Chapter 14
The ride back to her motel was silent except for the classic rock songs playing on the radio. When Noah had confessed the truth about that night, he didn’t realize she’d take it hard. If anything, he expected her to be relieved to discover that he wasn’t a total jerk after all. Instead, she’d fallen into an unexplained catatonic state.
He resisted the urge to reach over and take her pulse.
The motel was one story and appeared to have been built with a serious lack of creativity, or cash. Painted tan block, with outdated dirty windows with casings covered in a thick layer of rust-colored paint, he suspected that they rented to hookers and johns by the hour.
A rough looking character stood in an open doorway with his hand tucked into the waistband of his pants and a bottle of liquor in the other. He stared at Harper with a calculated look that made Noah uneasy.
In a place like this, odds were high that many of the residents had felony records. They’d eat up someone like Harper.
Peering through the windshield, Noah said, “You can’t stay here.” He wouldn’t bend on this.
“You can’t tell me what to do.”
Finally, life had flooded back into her. Good. Yet, he wasn’t about to argue. “This place isn’t safe.”
“It’s safe enough.” There was a stubborn tilt to her chin. “I can’t afford the Marriott. I’m unemployed, remember?” She exited the car. The eyes in the doorway guy took on a feral gleam as she walked over and unlocked her door.
Oh, hell no. There was no way he was leaving her there.
The room was musty and in need of a steam cleaning. The walls were cracked and the sink faucet trickled water. He couldn’t confirm but he thought he caught movement out of the corner of his eye of some critter running under the bed.
“I have a place you can stay.”
She sank down on the queen bed. Dejection filled her eyes as she examined the dump, but the chin jut stayed. “I’m not bunking with you.”
Geez, she was stubborn. “Look HJ. I’ve worked a lot of cases in places just like this. It’s no place for a woman alone. The locks were made for picking and the chain won’t keep a two-year-old out.”
He inhaled deeply and stared her down. He’d bunk in a sleeping bag outside the door if he had to. “Either you take me up on my offer or I’m moving here with you.”
Her eyes flashed. “You’re not my father, Noah. You can’t boss me around like I’m six.”
At least she’d snapped out of her mood. Angry he could deal with. He rubbed his face and took a reasonable tact. He could bend on a lot of things, but not when it came to her safety.
“I’m not asking you to share my apartment. I have a rental that’s empty right now. It’s clean and safe.”
For a second, he thought she’d refuse. Then her eyes moved around the room for a second time, taking full stock of the dismal surroundings. There was no way she could find anything positive in the space. The fight left her.
“We won’t be living together?”
Not exactly. “Nope.”
The mouse ran out from under the bed, saw them, and ran back. She gasped and pulled her feet up on the bed. “Deal.”
Little did she know that she’d made a pact with the devil.
* * * *
The house was a duplex in the heart of Ann Arbor and right near downtown. It was cottage style, painted brown, with ivy crawling up one side wall. Stone steps went from the sidewalk up to the house, and the entire lot was shaded with ancient and overgrown trees and bushes of varying shapes and sizes.
“This doesn’t look like your style,” she said as he led her to the door. Impressed by the exterior, she couldn’t wait to get inside. “And this doesn’t look like a student rental.”
She was sure that Taryn and Summer lived within walking distance of here. Jess, she wasn’t positive.
Noah unlocked the door and pushed it open. “I bought the place several years ago as an investment property. The interior was a mess. I rent mostly to professionals who work at the university and the hospital. Some are temporary visitors from overseas.” He led her inside. “I have two professors moving in next month before school starts.”
“I’m impressed.” She placed her suitcase on the scarred and polished old wood floor. As Noah had said, the apartment was clean, furnished with sturdy—if not expensive—furniture, and just big enough for two to live comfortably.
“The other apartment is a mirror of this one. A visiting doctor from Amsterdam is arriving in two weeks.” He gave her a tour. “The house was sold when the owner died. She was a hoarder. It took two industrial sized dumpsters to empty the place out. The rest of the cleaning took a week.”
“It’s hard to imagine that now. This is great.”
Wood floors went throughout the living room and kitchen. The appliances were fairly new and a small island with a gray marble top separated kitchen from living room. The bedroom had a queen-sized bed with a blue and red quilt, and the master bath held a shower and a claw foot tub.
“I love those tubs.” It was easy to imagine herself up to her neck in bubbles.
