it would be like to be cross-examined
by Deputy D.A. Maldonado.
He thought fast. He didn’t want to lie. Nor
was it advisable, since his history with Joan was hardly secret. “I
know her,” he allowed. “More to the point, I know the family. And
when I compare Joan Gaines to Treebeard it looks to me to be pretty
cut and dried who’s the more likely suspect.”
Silence. When Alicia finally spoke, her voice
was cold. “It surprises me that you’re not even willing to consider
the possibility that this case might not be all sewn up. I thought
reporters were supposed to keep an open mind. Naive of me. But then
again, what do I know? I’ve never been off the peninsula.”
She glanced at her watch then abruptly stood
up, reached into her purse, and threw a twenty-dollar bill on the
table. “I have to go. Good night.” She grabbed her overcoat and
headed for the door.
Damn . “Alicia …”
But she was already gone. He grabbed his own
overcoat and pulled out his billfold, extracting a twenty. The cold
air when he exited the bar hit him like a slap.
He followed her across the parking lot at a
half run, then reached for her arm when she stopped at a car. She
shook him off, digging into her purse, apparently for her key. Her
breath rose like a soft white cloud in the chill air.
“I’m sorry if I offended you. I certainly
didn’t mean to. And let me pay for our drinks. Here ...” and he
tried to hand her the twenty.
“Forget it.” She ignored the outstretched
bill. “And you didn’t offend me. I’m just surprised you have such a
rosy view of the rich and famous.” She found her key and poked it
into the lock. “Though I shouldn’t be, since you’re one of
them.”
“Hey, now, wait a minute.” He stepped between
her and her car, its door still closed. “That’s not fair. You talk
about me having a closed mind?” He reached out and made a brushing
motion on her right shoulder, as if he were trying to get something
off.
They were standing so close together, her
breath puffed in his face. “What are you doing?”
“I’m trying to knock that chip off your
shoulder.”
She pushed back hard against his chest, her
eyes angry. “You’ve got a lot of nerve!”
There was no thought on the path from impulse
to action. He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her body toward his
own, swiftly capturing her mouth. Her lips resisted at first, then
parted, and he felt her body meld into his own. Not soften; it was
far too passionate a motion for that. Vaguely he wondered what had
possessed him to do what he was now doing, and with such enjoyment.
Admiration, attraction, sheer curiosity had pooled to form a crazy,
mixed-up brew that had gotten the better of his common sense, yet
he couldn’t say he was sorry. His hands were in her hair, he
realized, as he twisted her head this way and that to get his fill
of her. He had the fleeting idea that would not happen soon.
All at once she pulled back and stared at
him, her eyes flaring and her mouth almost swollen from the
ferocity of their kiss. She held up a warning finger and opened
that delicious mouth as if about to say something, but then
abruptly shut it again. Words failed her, apparently. They failed
him, too.
He stepped back to allow her room to get into
her car. She turned the ignition and revved the engine, backing out
soon and driving away just as fast. He watched her, unable to look
away until at long last her taillights disappeared into the
fog.
Chapter 6
“This is a hell of a way to spend Christmas
Eve, Alicia.” Louella Wilkes sat in the passenger seat of Alicia’s
silver VW bug, staring out the window and complaining. “This is
pointless. Carmel PD already did this interview. What do you expect
to get that they didn’t?”
“It’ll only take a few hours. I’ll get you
back to the office by three.”
“Does Penrose know about this?”
“Of course not.” Penrose would have a cow if
he thought Alicia was spending one
by Deputy D.A. Maldonado.
He thought fast. He didn’t want to lie. Nor
was it advisable, since his history with Joan was hardly secret. “I
know her,” he allowed. “More to the point, I know the family. And
when I compare Joan Gaines to Treebeard it looks to me to be pretty
cut and dried who’s the more likely suspect.”
Silence. When Alicia finally spoke, her voice
was cold. “It surprises me that you’re not even willing to consider
the possibility that this case might not be all sewn up. I thought
reporters were supposed to keep an open mind. Naive of me. But then
again, what do I know? I’ve never been off the peninsula.”
She glanced at her watch then abruptly stood
up, reached into her purse, and threw a twenty-dollar bill on the
table. “I have to go. Good night.” She grabbed her overcoat and
headed for the door.
Damn . “Alicia …”
But she was already gone. He grabbed his own
overcoat and pulled out his billfold, extracting a twenty. The cold
air when he exited the bar hit him like a slap.
He followed her across the parking lot at a
half run, then reached for her arm when she stopped at a car. She
shook him off, digging into her purse, apparently for her key. Her
breath rose like a soft white cloud in the chill air.
“I’m sorry if I offended you. I certainly
didn’t mean to. And let me pay for our drinks. Here ...” and he
tried to hand her the twenty.
“Forget it.” She ignored the outstretched
bill. “And you didn’t offend me. I’m just surprised you have such a
rosy view of the rich and famous.” She found her key and poked it
into the lock. “Though I shouldn’t be, since you’re one of
them.”
“Hey, now, wait a minute.” He stepped between
her and her car, its door still closed. “That’s not fair. You talk
about me having a closed mind?” He reached out and made a brushing
motion on her right shoulder, as if he were trying to get something
off.
They were standing so close together, her
breath puffed in his face. “What are you doing?”
“I’m trying to knock that chip off your
shoulder.”
She pushed back hard against his chest, her
eyes angry. “You’ve got a lot of nerve!”
There was no thought on the path from impulse
to action. He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her body toward his
own, swiftly capturing her mouth. Her lips resisted at first, then
parted, and he felt her body meld into his own. Not soften; it was
far too passionate a motion for that. Vaguely he wondered what had
possessed him to do what he was now doing, and with such enjoyment.
Admiration, attraction, sheer curiosity had pooled to form a crazy,
mixed-up brew that had gotten the better of his common sense, yet
he couldn’t say he was sorry. His hands were in her hair, he
realized, as he twisted her head this way and that to get his fill
of her. He had the fleeting idea that would not happen soon.
All at once she pulled back and stared at
him, her eyes flaring and her mouth almost swollen from the
ferocity of their kiss. She held up a warning finger and opened
that delicious mouth as if about to say something, but then
abruptly shut it again. Words failed her, apparently. They failed
him, too.
He stepped back to allow her room to get into
her car. She turned the ignition and revved the engine, backing out
soon and driving away just as fast. He watched her, unable to look
away until at long last her taillights disappeared into the
fog.
Chapter 6
“This is a hell of a way to spend Christmas
Eve, Alicia.” Louella Wilkes sat in the passenger seat of Alicia’s
silver VW bug, staring out the window and complaining. “This is
pointless. Carmel PD already did this interview. What do you expect
to get that they didn’t?”
“It’ll only take a few hours. I’ll get you
back to the office by three.”
“Does Penrose know about this?”
“Of course not.” Penrose would have a cow if
he thought Alicia was spending one
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