Chapter Nine
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“I can’t believe all these geeks that grew into doctors and lawyers,” Darrell Madison said as they all sat at the table drinking champagne and listening to Sheryl Crow. “I guess I should have studied harder in high school but I was too busy getting laid. You know what? I think I had the better end of the deal.”
Leann winced at Darrell’s crude words. The star forward on the basketball team had never been known for his sensitivity but apparently his manners hadn’t become any better in the last fifteen years. The beer and champagne he’d pounded probably didn’t help the situation. Darrell was putting away some serious amounts of alcohol and that was only what she’d seen since they’d joined the group for the toast. His face was bright red and his movements were clumsy. Zach must think she went to high school with a bunch of drunks.
Darrell apparently wasn’t done making things even more awkward. “Who are you, man? Did we go to school together? Did you play defense?”
Inwardly Leann groaned at her former classmate and wished she sat closer so she could kick his shin under the table. As if sensing her unease, Zach patted her hand under the tablecloth. “No, I didn’t go to Tremont High but I am Leann’s escort for the evening. I work as a law enforcement consultant for Jason Anderson.”
Zach was being nicer than Darrell deserved.
“Word around town is that you were in the military over in the Middle East and then you did personal security work for a few celebrities. Any stories you can tell about the rich and famous?” Jenna asked, playing the peacemaker as usual.
“Not in mixed company.”
Everyone laughed and seemed to leave the topic behind, content to talk about the people who hadn’t shown up, wondering what had happened to them.
“Leann? Leann Anderson?” A familiar man stood just behind Zach and Leann, his face wreathed in smiles. “Jesus, I can’t believe it’s you. You look fantastic. Do you remember me? Colin Simpson.”
Colin. He was the reason she’d passed chemistry and physics.
Grinning, Leann pushed back her chair back and gave the other man a hug. “I had no idea you were going to be here. It’s so wonderful to see you. Colin, I don’t think you know Zach. He’s new in Tremont. Zach, this is Colin Simpson. He helped me with my science homework so I could get into a decent college.”
Zach smiled and shook the other man’s hand. “Good to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too. Tremont is a great little town.” He turned his attention back to Leann. “I was hoping you’d be here. I think the last time I saw you was right after graduation. I know you moved out of Tremont. What have you been doing?”
Leann pointed to the empty chair across from her. “Join us and we can all catch up.”
Darrell snickered at his end of the table. “More geeks. I think it’s a conspiracy.”
The average IQ of the table just went way up when Colin sat down.
Colin nodded toward the far end of the table. “Darrell Madison, right? No one could forget you or your infamous fart games. They were legendary.”
Darrell elbowed Drew. “See? He appreciates my sense of humor.”
Drew shook his head and took a swallow of his beer. “He’s being polite, something I don’t have to be since we’re best friends. Lay off the booze, you’re acting like an ass.”
Darrell turned to Jenna, his smirk on his face. “Am I being an ass, Jenna baby?”
“A little but it’s not the first time.” She patted him on the back. “Don’t worry, we love you no matter what.”
Scowling, Drew grunted and pulled his phone from his pocket. “I don’t love you. I think you’re being a jerk. Just like always. I need to make a call, I’ll be right back.”
Jenna captured her husband’s wrist as he stood. “Can’t it wait? We’re having fun.”
“It’s business.”
Darrell snorted into his champagne. “Sure it is. You’re practically employee of the month. They ought to give you a plaque. Because nothing is more important than your goddamn job.”
Standing, Drew tossed his friend a contemptuous look. “Shut the fuck up. No one wants to hear you running off at the mouth.”
“You mean you don’t want to hear me. You don’t want to hear anyone, Drew. You don’t listen to anyone and you don’t give a shit about anyone.”
Catching her husband’s hand in her own, Jenna slammed down her drink. “Stop it. Both of you. You’re acting like children.”
Drew nodded to Darrell. “He started it.”
“I did no–”
Darrell didn’t get any further as Jenna cut him off. “I don’t care who started it. I’m ending it. Stop sniping at each other.”
Shrugging, Darrell sat back in his chair, smirking at Drew who tugged his hand away from his wife. Leann watched her friend closely as Jenna reluctantly let go of Drew and he walked off. Jenna turned back to the group apologetically. “I’m sorry about that, but when duty calls Drew always answers no matter what. So dedicated.”
There was an uncomfortable silence after Drew left, and they were all aware that Jenna wasn’t happy that he had. Finally Colin smiled and signaled the waitress. “It’s nice when a person loves their job.”
Nodding, Jenna tore her gaze away from the door where her husband had exited. “It is, isn’t it? What did you say you do, Colin?”
“Orthopedic surgeon.”
Darrell laughed and raised his beer bottle. “It’s good to be a geek. Now they get all the money and all the chicks.”
“Shut up,” Jenna hissed through clenched teeth. “You’re embarrassing yourself.”
“Just telling the truth.” Darrell lifted the last champagne bottle from the bucket and popped it open. “We thought we were so cool in high school but what we didn’t know was that the geeks were going to take over the world. Build computers and Twitter and shit. I bust my ass all day long on the ranch and we’re lucky to break even at the end of the year. If only I’d worn glasses and been too weak to play sports. My life would have turned out so different.”
