Dead by Midnight - Beverly Barton [140]
Although Maleah had become accustomed to Derek’s presence and they had sat together at the funeral, she wished that her brother hadn’t invited him to join them for an early dinner after they left the memorial service. Working with the man on a daily basis was bad enough without having to socialize with him. The fact that they appeared to be a third couple, along with the other two—Jack and Cathy and Mike and Lorie—aggravated Maleah. But it amused Derek. Damn him. He seemed to derive much too much pleasure from situations that made her uncomfortable.
Thankfully, they had all kept the dinnertime conversation light, almost as if by mental telepathy, they had agreed not to discuss the Midnight Killer or Shelley’s and Kristi’s murders.
“Y’all are welcome to stay over at my apartment tonight,” Maleah told her brother as they left Chesapeake’s Seafood House around 6:15 P.M. “I have two bedrooms and somebody can sleep on the sofa.”
“Thanks, but we should head on home,” Jack said. “I took off work today and Cathy closed up Treasures so we could make this trip with Mike and Lorie. We all wanted to be here, to show our respect.”
Maleah hugged Jack and then Cathy before turning to Lorie. “I’m sorry that we haven’t solved this case and caught the Midnight Killer. But I promise you that we haven’t given up.”
“Powell’s and the FBI are an unofficial team, and the combined manpower is formidable. It’s only a matter of time before we get him.” When Derek injected his comment into what Maleah considered a private conversation, she glared at him. And as usual, he acted as if he didn’t even notice her nonverbal censure.
“I’m hoping that will happen very soon,” Lorie said as she placed her hand on Derek’s arm.
Lorie rubbed Derek’s arm in what Maleah saw as nothing more than a friendly gesture, but apparently Mike Birkett saw it as more than that. His body visibly tensed and he gave Derek a get-your-hands-off-my-woman glare even though it was Lorie who had touched Derek. Then, as if sensing Mike’s unspoken jealousy, Derek put his arm around Lorie’s shoulder and leaned down to kiss her cheek.
Was the man crazy? Did he have a death wish? If looks could kill, Derek would be dead from the feral scowl on Mike’s face.
“We should get going,” Mike said, his tone gruff. “As it is, it’ll be close to eleven before we get home.”
“Do you need a ride to your apartment?” Cathy asked Maleah. “I know you came to the service with the Powells.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Derek replied for her. “I can take Maleah home.”
Maleah forced a smile, not wanting to make a scene, today of all days.
After a round of quick good-byes that included promises to keep in touch and share information, Mike whisked Lorie away quickly. And since Jack and Cathy had ridden to Knoxville with the other couple, they followed them to Lorie’s SUV.
Intending to get a taxi home, Maleah started to say good night—and good riddance—to Derek, but before she uttered a word, his cell phone rang. He answered, listened, and replied, “We’ll meet y’all there in about fifteen minutes.”
“I hope that ‘we’ doesn’t include me,” Maleah said. “I want to go home, take a long, relaxing soak in the bathtub, and sleep in my own bed tonight.”
“I’ll drop you by your apartment later, after we make a detour by the Powell Building,” Derek said. “That was Griff. He wants us to join him and Nic and a few others for a Powell Agency powwow.”
Maleah grumbled. “This couldn’t wait until tomorrow?”
Reluctantly, Maleah slid into the passenger seat of Derek’s sleek silver Corvette. When he got behind the wheel, she couldn’t help noticing that his long legs and broad shoulders seemed oversized for the small sports car. She found it oddly amusing that the blue-blooded Derek and her good-old-boy brother both had a passion for Corvettes. And it was downright