ZERO HERO (The Kate Huntington Mystery series) (16 page)

            Skip started into the bathroom, then his survival instincts prevailed. He stopped to quickly scan the tiny room for other occupants. The woman scrambled to her feet. She reached down for the camera but Skip put his foot on it.

            She looked up at him, calculation rather than fear in her face, then she ducked to the side and darted past him.

            Skip whirled around. Roxie was opening the door to the hall. Her friend shoved her aside and ran out. Roxie tried to follow but Dolph stepped into the doorway, blocking her way.

            Skip hit the button on the back of the camera and looked at the image. He was standing over the exposed Roxie, his pants exhibiting a definite protrusion.

            His cheeks burned. Stifling the roar that was building in his chest, he dropped the camera on the floor and smashed it with his heel.

            A modicum of sanity returned. Realizing there might be a still-intact memory card, he picked up the shattered camera and jammed it in his pocket.

            In the bedroom, Dolph had his hand wrapped securely around Roxie’s arm. She was squirming and hissing at him to let her go. He ignored her and cocked his head at Skip.

            “Other gal was taking pictures from the bathroom.” Skip’s voice was a low growl. “Of this little tramp givin’ me an unsolicited lap dance.”

            Roxie turned eyes wide with fear toward him. “This wasn’t my idea. Frederico put me up to it. He said we were to get compromisin’ pictures of you, so he could make you stop investigatin’ Jimmy’s murder.”

            “What happened to the pics?” Dolph asked.

            “Smashed the camera. Pieces are in my pocket.”

            “Please, Mr. Canfield,” Roxie begged. “Can you give me enough money to get outta town? Frederico’s gonna beat the shit outta me if I don’t produce those pictures.”

            Under other circumstances, Skip would have been concerned for the young woman’s safety. Now all he felt was scorn. “You can keep the fifty. I don’t want it back after it’s touched your skin.”

            Her waif-like face morphed into a twisted mask. She snarled at him, “How dare you act like I’m dirt, Mr. High and Mighty. You’re the
pathetic
one. You’re no better than the others, ready to poke your little thingie wherever you can.”

            Skip clenched his fists. His mind searched for the right retort, but a small, saner corner of his brain realized this creature had no concept of a world in which men were willingly faithful to their wives and had no desire to ‘poke their thingies’ wherever they could.

            Bile rose in the back of his throat. His stomach churned. He just wanted out of here. In two strides he was past Roxie and out in the hallway. He took a deep breath, then wished he hadn’t. The hall didn’t smell so good.

            Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dolph give the hooker a final shake, then let her go.

            As they headed down the stairs, Roxie shrieked from above them, “You’re pathetic bastards, both of you!”

CHAPTER TWELVE

            Dolph snuck another sideways glance. Skip was staring at the road ahead, his mouth so tightly clenched Dolph feared he might crack his jawbone.

            They were halfway back to the agency office and the younger man still hadn’t said a word. Dolph broke the silence. “So we got Freddie trying to convince us that Matthews wasn’t worth bothering with, but now this Roxie gal says he put her up to getting pics of you to stop you from investigating.”

            Skip grunted.

            “What happened before I joined the party?”

            For a moment he thought he wasn’t going to get an answer. Then Skip said, “Roxie acted like she was all broken up about Matthews. And she claimed Frederico was saying he had killed him, but the words she quoted were kind of ambiguous.”

            “What were they?”

            Another moment of silence, then Skip shook his head. “Can’t remember exactly. Something along the lines of now that he was rid of Matthews.”

            Dolph mulled that over. “So could be he
got
rid of Matthews, or he was just glad to
be
rid of Matthews.”

            “That was my take on it.” Skip’s voice sounded almost normal, although his jaw was still tight. “But either way he’s trying to get us to leave it alone. I don’t care what Tyrell thinks. Freddie was behind that bastard coming after Kate.”

