Pulse Points

Kasey, determined not to further humiliate herself or her family, had settled into the role of student, wife and mother, giving up all her dreams of becoming a successful career woman.

Suddenly the phone rang, startling her back to the present. With an unsteady hand and pounding heart, Kasey lifted the receiver.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Hi, darling,” she whispered around the tears in her throat.

Eight

I t had been several days since he’d seen Kasey and she had accepted his offer. Since then, he’d been on a short campaign jaunt that had gone really well considering he’d been in enemy territory, so to speak.

Right now, he and Butler appeared to be running neck and neck according to the loosely taken polls. Jack and Irene, along with the rest of his backers, were jubilant.

“By the time November rolls around,” Irene had told him on the way home, “you’re going to kick his ass.”

He shot her a side glance before concentrating once again on the road. “Don’t get too cocky. We’re just getting started.”

“You had them eating out of your hands.”

“Butler’s good at that, too, remember.”

“He might have a pedigree, but that’s all he has. He’s just a big bag of hot, stale air.”

“I’m sure the same is being said about me.”

“Only you’ll do what you say you’re going to do. He won’t. His record proves that.” Irene paused, then changed the subject. “You should be excited by the way things are going.”

He was, but cautiously excited. He knew that Buck Butler intended to hold on to his senate seat no matter what the cost.

Though his passion for Texas and the possibility of serving its constituents burned as brightly in him as it did Butler, Tanner had every intention of sticking strictly to the issues. Slinging mud was distasteful to him. He had an idea that wouldn’t sit well with Jack or Irene, but he didn’t care. If he couldn’t win the election on the issues and his reputation as a solid, dependable businessman, then he just wouldn’t win.

So far, he hadn’t had to worry. Surprisingly Butler had also kept on the high road. Now that Tanner had caught him in the polls, Butler’s true personality would likely come out. Underneath that charming, good ole boy facade was a backstabbing bastard.

No one knew that better than Tanner. Years ago, before he’d made it big in his developing company, he’d had a business deal with Butler that had gone sour. Butler had left him holding the bag to the tune of a half million dollars. It had taken him years to pay that off.

Butler wouldn’t hesitate to hit below the belt again. He had plenty of ammo—Tanner’s past. Butler could have a field day with that if he were able to get Tanner’s juvenile records. They were supposed to be sealed, but nowadays, nothing was sacred.

Tanner wasn’t proud of his past, but it was obviously something he couldn’t change. He was stronger for it. He had learned that life was filled with hard knocks and that if you didn’t knock back, you were screwed.

He grew up as an only child without anything—love or amenities. His dad had been killed in Vietnam when Tanner was in elementary school. His mother, weak and whiny, had turned to the bottle for comfort, leaving him to fend for himself.

As a result, he’d been in and out of trouble with the law, often taken away from his mother and put in the foster care system. Then she’d shape up for a while and he’d be back with her. But her good behavior never lasted. She’d get back on the bottle, and he’d be whisked away again.

The year he’d graduated from high school, she died of liver failure. He’d been on his own, had to scrape for himself. Because he was intelligent and had done well academically, he’d received a partial scholarship to college where he had excelled. After graduating at the top of his class, he’d had the good fortune and sense to marry Norma. Under her influence, he’d fine-tuned some of his rough edges. But it had been his combination of book and street smarts that had gotten him where he was today.

Along with his drive, ambition, and love of competition, he had accomplished far more than he’d ever dreamed. And now, he was riding even higher, thriving on his newfound love—politics. If elected, he had a chance to make a real difference in people’s lives. That appealed to him.

Still, he wouldn’t sell his soul for a seat in the senate.

On the other hand, he would sell his soul for a chance to make amends to Kasey Ellis. Just thinking of her made his heart race. He had seen her twice now, and both times, he’d felt a jolt—a sock deep in the gut that was palatable.

It was just that she was so damn sexy and didn’t seem to know it. Her sassy smile, the subtle whisper of passion in the sway of her hips, the way her lipstick looked like she’d been thoroughly kissed, had awakened his carnal instincts.

His reaction was crazy and could go nowhere. However, he couldn’t control how he felt. What he could do was keep his feelings under wraps. No one, least of all Kasey, must ever know his true motivation, or she’d slam the door in his face quicker than he could take his next breath.

Contrary to what he’d told her, he had known her plight, known that she’d been in financial trouble since Mark’s death, that she was struggling to keep her son in school, and that she’d returned to Rushmore and gone to work for Shirley Parker.

His deep sense of guilt, shame and betrayal had been the driving force behind his underhandedness. He saw a chance to make up finally for some of the pain he’d brought her.

What he hadn’t known was that Kasey had witnessed Shirley’s death. On learning that, he’d been more determined than ever to help her. Miraculously, she had accepted his offer.

