Obsessed (16 page)

“Are you?”

Carla began to smile. “What do you think?”

“I think you’re cracking up. But I don’t think you’re a killer.”

“Good.” Carla’s smile grew bigger. “But I hope I’ve proved my point. You really can’t trust anyone.”

“I . . . I guess not.”

“I know you’re not dating Michael, but the killer might think you are. And any one of us could be the killer. You will be careful, won’t you, Judy?”

Judy nodded. ‘’I’ll be careful, Carla. I promise.”

Thirteen

J
udy unlocked the front door and led the way down the hallway. They’d dropped Carla off at home, and then they’d
come straight here. When she got to the swinging door to the kitchen, Judy turned to face Michael. “Are you hungry, Michael? Marta always leaves something in the refrigerator for me when I get home from work.”

“Sounds good.” Michael nodded. “But did she leave enough for two?”

Judy laughed. “That’s no problem. Marta leaves enough for an army. She’s out to feed the world. And if I don’t eat, she thinks I’m sick. Let’s carry it out and sit on the patio.”

Michael stood by while Judy opened the refrigerator. He
took the tray Judy handed him and waited while she grabbed soft drinks. Then they carried everything out to the patio, and sat at one of the glass-topped tables around the pool.

“This is the life, Jude.” Michael gazed longingly at the Olympic-sized swimming pool “I wish my parents had a pool.”

“You can use ours any time you want to. I’m the only one who ever goes in.”

“Really? Thanks, Jude. My parents thought about putting in a pool, but they decided to go for the tennis court instead. And you’ve even got a jacuzzi!”

Judy smiled into the darkness. The jacuzzi was a very romantic setting, especially at midnight on a warm summer evening. The air was cooling off a bit, and there were in viting wisps of steam floating up from the heated surface of the water. “I’ve got a great idea, Michael. Let’s soak our worries away in the jacuzzi. Marta always turns it on for me so I can relax after work.”

“That sounds like a blast!” Michael grinned at her. “I’ll just run home and get my suit.”

“Oh, don’t bother. We keep extra suits in the cabana. I’m sure you can find one to fit you.”

“Hey, that’s even better. Do you think we should wait a few minutes? You’re really not supposed to go in the water after you eat.”

“
I don’t think it makes any difference.” Judy grinned back. “If I get a cramp, you can save me. And if you get one, I’ll save you. Go ahead and change into a suit. I’ll run back to the house and get mine.”

The moment Michael entered the cabana, Judy rushed into the house to get into her suit. As she came back down the stairs, wearing her best bikini, she hesitated at the wine cooler. Buddy had some very expensive bottles of wine, and sipping a fruity, chilled Beaujolais from a crystal wine glass was a great incentive to romance. Neither one of them had to drive any more tonight, since she was at home and Michael lived right next door.

Judy smiled as she took out a bottle and opened it. She hoped she’d chosen one of Buddy’s best vintages. Of course there were no losers in Buddy’s wine cooler. He only drank the best.

It took only a few moments to open the wine and put it on a tray with two glasses. She walked out to the patio, carrying the tray, confident that she looked very sexy in her new black string bikini.

Michael was already immersed in the steaming water, and he smiled as she approached. “That’s a great suit, Jude. If you wear that in public, you’ll have to beat the guys off with a stick.”

“Really?” Judy leaned over and set down the tray. She knew she looked fantastic. One glance in the mirror had told her that.
“
I
brought out a bottle of wine. Would you like a glass?”

Michael looked a little worried as he nodded. “But, Jude . . . you’re really too young to drink.”

“Oh, I know. I never do, unless Buddy and Pamela are giving a formal dinner. And then, it’s only one glass. But we don’t have to drive, and I thought maybe we needed to unwind after everything bad that’s happened.”

“Okay,” Michael agreed. “A glass of
wine would be nice, and you made your point. But I don’t want to catch you drinking when you’re out somewhere!”