A gray and white marble countertop matched the one in the kitchen. “I like the colors,” she said and ran her hand over the smooth cool surface. She wouldn’t have to worry about low water pressure and rusty pipes here.
Or mice. Rats. Gunshots.
“That’s why I don’t rent to students.”
“I’ll take it.” She dropped her suitcase on the bed.
He left her to settle in and she made a list of anything she’d need for her short stay. Food was first on the list.
After dumping her dirty clothes into the stackable washer, she took the key Noah left on the counter and headed out. The Yugo was gone and she smiled. Noah was driving the wreck. He must be swearing a blue streak, like her aunt used to say.
The man was bossy, but she was pleased to have conceded on this matter. She hadn’t slept well at the creepy motel. The apartment was much better.
The cottage was five blocks from downtown. Energized by the vibe of the city, she stopped for a coffee and a muffin at a small coffee shop. Most of the students were gone for the summer, but there were still enough residents on campus to keep this part of the city from being a ghost town.
After eating, she got directions to a small grocery store. An hour, and two stuffed reusable canvas bags later, she strolled back to the cottage, eager to get dinner started. She was famished and a bit lightheaded.
The Yugo was back. “Noah?” she called and went into the kitchen. “Noah?” There was no sign of him.
She walked through the apartment. No Noah.
Curious, she headed for the sliding patio doors and peered out. The yard was small but cottage-like with shade plants and a short stone path that dissected the yard and led back to a brick patio. On the patio was Noah, his sleeves rolled up, tending to a smoky BBQ grill.
Had he duped her into rooming together after all? She stepped outside and crossed her arms.
“What are you doing?”
“Grilling steaks.” His hair was mussed from the light breeze. An apron hung low on his hips and every time he reached for something, a thin trail of male skin became exposed at his waistband. Her mouth watered, and it wasn’t from the scent of cooking meat.
“I can see that. But why?”
He took a pair of tongs and nudged a steak, while the other hand shook spices across the surfaces. The man had grill skills.
“The usual reason. I’m hungry.”
Her PI was being purposefully obtuse. He knew exactly what she meant. Suspicion welled. He was too comfortable with the grill for this to have been his first time using it. “I told you we aren’t living together.”
“I heard you.” He swung the tongs around and pointed at the other side of the duplex. “That’s why I’m staying over there.”
For the first time, she noticed a low, Victorian-looking wrought iron fence that was about hip high and cut the shared duplex yard in two. It wasn’t high enough to keep out a squirrel much less a grown man. She’d been had.
The other yard had a similar set-up, without the grill. “You can’t be serious?”
He flipped the steaks. “It’s the perfect situation. I have to finish painting over there, and we can meet in the middle to work the case.”
Harper smelled a set-up. “You’ve already been living over there.” It wasn’t a question.
“For about four weeks. I moved over after I began work on this side.” He poked the steaks. “Getting the apartments ready is easier without the commute from home. And I didn’t lie to you. We aren’t living together.”
“Only by one wall separating us!” She grumbled a swear word under her breath. “You tricked me.”
“I never said I wouldn’t be nearby.”
Just what she needed was an all too good-looking Noah living under the same roof. Sort of. He was already spending too much time in her head. She didn’t need the sounds of him moving around the apartment, snoring, watching sports, and showering to distract her more.
That last was the worst. She’d already imagined him naked and wet. She didn’t need daily reminders. The guy fired up parts of her that had been dormant for well over a year.
Hopefully, the walls were thick.
He drew her attention back. “I can take you back to the roach motel if you’d like.” He stood with the tongs in one hand and the other on his hip awaiting her answer.
Damn. She should call him on that. Had the apartment not been so cute and perfect, she might have. But she was backed into a corner and he knew it. Her savings was going down fast and the place was free. However, it didn’t mean she wouldn’t find a way to get even with him for the deception.
Her revenge list was growing.
“I want the master key.” She strolled over and held out her hand. “I can’t have you wandering in at all hours.”
“I wouldn’t do that.”
Ha. That was exactly what he’d do and often. She waggled her fingers. “Gimme.”
Reluctantly, he dug in his pocket for a keychain. He took one key off the loop. “I can’t believe you don’t trust me.” He acted hurt. She knew better.
“I wouldn’t trust you to watch my goldfish.” She took the key and stuffed it into her pocket. “If I had a goldfish. And I trust you less not to wander into my apartment at night to watch me sleep.”
A grin appeared that promised sinful things and her knees wobbled. “Honey, if I’m in your room some night, you won’t be sleeping.”