Chapter Fourteen
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Dizzy’s hand visibly shook as she set the wine glass down on the table. She’d had a few sips but it was better to keep a clear head. The time for getting tipsy clearly wasn’t now. Her neighbor had just buried a dead body in his backyard. They just hadn’t caught him in the act. By the time Leann and Zach had shown up, Trip had been planting flowers on top.
And Easton believed her that it had happened.
Sure, the fact that Zach and Leann weren’t questioning her sanity might have had something to do with it. Or the fact that Trip Stanford was currently knee deep in dirt in the dark. That was suspicious all on its own. Still, Easton believed that she’d witnessed a murder. This was real growth for him. He hadn’t seen it with his own eyes and it was something hard to believe in the first place. There was no evidence to point to, no other witnesses. Somehow though he’d mustered the courage to go beyond his five senses and that was big. If she hadn’t heard it from his own mouth she wouldn’t have believed it.
Easton and Zach were looking out of her kitchen windows while she and Leann sat at the table. Dizzy’s legs had felt decidedly like jelly but she was beginning to recover from the shock of the news. Just what was Trip thinking?
He’s thinking that no one believes you.
“So walk me through what you saw when you got here,” Easton said, his gaze still zeroed in on the single spotlight in Trip’s backyard. “Was he digging the hole?”
“He’d already dug the hole and was planting the flowers,” Zach replied. “But it was pitch dark outside and had been for some time. No way he started when it was light out. Plus, there’s no moon tonight which I’m sure helps him.”
Gray clouds had filled the sky since late afternoon but tomorrow was supposed to dawn clear. And cold. The weatherman had said that the warm temperatures were behind them and the chilly air of fall was back for good.
“It makes no sense to plant flowers the last night of summer, right?” Dizzy asked, amazed that the entire town didn’t see what she did. “I mean…there’s no logic there. They’re going to freeze and die.”
“I’ve seen it snow in July,” Leann declared. “So yes, they’re going to die eventually. But even if it was June it doesn’t make a lick of sense to plant them in the dark.”
“Unless you’re trying to hide something. Then it’s perfectly logical.” Easton dropped the curtain. “He’s going back inside so I guess he’s done. Now what do we do?”
“We can’t call the police,” Leann sighed. “They don’t believe that anything happened.”
Zach turned from the window and went to stand behind Leann, massaging her shoulders.
“And they can’t dig up his yard without a warrant anyway. We didn’t actually see him bury anything. He’d just say that it’s no crime to plant pretty flowers.”
Dizzy was still having a hard time comprehending what had gone on here tonight.
“It’s so brazen. It’s like he’s taunting me. He knows I know and he knows that no one thinks I’m telling the truth.”
“That’s not true,” Leann protested. “We believe you, and it’s only a matter of time before everyone does.”
Easton hadn’t said much tonight, his expression thoughtful and angry at the same time.
“Do you think people will eventually believe me?” Dizzy asked him. “If nothing changes and we don’t have any proof?”
“We have to get proof,” he said after a quiet pause. “But that’s not exactly my department. I think we need to keep a close eye on him, though. He might eventually slip up and show his cards.”
They might be waiting forever for that.
“And in the meantime?” Dizzy questioned. “Is he going to keep messing with me?”
Zach shook his head. “First off, I don’t think he meant for you to see that tonight. My theory is he saw you leave with Easton and took the opportunity. It was his bad luck that you didn’t go anywhere after dinner and came straight home. I think he was counting on you seeing a movie too.”
Leann’s brows pulled down. “So you don’t think he’s taunting her?”
“I don’t but I could be wrong. This whole situation doesn’t feel like he’s an experienced killer. He did it in his own home, first off. That’s a big no-no.”
“Gacy and Dahmer did it in their own homes,” Easton pointed out, leaning a hip against the counter. “It’s not unheard of.”
“That’s true,” Zach conceded. “But this one doesn’t feel planned. He got the female here. We know that.”
