Page 126 of A Dead End Wedding

"Yep, it's me. I'm dying to hear about the mystery man, but I have three lines holding."

"Bad word choice," I muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing. I'll tell you later." I couldnothave that conversation on the phone.

"All right. I just wanted to ask you to come straight back; Mrs. Zivkovich is here and her son-in-law is worse. Also, your furniture driver was sighted in Kentucky, so he's probably finally on his way south. No ETA," she said.

"Fine. I don't care. I'll be back in the office in around twenty minutes. Will you please make some very strong coffee? Maybe Mr. Ellison has some rum. He seems like he might have a flask."

"What? December, are you okay? What the heck happened? Is this still about the Founding Fathers?"

I choked out a surprised laugh. "No. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. There won't be any more of that for Richard Dack. See you in a few, Max." I flipped my phone shut, suddenly unable to talk.

By the time I reached my office and pulled into my parking space, the door of the red Jeep next to me opened, and Jake climbed out. He somehow looked crisp and cool in black slacks and a white, short-sleeved shirt, in spite or the oppressive heat. I got out of the BMW and stood there for a minute, staring at him. "How many cars do you have? Where is my Honda? And why do you always show up when bad things happen to me? Are you the death fairy?"

He walked around the front of my car and held out a hand for my briefcase. "Let me help with that, Blondie. You look like a stiff breeze would knock you down."

I laughed, the edge of hysteria still in it. "It's a good thing there's no such thing as a breeze in Florida in June, isn't it?" But I let him take my briefcase and followed him to the office door, which he opened for me. I couldn't see his eyes very well through his dark glasses, but he briefly put his hand on my shoulder as I walked in, and the compassion in the gesture nearly made me cry again.

Max looked up as we walked in, and her quick smile vanished when she saw me. Or maybe when she saw Jake. Either way, she had a good frown on by the time the door closed behind us.

"If you keep taking up so much of December's time, Brody, I'm going to bill you."

He smiled. "Always glad to see you, too, Maxine. Get your boss some hot tea or something. She's had a rough day."

Max switched her attention to me. One long look, and she came rushing out from behind her desk. "D? You look horrible!"

"Gee, thanks. I guess I forgot to freshen up my makeup after I found my witness stabbed to death at the museum." I kept walking back to my office. "Thanks, but I don't want any hot tea. I may never drink hot tea again."

The mere thought of the hot tea I'd drunk at the museum brought the sight of Dack's gaping neck back front and center inmy mind. I was going to have nightmares about that sight for a long time, I figured.

"What?" Max pushed past Jake and followed me down the hall. "What are you talking about?"

Mr. Ellison appeared in the doorway of the file room. "What's all the ruckus about? I've got news for you, too, girlie," he said, then caught sight of Jake behind me. "I mean, Miz Vaughn."

I waved a hand at him. "Later, okay, Mr. Ellison? I don't think I can take any more news today."

He and Max crowded in my office behind me, and I told them what had happened. I almost threw up again when I got to the part where I'd seen his head fall sideways, which made me realize I had eaten nothing all day and it was nearly four.

"I may never eat again," I mumbled. The thought made me sick. How could I eat when poor Mr. Dack would never eat again?

"I think December needs a little space and something to eat," Jake said, walking in with a sandwich on a plate and a cold ginger ale.

I shuddered. "I couldn't eat."

Max stared at Jake, hands on her hips, then nodded slightly. "Okay. Mr. Ellison and I will handle things out front."

I grabbed my arms with my hands and huddled in my chair, feeling the shivering return. "The smell, Jake. I thought it was a diaper, but the body releases, and the rust like Mars, but it was coppery rust, and it was blood. So much blood."

He put the plate down and pulled me up out of my chair and hugged me. I knew I shouldn't let him, but somehow the warmth of his arms helped stopped the shivering. "What is your deal, Brody? Whyareyou always around?"

He laughed and patted my back, then stepped back. "Hell, I don't know. Something about you has my protective instincts inoverdrive. Or maybe you're a challenge. Life certainly isn't dull since you came to town."

I sank back down in my chair. "I don't need you to protect me, Jake. Or maybe I do. I don't understand any of this. I mean, there's no way this could be related to my sinus stalker, is there? Are random, unrelated bad things happening to me? What about Gina? What about Addy?"

"I talked to Gina's mom. She checked Gina into rehab right after the club incident. The rehab place said Gina has never left the facility. So she's not the one who painted your car."

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