Secrets Among the Cedars (Intertwined Book 2) (3 page)

He smiled, and a strange exhilaration shot through him from her sudden change of attitude. Something he hadn't felt in a long time.

Chapter Three

Had Kathryn really told Phil she hoped to see him again? She'd lost her senses. She should step out into the water and call for all the sharks to come bite her legs off. That was the equivalent of flirting with Maria's ex.

She needed another ice cream to cool her down from her time with Phil and to get her mind back on the case. Had he seen her sweating? It'd taken every bit of control she had not to take him up on the offer to pay for her lunch. What a sweet gesture. No one had done that for her in years.

She was not here to meet men though. She had to focus on this case and not let a man distract her. A handsome man. A friendly man. Maria's ex-man.
Ugh!

She walked the short distance to the Island Trading Post and ordered a double scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream in a waffle cone. One bite and her mind forgot all about Phil. She'd been so busy over the last few years, she'd forgotten the pleasure of such simple things.

Kathryn reached for a napkin from the dispenser on the counter. "Excuse me. I'm an attorney from Georgia, and I'm investigating a murder case. Have you seen any suspicious activity lately?"

The young man with shaggy brown hair in a red Panama Jack T-shirt scratched his head. "No, ma'am, I sure haven't. Not much of that in Cedar Key. You could talk to the Chief of Police. You'll see him riding around on his golf cart."

Golf cart? "Okay, thanks. Great ice cream, by the way!"

She stepped out of the store, scanning the strip for a golf cart. There were at least ten. How would she be able to spot the Chief? Her ice cream dripped down her hand. Again. She'd focus on the case later. Right now, she was going to enjoy every bite of her treat.

She unlocked her car as her cell phone rang. She dropped her shoulders, set her to-go box on the roof of her car, and dug the phone out of her purse. If only she could ignore whoever was on the other end, but it might be D.A. Schwartz or the public defender's office.

Before she could speak, a piercing whistle sounded through the earpiece. She yanked the phone away from her ear, dropped her ice cream on the pavement, and flung her hand over the phone to muffle the noise. When the whistling stopped, she brought the phone back to her ear. Her ice cream rested in a puddle at her feet. "Hell-lo?"

"I'm watching you. Be careful, little lady," a distorted voice blared then dead silence.

Kathryn gasped and pulled the phone away from her face again. The call log popped up on her screen, but the number was blocked. Who could it have been? Although the voice sounded harmless enough, like someone's great-grandmother speaking through a handkerchief, her arms and legs tingled with adrenaline.

She tugged her car door open, but a white envelope the size of a greeting card wedged beneath her windshield wiper distracted her. She grabbed it and her leftover food, and plopped down into her seat. She cranked the car, turned the air on high, then studied the chicken scratches on the front of the envelope. She ran her finger underneath the flap and slid out a sympathy card. A lock of white and brown fur fell to her lap. Fur that looked like it came from Sadie. She snatched it up and read the words scrawled on the inside of the card.

It would be a shame if something happened to your dog. Watch your step, Kathryn Bellamy!

Her heart hammered, and the knot in her throat prevented her from swallowing. Had something happened to Sadie? Had someone followed her here to Cedar Key? Tears slid down her cheeks, and she swiped them away with the side of her hand.

She wiped the beads of sweat off her upper lip, and her gaze landed on one of her crumpled business cards stuffed in the console—her name and title etched in thin black ink. What was it that put her on the verge of throwing that card and all her other ones in the trash and slamming her office door forever? Whose life and dream was she living anyway?

She’d do anything to make Daddy proud. It was Daddy that wanted her to be the first female judge in "good old boy" county and then ultimately Supreme Court Justice one day. Was that what had pushed her to where she was now? Or had she really wanted the position she held? Whichever it was, it was what had put her life in danger and had given her reason to doubt her dog's safety too.

She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. "You just need to solve this case and take a real vacation. That's all. You've come too far to turn back now." Kathryn tucked the note in her glove compartment in case she needed it for evidence later and then put her car into drive and headed back to the condo. The grocery store would have to wait.