“And she didn’t drive her own vehicle,” Easton added. “Maybe they were on a date?”
“That’s a good guess,” Zach agreed. “They were on a date and things went well enough that she said yes to coming to his place. That’s a lot of trust for a woman to put in a man. My guess would be that it wasn’t their first date.”
“They could have met online,” Dizzy said. “One of the teachers at school does a lot of online dating and she talks to them for weeks or even months before she meets them. She always says she feels like she knows them really well.”
“Then she’d trust them,” Leann nodded. “Enough to maybe even go home with them. So you don’t think he planned it?”
“If he did, he’s lousy at it,” Zach snorted. “He didn’t think about the neighbors or making noise or being seen. He had no method of disposing the body and no alibi other than he was home all alone and asleep.”
That was pretty lame. If Dizzy was planning to murder someone she’d make sure that she had a dozen people as her alibi.
“So the good news is that I don’t probably have a serial killer as a neighbor,” Dizzy said. “The bad news is that he might have anger issues and poor impulse control, plus a healthy disrespect for the female gender.”
Zach placed a kiss on Leann’s cheek. “Jared’s working on the background check for Trip Stanford. Once we have that we can see if there are any skeletons in his closet. It will also give me something more to go on to build a profile. Other than that, we need to keep an eye on him and keep you safe.” He gave Dizzy a smile. “Both of you.”
Should she be worried about her safety? Would he come after her at some point?
“Seriously, would he try anything? If he did the cops would look at him first.”
Zach nodded in agreement. “That’s true but eventually all the gossip will die down and he’ll start to feel comfortable. Except for one outstanding thing. You. He may decide that he can get away with getting rid of you. He’s already killed once and right now is getting away with it. That’s going to breed confidence inside of him.”
Easton crossed his arms over his chest, a determined glint in his blue eyes. “Then we need to make sure to shake that confidence. Make sure he knows we’re still watching and talking about it. Keep up the pressure.”
“I agree up to a point.” Zach pointed to Easton and them himself. “You and I need to keep up the pressure. These ladies? They need to fade into the background.”
Dizzy wasn’t a happy camper when people were talking about her like she wasn’t sitting right there.
“Um…you know we’re in the same room, right?” She held up her hand like she was in a classroom waiting to be called on by the teacher. “It is my life. I get a say in this.”
Easton opened his mouth but she shut him down immediately before he could get started, poking her finger into his chest.
“You know I’m right and that you’d do the same, so don’t even go there.”
Sighing, he nodded. “Fine. You get to decide. Do you want to live or die? It’s your choice.”
She turned to Leann, who was watching with great interest. “He’s a charmer, isn’t he? And they say he has no people skills.”
“I have people skills. Shit. They don’t say that. They say I’m cold and heartless. Two totally different things.”
His indignant tone almost had her laughing but the situation didn’t exactly lend itself to levity.
“I’m sure you do,” she said in her most soothing tone. “And you’re not cold and heartless either.”
If she’d ever thought he was – and she had to admit that there were times when she did – she certainly couldn’t say that now. He’d shown a far different side of himself these last few days. A side she was becoming quite enamored of.
“I’m going to stay here tonight again,” Zach pronounced. “But I’m going to need to leave for an out of town assignment tomorrow. Do you think you could stay here while I’m gone?”
Easton nodded as if it was a foregone conclusion, but to Dizzy it wasn’t by a longshot. This wasn’t technically his battle. He’d only been dragged into it because he’d driven Leann here Friday night.
The men quietly talked, making plans or whatever it was that men did, while Leann and Dizzy looked out the kitchen window to Trip’s yard. They couldn’t help themselves. There wasn’t much to see but the whole situation was grotesque and she felt nauseous simply thinking about it.
“Dizzy, can you walk me to my car?”
Following Easton outside, she wanted to say something to him but she wasn’t sure how to word it. She didn’t want to come off as ungrateful but she also didn’t want him to feel like he had to protect her when it wasn’t his responsibility.
