Part 15 (1/2)
We both started to laugh. Ray stepped inside the closet and closed the door behind him. ”He's something else, isn't he?”
”He is. He is.” I laughed so hard that tears came to my eyes.
Ray pulled me into his arms. ”Gotta love a kid like that.” He met my gaze and held it.
Then he whispered, ”He saved you.”
The laughter left me in an instant. ”He did, Ray.”
A flame flickered in his eyes. He bent to kiss me.
As his lips brushed mine, I felt a familiar tingle. It built into a slow burn. My tongue entwined with his as I molded my body to his, frustrated not to be closer.
He must have shared my frustrations because seconds later my back was against the wall, my legs wrapped around his waist, as he fought with his zipper.
A knock sounded on the closet door.
Ray whipped his head up and growled, ”Yes?”
Danny's voice came from the other side. ”The pizza's here. I need twenty bucks.”
When the last slice of pizza disappeared, Ray took the empty box and threw it on the breakfast counter. Then he hitched his chair closer to the table and fixed his gaze on Danny.
Danny didn't seem to notice. He was too busy watching the clock. ”Am I still going to be able to visit my dad tonight?”
I held my breath and prayed. Say ”yes,” Ray, say ”yes.”
Ray glanced at the clock over the stove. It read quarter to seven. ”Visiting hours are from seven to nine weeknights. We can still make it, but, first, we have to talk.”
Danny tried to read his face and failed. ”I'm sorry about the fight at school.”
”We can talk about that later. Right now I want to talk about Thanksgiving night when you smashed Erica's and Brennan's cars.”
Danny swallowed. ”I'm sorry.”
”Sorry isn't enough, Danny. You have to take responsibility for your actions. Jolene and I have talked it over. You need to pay for the damages to those vehicles, at least the insurance deductibles. You're going to have to work at Jolene's sports car boutique after school, helping Cory with the repairs and anything else he or Jolene ask you to do.”
My mouth dropped open. We had no such discussion. This was Ray at his best, solving the problem and making decisions for me. ”Ahh ...”
Ray paid no attention to me. ”Are we agreed, Danny?”
”Yes, sir.”
My lips compressed into a thin line of anger. If Ray had asked me, I would have told him how Danny felt about Cory and the complications that might arise from forcing them to work together. Now I would have to deal with that, too.
Ray patted Danny on the shoulder. ”Good. Do you have any homework tonight?”
”Just one math sheet.”
”Get it done by seven-thirty, and we'll head over to the jail.”
As soon as Danny left the room, I whacked Ray on the arm and hissed, ”We never talked about any of that. You're sticking me with him again.”
”Remember that the next time you forget to inform me about Danny's behavior.”
Why did I feel like I was being disciplined too? ”Fine. Then you can take him to school tomorrow and deal with Mrs. Travis.”
”I'm planning on it. I want to get a look at this kid who called me a pig. He bears watching.” Ray wiggled his eyebrows.
When I didn't laugh, Ray reached over and took my hand in his. ”Let's talk some more about who might have wanted to take a shot at you this afternoon. Have you been p.i.s.sing off anybody besides me lately?” He smiled to take the edge off his words.
I pulled my hand from his anyway. ”I don't know, Ray. I've been asking around town about Maury Boor. No one admitted to knowing anything about him, but maybe they were lying.”
Ray let out a heavy breath. ”I took his picture into The Cat's Meow and showed it to the staff. He's been in there before, but none of them remembered if he was there on Josie ... Jessica James' last night.”
”Were any of them receiving roses from him?”
”No.”
”Other women at In-house Textiles did. He had them all pretty freaked out.”
”Their HR manager mentioned that when I spoke to her.” Ray rubbed his forehead. The lines on it seemed deeper than a few months ago. Had I contributed to the tension that caused them? When had he started looking so tired?
I grabbed his hand as he lowered it to the table and held on tight.
He glanced at me, seeming both surprised and pleased. ”Maury resigned two weeks ago. He just finished out the month to get a few more dollars in vacation pay. He'd only worked there since August anyway.”
”Did he get another job?”
”She didn't know. He gave his two weeks' notice and left. I got the impression they were glad to see him go, considering his effect on the women in the office.”
”I'm surprised they didn't fire him.”
”They had rea.s.signed him to a territory that required him to come in early to get the deliveries. That way he didn't see any of the women. The HR manager said that made most of the problem disappear.
”The Buffalo PD stopped by the address listed on his registration. It's a furnished apartment. The landlord hadn't seen Maury in a week or so, but the rent is paid up through today. He promised to call if Maury showed up.”
I stifled a sigh. ”So we're no closer to finding Maury or Erica.”
”I'm afraid not.”
”What about Jessica James' body?”
Ray squeezed my hand. ”It's hunting season. We're hoping someone will stumble over her.”
I got a visual of that in my head. A bit of bile burned the back of my throat.
Danny appeared behind Ray wearing his jacket. ”I finished my homework.”
Ray slapped his hands on the table and rose to his full and intimidating height. ”Then let's go.”