Homecoming Homicides (10 page)

“Will do, Tiger,” she called out as she walked away to turn in the order.

“Tiger?” Flippy raised her eyebrows.

“What can I say? Some women find me ferocious.” Luke hesitated, adding, “Actually, she says that to all the guys who come here.”

“Right.”

“Do I look like a tiger to you?”

Flippy laughed, and then blushed. Luke didn’t look tough on the outside, unless he was riled, but in bed she’d found him anything but tame.

Luke’s cheeks reddened too as he remembered that night, and his dimples reappeared.

Flippy sat back and contemplated the planes and angles of Luke’s face until Cathy brought over her amaretto sour. Luke’s eyes were fixated on her lips as she savored the sweet drink and sipped it slowly.

Flippy toyed with her salad when it came, while Luke practically inhaled his burger.

“You’ve hardly touched your salad. You’re just moving the lettuce leaves around. Want a bite of my burger before it’s gone?”

Flippy eyed it hungrily.

Luke tore off a piece of his burger and handed it to Flippy, who savored it.

“Eat and enjoy,” Luke said, tearing off another bite of burger. “Or are you one of those girls who just likes to watch other people eat?”

Bingo. When she was with Jack, as well as during her pageant days, she never used to eat sweets or starches. Jack liked his women slim, like Traci. He’d dragged her to the gym with him every day. When people began to complain that she was losing weight, Jack said her weight was just being redistributed to all the right places and she was developing muscle tone. But all that dedication went out the door when Jack did. Now Flippy would make up for lost time. For a former beauty queen, she didn’t much care how she looked anymore or what she put in her stomach.

Maybe she was deliberately sabotaging herself, trying to fatten herself up so Jack wouldn’t want her back. That’s what her mother would think. Barbara was one of the legions of women who had fallen for Jack’s rugged build and charm and his calculated line of bullshit. But enough about Jack.

After a lifetime of abstinence, staying thin for one beauty competition after another, for her mother and then for Jack, Flippy was used to going without. Suddenly, a part of her had the urge to bite into something hot and juicy. So she bit into the burger Luke offered. Luke picked up a fry and brought it to her mouth. She turned away. It seemed greedy to enjoy even a simple pleasure under the circumstances.

“You act like you’re afraid of it. It’s only a french fry.”

“Which will go right to my hips.”

“Lucky french fry.”

“Stop it, Luke.”

“Stop what?” Luke feigned ignorance.

“The sexual innuendoes. The only reason we’re even here together is police business.”

“Which brings me to the next order of business. Your place or mine?”

“Huh?”

“You heard me. And you heard the chief. I’m assigned to you. From now on we stick together like Super Glue. Bottom line, you don’t go home alone until this bastard is caught.”

“What are you saying?”

“You’re a smart girl. You figure it out.”

“You’re crazy if you think you’re going to use this case as an excuse to get into my pants.”

“At the risk of sounding crude, I’ve already been in your pants. Not that I wouldn’t like to repeat the experience, but this has nothing to do with sex and everything to do with a serial killer. I can either stay at your place or you can bunk with me. And I’ve seen your place.”

“You’re dreaming.”

“I don’t have time to dream. Look, I don’t need this disruption in my life. You’re a pain in my ass and I’d just as soon not have anything to do with you. But it’s easier for me to keep you in line when you’re in plain sight. I don’t have time to go back and forth to your apartment chauffeuring you around. I have a big test tomorrow. I’m going to be up all night studying for it. Some of us are still going to law school.”

“Bite me. I didn’t want to go to law school.”

“Oh, yes, you did. You just didn’t want to stay there.”

“Whatever. That has nothing to do with what you’re proposing. I don’t have room for you at my apartment. It’s...”

“Like I said, I’ve been to your apartment,” Luke repeated. “You might have been too sloshed to remember. But I remember it very well.”

“Then you remember how small it was.”

“Size isn’t everything.”

“Could you be a bigger jerk?”

“I’ll swing by your place, we’ll pick up whatever you need, and you’ll stay with me.”

“What if I refuse?”

“I have strict orders not to let you out of my sight. When I’m not around, someone else will be taking over. You won’t see him, but he’ll be there.”