#

Sadie scurried to meet Kathryn when she returned to the condo after lunch with Phil. Kathryn’s heart skipped a beat like an amateur drummer as relief flooded her to see the dog alive and well. She ran her hands along her coat searching for a missing lock of fur. Everything looked fine. Who'd have left such a disturbing note on her car? Was it someone connected to the Ezzo case?

After two hours of working on the case, pacing the ceramic tile floor, and talking to herself about the unlikelihood of Louie Ezzo's guilt, Kathryn needed a break. Her mind screamed for the missing piece of this puzzle. The Ezzo family was famed for crimes of all kinds, but rarely was a family member found guilty, especially of murder. Someone always took the fall while the suspected Ezzo went free. Four men were dead because of a botched drug deal, though, and Kathryn couldn't let him walk this time if Louie was guilty. She’d make sure he and anyone else involved went away for life.

Kathryn slipped her feet into her flip-flops and grabbed Sadie's leash. "Come on, girl. Let's go for a ride to town." Sadie abandoned her spot on her bed, where she watched the sea gulls and pelicans, and ran to Kathryn. Her bushy tail beat out a rhythm on the bar.

In the entryway, Kathryn caught her reflection in the mirrored clock, shaped like a ship's wheel, and gasped. Why did she look like the victim in a domestic abuse case instead of an Assistant D.A.? Couldn't she at least look good on the outside even if she felt like wet Georgia clay on the inside? If she'd known she looked this ghastly, she wouldn't have eaten lunch with Phil.

Phil? What did it matter? No matter how attractive he was, he was Maria's ex, and she was here to work.

She pulled her compact out of her purse and powdered her nose then smoothed on a bit of Dusty Rose lip balm. She smacked her lips and ran her fingers through her hair. "This will have to do, Sadie. I do believe you look prettier than me." Sadie woofed.

After Kathryn stopped for an iced cappuccino, she pointed her midnight blue Honda toward the city park next to the yacht club. She didn't need a heavy drink like this if she intended to keep the figure she'd worked so hard for, but she craved it because of the heat. Besides, ice cream had proven to be the wrong choice. The cappuccino would do the job. She needed the sugar surge if she was going to muddle her way through the details of this case.

The sky looked like ashes and billowy cotton. Hopefully, an evening storm wouldn't crop up before she got back to the condo. But storms had been brewing all week out in the Gulf, so there was no guarantee.

She pulled her car under the massive palm trees beside the picnic area, then hooked Sadie up to her leash and followed the paved path to the nearest table underneath a pavilion. The ocean lapped on the beach area, the only one in Cedar Key, and the palm fronds danced in the hot, salty breeze. Children laughed and played in the playground, and tourists bustled around the storefront area, filtering in and out of establishments with bags of goodies in their hands. Kathryn breathed in and closed her eyes. She might form an addiction to this place.

"Let me drink this, Sadie, and then we'll go back to the condo. I don't want to miss one single sunset on the dock. How 'bout you?" She tugged Sadie's right ear; Sadie barked, drool sliding out of her mouth.

"Yeah, I hate missing sunsets too."

At the sound of the deep voice coming from behind her, Kathryn jumped and almost dropped her drink. The hair stood up on the back of her neck, and her back stiffened. Some watchdog Sadie was.

Sadie darted away from her toward the stranger, and she had no choice but to turn around. She locked her gaze with Phil’s, as he squatted to meet her baby. Her breath caught in her throat, causing a hiccough to erupt from deep within, and she covered her mouth with her hand. What was he doing here? Had he followed her? Maybe he was the one behind the threats. Kathryn reached for her keys and positioned them between her fingers in case she needed to defend herself. Sadie certainly wasn't going to do it.

Not seeming to notice the strange reaction he'd caused, Phil complimented, "Your dog is amazing! What kind is she?"

"She's a Silken Windhound."

"She's beautiful."

