Chapter Eighteen
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There were many traditions in the Anderson household and one of Leann’s favorites was that if the women did the cooking then the men did the cleaning. Since Zach was a guest he was excused from dish duty but her brothers and father grumbled good-naturedly all the way from the table to the kitchen.
Jason had suggested that Leann take Zach out to the gazebo to get some fresh air which she thought was…strange. Again. Something was definitely going on. Everyone in the family knew the gazebo was for kissing. Ever since the Anderson kids had hit puberty, their dates had been taken out to the gazebo for hand holding and some innocent necking. Not anything more, though, because it could be seen from the back windows of the house. Not well, but enough that no one was going to do anything scandalous there.
Leann had to admit that it was a romantic spot. Years of careful tending by Elaine had the flowers and greenery circling the structure and climbing the lattice and columns. The gazebo sat next to the lake and she had many wonderful memories of summer days, swimming, and picnics. In all her travels over the years, there was something about the ranch that she hadn’t been able to find anywhere else in the world. The sweet smell of the grass, the wide open spaces. It all called to her even when she was far away.
“This is my favorite place,” she said as they walked closer to the serene water. The sun beat down but the trees gave them welcomed shade. “On really hot days we used to come down here and cool off. I swear nothing felt better than plunging straight in after working all day outside.”
Kneeling down, Zach dipped his hand in the water, then quickly pulled it out. “Damn, that is cold, woman. That’s a little past refreshing and well on its way to hypothermia. Have you lost your marbles?”
Laughing, she settled under the shade of the gazebo on one of the benches. “I didn’t say that we stayed in it very long, just that it felt good.”
Standing, he shook the water from his arm and then climbed the gazebo steps to sit next to her. “So is it just me or are Jason and West acting weird?”
Slapping her forehead, Leann groaned in frustration. “You noticed it too? I thought maybe it was just me. Those two are definitely up to something and I’m determined to figure out what it is. They’re not smart enough to keep it hidden for long.”
“Wait a minute, wasn’t Jason undercover for years infiltrating drug cartels?” Zach asked with a chuckle. “I think he might know a thing or two about covert operations.”
“Those drug lords weren’t his sister. I can smell the subterfuge on them. This is exactly like the time they wanted to throw a party when Mom and Dad were going to be out of town but they had to be careful so my aunt and uncle didn’t find out. Which if you think about it is hilarious, because the whole town was going to know eventually and then my parents would know. But Jason and West were determined to try to do it and so they started planning in secret, keeping it from me and Travis. I’m sure you know how this turned out.”
“Your parents found out.”
“Everyone knew but Jason and West were bound and determined to have this party. Of course, they got caught and grounded for life, or something close to it. Travis and I just laughed at them all that summer because they were on restriction and could barely leave the ranch. We had all the fun and they were given all the crappy chores. And believe me, there are a ton of crappy jobs on a ranch.”
“I’m not used to seeing Jason through your eyes. I see him as my super-smart employer who knows the ins and outs of investigation and surveillance. The way you talk about him he could be a Keystone cop.”
Leann shrugged. “He is super smart and cool but he is not perfect. Not by a long shot. It’s a sister’s job to remind her swaggering, alpha male brothers just how imperfect they are.”
“I’ve been taken down a peg or two by Gigi and Aubrey,” Zach confessed. “They keep me humble.”
“It goes both ways. They never let me get too enamored of myself, always making fun of the way I looked—especially my hair.”
His fingers skated down a few strands, barely touching them. She couldn’t even feel it, not really, but simply watching him do it sent a bolt of electricity through her body.
“I think your hair is amazing. Gorgeous and like silk.”
An onlooker could probably hear the crackle of awareness between them. They’d been interrupted last night but this was their second chance. Not wanting it to pass them by, Leann lifted her face so she was looking up into Zach’s blue eyes only to find him gazing at her with a tender expression. They were both thinking the same thing.
She had to remind herself to breathe. “So…”
Smiling, he slid his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to his much larger frame.
“So…”
Bending his head, he brushed his lips against hers. Once. Twice. Three times before deepening the kiss. Her arms creeped around his neck and his fingers tangled in her hair as his tongue swirled around hers. When they finally broke the kiss she was dizzy and breathless, her face and chest flushed. She would have been self-conscious but he too looked just as aroused, his eyes heavy-lidded and his shoulders rising and falling rapidly with his ragged breathing.
“That was…good,” she panted, their gazes locked together. His normally soft blue eyes were dark, the pupils blown wide, and this time she didn’t resist the urge to trace his jawline and the rough stubble underneath her fingertips.
“Very good,” Zach agreed, a smile playing around his well-shaped mouth. “But I think we should do it again. You know, just to make sure.”
One could never be too thorough.
* * *
Back at Zach’s home after dinner, Leann changed into sweats and a t-shirt while he checked his email. Dinner with her family had been rather exhausting, between trying to figure out what Jason and West were up to and also wanting to make a good impression on Leann’s parents. Zach had spent time with David and Eileen in the past, of course, but now that he was involved with their daughter it was a whole new ballgame.
And he was involved with Leann. The kiss had sealed the deal. He didn’t care what her brothers thought about the relationship.
Opening his laptop, Zach had several emails but the most important was from Jason Anderson’s partner Jared – a preliminary report on Drew Marshall, although there was more to come according to the email. Jared described this report as “The stuff a little digging would find”. Now he was going to work on uncovering “The stuff buried deep that no one wants you to know”.
Leann joined him in the kitchen, settling into the chair opposite him at the table.
“Anything interesting?”
“Background on Drew Marshall.”
“Are you still hoping to find a connection other than being classmates?”
