Page 16 of Declan
With a casual shrug, he sipped his whiskey, its color glowing like amber in the low light. “He’s not what he seems.”
Elise leaned back, the soft rustle of her blouse mingling with the hush of the restaurant. “Just how does he seem?”
Stephen set his glass down and shook his head slowly, as if weighing each word. “Like he’s a good person. Have you ever seen where he lives?”
“No. How in the world would I do that?” she challenged. “I don’t know him any more than I know you.” She folded her arms, looked to where Declan and his date sat, then back to Stephen.
“Ah, I get it.” He smirked.
She unfolded her arms and fixed him with a steady stare. “Just what is it you get?”
“You like him. Hey, I get it, some women might find him attractive.”
Elise’s jaw tightened.Somewomen?she thought, certain that almost every woman would stop dead in her tracks to look at Declan. She cleared her throat. “What does any of that have to do with where he lives?”
His eyes glinted. “I think he’s on the take.”
A gasp escaped her lips. “What? Why?”
Stephen leaned back, resting one arm on the table. “You should see that house. It sits on three hundred acres of dense woodland, towering pines and maples lining the blacktop driveway with a huge gate. There’s a four-car garage under the house. It’s a log home, dark cedar beams, and three stone fireplaces. There’s a barn with twelve stalls, and trails around the property for horseback riding and there are three ponds on the property, one even has a cabin sitting next to it, then there’s the inground pool. The whole property is worth over three million dollars.”
Elise’s breath caught. “Maybe he inherited it from a family member.”
Stephen shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
Her voice rose, disbelief echoing in it. “And just how do you know what his place is worth?”
He picked up his glass again, swirling it as if savoring the flavors. “Being in real estate, I showed that house to several clients, none of them could stomach a mortgage north of sixteen thousand dollars a month.” He offered her a slow, knowing smile.
“How would you even know he bought it?” Elise demanded, her jaw tightening with frustration.
“When a house sells, the photo of it is posted on the board in the office. No matter which Real Estate office sells it. In fact, I believe Lydia Griffin sold it to him. She sure made out on that one,” Stephen explained, gesturing as if illustrating the process. “And I asked who bought it. An agent in the office told me it was Cavanaugh, and he paidcash.” He shrugged again, as if this were the most natural thing in the world, his nonchalance almost physical.
“I see,” she murmured, though her mind wandered, wishing this date would swiftly come to an end. “You seem to have aproblem with Deputy Cavanaugh.”
He met her gaze steadily, his eyes unwavering and intense. “I don’t have any type of problem with him. I’m just curious how he affords a place like that.” His words were laced with a subtle edge.
“It’s none of your business,” Elise retorted sharply, her voice firm and unyielding, like a wall of steel.
“It is if he’s on the take. After all, we pay his salary and I don’t like being ripped off,” Stephen countered, his words heavy with accusation, hanging in the air like a cloud of suspicion. “Not much worse than a dirty cop.”
Elise stared at him, her mind racing as she tried to fathom his fixation with Declan. “What do you have against him?” she asked, her voice probing but calm.
“Nothing,” Stephen replied, though his expression was anything but indifferent. “I just don’t like people who act like they’re perfect and they’re far from it. Just like he does,” he concluded, his expression resolute as he met her gaze, unwavering and defiant.
Elise shook her head, her frustration evident. “Do you have any proof of him being on the take?”
“You tell me how he afforded that house on a deputy’s salary,” he snapped, his voice rising with intensity.
“As I said, it’s none of your business,” she reiterated, her tone steady and forthright.
“Maybe not, but I’ll find out. I know people,” he retorted, his voice tinged with determination.
Elise couldn’t help it; she laughed, a light, mocking sound that filled the air. “You really do seem to be obsessed with him,” she observed, amusement dancing in her eyes.
Stephen’s face turned a shade of crimson, his anger visible in the flush of his cheeks, but she couldn’t care less. This was their last date, a conclusion she reached with a sense of finality.
Once their meals arrived, Elise had reached her limit. The elegant presentation of the dishes couldn’t distract her from her resolve. She intended to savor the meal, recognizing its hefty price tag, but once they left this restaurant and he dropped her off at her doorstep, she would leave Stephen standing there.