"Thanks. I wish everyone around here felt that way."

"What do you mean?"

After Kathryn explained to Phil about the threatening note, he responded with obvious concern stamped across his face. "I can't believe anyone would threaten her." He ruffled Sadie's ears and stood, pulling his white V-neck T-shirt down over the low-slung waistband of his faded jeans.

"I agree." Kathryn sighed and arched her right eyebrow. She tried to ignore the toned muscles bulging from beneath his shirt. He looked great in white. He'd probably look good in any color though. Why had her mouth suddenly gone dry? It had been too long since she’d been this close to a handsome man in a conversation outside of the topic of law. "She's supposed to protect me from strangers." She tugged at the leash and rolled her eyes.

Phil crinkled his brow. "But I'm not a stranger."

"To her you are. I suppose I should've gotten a Rottweiler." Sadie wagged her tail and whimpered for Phil to play with her. Kathryn tightened her hold on the leash and dragged her back, shoving her keys into her pocket.

“Am I bothering you?”

She felt a pang in her chest. She shouldn’t have been so rude. “No, of course not. But you are following me, right?"

"No way! I live here. Remember?" He shrugged his eyebrows. "I always stop at my favorite spot to watch the clamming boats come in before heading back home." He directed his attention toward the dock adjacent to the shops.

Was there no escaping this man? She smiled but groaned and returned to her seat. "Favorite spot?"

"Yep. You can't beat the ambiance."

"Is that what you call it?" She giggled.

"Of course." He held up a sack he'd held underneath his arm. "Care if I join?"

She held up a finger. "On one condition."

"Okay, shoot."

"Don't feed Sadie any of whatever's in that bag…"

Phil tucked his legs underneath the table and sat on the bench opposite Kathryn. "Deal."

"…no matter how hard she begs." Kathryn laughed and sucked on her straw. Then she grabbed her forehead and scrunched up her face.

"What's the matter?"

"Brain freeze!" She stomped her foot on the ground. Like that would help.

"Put your tongue on the roof of your mouth and hold it there."

She squeezed her forehead again. "What?"

"Just do it. Trust me."

Kathryn pressed her tongue hard up onto the roof of her mouth and within seconds, the brain freeze disappeared. "Thanks. Where'd you learn how to do that?"

"Oh, we Italians know all sorts of useless things."

"We Southerners know a lot of useless things too." She laughed. "But that wasn't so useless. You saved me a lot of pain."

Phil bowed his head and folded his hands. He whispered words Kathryn couldn't discern and nodded several times. He was praying? She wouldn't have guessed he was a man of faith. Since he was, he must be trustworthy.

Phil looked up, opened the bag, and pulled out a colossal cinnamon roll.

Kathryn burst into laughter. "You're going to get so fat eating like that."

"They're good!"

"I know they are. But they'd be the death of my waistline."

"No, you're so thin; it'd take a lot to kill your figure."

Kathryn froze mid-slurp. Had her heart stopped beating? This guy was slicker than her driveway on an icy winter morning. She had better proceed with caution, or she’d be metaphorically hydroplaning in no time.

He wiped icing away from the corner of his mouth with his thumb, his cheeks a touch rosier than before he'd made that comment. So the big New Yorker could blush after all. His beard couldn't disguise his embarrassment. "Did you figure out anything more on your case?"

Kathryn shook her head. "I studied the files for hours. I think the weapon, a .22 caliber pistol, is hidden somewhere out there." She pointed to the Gulf.

"What?"

"Witnesses say it was transported here, and the evidence was washed away. So far, we've found no connection between the suspect and Cedar Key."

"I'm glad to help, if you'd like me to look over your file."

Her gaze traced his face, landed on his lips, and then returned to his eyes. Was he trustworthy? It didn't matter. She couldn't ask for help from such a new acquaintance. "Thanks, it's classified. I hope you understand."

"Absolutely." He smiled and shoved the last bite of his cinnamon roll into his mouth. "How long have you been practicing law?”