Now, maybe he could start the healing process within himself. Or maybe that wasn’t possible. Maybe he would never be able to atone for his sins that night years ago. When he thought about what happened, which was far too often, he got down on himself.

Only a lowlife would take a friend’s girl to a party then take her virginity.

Tanner let go of a harsh breath, then rubbed the back of his tense neck, feeling the muscles bunch under his hand. When he raised his head, Paul Darby, the right-hand man in his company, was standing in the doorway.

Paul was big and robust with a wide mouth and cauliflower ears that were more pronounced due to the horn-rimmed glasses that hooked over them. He might be homely, but when it came to overseeing the construction sites, he was a gem. Tanner didn’t know what he would do without him, especially now that he’d entered the political arena.

“If this is a bad time, I’ll come back.” Paul’s tone was hesitant.

Tanner motioned him into his office. “Actually, your timing’s perfect. My mind should’ve been on business and it wasn’t.”

Paul grinned. “Bet you were thinking about the campaign.”

Tanner offered no explanation. Instead, he said, “Something’s going on, or you wouldn’t be here.”

“Right, boss, and I sure hate to bother you with—”

Tanner waved his hand, cutting him off. “It’s your job to bother me when there’s so much at stake.”

The project that was underway was one of his biggest ever. Amidst fierce competition, Hart Development Corporation had landed its most lucrative and challenging job to date—building a high-rise office complex and parking garage on the west side of Rushmore.

Construction had started several months back, and for the most part, things had gone smoothly, which had been in his favor since his mind and loyalty were now divided. However, he’d been expecting a setback, knew it was inevitable.

“It’s the material,” Paul said. “Or the lack of it, rather.”

“Have you contacted the manufacturer?”

“Several times.”

“What’s the excuse?”

“Don’t really know.” Paul scratched his head. “Can’t get a straight answer.”

“Damn.”

“Like I said, I hated to have to bother you with this, but without material, we’re at a standstill, which is something I don’t have to tell you.”

“I’ll see what I can do. But our best bet is to locate another source.”

For the next hour, they worked out the particulars of solving this latest debacle, then Paul said his goodbyes and left.

Alone again, Tanner frowned. If he won the senate seat, he’d have to promote someone from the ranks to manage the company, although that didn’t sit too well with him. Before he turned politician, he wasn’t beneath putting on a hard hat and working alongside his men.

He enjoyed the physical side of construction as much as the mental. Hard labor honed his body as well as his mind. For the time being, however, the senate race demanded he don a tie instead of a hard hat.

His mind having returned to politics, he shifted his gaze to the phone. Should he call Kasey? He was curious if she had anything to show him. Actually, he didn’t give a damn whether she did or not.

He just needed an excuse to see her.

Kasey made her way into the boardroom long after the staff had gathered.

Before she had called this meeting, she had assured herself she was up to the task. Her son’s timely phone call last evening had elevated her spirits as nothing else could have done. He hadn’t wanted anything in particular; he’d just wanted to check on her and chat—all the more reason why the call was special.

However, now that all eyes were focused on her, her courage floundered.

This morning was the employees’ first day back since Shirley’s murder. Right off, Kasey had picked up on the tone and mood in the office. It wasn’t good; everyone seemed to be walking on eggshells.

Now, as she quickly perused her audience, she noted the staff was all present and accounted for, except Monica Lee, the girl Friday who remained at her desk to man the phones.

The department heads, three in all, were sitting together at the table closest to her. Red Tullos, the art director, fit his name to a tee. He was redheaded, red-faced and red-hot tempered. Kasey suspected it was his volatile nature that fueled his creativity and made him one of the best in his field. Temper or not, she liked him.

Left of Red sat Lance Sagemont, the media director. He was a short, small-boned man with a prominent nose that didn’t fit his fine features. However, he dressed with an impeccable flare that helped buffer his odd looks.

On the right was Don Hornsby who was in charge of sales and marketing. In his mid-thirties, he was a brash, good-looking young man with a crew cut and well-preserved body. The only flaw that showed was a mole above his upper lip that he fingered constantly. Because of his charm, he was great at what he did.

The remaining staff was made up of a writer, like herself, Dwight Cavanaugh, another artist, Angie Thigpen and the bookkeeper, Nelda Parrish.

“What’s going on?” Red finally asked, his booming voice obliterating the silence.

“Yeah, are we out on our ear?” Don chimed in.

Veiled murmurs followed their outbursts.

Feeling her confidence return, Kasey raised her hand. The room hushed. “No one is out of a job here unless they have a problem working with me.”

Red spoke again. “How are you going to keep the agency afloat when Shirley couldn’t? We all know it’s in financial trouble.”

His pointed questions were making her job much easier. “We have a new client.”

For a moment, the group looked dumbfounded.

“How can one client accomplish that?” Don asked, a suspicious note in his voice.

