Hot Stuff

  Kellen put an arm around Cate. “I’ll watch over her for the rest of the night,” he said to Pugg.

  “No, no, no. Pugg is not allowed to leave Cate’s side until Cate is safely locked in her condo. Pugg will follow at a respectful distance.”

  “It’s not necessary to follow at a distance,” Kellen said. “But it would be good if you didn’t say anything.”

  “That’s too bad,” Pugg said, walking fast to keep pace with Kellen’s longer legs. “Pugg has many interesting things to say.”

  “Such as?”

  “Pugg is knowledgeable about the gooney bird. The gooney bird is actually an albatross, of the biological family Diomedeidae. They are among the largest of flying birds and range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific. They have become extinct in the North Atlantic. Pugg does not know why this is.”

  “I didn’t know that,” Cate said.

  “Gooney birds are highly efficient in the air and can cover great distances with little exertion. They nest on remote oceanic islands and pairs of gooney birds form bonds over several years with the use of ritualistic dances, and that bond will last the life of the pair. Gooney birds are monogamous. Pugg would like to be a gooney bird.”

  “Wow, that’s terrific,” Cate said, using her key fob to unlock the condo building’s front door. “I bet you’d make a good gooney bird. Are you going to see Julie now?”

  “Yes. Pugg will perform his ritualistic gooney dance and hope Julie is impressed.”

  They all got into the elevator and Pugg got off at Julie’s floor.

  Kellen waited for the elevator’s doors to close before speaking. “Do you suppose he would actually perform a gooney bird dance?”

  Cate laughed out loud. “Yes. And Julie would probably love it.”

  Kellen followed Cate out of the elevator at the fourth floor and punched her code into the new condo lock. They stepped into the quiet, dark condo and Kellen closed and locked the door behind them.

  “Beast is at my house,” Kellen said. “And I would feel better if you were there too. I don’t like the way the weird factor is escalating on this case.”

  “I’ll throw a few things in an overnight bag,” Cate said. “I’m not anxious to stay here. It feels creepy and sad, knowing Marty is at the bottom of the river somewhere.”

  Kellen handed Cate a glass of Pinot Grigio and poured a glass for himself.

  “You have wineglasses!” Cate said.

  “I went shopping today. I thought we needed to celebrate.”

  “Are we celebrating anything special?”

  “Yep. We’re celebrating because I got you to take your clothes off last night. And we’re celebrating because Julie rescued you this afternoon, and you’re safe. And we’re celebrating because I was able to remove the bottom on Beast’s water bowl and found this. . . .”

  Kellen reached into a kitchen drawer and extracted a diamond-and-deep-blue-sapphire necklace.

  “That’s the most beautiful necklace I’ve ever seen,” Cate said. “Is that the necklace you were looking for?”

  “Unfortunately, no.”

  “What will you do with it?”

  “I’ll make some inquiries,” Kellen said. “And I’ll file a report with the police.”

  Beast softly padded into the kitchen and rubbed against Cate.

  “He’s all droopy-eyed,” Cate said, fondling his ear.

  “I’m surprised he even got up. This is not a night dog. All day long he has tons of energy. When the sun goes down it’s Beast’s bedtime, and it takes a forklift to move him.”

  Cate sipped her wine. “Where do you go from here?”

  “I work at getting you out of your clothes again.”

  Cate grinned. “I meant with your necklace search.”

  Kellen lounged against the counter. “I need to figure out the Kitty Bergman connection. They were working together. They had a falling out. She came after Marty. And she wanted Beast. Maybe she wanted the necklace in the dog bowl. I have a feeling Marty was holding out on her.”

  “And what about Marty’s agent? What was that about?”

  Kellen smiled at Cate. “You’re getting into this whole mystery thing, aren’t you? You’re enjoying some of it.”

  “It is interesting.”

  “It’s a puzzle. You put it together piece by piece. You just keep working at it until you see the whole picture.”

  “And this is what you do all day?”

