Free Kiss Them Goodbye by Stella Cameron Page A

disappeared inside his own. “What did the local experts decide?”
    “Accident,” she said.
    “You don’t sound as if you believe that.”
    “No. And less now with Louis’s death. Poor man. We have to find what was taken from his briefcase. He became marked by it, whatever it is, I’m sure of that.”
    ” We ,” Spike felt mean but it had to be said. “This is a job for the professionals, Vivian. I won’t be one of them, you already know that. And Errol Bonine and his squad won’t allow you to interfere. They’ll do the askin’ and tell you no more than they have to.”
    “He—Bonine asked me questions for two hours.”
    “I know. I was in the house, remember? What kind of questions did he ask?” He shouldn’t interfere but didn’t feel any remorse.
    “Dumb questions. And the same ones over and over—when he wasn’t resting his eyes. Where was I from? Why would I want to live at Rosebank? Was I in some sort of trouble in New Orleans? Why aren’t I married? Was I ever married? Don’t I like men?”
    “Ass,” Spike said with feeling. How Errol had risen as far as he had would always be a mystery—maybe. “Don’t you worry about him. He’s doing what he thinks he’s supposed to do, only he’s forgotten most of what that is. You just keep calm and don’t let him rile you.”
    Vivian decided that Deputy Sheriff Spike Devol didn’t know exactly what, or who, he was dealing with yet. He’d learn in time. If Vivian had her way, he’d learn everything there was to learn about her. She took a forgotten breath and felt a wash of hopelessness. Spike might be interested in an affair, a short, hot affair, butnothing more unless she was mistaken. That wouldn’t be enough for her—tantalizing as it seemed.
    “What kind of record does Detective Bonine have?” she asked. “For solving crimes, I mean?”
    “Lousy, but that doesn’t seem to cramp his style. I’m talking out of school but I’d say the detective lives very well for what I know he earns and the possibility is that not solving some cases pays well. I don’t know if your case falls into that category, but don’t expect any speedy answers. It’s likely to drag on, then fade away.”
    “I’ve got to find the connection between my father’s death and what happened yesterday. Uncle Guy only changed his will almost literally on his deathbed. Dad died a few weeks after Uncle Guy. The insurance wasn’t nearly enough and my mother took a terrible financial hit. And that was on top of being brokenhearted over Dad’s death.”
    “Stinking luck,” Spike said.
    “As things stand we don’t have any choice but to make Rosebank work. There’s enough money to creep along for a while and nothing more. We can’t really continue with the renovations until we’re more solvent again. We have to move so slowly when we need to go fast.”
    She drummed her fingers and he wondered if she was deciding whether to go on.
    “In Uncle Guy’s will there was a strange reference to having faith, that he had taken care of all eventualities and all the Patins would have to do was use their minds if their eyes were to see the truth.”
    She had all of Spike’s attention.
    “Louis said he was bringing good news. What would you make out of that?”
    Careful. “I’d probably make some of the same guesses you’re making. But I wouldn’t get in the way of the law.”
    Her determined concentration on the table didn’tfool him. The lady could become hard to handle because she wouldn’t take directions easily unless they made a lot of sense to her.
    “The connection has to be found.” She sounded stubborn.
    “If there is one.” He slid his rump forward in his chair and carried her fingertips to his mouth. “Heed what I say and don’t meddle. Your life is too important to risk. I won’t let you lose it over money.”
    Her startled eyes rose to his face.
    Absently, Spike kissed the very tips of her fingers, ran his tongue across them. Vivian said,