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He sensed something was bothering her, something she was holding back, but then clients did that all the time. He just hoped she’d be forthcoming when they met again.
When they met again . . .
He pictured her as he’d seen her standing in the doorway, vulnerable and determined at the same time. She’d gotten to him so quickly it made him want to hide in his office until this madness dissipated.
He’d learned a lot about her over the past eighteen hours, but she was still a mystery, a beautiful woman with a secret or two. Fascinating. Tempting. Emotional trouble, at least for him. He knew better, though he’d never been hit by Cupid’s arrow so fast. It was downright embarrassing. On the other hand, when he’d tried to settle for an uncomplicated woman, one with her heart on her sleeve, like Pamela, he’d been bored to tears and anxious to move on. He’d left her wondering what she’d done wrong and the simple answer was nothing. He was looking for something more.
He already knew with a woman like Elizabeth, that something more was there. He’d felt it in those few minutes he’d met her. Crazy stuff. He had to get over it. She was a potential client, the subject of another client’s search. Nothing more. And he barely knew her.
Shaking his head at himself, he walked down the back hallway to his office mentally kicking himself.
Get real, he told himself.
Bonnie, vigilant as ever, yelled from the reception area, “You’ve had a couple calls.”
As he was dropping into his desk chair, she appeared in the doorway, holding a glass of some protein or diet concoction she was always blending in the small kitchenette and copy room. “Dorell Cochran. He wants you to do another tail on the Mrs.”
Cochran already knew as much as he needed. Rex snorted. But who was he to turn down business. He was starting to think it was some kind of dysfunctional game the Cochrans played with each other. Maybe they have fabulous makeup sex, he thought and his mind drifted to Elizabeth Ellis before he shut it down and said harshly, “I’ll call him.”
“And a detective from the police department phoned, too. Driscoll. But he didn’t leave a number. Said he’d call back.”
“Did he say what he wanted?” Driscoll, if Rex remembered right, worked in homicide at Irvine PD. He’d have to ask Tatum about him when he called back. Does this have to do with Elizabeth? Why would Driscoll be calling me about her already?
“No. And I wouldn’t give him your cell.”
“Good thinking.” Rex was distracted.
“So . . . where’s your little friend?” Bonnie was leaning against the open door to the reception area and sipping the green goop from her glass.
“Um . . . you mean Ravinia?”
“You two have been like joined at the hip lately.”
“That case is closed,” he said, though that was a bit of a lie. It had morphed into something else with Elizabeth. “I’ll work up a bill. Give you my hours.” If he was going to get to Irvine in time for his meeting with Elizabeth he was going to have to leave soon to avoid traffic.
“She got an address where I can send it?” Bonnie asked dubiously.
“Let me worry about that.” Actually he was thinking that Ravinia might want to work off more of the bill by checking out Kimberley Cochran again, but he didn’t admit as much to Bonnie.
The phone rang again and Bonnie scooted out of the doorway, presumably back to the reception desk.
“If it’s for me, I’m not in,” he shouted. “I’m outta here in fifteen.”
She didn’t respond to him, just said sweetly, “Kingston Investigations,” as she took the call.
Pushing his chair back, Rex walked to the open door and closed it. Returning to the desk, he put in another call to Mike Tatum.
His ex-partner picked up. “I was just about to call you,” Mike said, obviously recognizing Rex’s number, “but I haven’t had a minute. We’re swamped down here, more homicides in a few weeks than we’ve had in months.” He paused for a second. “And that woman you asked me about? Elizabeth Ellis? Turns out she’s right in the thick of it.”
Chapter 31
“Where’re you going in such a hurry?” Pat asked as Elizabeth breezed past Suncrest Realty’s circular reception desk.
“Home. I’ll be out for the day.”
“Don’t you have some appointments?” Pat questioned.
“Everything’s rescheduled.”