  “Pretty much.” Kellen put his wineglass on the counter and took Cate into his arms. He kissed the back of her hand, and then the inside of her wrist. “And this is what I intend to do all night. I’m going to start here.” He kissed her just below her ear. “And I’m going to keep moving south until we find your favorite spot to get kissed.”

  Cate was pretty sure she already knew where that spot was, but she thought she’d keep an open mind while he worked his way down.

  Cate sprawled in Kellen’s king-sized bed and decided it was the most comfortable bed she’d ever slept in. It wasn’t too hard. And it wasn’t too soft. It was just right. Plus there was plenty of room for three people, although technically speaking one of those people was a dog. Kellen had new pillows and smooth white sheets and a fluffy forest green comforter that was also just right for the air-conditioned room. And the best part about the bed, Cate thought, was that it contained Kellen. Not now, but usually. At this precise moment Kellen’s side of the bed was empty.

  It was Saturday morning and the sun was shining behind honeycomb shades, flooding the room with diffused light. The walls were painted cream and the old-fashioned baseboards and ornate wood doors and crown moldings were dark mahogany. Kellen’s bed had a padded dark leather headboard. It was flanked by two marble-topped bedside chests. The only other piece of furniture in the room was an antique mahogany dresser.

  Cate checked her watch on the bedside table. Eight o’clock. She’d originally awakened at six, but that led to morning sex, and she’d drifted back to sleep when they were done. And now man and dog were missing.

  The door alarm chimed downstairs, and Cate heard footsteps and heavy dog panting coming up the stairs and into the hall. Beast bounded into the bedroom and jumped onto the bed. He turned around a bunch of times and flopped down, his tongue hanging out of his mouth, still panting. Kellen followed Beast into the room.

  Cate propped herself up on one elbow. “What did you do to my dog? He’s all worn out.”

  “Your dog is a nutcase. He insists on jumping around like a rabbit. And when I let him loose in the dog park he runs around like a crazy dog. And it’s already hot out. It’s going to be in the nineties today.” Kellen dropped a couple of bags on the bed and set two containers of coffee on the nightstand. “I don’t know what you like to eat in the morning so I got one of everything. There’s a totally unhealthy breakfast sandwich with egg and sausage and cheese and lots of great grease. There’s a carrot cake muffin, a bran muffin, a blueberry muffin. There are a couple bagels with cream cheese. And there are a couple doughnuts. And coffee.”

  “I’m overwhelmed,” Cate said. “I want it all.”

  Kellen took one of the coffees and opened it. “I’ve got my name on the honey wheat bagel.”

  “A healthy breakfast eater?”

  “Sometimes.” He sat on the edge of the bed and fished his bagel out of the bag. “I’ve been talking to some of my cop friends and listening to the chatter on the scanner, and they haven’t found Marty. Word is that someone in a passing car saw two men pitch a tall woman off the bridge. She was wearing a cocktail dress and heels and carrying a handbag. Marty fits the description. And the witness has seen the wig and shoes and bag found at the water’s edge, and while he can’t be sure he thinks they belong to the woman he saw.”

  “Are they still dragging for the body?’

  “No. They’ve stopped.”

  “That’s grim. Could the witness identify the two men if he saw them in a lineup?”

  “Don’t know.
I reminded the police of Pugg’s phone call. Needless to say, they weren’t happy to learn Kitty Bergman might be involved in something nasty.”

  Cate chose the maple-glazed doughnut as her first breakfast selection. “We heard about Marty on the eleven o’clock news. When did the witness see him tossed off the bridge?”

  “Around three in the morning on Friday. The shoes and wig and bag were found around eight in the evening.”

  “Poor Marty.”

  Kellen sipped his coffee and looked at Cate. “I got the impression you weren’t close.”

  “No. But he was always nice to me.”

  Kellen broke a chunk off his bagel and fed it to Beast. “It’s Saturday. Would you like to do something fun?”

  “I’d love to, but I can’t. I promised Julie I’d do some typing for her, and I need to get it done before I start school next week.”

