Handsome As Sin

“You mean to tell me you were trying to steal a penny?” Ellie asked, astonished.

Rose handed the wide-eyed little boy to Ellie as she went over to the register. After a few minutes she said, “He’s right. Nothing’s missing.”

Again Jake didn’t react in any visible way. His casual, relaxed features piqued her curiosity. Of course, the fact that he was drop-dead gorgeous didn’t help, either.

Remember Mike, she silently admonished. Though New Year’s Day was still two weeks away, Ellie had already made a resolution—no more alpha males. And Jake was nothing if not an alpha. It was apparent from the hard set of his jaw. This man fairly screamed arrogance bred of too much testosterone, and she wasn’t about to let history repeat itself.

“So,” Beth began as she dabbed at Josh’s bloodied lip with a napkin. “Are we going to have him arrested?”

Josh shrugged away from Beth. Ellie guessed the action was the result of having so many people witness his thrashing.

“I should,” Rose huffed as she went over to survey the damage that was once her Christmas tree. She sank down to her knees. “Look at this!” she whined. “Do either of you two barbarians have any idea how long it’s taken me to collect these?”

Ellie offered a conciliatory smile. “Maybe we can glue them together.”

Rose grunted in response. “This one,” she said, holding up a fragment depicting part of a nostril, “was painted by a woman Elvis kissed in Germany. I have the certificate of authenticity at home.”

“I’ll be happy to share the cost of replacing what was broken,” Jake offered.

Rose glared at him. The hostility in her eyes reminded Ellie never to get on this woman’s bad side.

“They aren’t replaceable,” Rose said.

“Neither is my penny,” Jake said.

Rose got up slowly, still clutching the small piece of the King’s nose in her hand. “Do you really think an Elvis Presley collectible and a penny are in the same category, Devereaux? We’re talking Elvis here. Much more important than a dead president cast in copper.”

Jake moved then, drawing Ellie’s eyes to the definition of muscles where his well-worn jeans hugged powerful thighs. She shouldn’t be watching his legs, she admonished. Nor should she care that his sheepskin jacket hung from broad, even shoulders. It was as ridiculous as fixating on the fact that he didn’t just walk, no, this man swaggered with a pure male confidence that reminded her of an old movie hero. The kind that breezed into town, saved the day, then disappeared without a backward glance.

“Hot,” Chad said as he wiggled in her arms.

“Yes he is,” Ellie mumbled. “Rose, maybe your daughter-in-law can do something with the pieces. Isn’t she some sort of preservationist?”

“Yes,” Rose answered. “But I don’t think Tory can fix all these in time for the holidays.”

“So buy some new ones,” Josh suggested, a touch of annoyance in his voice.

“You have no appreciation for the King,” Rose said. “If you did, you wouldn’t make such a stupid suggestion.”

“Forgive me,” Josh said on a sigh. “I guess listening to his music hour after hour, night after night, has kinda turned me off the guy.”

Rose glared harder. “You can always find another job. Hey!” she called out, turning in the direction of the bar. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Ellie followed Rose’s angry gaze and found Jake on his hands and knees, crawling between the bar stools.

Jake looked over and Ellie was amazed at the mild annoyance she saw in his eyes. “I’m looking for my penny.”

“To hell with your penny,” Rose said as she stomped over to the man. “Is it worth a fortune? Is that it?”

Jake shrugged and said, “Not really.”

“Then get up off my floor and get out of my place.”

“As soon as I find my penny.”

Without taking her eyes off the man, Rose said, “I’ll give you exactly two seconds to get out of here, or I’m calling the cops and having you arrested for attempted robbery.”

“You don’t seem to understand,” Jake said in a calm but firm voice. “I need that penny.”

“And I needed my Christmas tree. Out.”

“It will just take—”

“Josh,” Rose called, “see this jerk out.” Rose stepped back to allow an eager Josh access to Jake. “Consider your penny—if there ever was one—partial payment for the damage you did.”

The two men squared off, and for a brief second Ellie was afraid another fight might break out. “Here,” Ellie said as she handed her nephew to Josh. “You hold Chad and I’ll see Mr. Devereaux out.”

There was a faintly amused light in his eyes as she took hold of his sleeve. “What about my penny?” he asked.

