Playing With Fire (22 page)

Blake was frantic when he heard about the SPAC incident at
the firehouse. He hated her Charlotte Prairie house, chiding her, insisting
that she was making her life even more dangerous than it already was. In his
mind there was only one answer. She needed to move in with him. Erin barely had
time to splash cold water on her face, to wash away her tears and straighten
her clothes before she heard his voice. It didn’t take his thin-lipped
implacable expression to know that he was furious. If anything his color rose
even more dangerously as he took in the fully furnished rooms.

“I truly thought I had seen it all. Of all the arrogant,
manipulative actions I have seen, this is the most outrageous. The man is truly
sociopathic. Erin, I am calling Chief Roberts this instant. We simply cannot
allow this to happen. Nathan Stryker must be removed from this case
immediately. He needs to be reported to the court. Surely Roberts will agree
when he hears about this egregious action.”

His cellphone was in his hand when Erin stopped him.

“Don’t, Blake. Don’t call Chief Roberts.”

Blake’s mouth dropped open. His eyes widened in
astonishment.

“Good God, Erin. You can’t mean you intend to keep this? To
let that son of a bitch — excuse my language, but there is no way to describe
his level of arrogance without cursing. Erin, let me manage this. It is too
much for you. I will deal with it and with Detective Nathan Stryker.”

“No, Blake. Please. I’ll handle it. It’s… not as though Nate
bought it for me. It’s a rent to own kind of deal….” Her voice trailed off when
she saw the tic by his eye flash dangerously.

“Erin, I can’t believe what you’re saying. Please tell me I
am not hearing you correctly. Do you know the message it sends if you accept
this? What it says about you?”

His insinuation was clear. If Blake knew her better he would
have known he’d struck a raw, very vulnerable place. And of course it didn’t
help to discuss Nate given the scene not twenty minutes earlier. Erin shuddered
to think what would have happened if Blake saw Nate leaving her house — or, God
forbid, if he’d come in and seen her kissing Nate — if that’s what you could
call their passionate coupling. She knew she was taking her confusion out on
Blake but she couldn’t stop herself from striking out. Before she could answer,
Blake dug a deeper hole.

“You let him. You did, didn’t you?”

Cold jets of anger flooded over Erin. She knew she was being
unreasonable but he was insinuating that she had done something bad with Nate,
something to be ashamed of. Let’s face it: he was suggesting she was an easy
mark. Susceptible to the charms of the outrageous detective. The worst part of
the accusation was that it was true. Except — she wasn’t ashamed.

“Let him do what, Blake? Be specific!”

Blake flushed.

“I… I don’t know. I mean. Dammit, Erin. You know I can’t
stand the fucker. And it drives me crazy that he can manipulate you like this.
I hoped that you would throw him out on his arrogant ass. But instead you
invited him in? And you’re keeping all of this?”

Blake’s voice rose dangerously as he waved in disgust at the
furniture.

Erin was truly angry now. And, she realized, exhausted. She
drew herself up to her full height and glared at him

“Blake, you are out of line. I… I want you to go. Please.”

“Erin, I’m sorry. It’s just that I don’t think you
understand the message you are sending….”

Erin walked to the door and opened it.

“Did you stop to think Blake, that the message I’m sending
is simply I’m tired of sleeping on an air mattress and that a bed would feel
good?”

Blake stood for a moment clearly trying to get control of
his anger. A contrite expression replaced his red-faced fury.

“Damn, Erin. I really am an insensitive lout. Of course you
are tired of sleeping on the floor. I just wish you had chosen to come to my
condominium, instead of letting—”

Erin interrupted him.

“Blake, please. I need you to go. I’m sorry you’re upset,
but I’m exhausted. I need to try to get some sleep. Please, let’s talk in the
morning.”

Blake nodded. He took hold of her hands and pulled her up
close to him.

“You know I care about you, Erin. I want what is best for
you.”

“I know you do, Blake, and I appreciate it. Now, please, go.
Call me in the morning.”

She reached up and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, then
with a little shove pushed him out the door.