Furious, Flippy whipped out her cell phone and dialed the director’s number. When she started to outline Luke’s outrageous proposal, she had to shield her ears from the scathing barrage that bounced back over the radio waves. Luke looked like he was enjoying the one-sided conversation.

“But Director,” Flippy argued. “But, I— But he— No, I’d rather not be locked up in protective custody… No, I still want to remain on the task force.”

Luke laughed, exposing those damn dimples.

“For how long? Yes, ma’am. I understand.” Flippy frowned and placed the phone back in her purse.

“You arranged this with the director behind my back?”

“Whatever it takes to do the job, ma’am,” Luke drawled. “I’m here to serve and protect. Let’s just say Queen Elizabeth and I came to an understanding where you’re concerned.”

Flippy pursed her lips and scowled. “What about my car?” she protested.

“We’ll leave it at your office and I’ll drop you off at work tomorrow.”

“I don’t even know where you live.”

“But I do. It’s a nice place. You’ll be very comfortable there.”

“Where will I sleep?” Flippy asked warily.

“You can take the guest room.”

“You have a guest room?”

“We could both sleep in my room. That would be my preference.”

“Don’t even think about it. There will be no hanky panky.”

“Oooh, now you’re really scaring me.”

“Luke, is this really necessary?”

“Yes, I think you know the answer to that. You heard what Crystal Ball Kate said. Do you want to end up like Meredith, Montana, and Natasha, or Traci?”

Flippy bit her lip. No, she did not. While she tried hard not to show it, deep down she was scared to death, and Luke could probably see right through her. She knew there was a possibility she was a target, and Katherine had confirmed it, unwaveringly.

“I’m not going to let anything happen to you, Flip. End of story. You’ll just have to live with it.”

“You mean live with you.”

“That’s just stating the obvious. But it’s only temporary, until...”

“Until we bring that bastard down,” Flippy said, rubbing her hands over her eyes.

“You still have that headache?”

“A bear of a one,” Flippy admitted.

“It’s because you never eat. Now take the rest of my burger.” Luke pushed his plate over to Flippy’s side of the table. “We’re not leaving here until you finish it and eat some more fries, too.”

“You make a lot of demands.” Flippy frowned but grabbed the burger and began eating.

“Did you ever notice how your eyes light up when other people eat, but you won’t put a drop in your own mouth? You get pleasure out of seeing other people eat. You’re like that witch in Hansel and Gretel, always trying to fatten everyone else up.”

“Don’t psychoanalyze me. It’s a simple headache.”

“I’ve got some aspirin at my apartment. I also give a great massage.”

“If I stay with you, you have to keep your wandering hands to yourself.”

Luke rolled his eyes.

“A Boy Scout always keeps his promises, right?” Flippy asked hopefully.

“Believe what you want to believe. Boy Scouts are also resourceful. And always prepared. But I promise to protect you.”

“I already told you, I don’t need you to protect me.”

“It’s out of my wandering hands. I have my orders.” Luke looked at the bill and slapped down a fifty. Hot-Pants Cathy came out of nowhere and scooped it up. She looked at Luke expectantly, giving him a good view of her cleavage. She and Misty must have been separated at birth.

“Keep the change,” Luke said, lapping up the attention.

“Thanks, babe.”

“Babe?” Flippy said with a bite to her voice as she finished up the rest of Luke’s burger and fries.

“You jealous?”

“Of her?”

“Hey, she’s hot.”

“How do you know?”

“You can just tell.”

“If she wanted to follow through, you’d be hightailing it in the opposite direction.”

“If it makes you feel better to think so, then go right ahead. I can handle Cathy.”

“Like you handled me?”

“If we’re going, let’s get out of here.” Luke bristled, grabbing Flippy’s hand roughly as he steered her toward the door.

“And what’s with the hand holding?”

“Just part of the service. We aim to please.”

“Well, Dudley, I expect you to
do
the
right
thing.”

Luke laughed and pushed the door open. It had stopped raining.

Luke unlocked the car door and practically lifted her inside.

“I’m not helpless.”

“I never said you were. I’m shielding you with my body.”

Flippy rolled her eyes and didn’t acknowledge the sparks that flew between them. Sparks that were almost visible in the dark.