Guiding him toward the door, Ellie grabbed his hat off the table and thrust it against his stomach. It was a mistake. Brushing her fingers against the solid muscle at his waist caused a tiny tingle of awareness to spread from her hand to her arm, before shooting down her spine. “I’ll look for your penny tomorrow. The weather is getting worse and I have to get Josh home. I hardly think now is the appropriate time to argue over a penny. Besides, you just destroyed several of Rose’s most prized possessions. If you don’t get out of here, she’ll have you in jail so fast you won’t know what hit you.”

When they reached the door, Jake turned, and his eyes met and held hers. “Are you always the peacemaker?”

Ellie schooled herself not to react to the low, seductive quality of his voice. “I’m the middle child. I learned the fine art of mediation before I learned my alphabet.”

Shaking his head, he sighed. The action caused a wave of warm, mint-scented breath to wash across her uplifted face. “And here I was hoping you were trying to tell me you liked me.”

Ellie blinked. “I’d like you gone.”

“Here,” he said as he pulled a book of matches from the pocket of his jacket. “I’m staying at the Manor House. Call me tomorrow when you find my penny.”

Ellie accepted the matchbook, knowing full well she wasn’t going to call him. Every instinct in her body told her Jake Devereaux wasn’t the kind of man a sane woman called.

She locked the door and slipped the matchbook into her pocket. Rose still looked despondent, Josh was apparently still fuming and, for some unknown reason, Beth’s bottom lip was thrust out in a pout.

“Shall we?” Ellie suggested.

“Sled!” Chad yelled excitedly, throwing himself toward Rose. “Sled!”

“I know,” Rose said as she took the little boy from Josh. “We’ll go now.”

“Now,” Chad parroted.

Rose looked out the window and Ellie read the frown on her face. The reason for the deep lines became apparent as soon as she turned. Jake Devereaux was standing on the porch, just staring.

“I’m calling the cops,” Rose decided.

“Sled!” Chad argued, kicking his feet. “Go now!”

“I’ll be happy to take him home,” Ellie suggested.

“You’re taking me home,” Josh reminded her.

Beth stepped up and tried to loop her arm through his. “I can drop you off.”

“Forget it,” Rose said, sighing. “The alarm’s on. He can stand out there in the snow until his nose freezes off. Let’s just get out of here before we get snowed in for the night.”

The group shuffled out of the bar, leaving Jake with his nose pressed against the frosted glass. Ellie half expected him to appear at the back door and found herself oddly disappointed when he failed to appear.

After a quick round of good-byes, Ellie settled behind the wheel of her rented car. Josh slid in beside her, blowing air into his cupped hands.

“Gloves help,” she suggested with a wry smile.

“I usually manage to find someplace warm to stick my hands.”

“One more crack like that and I’ll be happy to tell you where to stick them.”

Josh raised his hands, palms out. “You can’t fault a guy for trying.”

“Yes,” she promised him. “I can.”

Ellie had just pulled onto the main street when Josh asked, “Is that what your little vacation is all about? You having difficulty with your love life?”

She shrugged. “Not trouble, exactly.”

“That’s not the impression I got when that gorilla showed up.”

“Mike is having a hard time dealing with rejection.”

“Not used to being the dumpee?”

She glanced over at him, smiling. “He’s probably no better at it than you are.”

“I’ve never been dumped.” Josh blew on his fingernails and buffed them theatrically.

“There’s a first time for everything,” she warned.

“Not for this kid,” he answered. “I let them know right up front that I’m not into ‘happily ever after.’”

“You know something,” Ellie said as she carefully slowed for a traffic light. “Susan was right, you are slime.”

Josh laughed. “I see our psychic waitress has already given you the word on me.”

“Susan, Rose, Beth, Shelby...”

“I get the picture,” he said.

“But at least you’re honest slime.”

“A regular Boy Scout. Not like that shady Devereaux character.”

Ellie felt her smile slip. “I wonder whether that bit about the penny was real.”

“You think he was really after a penny? Or just there to rip us off?”

“Who knows. But if I had a valuable coin, I sure wouldn’t be stupid enough to lose it in a bar.”

“He didn’t seem like the stupid type,” Josh stated after he told her to make a left turn at the next corner. “That’s why I think all that crap about the coin was a put-on.”

