grimaced. “Said she’d made a big mistake and wanted to pick up where we left off. As if.”
“Yeah.” Charlie nodded. “Once around with her is enough. I don’t suppose she told you she fell on her face in New York.”
Dillon shook his head. “Of course not. You think she’d admit that?”
“Seems she didn’t quite cut it and the producer she took off with got tired of her in his bed.” Charlie shook his head. “Why am I not surprised?”
“I was an idiot,” Dillon said. “Never again. So, what have you got?”
“We got a match on the DNA on your corpse. It’s Bert Redmond all right. No doubt about it.”
“So now what?”
Charlie motioned to the waitress for a coffee refill, waiting until she moved away before speaking again.
“We’ve got a forensic accountant on the trail of the money now that we have an idea which trail to follow. And we’re slowly building the case against Vince Drummond.” He shook his head. “The asshole is still running around blaming poor Bert for everything and acting like he’s more innocent than a new babe. But we’re going through every movement he’s made for the past two years. There are strings there to pull, and we’re tugging away on them.”
“What do you want to do about the body?”
“If you can hold onto it for a little bit more I’d be very grateful,” Charlie told him. “I don’t want anyone to know who it is until we get Vince wrapped up good and tight.”
Dillon nodded. “No problem. Just keep me in the loop.”
“You can even get in on the arrest, if you want to.”
Dillon rubbed his thigh, a gesture that had become almost automatic for him. “Thanks, but I think I’ll pass. I’ve had enough excitement in my life.”
Charlie gave him a questioning look. “So you really like it out here? It’s not too quiet for you?”
“Quiet is good. And yeah, I’m happy here.”
“Now if you could just find the right woman to settle down with.”
Dillon’s thoughts immediately flashed to Jinx, naked in bed, her body flushed with sated hunger, her lips swollen from his kisses. He thought about her sense of humor and how easy it was to be with her.
No. Don’t go there.
Anyway, they’d only really been together twice. Hardly enough time to get to know anyone. Besides, it was just sex. They’d agreed.
“Dillon?” Charlie’s voice pierced his mental fog. “You already got someone on the brain?”
“Not at all.” Dillon finished his coffee. “I’m living a life of single-blessedness.”
Charlie laughed. “Single is right, but I’m not sure how blessed. You’ll know when the right woman comes along. And she won’t be anything like Naomi.”
“That’s for damn sure.” Dillon rose and tossed some bills on the table. “Good to see you again, Charlie.”
“Same here. And I’ll keep you up on what’s happening.”
The two men shook hands then Dillon climbed in his SUV. He was surprised by the fact that he hadn’t wanted in on the arrest even a little bit. Maybe it was a sign he was finally putting the past behind him. He just wished he had a better handle on his future, especially where Jinx Malone was concerned.
Chapter Six
Two weeks passed and Dillon was still sitting on the dead body, fielding questions and avoiding giving direct answers.
“We can’t move it until we know who it is,” he kept repeating.
Jinx had been as good as her word about not pressing him, something that surprised him. She’d even emailed him two short follow-up pieces she was doing to satisfy the readers, asking him to approve them. He wondered if she was taking drugs. No bloodhound reporter he’d ever met acted like that. Certainly not Naomi.
Just the thought of Naomi made his stomach twist in knots. He wasn’t sure he’d ever get passed what a fool he’d been. An idiot. And if he ever tried, to the scar on his thigh was enough to remind him.
Charlie Whittaker had touched base with him several times since their meeting. The
“Yeah.” Charlie nodded. “Once around with her is enough. I don’t suppose she told you she fell on her face in New York.”
Dillon shook his head. “Of course not. You think she’d admit that?”
“Seems she didn’t quite cut it and the producer she took off with got tired of her in his bed.” Charlie shook his head. “Why am I not surprised?”
“I was an idiot,” Dillon said. “Never again. So, what have you got?”
“We got a match on the DNA on your corpse. It’s Bert Redmond all right. No doubt about it.”
“So now what?”
Charlie motioned to the waitress for a coffee refill, waiting until she moved away before speaking again.
“We’ve got a forensic accountant on the trail of the money now that we have an idea which trail to follow. And we’re slowly building the case against Vince Drummond.” He shook his head. “The asshole is still running around blaming poor Bert for everything and acting like he’s more innocent than a new babe. But we’re going through every movement he’s made for the past two years. There are strings there to pull, and we’re tugging away on them.”
“What do you want to do about the body?”
“If you can hold onto it for a little bit more I’d be very grateful,” Charlie told him. “I don’t want anyone to know who it is until we get Vince wrapped up good and tight.”
Dillon nodded. “No problem. Just keep me in the loop.”
“You can even get in on the arrest, if you want to.”
Dillon rubbed his thigh, a gesture that had become almost automatic for him. “Thanks, but I think I’ll pass. I’ve had enough excitement in my life.”
Charlie gave him a questioning look. “So you really like it out here? It’s not too quiet for you?”
“Quiet is good. And yeah, I’m happy here.”
“Now if you could just find the right woman to settle down with.”
Dillon’s thoughts immediately flashed to Jinx, naked in bed, her body flushed with sated hunger, her lips swollen from his kisses. He thought about her sense of humor and how easy it was to be with her.
No. Don’t go there.
Anyway, they’d only really been together twice. Hardly enough time to get to know anyone. Besides, it was just sex. They’d agreed.
“Dillon?” Charlie’s voice pierced his mental fog. “You already got someone on the brain?”
“Not at all.” Dillon finished his coffee. “I’m living a life of single-blessedness.”
Charlie laughed. “Single is right, but I’m not sure how blessed. You’ll know when the right woman comes along. And she won’t be anything like Naomi.”
“That’s for damn sure.” Dillon rose and tossed some bills on the table. “Good to see you again, Charlie.”
“Same here. And I’ll keep you up on what’s happening.”
The two men shook hands then Dillon climbed in his SUV. He was surprised by the fact that he hadn’t wanted in on the arrest even a little bit. Maybe it was a sign he was finally putting the past behind him. He just wished he had a better handle on his future, especially where Jinx Malone was concerned.
Chapter Six
Two weeks passed and Dillon was still sitting on the dead body, fielding questions and avoiding giving direct answers.
“We can’t move it until we know who it is,” he kept repeating.
Jinx had been as good as her word about not pressing him, something that surprised him. She’d even emailed him two short follow-up pieces she was doing to satisfy the readers, asking him to approve them. He wondered if she was taking drugs. No bloodhound reporter he’d ever met acted like that. Certainly not Naomi.
Just the thought of Naomi made his stomach twist in knots. He wasn’t sure he’d ever get passed what a fool he’d been. An idiot. And if he ever tried, to the scar on his thigh was enough to remind him.
Charlie Whittaker had touched base with him several times since their meeting. The
Similar Books