For a long moment, she leaned against the door with her eyes
closed, trying to make sense of what had been a very long day. But the image
that stuck in her brain was a dark-eyed blond-haired man who was turning her
life upside down. The way he had since the first moment she met him.

~~~

“Good morning, Erin. I trust you slept well.”

“Thanks, Blake. I did. About last night….”

Erin heard his sigh through the phone.

“No Erin, you were right. I acted as possessively, as badly
as Stryker. I hope we can put it behind us.”

“I’d like that, Blake. I appreciate all you do for me and I
want us to be friends.”

The pause on the other end of the line reminded Erin that
Blake had made it clear that he wanted to be more than her friend, but she
didn’t want to lead him on. She’d slept well the night before, for the first
time in weeks. It wasn’t just the bed — which was wonderful. Or that for the
first time since Dylan’s body had been identified, she hadn’t had hideous
nightmares. No, she’d slept so well because she’d dreamed that Nate was holding
her in his arms and not letting her go. The morning light was a stark reminder
that her sexy dream was exactly that. A dream. She didn’t kid herself. There
was no question Nate wanted her body. But the fact remained, he was still the
lead detective on the murder case, and she was his number one suspect.

Blake’s next comment brought the issue into focus.

“Erin, I don’t know if you’ve looked outside today, but
there is a huge storm brewing. There’s no way we can go running. The
temperature has already dropped to the low fifties. Apparently this is what
happens in Northern Minnesota in mid-October. The temperature can be 76 degrees
like it was yesterday afternoon, and 20 degrees colder today. Plus they are
predicting thunderstorms with high winds.

Erin was disappointed. She needed to run. But Blake was
right. She remembered the last time she ran in a thunderstorm. Unbidden, her
thoughts flew to Nate. Dammit, she chided herself. Remember him ordering her
into the car and how basically annoying he was, helped — a little.

She forced herself to concentrate on what Blake was saying.

“Tom said we could use his office and borrow his court
reporter to transcribe the deposition.”

“I… I’m sorry Blake. I missed the first part of what you
were saying.”

Blake’s annoyance was clear. He spoke slowly enunciating his
words as if talking to a child. Or, Erin thought, with a distracted woman.

“I hoped that you could meet me this morning. One of my
acquaintances, a partner in the Creighton firm, offered to let us use his
office. He has a court reporter on his staff. She is available at 10:30 a.m.
today. You do remember us talking about the need to get your deposition, your
statement? Before Stryker hauls you in….”

Erin vaguely remembered Blake talking to her about the need
to prepare for the inevitability of Nate charging her with the murders. It
seemed incongruous. She couldn’t imagine him doing that. And then she reminded
herself of that awful day at the precinct when he’d asked her all those
questions and implied…. She forced herself to stop thinking about the past and
concentrate on what Blake was saying. It was obvious he was losing patience
with her.

“Why don’t I plan on picking you up, Erin? You seem
distracted. And the predictions they are making for this storm—”

“No, Blake, I’m fine. I woke up just before you called and I
still haven’t had my coffee. You know what I’m like before my morning jolt of
caffeine.”

Blake laughed. “Yes I do. If I didn’t have an early meeting
this morning, I’d bring you over a venti hazelnut latte with a triple shot.
Even though the combination of all that sugar and caffeine can’t be good for
you.”

Erin smiled. She was sure it wasn’t. But the loaded coffee
drink was a luxury she allowed herself only a couple times a week. She’d have
to do with grocery store coffee. At least it gave her a buzz. Cleared out some
of the cobwebs that had taken up residence in her brain.

“I’ll text you the address, Erin. Please try not to be late.
Tom Andrews is doing me a favor. I don’t want to take advantage of his
generosity. And, Erin, drive carefully. For once those weather doomsayers
aren’t exaggerating. The sky really may be falling! The wind is rattling my
sliding glass doors and the trees by the pool are touching the ground! It could
be nasty if we get the rain they are predicting. God, I just heard one of the
local forecasts hinting at snow. I don’t know about you, but snow in October
isn’t something I care to consider. We need to figure out a way to get back out
West where both of us belong before we get snowed in, Erin. Do airplanes even
fly out of this back country in the winter? Or do the natives use dogsleds?”

Erin laughed at Blake’s West Coast snobbery. She didn’t know
how to tell him that she thought there was something magical about this North
Country. The trees, the lakes, and endless blue sky. Until the murders, she’d loved
this town. For the first time in her life, she’d thought she might belong
somewhere. But all that had changed. Now all she felt was confusion. And the
weather had nothing to do with the muddle that was her current state of mind.