“You’re probably right. I just feel terrible for Rose. Those ornaments looked like they were completely destroyed.”

“Good.”

“Josh!” she admonished. “They meant a lot to her. You should feel terrible since it was partially your fault.”

“My fault? I was only trying to stop that guy from ripping her off.”

“You could have been more careful.”

“I’ll remember that the next time I’m tossing some ugly drunk out of the bar.”

“He wasn’t an ugly drunk.” Where did that come from? she wondered. “Anyway, I think you should try to replace some of the things that were broken.”

“Let him replace them,” Josh grumbled. “Or better still, maybe now we can have a normal Christmas tree.”

“I thought it was kind of unique,” Ellie admitted.

“Right. What about that one that played ‘Blue Christmas’ over and over again?”

“That one was a little hard to take.”

“It didn’t have an Off button,” Josh continued to rant. “What kind of manufacturer makes a musical ornament with no Off button.”

“An Elvis fan.”

“This is it,” Josh said, pointing to a modest apartment building on the left. “Want to come in and see my etchings?”

Ellie groaned. “Keep your etchings to yourself, thank you very much. But I will use your ladies’ room before I head back to Shelby’s.”

“Fine by me. But you enter at your own risk.”

“Lovely,” she mumbled as she cut the engine and got out of the car.

The snow had tapered to little more than flurries. Chad’s dream of sledding didn’t look too good as she followed Josh up the short walkway. She estimated there was less than an inch of total accumulation.

Josh unlocked the door to his ground-level apartment. Ellie immediately noticed two things. First, it was surprisingly neat, except for the clutter of holiday decorations waiting to be hung. Second, the whole place smelled of a rather sweet, almost feminine, floral air freshener.

“First door on the left,” he said as he tossed his coat over one of the boxes.

“I can’t believe you had the audacity to criticize Rose’s tree.”

Josh looked at her with surprise in his eyes. “What?”

“I assume these are for your tree?” She lifted the carefully wrapped strand of lights and allowed them to dangle in the air between them. “Chili-pepper lights?”

“I’ll have you know they are quite in vogue these days.”

“On a silver foil tree?” she asked, glancing at the partially assembled tree near a large window.

“I guess you’d rather have ode to Elvis?”

Ellie shook her head. “I’m a glass-ornament, colored-lights, strings-of-popcorn kind of girl.”

“How boring.”

“It’s better than silver foil,” she taunted as she headed toward the bathroom.

Foil was obviously a passion of Josh’s. The wallpaper in the small powder room was some sort of Grecian motif, a silver background with silhouettes of naked couples in black contrast. Ellie laughed softly. When she heard the thudding sound in the other room she instantly felt guilty. Obviously Josh had heard her snickering at his wallpaper and was letting her know it by banging around in the living room.

Ellie spent a few extra minutes fixing her hair, trying to think of something kind to say. After all, who was she to criticize this man’s decor. Even if it was a bit odd.

“Thanks,” she called as she walked down the hall. She was immediately struck by how cold it was in the apartment. Almost as cold as it was outside.

She walked toward Josh, who was seated on the sofa with his back to her, obviously pouting.

“I’m sorry I snickered at your tree and at your wallpaper,” she began as she continued to approach. She spoke louder to overcome the sound of an approaching emergency vehicle. “It really is a pretty tree and the chili peppers will—”

Ellie stopped in midsentence as she rounded the couch. Josh’s eyes were open wide, bulging. His face was a grotesque contortion, pasty white with blue, swollen lips. The strand of chili-pepper lights was wound tightly around his throat.

Chapter Three

“That siren is the cops.”

Ellie let out a small, frightened noise and her eyes flew to the sound of the newly familiar male voice.

Jake Devereaux dangled in the window frame, one leg in and one leg out. “Unless you want to get caught here with the late Josh, I suggest you come with me.”

The sirens grew louder. “You killed him?” she breathed as her hand clamped over her mouth to stifle a scream.

“Of course I didn’t kill him,” Jake said calmly. “I was under the impression that you did.”

Dropping her hand, she yelled, “Me?” above the siren.

“I was just letting myself in when I heard you come down the hall.” His green eyes scanned the room. “I assume you’re the culprit. I don’t see any other suspects. Do you?”

