Dead Certain - Mariah Stewart [105]
“Say, you going someplace?” he asked as he nuzzled her neck.
“I was going to pick up Chinese for dinner from that place you like over on Fourth Street.”
“You order me the Three Phoenix?”
“Just like you like it.” She nodded, molding her mouth into a smile. “Extra scallops.”
I can do this. I can do this. . . .
“You call the order in?”
“Ten minutes ago. I figured I’d have enough time to get down there and back before you got home. I know you like surprises. I didn’t think you’d be home this soon.”
“I closed up a little early today. I was worried about you.” He kissed her mouth, and she held her breath and hoped he didn’t notice.
“Why don’t you run upstairs and take a nice hot shower while I pick up dinner? And maybe after dinner, we can go out for a while. Maybe to the Dew, or someplace.” She backed away from him slowly, trying to make it appear natural, not giving any sign, however small, of the revulsion she felt. She picked up her keys and headed for the door. It took every ounce of her willpower to not run.
“That’s my girl. Gotta get back into the world again. Can’t keep yourself locked up and crying for the rest of your life.” Vinnie gave her a pat on the behind as she walked past him.
But with luck, that’s where you’ll be. Locked up for the rest of your life. You betcha, Vinnie.
You bastard.
She held her breath as she walked out the back door and down the steps slowly, as if she had all the time in the world, just in case he was watching. She opened the car door and slid behind the wheel, then locked the doors. She put the key in the ignition and turned it, forcing herself not to turn frantically to look behind her. With nonchalance and total cool, she put the car into reverse and backed leisurely out of the driveway, somehow resisting the urge to floor it.
“Yup,” she said aloud as she rubbed the ring in her pocket between her fingers. “Locked up for the rest of your natural life. And me and Connie are gonna put you there.”
CHAPTER
TWENTY-SIX
“You got company,” Joyce told Sean when he and Amanda arrived back at the police station. “The small conference room.”
“Who is it?” He frowned.
Joyce gestured at Amanda, who had continued toward his office, and whispered, “The brother. And he’s not happy right now.”
Sean leaned forward and whispered in return, “What’s made him unhappy?”
“He wanted to know if I knew where his sister was.” She shrugged. “How was I supposed to know he’d be pissed off about her going to the prison?”
Sean sorted through his phone messages as he walked to the small room across the hall from his office. Might as well get this over with.
He entered the room to find that Amanda had beaten him there. Evan was seated across the small round conference table from a very pretty, very feminine blonde.
Sean arrived just in time to hear Evan say, “Mrs. What’s-er-name out there on the front desk is under the impression that you and Chief Mercer spent a good part of the afternoon out at the county prison, but since I know that you have better sense than that, I figured she just must have misunderstood.”
“No misunderstanding.” Amanda kissed her brother on the cheek. “I’m happy to see you, too.”
“Her choice, Detective.” Sean shrugged.
“A poor one. You have any idea what that guy did to her?”
“I do. Yes, I do.” Sean nodded thoughtfully.
“And you still dragged her out there—”
“Enough, Evan,” Amanda said. “I appreciate your love and concern. I do. But for crying out loud, give me a little credit, will you?”
Before he could answer, she leaned on the table next to the chair in which he sat. “No one dragged me, Evan. I wanted to go,” she said with no small amount of pride. “And for the record, Archer Lowell was a lot more uncomfortable than I was.”
“I wouldn’t have taken her, if I’d thought otherwise,” Sean assured him.
“By the way, I’m Amanda Crosby,” Amanda introduced herself to the other woman