“Thank you for dinner,” she said, standing next to the driver’s side door. The air had turned cool and goosebumps covered her arms while a tension had taken up residence between them. It wasn’t awkward or unwelcome but it was definitely there, almost a living, breathing entity that stood between them. But if she reached out to touch it she would only find her hand on his chest.
Would that be so bad?
“You’re welcome. How about we spend the day together tomorrow? Maybe go for a ride on the ranch?”
Dizzy wanted to spend more time with him and he seemed to feel the same. But first they needed to get something straight.
“That sounds like fun but…”
“But?” he prompted. “You don’t sound too sure.”
Taking a deep breath, she plunged in. “This isn’t your fight, Easton. I know how the Anderson men are. I’ve spent most of my life with you all. But protecting me isn’t your job. Until about twenty-four hours ago you didn’t even think there was anything to protect me from.”
“I do now.”
His expression gave nothing away and she was damn good at reading people. He could probably take up poker for a living.
“Yes, but it’s still not your responsibility. Zach is protecting Leann because they have a relationship.”
That tension had built to the point she could barely breathe in oxygen and she was beginning to get lightheaded. Easton, on the other hand, didn’t look perturbed in the least, simply smiling widely before sliding his arms around her waist and pulling her close to his warm body. If she’d been cold a second ago, now she was burning up.
“A man protects the woman in his life.” Easton bent his head, his lips hovering just over hers. She couldn’t see his eyes well in this light, but she had a feeling they were that soft dark blue instead of like ice earlier when they’d met his sort of friends. His hands had splayed out on her lower back and he was urging her even closer until her breasts were pressed tightly between them. “I like you, Dizzy.”
If she hadn’t known Easton Anderson her whole life she would have thought his revelation no big deal. Nothing to see here, folks. But she of all people knew that he’d just revealed a bombshell.
He liked her. And that wasn’t something he went around saying to every girl.
She had to swallow hard to be able to speak through the lump that had taken up residence in her throat. “I like you too.”
His lips on hers was his reply. He was tender but in control, his mouth questioning, seeking, but not tentative either. And damn, did he know how to kiss. She’d heard rumors, of course, about all the Anderson boys but somehow she hadn’t thought of Easton that way. Maybe it was something in their genes. A giggle rose up in her throat at her wayward thoughts.
Lifting his head, Easton smiled indulgently. “What’s so funny? Do I kiss wrong?”
Shaking her head, she had to cling to his shoulders to stay upright. He’d kissed her until her knees had given out. “Not in the least. It’s just…I’m happy.”
His fingers brushed her cheek. “I’m happy too. Now about tomorrow?”
“What about work?” she asked as he trailed his lips across her jaw. She had to stifle the groan but she couldn’t do a thing about the bar of arousal that was building in her abdomen. All from a few kisses. Clearly, she’d been too long between dates.
“I have exactly one hundred and sixty vacation days that I have not taken and HR – that’s Leann – is always bugging me to take them but I never had a good reason. I do now.”
Heat swept through her cheeks at his intimation. She was that good reason. It felt nice to be wanted. Tami might lecture her about getting involved with such a strong-minded male but Dizzy liked that Easton didn’t roll over and play dead. He had thoughts and opinions of his own. They could debate and discuss, then still be friends.
Or lovers.
That too. Maybe.
And then he was kissing her again and all logical thought fled her brain and she was operating on emotion only. Never had she been so swept away by the meeting of mouth on mouth but one touch from this man and she became a blithering idiot.
“I have to go. I’ll call you in the morning. Let me know if anything else happens tonight.”
He stepped back and she immediately felt the loss of his body heat. His fingers trapped a strand of her hair and he tucked it behind her ear, stroking her jaw as he did so. With a shaky breath, she bid him goodbye and a safe trip home. Watching his taillights disappear into the night, she tried unsuccessfully to get her racing heart under control.
Easton.
He was the last person she would ever have imagined would make her feel this way. But now that she did? She didn’t want it to end.