Leann could feel the tension in Zach’s body and see the echoing emotion in the way Colin held himself. Darrell needed to shut the fuck up. Between him, Troy, and Drew it was testosterone central.
“Jesus, Darrell.” Jenna shoved at the man’s shoulder. “Go get some fresh air or something. These guys are being nice to you and you’re being a jerk.”
Stumbling to his feet, Darrell picked up the almost full champagne bottle and tucked it under his arm. “That’s me. A big old jerk. Just ask my ex-wife. She’ll tell you.” Swaying slightly, he rounded the table and came to stand by Leann. “Lovely to see you, Leann.”
Darrell tottered but managed to exit the ballroom through the same door as Drew. Jenna sighed and dropped her face into her hands. “I’m so sorry about that. Darrell’s wife left him a few months ago and he’s still upset and bitter about it. He shouldn’t have taken his anger out on you two. Hopefully all the drama is over with for the evening.”
“It’s fine,” replied the doctor with a small smile. “I’m sorry to hear about his marriage.”
It felt stifling hot in the ballroom and Leann needed a breath of fresh air. There were suddenly too many people in this room. She nudged Zach’s arm to get his attention.
“I think I’d like to step outside and get some air.”
“Where you go, I go.”
She wasn’t naive enough to think that was because he couldn’t get enough of her scintillating company. It was because he was under orders.
“Then follow me.”
* * *
Gallantly Zach opened the door for her and she stepped outside onto a back terrace, the cool breeze caressing her overheated skin. It had been getting warm in the ballroom and this felt lovely. It was fun catching up with her old friends but it was also becoming more intense than she’d anticipated. Between the tragic deaths of her classmates and the personal sniping and backstabbing she was almost wishing she was back in Florida. Almost.
It wasn’t unpleasant to stand next to Zach, although his large frame dwarfed her own. He made her feel safe and protected. It might be his job but this was more. He acted as if he was enjoying her company, not just being paid to keep her alive. Perhaps he just wanted to be friends? She’d be disappointed but she could understand. He traveled a lot for his job and he might not want to get involved.
He might just not be into you.
Lots of women tonight had looked Zach up and down but he’d been her date. Now and then she’d felt his hand on the small of her back guiding her and her skin had tingled in response. He was the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome, and after all the time they’d spent together she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t smitten. When she’d dressed for the party tonight she’d been thinking of how he might look at her in her outfit. The more time she spent with him the more she liked him.
Had something else been going on this afternoon? Despite pulling back from their kiss, he hadn’t liked it when Henry had asked her to sit next to him.
“What made you decide to come to the reunion, Leann? You’ve been gone a long time.”
“Jenna wouldn’t take no for an answer,” she replied. “Plus, I missed my family, of course.”
“Of course,” he repeated. “It must be difficult being all alone in another state.”
“It can get lonely but I have some good friends there. How about you? Are you settling into Tremont? Weren’t you living in Las Vegas before this?”
“I was but the summers were brutal and it was so flat and dry. I like it here better, plus I get to be close to my sisters and my new nephew.”
Baby Ryder. One of the major reasons she was thinking of moving back. She didn’t want to miss her nephew growing up.
“He is a cutie. I never imagined West as a father, I have to admit.”
“I never imagined Gigi as a mom but she’s amazing.”
The question was out before she could stop it. “Do you think about settling down and having a family?”
Leann wanted to run and hide. It was an incredibly personal query and they weren’t even on a real date. He was being forced to escort her here.
“Someday. I’m concentrating on getting my career going right now.”
Zach checked his phone and then tucked it back into his jacket pocket, which reminded her that he was waiting for news about the case.
“Have you heard anything? You know…about Bitty and Carole?”
He shook his head. “We’re waiting on forensics but I doubt they’ll give us much. Right now I’m concentrating on the psychology of the killer since we have so little physical evidence.”
“You have a theory.”
He didn’t answer immediately but eventually he nodded. “I do. At first this felt like revenge but it isn’t quite right. The cases I’ve seen in the past were because the victims bullied the killer and the wounds festered over a long period of time, creating a compulsion to even the score, so to speak. According to you and some other people I’ve spoken with, Carole and Bitty might have been popular but they weren’t cruel. Which leads me to the conclusion that it’s not revenge the killer wants. This is about envy. The killer believes that these women didn’t deserve what they had and that he has received less than his share. It’s a different motivation for settling the score. And that theory puts you right in the path of this guy.”
Jason had mentioned to Leann that Zach had taken on the role of profiler in the consulting firm and that he was damn good at it.
“I’m sorry you have to babysit me. I’m sure there are other things you’d rather be doing than this.”
Leann wasn’t prepared for the intensity of his reply. Leaning down so they were almost nose to nose, he placed a finger under her chin so she was looking into his blue eyes.
“There is no place I’d rather be and nothing more important.”
Her mouth had fallen open and she was struggling to speak when the door to the ballroom flew open and Jenna stood there, her brows pinched together.
“Is Drew out here? He never came back from that phone call and I’m starting to get a little worried. He’s been drinking quite a bit tonight.”
Because she was so close to Zach she could instantly feel the tensing of his body. His hand fell away and she felt bereft as he took a step backward, putting space between them.
“We’ll help you find him,” Zach replied. “Where have you checked so far?”