“I didn’t kill anyone,” she told him.

“If you didn’t, and I didn’t, I suggest we get out of here before the cops arrive.” He held one gloved hand out to her.

“Leave with you?”

“That’s the idea. If you get moving now.”

“But shouldn’t we stay here and tell them—”

“What?” he interrupted impatiently. “That I was breaking in and found him dead? Or that you were the only one here when he died?”

The sirens came to a halt along with her heartbeat. “If we run, we look guilty.”

“Suit yourself.” He shrugged as he hoisted his leg up onto the windowsill. “But while you’re waiting to bare your soul, think about who might have called the cops.”

“What?”

“Someone called the cops. My guess is that whoever it was wanted them to find you alone with the stiff.”

“Oh, God,” she groaned.

“Last chance,” Jake said as he jumped onto the ground below.

Acting on fear, Ellie went to the window. His large hands circled her waist and he lifted her out and down, placing her softly on the slushy ground. She was only vaguely aware of a faint tearing sound above the loud thunder of footsteps echoing from inside the apartment building.

Soundlessly, Jake closed the window and grabbed her hand. He tugged her in the direction of the woods that lined the south edge of the building. “Where are you taking me?”

“Hush.”

Wet, heavy branches slapped at her cheeks as they trudged over the uneven terrain. The snow had turned to sleet, which pelted the leaves and stung the backs of her exposed hands.

Ellie focused on his shoulders, too stunned and too shocked to do much more than follow. The image of Josh’s face chased her through the woods. It didn’t seem real. There had been no ominous sounds, nothing to alert her that a murder was being committed while she was in the bathroom. It didn’t make any sense. Unless he was the killer.

Ellie stopped suddenly, digging the heels of her half boots into the soaked ground.

Jake turned to her, annoyance shining in his eyes, which were little more than harsh, angry slits. “Why are you stopping? We can’t let them find us out here.”

Ellie made a futile attempt to tug her hand free from his. “I don’t think running is the right thing to do,” she argued. “Especially with you.”

Jake shoved back the brim of his hat. Small pellets of ice showered down on his broad shoulders. “I’m your best hope right now. Unless you have a better plan in mind.”

“And you do?”

He let out an exasperated sigh. “We’ll go through the woods, then double back to my car. Hopefully the cops will think we’re nothing more than a couple of idiots out for a romantic stroll in the snow.”

“That’s your plan?” she scoffed, swatting a strand of limp, wet hair from her face. “We’re soaking wet. We’ll attract their attention in a heartbeat. Cops aren’t stupid, you know.”

“I’m betting they’ll be so engrossed in preserving the crime scene that they won’t even notice us.”

“They will when I get into my car.”

Jake stroked his chin. At least he seemed to be considering her argument. Ellie watched him intently, trying to discern if the man holding her hand could be the killer. Secretly, she wished all murderers had warts and fangs, then they’d be easy to spot. Looking up into his handsome face, she tried to find a clue, something tangible that would tell her whether or not to trust this guy.

All she saw were perfect, chiseled features and the promise of dimples on either side of his mouth. Great, she thought. I’m supposed to be trying to pick up some sixth sense, and all I can do is admire his dimples. Do killers have dimples? she wondered.

“You’ll have to leave your car right where it is,” he said.

“It’s a rental.”

Jake rolled his eyes. “Which they’ll be able to trace, but probably not right away.”

Ellie’s suspicions were growing in leaps and bounds. This man knew as much, if not more, about police procedure than she did. “Are you a cop?” she asked, forcing her voice to remain steady.

He offered a lazy smile. “Hardly.”

“You sound like one. Phrases like ‘preserving the crime scene’ and—”

“I watch a lot of TV,” he said with a shrug. “So,” he began as he eased his hold on her hand. “Are you coming or not?”

Not, the intelligent sphere of her brain answered. Her lips, however, ushered forth the words, “Lead on.”

“Smart girl,” he drawled, taking her hand and pulling her farther into the mossy woods.

Ellie glanced back over her shoulder. She guessed they were about two hundred yards from the building, but she could easily make out the flashes of red and blue lights from the police vehicles. Apparently they had swarmed to the building like ants to a picnic.