  “I assume that’s why you have the large pack of papers and your laptop with you.”

  “Yeah. Is it okay if I commandeer a corner of your kitchen?”

  “You can commandeer whatever you want. If you’re going to work, I will too. I have some loose ends I can run down.”

  When Cate was finished with the doughnut she ate the carrot cake muffin and the breakfast sandwich and drank all her coffee. She gave the blueberry muffin to Beast and dragged herself into the shower.

  Chapter

  FOURTEEN

  Kellen was at his computer when Cate strolled into his office.

  “Your mother called while you were in the shower. And your brother. And Sharon the realtor.”

  Cate called her mother first.

  “I knew it was a bad idea to move into that condo,” her mother said. “Look at what happens there. First someone falls down the stairs and breaks his neck, and now your roommate is thrown off a bridge. It’s all over the news. It’s in the papers. And your brother saw it on television. You should be living at home. That building you’re in is full of loony people. And where are you? I called your condo and you weren’t there. And some man answered your cell phone.”

  “That was Kellen. Beast and I are staying with him until I get my housing situation straightened out.”

  “It would straighten out if you came home,” her mother said. “I’m sending your father to get you.”

  “No! Don’t do that. I’m fine.”

  “How could you be fine with people dying all around you? Where are you? Where does this man live? You’re not in that same building, are you? That building has bad luck.”

  Next up was Danny.

  “Some guy answered your cell phone,” he said. “Should I find him and beat the crap out of him?”

  “It was Kellen, and I don’t want you beating the crap out of anyone, especially not Kellen. I like him. I really, really like him, and I won’t be happy if you screw it up.”

  “When did I ever screw anything up for you?”

  “How much time do you have?”

  “The list isn’t that long. I don’t like this. I think you should go back home with mom and dad. That building has bad juju. And I don’t know about this Kellen guy. You hardly know him, and you’re living with him.”

  “I’m staying in his house temporarily until I straighten out my housing situation. It’s okay.”

  “I don’t like it. I’m going to come get you. Where are you?”

  “Do not come get me. I’m fine. And I’m not telling you where I am.”

  Kellen was watching Cate. “I think I’m in trouble with your family.”

  “I’m the baby. They’re a little overprotective.”

  “I’m assuming they all want to jump in their car and come get you.”

  “Yeah. They think I should move back home. They don’t realize it’s not an option for me. I love them, but they were driving me crazy when I was at home. They’re . . . boisterous. And they fill up a room. Not just my parents, but my grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, neighbors. Everyone collects at my parents’ house. I couldn’t get any work done. I was living at the library. And there were always questions. Where was I? What did I eat for lunch? Who dropped me off? Were they Catholic? And when I had the rare date my father would be waiting up for me!”

  “Was it like that for your brothers?”

  “My brothers didn’t go to college. They went to work and were expected to raise hell. And when they’d raised enough hell the expectation was that they’d get married. And that’s exactly what they did.”

  Kellen pushed back in his chair. “Sounds like my family.”

  “Did you go to college?”

  “No. I was a cop. All the men in my family are cops.”

  “Did you raise hell?”

  “With a vengeance. I did my best to meet their expectations. And I reached a point where the lifestyle got old, but I never met the woman I was supposed to marry. My sisters are all married and have families. I’m the holdout.”

  Cate thought she might like to be the woman in Kellen’s life. She liked sleeping next to him. And she liked being part of his routine. He was great with Beast, and he’d been great with her nieces. He’d been respectful of her parents but not intimidated. And there was that thing . . .the spark of something nameless and intangible that made her warm and happy and sexy when she was near him. The thing that had been missing with other men.

  “And you stopped being a cop.” Cate said.

  “It was too rigid, too political. And I felt I was getting a slanted view of human nature, always moving through the dark side of society. I made detective, but it still wasn’t satisfying. I felt confined by the structure.”

  “So you set off on your own?”