“Must be one hellava client,” Dwight muttered.

“It is,” Kasey said, her voice gaining added strength. “We’ve been hired by the developer and Texas senatorial candidate, Tanner Hart.”

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Lance said, speaking for the first time.

“What he’s paying us, plus the other smaller jobs we still have, will enable the agency to keep the doors open until we can prove our worth again.”

Angie raised her hand, then said, “That may be a while, what with all the unfavorable publicity.”

“And there will be more to come,” Kasey said. “Detective Richard Gallain will be here any time to question all of us about Shirley. They are looking for anything that will help them find her killer. I know each of you will do your part to help in the investigation.”

Her words met with another silence. Kasey broke it. “Meanwhile, I’ll be briefing you on Hart’s campaign and asking each of you for your input into the layout. Put your thinking caps on and don’t let me down.”

On that note of encouragement, the meeting ended. She was on her way back to her office when Monica stopped her. “It’s for you.”

“What?” she asked.

“The phone.”

She hadn’t even heard it ring. “Who is it?”

“Tanner Hart.”

She panicked. After that forbidden trip into the past, she didn’t want to talk to him or see him. “Tell him I’m busy, that I’ll get back to him soon.” She needed more time.

Nine

K asey was both frustrated and excited. She had worked all day yesterday and most of this morning on Tanner’s campaign. While her head had been swarming with ideas based on his platform, nothing had gelled, no one theme that would make the man, Tanner Hart, stand out. With the help of the staff, she had come up with numerous sketches and slogans; they were strewn about the workroom on desks and tables. The place resembled a war zone.

But again, nothing out of the ordinary had jumped out at her. At the moment, her frustration was winning over her excitement. Kasey rubbed her temples, trying to clear her dulled mind.

“Want some more coffee?” Don Hornsby asked in a cheery tone, his smile targeting her.

Kasey shook her head. “Absolutely not. But thanks. As it is, I’m already wired to the max.”

“You’re not alone,” Don muttered, turning and pouring himself another big mug of coffee. “Still, I can’t stop hitting the high octane stuff. It’s keeping me going.”

That was when Kasey noticed how tired he looked, how dark the circles were under his eyes. What was his problem? she wondered. The same as hers most likely—lack of sleep. She had been pushing hard since the staff meeting two days ago. They had worked long, intense hours, and the finish line was not yet in sight.

And time was running out.

“Maybe we should get Hart in here to give us his opinion,” Red said, shoving a hand through his thick red hair, causing it to stand on end.

“Yeah, why not do that?” Lance chimed in. “I’m sure he could weed through some of this stuff which would give us a better perspective.”

Kasey didn’t hesitate. “No. When he’s brought on-board, I want ideas in place that will wow him.”

In fact, she hadn’t called Tanner back for fear he would want to know how things were progressing. More to the point, he’d probably want to have input. And while that was certainly his right, now was not the best time.

“You’re pushing yourself too hard,” Dwight said in his mild-mannered voice.

It was the first time he’d spoken in a while, which wasn’t out of the ordinary. He was a strange little man, considered a geek by the others, maybe because he had zero personality and kept to himself. That aside, Kasey had learned that he was talented and valued his ability as a writer. In fact, several of her favorite slogans had been his idea.

“I have to, Dwight,” she responded, her eyes touching on each one. “We all do. Remember time is not a luxury we have.”

“Hart must’ve known that when he hired you.”

“That he did, Don,” Kasey said on a testy tone. “But since I told him our agency was up to the task, we have to deliver.”

Don merely shrugged before picking up one of the sketches and perusing it. Though his expertise was sales and marketing, Don also had an eye for design. Shirley had told her that from the get-go, and she had found that to be true. Yet she didn’t plan on tying him up too long. He was needed more on the outside to drum up new business.

“So let’s get our backsides in the saddle, then,” Red said in his loud voice. “The fat lady obviously hasn’t sung yet.”

Kasey gave the art director a grateful nod, picked up her sketchbook and thumbed through the pages. Not bad, she mused. Some of these ideas were actually damn good, and Tanner would probably be pleased.

She mulled over each, then sighed. Something vital was missing on the pages. Kasey’s eyes narrowed, furrowing her brow. Suddenly she knew what it was. Her own brand of creative energy failed to leap off the pages.

Shirley would probably have disagreed, telling her she was too anal, too much a perfectionist, for her own good. Perhaps. But until she pleased herself, she wouldn’t please her client.

Especially this particular client.

“If Shirley was here—” Angie Thigpen began, her gaze on Kasey.

Kasey looked up and smiled at her.

Angie flushed. “I’m sorry, Kasey, I didn’t mean to imply—”

“It’s okay, Angie. I wish Shirley was here, too. We all do. She was the best.”

