaning to ask you. Since when don’t you let the cat out?”

  She shrugged and averted her gaze and he suddenly understood. The answer was simple: since he went away. “How did everything go down at the station?” she asked.