Hank’s eyes slid to me, then back to Lee.
“Maybe we should go into the Command Center,” Hank said.
Lee’s lips twitched at Hank’s reference to the Command Center but he said, “You can talk in front of Indy.”
Hank quickly sucked some breath into his nose and then on an exhalation said, “I was afraid of that.”
I passed coffee all around, everyone took it black except me. I jumped up on the counter to listen.
“They think they caught a break. Shubert had been dead more than a day, looks professional, but they found fresh blood at scene. Whoever broke in cut themselves at the window. They’re hoping that the killer went back in search of something.”
Without thinking, I looked to my shoulder, where I’d landed on the glass, pulling back my tee to see if I’d been cut. I hadn’t noticed any cuts or felt any but the time since the break-in had been pretty filled up with emotional mayhem, a cut could go unnoticed.
Then it hit me how very, very stupid I was and I turned, slowly, back to the men.
Lee had a hand at his waist, the other one holding the mug and he was looking at his feet. I was pretty sure he was trying not to smile (at least I hoped so). Matt and Bobby, who were undoubtedly recruited for clean up last night and knew the whole story, were both watching me and smiling, flat out.
Hank was staring at me like I was a particularly gruesome roadside accident.
Hank’s eyes swung to Lee.
“I was worried it was yours.”
Both Matt and Bobby pulled in breath at this shocking statement.
Even Lee was incredulous. “I wouldn’t leave blood at a scene. Hell, I wouldn’t even break a f**king window.”
I stared at Lee, wondering uncomfortably how often he had the opportunity to “leave blood at a scene”.
Hank’s eyes swung back to me.
Uh-oh.
“Please tell me you didn’t have anything to do with this.”
I tried to look innocent. Since I was not, it was hard. Especially with Hank, Hank was a smart guy and he knew me too well.
“With what?” I asked.
“Indy, I swear to God –” Hank started.
Lee’s coffee cup hit the counter, he grabbed mine and set it down, pulled me off the counter and into the bedroom, where he closed the door.
“Shirt off,” he demanded.
“What? Now?” I stared at him, confused.
Lightening quick, he had the shirt pulled over my head. At this point, I was pretty glad I put on my bra.
“Where’d you land?” he asked and I stared at him. “When Tex threw you through the window, where’d you land?”
Oh. That’s what he was on about.
“Back right shoulder,” I told him.
He whipped me around and his hands roamed my skin, then before I knew what he was about, they came around to the front and undid my jeans and the jeans were down to my ankles.
“For goodness sake, Lee!” I cried.
He’d disrobed me in nary a second. I would have thought it was impossible if he hadn’t just done it.
I tried to bend over and grab my jeans but his hands were all business and running down the backs of my hips, thighs and calves.
He pulled up my jeans and turned me again. Pulling my hands away from doing up my fly, he checked the palms.
“You’re clean,” he announced.
“Thank you,” I said it snippy, as I should, as anyone should.
His hands ran up my sides, forcing my arms over my head and he put my shirt back on me. I finished my zip, buttoned my jeans and hooked my belt buckle.
“Was that really necessary?” I snapped.
He smiled The Smile, pleased with himself.
“Nope, but it was fun.”
He kissed my nose and then strode out of the room.
I was on his heels, staring daggers at his back and plotting his murder when we made it to the kitchen.
“She doesn’t have anything to do with this,” Lee told Hank and I could swear I heard Bobby do a mini-snort-laugh.
Hank’s eyes were narrowed. “Do we need to send someone over to check Ally?”
I shook my head, all innocence and light, a halo could be shining over my head. “Can’t imagine why you’d need to do that.”
“Would you like me to give you half an hour to answer that question so you can call Ally?”
I looked Hank in the eye. “Why would I need that?”
“Thank God,” Hank breathed, rolling his eyes to the ceiling to make sure God knew he was taking his gratitude seriously. Then his eyes focused on me. “Anything else you want to say?”
I thought about it and then said, “Just, when you find out whose blood it is, remember there are all kinds of breaking and entering. There’s the naughty kind and the nice kind.”
Lee’s arm shot out again, this time his hand hooked around my mouth and he pulled me head first into his side, hand still covering my mouth.
“Hey!” I said but it came out, “Hrr.”
Bobby had walked into the living room and I could hear his quiet laughter, Matt was staring at the ceiling as if it was fascinating.
Hank looked from me to Lee then back to me.
“I’ve been lookin’ into Tex MacMillan and he has a record. He’s a Vietnam Vet who didn’t deal when he got home and he got into some deep shit with drugs, not takin’ them, vigilante justice against the ones who sold them. He didn’t handle prison well, that kind of confinement was not his gig, f**ked with his head. He got out and has barely left his porch in twenty years. Every once in awhile, he’ll aim some buckshot at someone who tries to steal a car radio on his block, but won’t go so far as nailing them. It won’t go so good for him if he’s involved in a homicide and he’ll never make it through another jail sentence, and as an ex-offender, even with a nice B and E, he might be facing one.”
Lee kept me where I was with his hand over my mouth. Hank kept watching me.
“You got something for me that might help Tex out?”
I pulled Lee’s hand off my face and said, “I know Tex, I do my shopping at Mr. Kumar’s corner store down the street from him. Tex wouldn’t hurt a fly, unless you’re Nixon. He doesn’t like Nixon much. Since Nixon’s dead then the rest of the human population is pretty safe. If he’s messed up in this some way, I’ll be happy to stand as a character witness.”
I could hear Bobby’s laughing in the living room. Matt was leaned over on his elbows on the counter that separated the kitchen from the dining room, his head hanging down and his shoulders shaking. Lee pulled me deeper into his side with his arm around my neck.