“She was good, all right,” Don added, fingering that mole on his lip. “But from what I’ve seen of your work, you’re no slouch.”

Kasey flashed him as much of a genuine smile as she could muster. The spoken and unspoken thoughts of Shirley suddenly forced the tragedy back to the fore-front of her mind. As if the others had picked up on that, a sad silence ensued.

Red was the first to break it. “Kasey, how’s the investigation coming?” His usual booming voice was now tempered. “Have you heard anything?”

“Nothing. Any day now, I’ve been expecting Detective Gallain to make an appearance and question us.”

“I still can’t believe she’s gone,” Dwight said, his lean features looking troubled.

Red tapped his pencil against a fingernail. “She damned sure deserved better than she got. I’d like to get my hands on the son of a bitch who was responsible.”

“You and me both,” Don responded, down in the mouth.

“So how are you holding up, Kasey?” Angie asked in a tentative voice. “I can’t imagine what you’re going through.”

Kasey stifled a sigh. “I’m still awfully skittish, that’s for sure. And have the tendency to look over my shoulder at odd times. Otherwise—” Her voice faded into nothingness. What else was there to say? What would be the point in telling them she hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep since the incident? Or how much she beat up on herself because of her inability to identify the killer.

“As long as you’re under police protection, you should be all right,” Red said.

“I have a feeling that service is about to come to an end,” Kasey admitted with a frown, “since I’m obviously no threat to the killer.” Just saying that word made her shiver.

Another silence fell over the room.

“Just how bad are things, Kasey?” Lance asked. “Financially, I mean?”

That question dropped into the silence like a small bomb.

Before Kasey could respond, however, he went on, “I know Hart’s given us a reprieve, but just how far can that go?”

“Even though I was a partner, I’m pretty much in the dark as to why the agency’s floundering. However, I intend to find out.”

Another uncomfortable silence descended over the room.

Monica Lee broke it. She stood in the door and said in an uneasy voice, “Kasey, Detective Gallain’s here.”

An hour later, Kasey faced the detective alone in her office, behind closed doors.

“Did the staff cooperate?” Kasey asked when Gallain was seated in front of her desk.

“Yes, but they didn’t know much.”

Kasey made a face. “I find that odd. Most of them have been with Shirley from the beginning.”

“Seems as if she kept her private life private.”

“Surely they were able to tell you something that would help with the investigation,” Kasey said.

“Either they’re reluctant to confide in me, or they truly don’t have a clue.”

“Why would they hesitate to tell you what they know?”

“The nature of the crime, Mrs. Ellis. Like you, they’re scared and don’t want to get involved.”

“I may be frightened, Detective,” Kasey responded in a frigid voice, “but I do want to be involved, only I don’t have anything else to contribute.”

Gallain rubbed his chin. “So you’ve said.” With those succinct words, he stood and opened the door to leave.

Tanner stood on the other side.

Kasey’s eyes widened as they met his for a millisecond. But it was enough to cause her heart to skip a beat or two, which added to her irritation.

“Hart,” Detective Gallain said in a clipped tone, passing him by.

Kasey watched as Tanner nodded, then responded, “Detective.”

Neither said anything until Gallain had left. Then to cover her own nervousness at his unexpected appearance, Kasey asked, “Have you two met?”

“That we have, and you can bet I won’t get his vote.”

“If that little exchange is anything to judge by, I wouldn’t think so.”

“Ah, he’s pissed because I went over his head concerning an incident with one of his friends. He over-stepped his bounds, and I reported him.”

When he didn’t offer more, she didn’t ask, disconcerted that he had just showed up unannounced.

“Why didn’t you return my call?” he asked in his low, rusty-sounding voice.

She maintained as much composure as she could. “I haven’t had time. I’ve been busy.”

“Is Gallain giving you a hard time?”

“He still thinks I’m the key to solving Shirley’s murder, if that’s what you mean.”

“Don’t let him get to you. He can be a royal pain in the ass.”

“I can hold my own.”

His eyes perused her, and he gave her a lopsided grin. “I’m sure you can.”

She turned away, feeling her heart do funny things again.

“Mind if I sit down?”

“Huh, sorry, you’ll have to forgive my manners, or rather the lack of them.”

He whipped around, his eyes dark and probing. “You’re doing it again.”

“What?”

“Treating me like a stranger with an ulterior motive in hiring you.”

His arrogant assumption infuriated her. “I don’t think you want to go there, Tanner. I know I don’t.”

His face lost its color under the lash of her tongue. “I thought we could be friends.”

“Friends?” Her laughter bordered on hysteria. “I don’t think so.”

“So, do you have anything to show me?”

The sudden change of subject caught her off guard, slowing her response. “I’ve been working.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Actually, it’s a no.”

He threw up his hands and smiled, but it disappeared just as quickly and his gaze smoldered into her.

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