  “Yes. And I like it. My business is small but profitable. I’m performing a niche service. And I’m good at it.”

  “You’re lucky. You found something you love.”

  “I did,” Kellen said, smiling at her in a way that made her heart stutter.

  Don’t second-guess him, Cate told herself. It would be exciting to think he was experiencing the same sort of feelings for her that she was having for him, but it was early in the relationship. Don’t create a whole falling-in-love fantasy, she thought.

  Cate dialed Sharon’s number. “One phone call left,” she said to Kellen.

  “Good grief, I just heard about Marty,” Sharon said. “It’s all over the news. It’s all over the building. This is awful.”

  “Yeah, I feel really bad,” Cate said.

  “I didn’t know him very well. Just to say hello to.”

  “He was an okay guy. He kept to himself, but he was always nice to me. And he was . . . interesting.”

  “I know this is harsh, but it’s going to be a black mark on our building. First the agent and now Marty. Condo values are going to drop like a rock, and I have two listings. I need to sell those units. I have a mortgage. I saw shoes at Saks that I have to have. And what about you? Are you going to try to stay in the condo?”

  “No. It feels creepy. And I’ll get kicked out anyway. The condo will go into Marty’s estate.”

  “I know about a sweet studio walk-up. It’s only a block from here. It would make a great starter property for you.”

  “I can’t buy. I have nothing for a down payment, and I’d have to cut back on classes if I had a mortgage. I could barely afford to rent that room from Marty.”

  “Beast is going to make it more difficult to find a rental,” Sharon said. “Where are you? I went upstairs to your condo, but no one was home. Since a man answered your cell I’m assuming you’re either with your parents or Mr. Yummy.”

  “Mr. Yummy.”

  “Lucky you. I have a good feeling about him.” Sharon sighed into the phone. “I have a good feeling about 2B, but I can’t connect.”

  “Are you sure a man lives there?”

  “This morning there was a name under his door buzzer. Mr. M. How mysterious is that? Mr. M.”

  “That’s pretty mysterious,” Cate said. “Did you check around to see if anyone saw Mr. M
. fiddling with his name plate?”

  “No one saw. He must have done it in the wee hours of the morning. Gosh, I can’t imagine what the building will be like without you. Why don’t you move in with me? I have an extra bedroom. It would be fun.”

  “That’s really nice of you, but I might have some other options.”

  “Well, the offer is always there. I have to go. I’m showing a townhouse this morning.”

  Cate didn’t have other options. She had a big dog and no money. What she had were two very good friends, and she didn’t want to lose one of those friends by encroaching on her space.

  “What are you going to do?” Kellen asked.

  Cate shrugged. “I’ll find something.”

  “We might be able to work something out here . . . in exchange for services.”

  “What sort of services were you thinking about?”

  “Cooking. Cleaning. Sex.”

  “That could get pricey,” Cate said. “My cooking doesn’t come cheap.”

  And it could be painful, Cate thought. She would have a hard time tearing herself away from Kellen and his house if it didn’t work out. And she still couldn’t tell if this was casual sex or something more for Kellen. It was too soon for the “L” word to get spoken out loud. And how do you figure this stuff out?

  Her relationship with Beast was much easier. She could promise undying love to Beast, and he’d happily stay around as long as she fed him.

  Midmorning Cate’s cell phone rang.

  “Hey, girlfriend,” Julie said. “Where the heck are you? I sent Pugg up to fetch you, but he said nobody’s home.”

  “Pugg is there? Doesn’t he sell tires on Saturdays?”

  “He has the day off, and I have him runnin’ errands. He’s such a good soul. So where are you? Are you out with the dawg?”

  “I’m at Kellen’s house.”

  “Mr. Yummy? Omigod. I was thinkin’ you might be with him. I want a full report. He’s great, right? I can always tell.”

  “Did you hear about Marty?”

  “Hard not to hear about Marty. It’s all anyone’s talkin’ about. It’s just so sad. And I hate the thought that you might leave the building. You and Sharon are like sisters to me.”