            “Speaking of Tyrell, lemme call him. See if he can get any more out of Roxie.”

            “Tell him to hurry. She’s probably gonna be on the next bus out of town. Oh, and Dolph, uh, try to avoid saying too much about the picture-taking, would you?”

            Dolph cocked his head at him. Skip’s eyes were glued to the road but a red tide was creeping up his cheeks.

            “I can probably work around that.” Dolph dug in his pants’ pocket for his cell phone.

~~~~~~~~

            After he dropped Dolph off at the agency office, Skip went home. He knew he wouldn’t get any work done the rest of the day, and he couldn’t wait to get out of these clothes.

            At home he gave Maria and the kids a perfunctory greeting. Edie ran to him to show him a drawing she had made in school.

            “Don’t touch me, Pumkin. I’m really dirty.” Skip held a hand out to stop her from hugging him. She cocked her head to one side.

            “I’m all sweaty. Worked hard today.” He tried to keep his voice gentle. “I gotta take a shower. I promise to look at your picture later, okay?”

            “Sure, Daddy.” Her little face brightened.

            In the master bedroom, he undid his belt and dropped his pants on the floor. After peeling off shirt, underwear and socks, he headed for the shower.

            When Kate got home, his skin was still a bit pink from where he’d scrubbed it. His clothes and sneakers were banging around in the washing machine.

            He sat on the living room floor, leaning against the sofa and pretending to focus on what Edie was telling him about her day at school.

            “Hi, sweetheart.” Kate leaned down to kiss him. “You’re home early.”

            “Daddy worked really hard this afternoon,” Edie informed her mother.

            “Oh, yeah?” Kate said in a bemused voice.

            “I was sweaty when I got home. Told her not to hug me ’til I’d had a shower,” Skip said.

            “And he washed his clothes, includin’ his shoes!” his daughter added.

            He gave the little girl a repressive look. Sometimes Edie was too smart for
his
good.

            “I’ll explain later.” He didn’t want to say anything in front of little ears.

~~~~~~~~

            But the explanation never happened. Skip was unnaturally preoccupied over dinner, failing to even fake that he was paying attention to the children’s chatter. Kate’s concerned glances didn’t seem to register. When she offered to read the children their stories after bath time, he just nodded.

            After finishing Edie’s story, Kate leaned over to kiss her. The little girl wrinkled her brow. “Mommy, what’s wrong with Daddy?”

            “He just had a bad day at work. It’s one of those things you have to deal with sometimes, when you’re a grown-up.”

            Edie pondered that for a moment. “Do I
have
to grow up?”

            Kate laughed. “Not for quite awhile yet, sweetie. Now sleep tight.”

            “’Night, Mommy.”

            Downstairs, Skip was sitting on the sofa, staring into space. Kate sat down and snuggled against his side. He put his arm around her shoulders.

            “Rough day?” she said softly, half question, half statement.

            “Yeah, but I’d rather just forget about it.”

            Kate debated for a second, then opted to let it go. Sometimes the best thing either of them could do in their respective professions was compartmentalize. She knew her ability to leave work at work, most of the time at least, was what kept her sane.

            She dropped her head down on his shoulder and laid her arm across his waist. “This is my favorite part of the day.” She chuckled softly. “Well, second favorite. My favorite is when we go to bed.”

            When he didn’t respond, she dug her fingers into the ticklish spot just above his hip. “Lighten up, Canfield.”

            “Stop that.” He batted her hand away.

            Kate sat up and looked into his face. “Boy, you did have a rough day, didn’t you?”

            “Sorry, darlin’.” He dropped his gaze. “Didn’t mean to take it out on you.”

            “It’s okay. Everybody’s allowed to be grumpy sometimes.” She snuggled up against him again. “Want to watch some TV? Lose ourselves in brainless entertainment for awhile?”

            “Not really.”

            She looked up into his face with a suggestive smirk. “Want a massage?”