~~~

Naomi poked her head in through the doorway.

“Nate, I’ve got Eric up on Skype. Do you want me to send it
to your screen?”

“That’d be great, Naomi. That way both Dan and I can both
participate. And bring me another cup of that oil sludge you call coffee. Even
if it’s not fit for human consumption at least the damn stuff keeps me awake.”

Naomi left the room muttering under her breath something
about big men being no more that spoiled little boys.

Dan called after her, “Who do you think spoils him, Naomi?
Makes it impossible for us to live with him?”

Naomi pulled up short.

“Is that a real question, Dan? Who spoils him? To start with
anyone in a skirt would give her pantyhose to be the one spoiling him. And it
doesn’t help that all the rest of you big guys are as bad. He growls and says
jump, and you all say how high? Shame on you, Dan. As if my job isn’t hard
enough!”

Nate raised a brow and winked at Dan.

“I don’t growl. Do I?”

“You were right to keep pushing, Nate. The rats are starting
to leave the ship. Now all we have to do is keep a big enough net to catch them
all as they jump. I’ll bet Warner thought he’d greased enough palms to make the
whole department his coolies. Problem with sharks is they smell blood, they
can’t resist. They never stop to think that hunk of bloody meat may be bait.”

“That’s what we’re counting on, Eric. Speaking of sharks.
Any luck getting into that firm that handles most of Masterson’s business?”

“Yeah, I’ve got appointments with three different lawyers
this afternoon. So far, I’ve convinced them I’m just one more venture
capitalist trying to figure out how to recoup my losses now that the golden
egg-laying goose is dead. Given how eager they were to talk to me, you can bet
their fee-for-advice will be astronomical. From what I hear, these shysters are
determined to make as much money off Masterson dead as they did when he was
alive.

“Keep up the good work, buddy. Be sure to wear flip-flops.
Don’t wanna give it away that you’re an undercover cop. Remember when you go on
stage, you gotta wear the costume.”

Eric chuckled.

“You got it, Boss. You should see my rumpled looking Levi
Capitol E jeans I’m gonna wear with my sandals. Just wanted to give you a
heads-up. I don’t want to be around when you try to justify a $500 pair of blue
jeans to Chief John Roberts.”

“Hell, Eric, I haven’t tried to justify my actions since I
got caught looking up Mary Catherine’s skirt in first grade catechism class. I
learned then to deny, or better yet plead innocence. Worked with the nuns.”

“Hell, they were women. Of course it worked. How about the
priests?”

Nate guffawed. “Don’t even go there, Eric.”

~~~

Erin cranked the windshield wipers to high, but even so she
had a hard time seeing the road. God the visibility must be about be a hundred
feet. The weathercasters were right. This was a fierce storm. As if to confirm
the obvious, a huge crack of thunder split the sky, followed by a streak of
lightening close enough to make her jump. The worst part was the wind; Erin
debated whether she should pull over. But she was already running late. Blake
was so punctual. So professional. Sometimes he made her feel incompetent. As
though she couldn’t manage the smallest details. Like getting to a meeting on
time. But that’s probably why he’s a good lawyer she reminded herself. He
anticipates the smallest details.

It was a good thing she hadn’t tried to stop at Sonny’s.
Something was wrong with the car. It had been hard to start and every so often
it made a random revving sound. She knew she was being paranoid. But after the
horrible incident with the Nissan, she was sensitive. She would be sick if she
did something to the Lang’s car. In her gut she knew she should have refused
it. But Connor and his parents had been insistent. And then there was Nate’s
influence. He’d never mentioned it, but she knew giving her that car was his
idea. She left a message with Sonny’s assistant, telling him she was late for
an appointment and would stop on her way back.

Struggling to focus on driving, she glanced at the clock and
groaned. She cautiously speeded up. Surely Blake would understand if she was
late. But she hated the image she portrayed. The ditzy woman too distracted to
take care of herself. He’d spend the first part of the meeting reiterating that
he should have picked her up. She was sure Blake would be on time if he was
caught in the middle of a tornado. And God, the way the wind was blowing, one
might be coming!