Judy grinned. He sounded concerned about her. “You won’t. I can’t drink unless I’m home.”

“Why is that?”

“Because Buddy and Pamela have given me expensive tastes. I don’t like the taste of anything except fine, vintage wine. Anything else make me feel sick.”

Michael laughed as he picked up a glass. “I think they did you a favor. At least you won’t be swilling beer in the backseat of somebody’s car.”

“You’d care if I did something like that?” Judy held her breath, waiting for Michael’s answer.

“Of course I’d care. You’re my little sis. I feel very pro tective toward you, Jude.”

Judy tried not to let her disappointment show as she filled Michael’s glass. She was tired of hearing that she was his little sis or his good buddy. She wanted more than that, but she knew better than to push it. Little by little, step by step, she’d make him see that she was really the girl of his dreams.

“That’s all you’re having?” Michael stared at Judy’s glass. She’d filled it barely to the half-way mark.

“It’s enough. I just want a taste. You can have the rest.”

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” Michael chuckled. “You might have to carry me home, and you’re not strong enough for that.”

“You’d be surprised. I’ve been working out with Buddy’s weights, and I’m a lot stronger than
I
look.”

Michael leered at her, just like Arte Johnson had leered at Goldie Hawn on the old Laugh In re-runs. “You want to arm wrestle, little girl?”

“Sure.” Judy climbed in the jacuzzi across from Michael and propped her arm up on the ledge in the classic arm wrestling pose. “But
I
don’t want to hurt you.”

“I don’t think you have to worry about that.”

Judy grinned as Michael propped his arm on the ledge and clasped hands with her. “Do you want to count, or shall I?”

“The lady counts.” Michael chuckled again. “And the lady loses.”

Judy tossed her head, and gave him a sultry smile. “The lady always wins, one way or the other. One . . . two . . . three . . . go!”

“You are strong.” Michael’s eyes widened as Judy began to push his arm down. He took a deep breath and brought his arm back up again. “But I’m stronger.”

Judy kept smiling, even though she felt more like winc ing. She knew Michael was stronger than she was, but there was no way she was going to back down without a fight. She moved a little closer to him, and her breast brushed his arm. If she could just distract him, she might be able to win.

“Foul!” Michael grinned down at her. He knew exactly what she was doing. “You’re trying to get my mind off the contest.”

“And it’s working.” Judy giggled as his arm dipped lower.

Michael laughed and forced his arm up again. “Not for long. I know what you’re doing now, and I refuse to let it affect me.”

“Oh, yeah?” Judy kicked out underwater, and slid her leg around Michael’s knees.

Michael started to laugh. “No fair. Body contact is out!”

“That’s not in my rule book.” Judy reached out with her other leg, and tried to topple him off the molded seat. “Any thing’s fair, as long as we don’t drown each other.”

“Okay . . . if that’s the way you want to play.” Michael reached down with his free hand, and grabbed her ankle before Judy could react. Then he tugged, and Judy slid off her perch into the steaming water.

When Judy came up, she was sputtering and laughing at the same time. Michael’s arms were around her, and she knew she’d never felt so happy in her entire life.

“That’s better.” Michael looked very serious. “Don’t you know you’re always supposed to let me win? It’s bad for my fragile male ego if you don’t.”

Judy managed to look contrite. “You’re right, Michael. I just forgot in the heat of the moment. But then, on the other hand . . . I think you’re . . .”

“I’m what?” Michael looked very smug. “You were about to say I’m stronger than you are?”

Judy pretended she was considering it. But then she moved so quickly, Michael didn’t have a chance. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulled him down into the water, and let out a peal of laughter as he came up, sputtering. “I was about to say, on the other hand, I think you’re all wet!”

Michael’s arms tightened around her, and Judy took a deep breath. Was he going to kiss her? At last? But then Michael shoved off with his legs and they both went tum bling into the middle of the jacuzzi.