“There’s too many of them,” she said.

“Too many what?”

“Officers,” she said as she quickened her pace so that she was at his side.

“The more the merrier,” Jake responded glibly. “Isn’t that what they say?”

“Not if they want to preserve the integrity of the evidence.”

This time it was Jake who stopped suddenly. He looked down at her as the sleet continued to bounce off his Stetson. Some of the tiny ice pellets ricocheted and struck Ellie.

“What do you know about evidence? Don’t tell me you’re a cop?” The last question came out as something of a groan.

“I’m not an officer.”

“But?”

“I’m not,” she told him emphatically before she lowered her eyes.

He caught her chin between his thumb and forefinger, applying just enough pressure to force her to meet his gaze.

“Then what are you?”

“A tourist?” she suggested. If he was a killer, the last thing she wanted to do was give him a reason to kill her, too. “I’m a scientist.”

His head fell to one side and he regarded her suspiciously for a long second. A definite frown curved the corners of his mouth downward. “You don’t look like a scientist.”

“I left my lab coat at home,” she said. He didn’t look like a killer, either, but then again, neither did Ted Bundy. “I’m freezing,” she told him. “Can we keep going, please?”

Something flashed in those eyes, something so fleeting that Ellie didn’t have the chance to put a name to it. She relaxed a little when he marched on. He probably couldn’t murder her and walk at the same time. Especially not on this icy ground.

Ellie slipped several times, each time clutching Jake’s arm to keep from falling. He seemed to sense whenever she was about to lose her footing, and his reactions were quick and efficient.

They emerged from the woods several blocks north of the apartment building. As soon as they stepped onto the sidewalk, Jake surprised her by draping his arm across her shoulder. His pace slowed as her panic rose.

“Why are we going this way?” she asked. Her eyes fixed on the distant sight of emergency vehicles and police cars blocking the road ahead.

“My car is this way.”

“How will we get past all the cops?” Ellie persisted, trying in vain to shrug off his arm.

“Cooperate, Ellie,” he said, squeezing her shoulder to punctuate the remark. “We’re simply going to wander over to my car. If the cops stop us, I’ll do the talking.”

“Going to confess?” she mumbled under her breath.

The deep, throaty sound of his laughter did strange things to her stomach. Here she was antagonizing a potential killer and all she could do was sit back while her hormones obliterated her common sense.

“Not me,” he said. “How about you? You can always stop and let them know you were alone with Josh when he met his untimely demise.”

“Obviously I wasn’t alone with him,” Ellie snapped. “I didn’t kill him, so someone else had to be in the apartment.”

“And they simply evaporated after the dirty deed?”

Ellie pursed her lips and concentrated. Nothing came to mind. Nothing except the obvious. “You were in the apartment.”

“Half in,” he corrected. “I was just entering when you came down the hall.”

“Then the killer must have used the front door, since you had the window all tied up.”

She saw him shake his head. “I was watching the front door.”

Ellie stopped walking and gaped up at him. “How long were you there?”

“Same as you and the bartender. I followed you from The Rose Tattoo.”

She tried not to let the sudden infusion of fear show on her face. “Why did you follow me?”

“Actually, I was following the penny.”

Ellie blinked.

“The 1955 Ben Franklin,” he prompted. “The bartender had to have it. No one else was anywhere near me when I was in the restaurant.”

She was barely aware of the sound of approaching footsteps as she tried furiously to sort through the bits and pieces fragmented in her mind. There was the fight. There was Jake’s obvious fixation with the stupid penny. There was the fact that he had followed them. There was the fact that she had seen no one else. There was—

“I’m Officer Sonnenmark,” a young, thin blond man in uniform said.

Ellie, startled by the sudden appearance of the policeman, instinctively pressed herself against Jake. She swallowed hard, trying, on the one hand, to keep from blurting out her suspicions. On the other hand, she was trying not to react to the solid, warm outline of his body where it touched her own. Shock, she decided. She had to be in shock; it was the only explanation for her juvenile and erratic, not to mention illegal, behavior for the past several minutes.

“Unusual weather,” Jake drawled, tipping his hat like the perfect Texas gentleman. “Something happen?” he continued with an innocent tone that could have earned him an Academy Award.