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CHAPTER24
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Riley heard the car pull up outside but didn’t bother to get up and look. He’d finally got rid of Eileen and wasn’t in the mood to see anyone. He was the only one of his family left in the town; everyone else including his parents having chosen to head for livelier climates.
As long as their trust funds were padded they could jet off to parts unknown for months, or sometimes, even years on end. So he really didn’t care who was out there and had no plans on answering the door.
He preferred to brood in silence and think about what the hell had happened to his life. There was no one to blame, not that he was into that sort of thing. He’s the kind of man who likes to take responsibility for his shit; but life sure had jumped up and bit him in the ass this time.
He picked his head up when there was no knock on the door and no one rang the bell. Not being interested was one thing, but having some jackass sitting out on his driveway was another.
He got up and walked towards the side door where the person had driven around instead of staying close to the front. Baring his teeth when he saw who it was he dragged the door open. She’s the last damn person he wanted to see, one, because she’d fucked his life over, and two because she confused the hell out of him.
He’d never had many dealings with her in the past; in fact he’d had no dealings with her whatsoever. They didn’t move in the same circles so the one and only time they’d been introduced before this was when she’d first moved to town.
He had no need of her and no uses either, until she’d shown up in his life a few days ago. It wasn’t her job, or the fact that she was the one to bring his murdering bitch of a wife down, but something about her, the person.
She didn’t look like a cop, not by any stretch of the imagination. Short, but not too short, he’d put her at five-seven to his six-two. Thin framed with her attributes well proportioned or so they seemed beneath the baggy clothes she seemed generally fond of.
It wasn’t her body so much that threw him off, it was her hair, her eyes, dammit, it was everything about her. He hadn’t had much time to dwell on any of that in the last few days, just enough to note that there was something there.
But since he wasn’t the straying type he’d ignored it. It’s not like he’d died when he got married. He’s surrounded by beautiful women whenever he leaves home on a business trip and was never once tempted.
He wasn’t saying that this pain in the ass tempted him either it was just that she didn’t fit. He didn’t like shit confusing him, didn’t like anything messing with his mind unless he wanted it to.
But he was honest enough to accept that the only reason he hadn’t paid closer attention to the reasons why she got under his skin was because he’d been too caught up in the murder and what was going on with the people around him.
Now that the shit was solved his mind seemed to think now was as good a time as any to pick that shit apart. “What the hell are you doing here? Haven’t you done enough?” She’d finally stepped out of the car and was now standing there looking up at him from the bottom step like she expected him to pounce.
He turned and walked back inside leaving the door open because he knew she wasn’t going to leave until she’d said whatever the hell it was she’d come here to say. He needed that drink he’d been denying himself all afternoon after all.
Celia walked through the door and hung back not getting too close. Riley looked over his shoulder at her after pouring himself a heavy shot of scotch. “I’d offer you one but I’m sure you’d tell me you’re on the clock or whatever.”
“Whatever you’ve come here for make it quick. The faster you get it over with the sooner you can leave and I can get back to what I’m doing here.” Which is nothing but she doesn’t need to know that. He couldn’t imagine that she was here to do Valerie’s bidding after he refused her phone call.
“What is it? Did you come to scold me? Did you think I was being cold earlier when I didn’t go after her, take care of her? Did you call me a cold unfeeling bastard in your mind?”
“I’m not cold, far from it. I just happen to believe very strongly in right and wrong and I don’t fuck with grey areas. Anyone who gets tangled up in my life has to live by the same creed or I’ll cut them loose no matter who it is. She knew that about me, she’s always known that.”
He was working himself up into a lather and she figured it was best to get it over with before he made himself any angrier than he already was. This couldn’t be easy for him no matter what he was saying. It wasn’t that easy to cut someone out of your life, she knew that better than anyone.
“Mr. O’Rourke I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but there’s been an accident.” He stopped with the glass halfway to his lips.
“What sort of accident, what the hell did you do now?” He knew he was being an ass but he wanted her gone.
She was standing there just inside the doorway as if she were afraid to get too close, afraid that he’d do something to her. Fat chance of that happening, she wasn’t even his type. He liked blondes, bubbly blondes who had class and style.
Not this introvert who dressed like she bought her clothes at the Salvation Army and he damn sure never dated a brunette before; witch! That’s what she reminded him of, with that black as night hair and those light blue eyes that seemed to sparkle in the light.
“It’s your wife, she…she killed herself.” The words hit him in the gut like a sledgehammer. Of all the things he’d expected her to say that wasn’t it. “What are you talking about? Didn’t you people watch her? Didn’t you know what kind of person she was? What kind of a detective are you?”
He advanced on her and she made herself stand still in the face of his anger. He had every right to be angry and she knew it, but that did not make the situation any less volatile. “Are you happy now? Is this what you wanted?” He sneered at her, the words bitten off between his teeth.
She looked up at him with a crease in her brow not quite understanding his meaning. “What do you mean? Of course I didn’t want her to take her own life.”
“You think I didn’t notice? Didn’t see the way you looked at me, watched me?”
Celia drew in her breath harshly and tried to make herself smaller as he stood close enough that she could smell the liquor he’d drank earlier on his breath. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She turned to leave, to make her escape. Later she’ll come back later with Pete.