Judy giggled as she came up. “You sure know how to treat a girl, Mr. Warden. No wonder you’re so popular.”

“Maybe I wish I wasn’t quite so popular.” Michael looked suddenly serious. “Can we be serious for a minute, Jude? I really need to talk to you.”

Judy nodded, and Michael lifted her and plunked her down on the molded seat next to his. She’d hoped this pseudo-wrestling could have gone on a little longer, but Michael obviously had something on his mind. He’d said he wanted to talk to her, and she was prepared to listen. She’d do anything Michael wanted.

“It’s about the murders, Jude. I think I’m in big trouble.”

“You?” Judy handed him a towel and took one for her self. “What kind of trouble are you in?”

“Detective Davis is still looking for connections. He’s missed a big one, but he’s bound to latch onto it one of these days. Have you noticed that every girl I’ve dated has been killed?”

“Of course.” Judy matched his serious expression. “But you’ve dated almost every girl at Covers, haven’t you?”

“Well . . . yes.”

“Then it’s just a coincidence. I think Detective Davis is smart enough to realize that.”

“It’s a little more than that.” Michael frowned. “Remem ber the arrows, Jude?”

Judy nodded. “Of course I remember. How could I forget something like that?”

“My arrows are missing.”

“Your arrows?”

“Right.” Michael sighed deeply. “I used to work at a summer camp, before Mr. Calloway opened Covers.”

Judy nodded. “The boys’ camp at Lookout Point?”

“Right. I was a camp counselor, and we each had to teach a couple of classes. I taught guitar and archery. I didn’t make the connection before, but after Ingrid was killed, I went out to the storage shed to look for my arrows. I had a quiver and ten arrows hanging on a hook right next to the door. They were there for four years, Jude . . . but now they’re gone.”

“But that doesn’t mean anything!” Judy reached out to touch Michael’s shoulder. “Maybe somebody moved them. They could be in a box somewhere.”

“That’s what I thought, at first. But I cleaned out the entire storage shed, and I couldn’t find them. It looks bad for me, Jude. If Detective Davis finds out about those miss ing arrows, he’s going to arrest me.”

Judy sat in silence for a moment, and then she looked up into Michael’s worried face. “Was the storage shed locked?”

“No. We don’t keep anything of value in there. Gardening tools, old paint, drop cloths, stuff like that. There’s abso lutely nothing anyone would want to steal.”

“Except a quiver with ten arrows.” Judy looked thought ful. “I wish I could remember if they were missing the last time I was in there.”

“You were in our storage shed?” Michael raised his eye brows.

“Sure. Your mother lets us borrow her fruit picker for our lemon tree. I go over to the storage shed to get it every time Marta makes a lemon meringue pie. It’s this long pole with a basket on top, and you just reach up in the tree and . . .”

“I remember it well.” Michael interrupted her. “I used to use it to get my kite out of our olive tree. When was the last time you borrowed it, Jude?”

“Just last week. Marta makes a lemon meringue pie every time Pamela invites her bridge club to lunch. It’s their fa vorite dessert. I wish I’d looked around more carefully when I ran over to get your fruit picker, but, I didn’t.”

“That’s okay, Jude. Maybe it’s not important. I asked Andy to check it out for me.” Judy looked puzzled and Michael explained. “My arrows were the standard target kind with a red circle right above the feathering. Andy’s going to ask his uncle if the arrows they found were that type.”

Judy frowned. “Did you tell Andy about your arrows?”

“No. It’s not that I don’t trust Andy, but I figured the fewer people who know about my missing arrows, the bet ter.”

“Very smart.” Judy nodded. “And actually . . . I’m not entirely sure you should trust Andy.”

Michael turned to her in amazement. “Why not? Andy’s my friend!”

“That’s true, but . . .” Judy began to frown. “I really shouldn’t say anything. It’s probably not important.
”

Michael slipped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. “Come on, Judy. Everything’s important, es pecially when I’m worried that Detective Davis might think I’m a suspect.”