            The smile he gave her was more sad than cheerful. “I’ll take a rain check.”

            Okay, something was seriously wrong here.

            “Maybe we should just go to bed early then.” She didn’t get the lascivious grin she’d expected, but Skip did agree that was a good idea.

            When Kate came out of the bathroom, he was already in bed, his forearm across his eyes to shield them from the light. She slid between the sheets and turned off the lamp on her nightstand.

            Considering his mood, she hadn’t expected to make love. When he rolled over and wrapped his arms around her, she tried not to let her sigh of relief be obvious.

            Slowly he began to stroke and kiss various parts of her body. He was always a gentle and considerate lover but tonight he seemed to be slower and more methodical than usual. She was trying to figure out what that meant when a wave of sensation swept over her. His kisses had trailed down over the tender skin of her belly and his tongue was doing slow circles around her belly button.

            She moaned and arched her back, digging her fingers into his hair. His lips trailed fire even lower and she struggled for control. She tugged on his hair, signaling it was time to leave foreplay behind.

            But he ignored the signal. His lips touched the very core of her. She groaned and writhed as a surge of sweet agony ripped through her. He hung on, kissing and probing, one long slender hand supporting her buttocks that were now in the air.

            Finally the waves subsided into gentle ripples of warmth flowing through her. He eased her down on the bed and trailed his lips back up to nuzzle each breast. Then he settled down on his side and held her tenderly against him.

            Encircled by her husband’s warm arms, Kate’s eyes drooped. Her body felt like jello.

           
No. Jello is cold and I’m definitely not cold.

            More like warm and flowing, like hot fudge sauce. She giggled a little at the image of her body melting into a puddle of fudge sauce and Skip lapping her up.

            Skip’s arms tightened slightly around her and he kissed her hair.

            She had almost drifted off when a guilty realization jolted her awake. How totally selfish of her.

            She felt Skip’s body tense a little as she rolled over in his arms. She put both hands on his broad chest and stroked the smooth skin. It quivered under her fingers. She smiled. She could still make him quiver with the lightest of touches. It took a moment to realize that his quivering skin was the only reaction she was getting.

            She wrapped one arm around his slim waist and pulled him closer against her as she kissed his chest, then nuzzled the side of his neck.

            He gently disentangled himself and rolled over on his back, staring at the ceiling.

            The remnants of her warm afterglow evaporated. Anxiety fluttered in her chest. She laid her hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay. It happens,” she whispered.

            He shook his head slightly.

            “Never?”

            “Well, once,” he said softly. “A long time ago.”

            “I’m sorry, sweetheart.”

            He glanced over at her. “What are you apologizin’ for? It’s not your fault.”

           
For having fun when you weren’t.

            “Something happened today, didn’t it?”

            His mouth thinned into a grim line as he stared at the ceiling. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

            She knew she shouldn’t push him, but she did anyway. “Maybe you should. Maybe it’ll help to get it out.”

            This time his glance held a hint of irritation. He didn’t answer her. After a moment, he swung his legs off the bed and stood up. “I’m gonna take a shower. I’m kind of sweaty.”

            Kate stared at her husband’s naked back as he headed for the bathroom. He
never
took a shower after making love.

            What could’ve happened that would make him react this way? Her hand went to her mouth as one horrible possibility occurred to her. Women came on to her handsome husband on a regular basis. She tried not to be insecure about it, but...

           
That didn’t happen. You know it didn’t!
her rational brain was saying even as her chest ached and a sob grew in her throat. Unable to stay still, she jumped out of bed and put on her robe.

            He had a strong sex drive. They made love almost every night.

           
What if that isn’t enough anymore?
A little voice said in the back of her head.

           
Stop that! Get a grip.

            She plumped the pillows up against the headboard, then sat down and leaned her back against them. Noticing her arms were crossed, she intentionally uncrossed them.
Open body language. I
don’t
want to start an argument!