Zach rubbed his chin, which was scruffy at the end of the day. “These people were killed with a lot of hate. Carole was bludgeoned to death. Bitty was strangled. Drew had his throat slit with a champagne bottle. These were not random murders and I’d bet my favorite pair of blue jeans that the killer knew Drew Marshall. Killing someone with a broken champagne bottle is too up close and personal. He had to face Drew and look him in the eye. That’s an intense moment and nothing accidental about it.”
Leann shuddered, her lips turning down. “Can you imagine facing a person that’s trying to kill you? Basically seeing your own death? It’s horrifying.”
Zach opened the attachment on the email. “I think whomever killed Drew had a lot of hate for him. That’s why this research is so important. It might give us a clue as to who would want him to die a painful death.”
Peering over Zach’s shoulder, Leann frowned. “You mean like his friends and enemies?”
“That and everything else we can get our hands on. Business partners. Finances. Group associations such as club memberships. Any lawsuits or arrests. Also family issues such as friction between himself and a sibling. Or his wife.”
He’d casually dropped that last part, not sure how Leann would respond. Jenna was her friend and as such he assumed Leann would defend her.
“You want to find out if Jenna and Drew were having any marital difficulties?”
Scrolling through the report, he didn’t see anything that jumped out at him. “Yes, it’s standard operating procedure to investigate the spouse. Statistically, they should be our number one suspect.”
“Is she?” Leann gave him a searching look. “Your number one suspect?”
“No, she’s not. So far I don’t have any evidence that points to Jenna but I would be remiss in my duties to exclude her from the investigation.”
Blowing out a breath, Leann smiled. “I’m glad she’s not on your radar. I haven’t seen or talked to Jenna much these last fifteen years but she was always a good person. A little self-absorbed but I never saw her physically harm anyone. So do you see anything?”
“He and Jenna took a second mortgage on the house and they have quite a bit of credit card debt. He wasn’t ready for the poor house or anything but he wasn’t making much more than the minimum payments.”
“That doesn’t sound all that unusual.”
Zach scrolled farther down. “It’s not. It doesn’t look like he had any out of control spending, either. I don’t see any luxury purchases like jewelry, travel, or cars. What I do see is a man that is house rich and cash poor. It appears that he sunk every dime he had into that home and then some.”
Leann’s brows went up. “And that means…?”
“That he’s a normal middle-class American. So far, there’s nothing to write home about in this report. Drew Marshall was a typical average guy.”
* * *
Zach’s assessment of Drew’s life was fascinating. Just what was average these days?
“Typical?” Leann asked. “Can you elaborate?”
“From what this tells me, he went to work every day and came home to his wife and two kids. They have a dog and cat and a minivan. His kids are involved in sports and musical instrument lessons. They get decent grades but are no Einsteins. Jenna does volunteer work at her kids’ schools and goes to lunch once a week with her friends. She has two cocktails and a chicken Caesar salad normally. We can tell that detail from her credit card receipts. She has an addiction to reading police procedural novels. Drew liked political thrillers but reads much less. They had a Netflix subscription. Once a month they went out – probably a date night for the two of them – and had dinner at an upscale restaurant. He bought her flowers and candy on Valentine’s Day. Jenna’s Facebook feed is filled with puppies and kittens. Drew didn’t have any social media accounts so I’m guessing he preferred face to face contact.”
Leann pulled his laptop closer. “You can tell all of that? Holy shit.”
“And more.” Leann was horrified. Secrets were becoming extinct. “This is just the beginning. Jared will be able to dig much more deeply but it will take more time and effort. Do you have any secrets that you don’t want the world to know?”
“No, and thank goodness because I bet you were about to tell me that it’s too damn late. It’s already out there.”
“It is,” he confirmed. “By the time we’re done with Drew Marshall and his family – and the other victims as well – I’ll know where every dime of his money went in the last five years. I’ll know how often he took in his car for an oil change. I’ll know what brand of beer was his favorite and I’ll definitely know his favorite television show. All we have to do is follow his web footprint. In addition, we’ll also interview some of the people on the edges of his life. His family and friends will try to cover up anything embarrassing. Coworkers or employees? The guy down at the Quickee Mart who sells him his coffee and gas? The kid that mows the lawn? They’re happy to tell us every little detail, good or bad.”
She couldn’t help but feel sorry for Jenna, her family, and the relatives of Carole and Bitty. It was as if they were being victimized a second time. “That’s a terrible invasion of privacy. Don’t you feel a little guilty about ripping apart someone’s life like this?”
Leann hadn’t meant it to come out sounding so accusatory but luckily Zach didn’t seem to take offense. “It sounds callous but if you’re involved in a murder case your life is going to be inspected under a microscope. I do always apologize later but I have to do my job, Leann. I owe it to the victims.”
“I know,” she sighed, pushing her long hair back from her face. “It’s just I hate to think of Jenna and the kids having to go through any of this.”
Capturing a stray strand of hair between his fingers he tucked it behind her ear, his fingertips caressing her cheek and sending streaks of warmth straight to her abdomen. “I’ll be as respectful as I can.”
He would be, she was sure of it. She hadn’t known him long but he had that air about him. Truth, honesty, and integrity. Her gut said she could trust this man no matter what. He reminded her of the men in her own family. They might not be perfect but they always tried to do the right thing.
She closed her eyes in contentment. “I know that too.”
To her surprise and delight, Zach’s nose nuzzled hers and his lips skated across her cheekbone, ever so lightly, sending a shiver up her spine. “How about we put the case away for the night?”
Her fingertips glided down his arm and over his palm where his larger hand trapped her much smaller one. “I think that’s a good idea. What do you want to do instead?”
His wolfish grin was the answer she’d craved. “I was hoping to kiss you again. Any objections?”
None at all.