After they had driven the few blocks to Flippy’s apartment, she started to get out of the car.

Luke grabbed her hand. The man wouldn’t stop touching her.

“Wait, I’m going to go in and check it out first. You never know.”

“It’s a mess,” Flippy warned him. “It’s really tiny. I-I wasn’t expecting company.”

“You don’t have to impress me. I’m not Jack. Everything doesn’t have to be in its place. As a matter of fact, I’m the opposite of Jack. I’m not uptight, and I like my women with a little meat on their bones.”

“I’m not one of your women. Let’s get that straight right now.”

“Fine. Just open the door.”

“Fine,” she snapped.

She took out her key, and Luke preceded her into the apartment and flipped on the light. It didn’t take him long to determine there was no one in there.

“This place is a dump, Flippy.”

“I don’t need you to tell me that.”

“It’s not even safe. It ought to be condemned. Why are you living here?”

“I don’t have a trust fund.” Actually, that was a lie.

“Neither do I.”

“Well you’re spending your money as if you were. You left that server a twenty-dollar tip.”

“I can afford to be generous. It’s the department’s money.”

“I’m going to get some aspirin,” Flippy said, walking into the kitchen, which was just off the living room, which was just off the bedroom, which was just off the bathroom. She reached for a glass, ran it underneath the tap, and set it on the laminate countertop. She swiped the aspirin bottle from the cabinet, untwisted the cap, and downed two pills. Stuffing the bottle in her purse, she started packing.

“I’m sorry,” Luke said.

“For what?”

“For insulting your place.”

“Don’t you think I know it’s a piece of crap? It happens to be all that I can afford at the moment.”

“Don’t you have heat?”

“I have heat. I don’t always turn it on.”

“Can’t your parents help you out?”

“Of course they can. But I don’t want their help. I don’t even want them to know where I’m living. Let’s just say my mother would not approve. I’ve just started this new job. It’s going to take a while for me to get on my feet.”

“I take it your parents don’t approve of your involvement in this case. Am I right?”

“If my mother knew I was anywhere in the vicinity of the Homecoming Homicides case, she’d drag me back to Atlanta herself. My parents are just getting over the fact that I dropped out of law school and am working in a law enforcement office. In my mother’s mind, girls and guns don’t mix. Yada, yada, yada. ‘Don’t you want to settle down with a nice boy, preferably Jack Armstrong, get married, and have some babies, hopefully in that order?’ ”

“A barefoot and pregnant beauty queen?”

“Runner-up.”

In such close quarters, with Luke looming over her in that cold apartment, she was beginning to mellow, no doubt because of the amaretto sour. Suddenly she felt flushed and her nipples betrayed her, standing erect under her paper thin ice blue sweater. Something wet and squishy was happening in her panties. Her hormones were acting up. Crap. She needed to get control of herself and her emotions.

Being in her apartment with this man was triggering memories, memories she thought she’d repressed. Now she was imagining herself barefoot and Luke overpowering her. She was hallucinating, remembering the last time she and Luke had been alone in this apartment. The way he was looking at her, she knew he was remembering it too, in a way that said he wanted it to happen again, and right now.

“It’s freezing in here,” Flippy said, rubbing her hands together, trying to break the spell.

“I can see that,” Luke said, his eyes fixated on her breasts.

Here they were, back in her substandard apartment for the second time in one week.

“My lucky table,” Luke quipped, his hand resting on the kitchen table, observing Flippy out of the corner of his eye to gauge her reaction.

“Stuff it, Slaughter,” she said. “Just because you got lucky once...”

“If we’re going to be absolutely precise...”

“You’re really pushing it, Luke.”

“Just going to reiterate that if you want to stage a repeat performance, I’m up for it.”

If Flippy remembered correctly, Luke Slaughter was up for quite a bit the night they had spent together.

“I mean, if there are any other boyfriends, fiancés, enemies, bosses, mothers, anyone else you want to stick it to, I’m your man.”

“All right. That’s enough. One more infantile remark and you’re going home alone. Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal.” For the next hour Luke worked quietly under Flippy’s direction, bringing suitcases, boxes, books, and clothing to his car while she finished packing.