Page 36 of Christmas in Whitehorn
Janie took him down the list, telling him what she knew about each individual. He made notes, wrote down addresses and phone numbers, all the while asking questions.
“Are you going to talk to Melissa?” Janie asked.
Mark nodded. He still had to check out Melissa North, the owner of the Hip Hop Café.
“You know she’s out of town,” Janie said. “On a second honeymoon. I’d really hate to interrupt her vacation.”
“No point right now. If that changes and I need to talk to her before she’s due back, I’ll let you know.”
“Okay.” She tilted her head. “I sure hope I don’t get that call.”
“I hope I don’t have to make it.” He rose to his feet. “Janie, I need you to keep quiet about this. Please don’t discuss this with anyone.”
“I figured that one out on my own. You’ll keep me informed, won’t you?”
“As much as I can without compromising the investigation.”
She stood. “I would never want your job. I’d hate knowing the worst about people.”
He nodded. Sometimes he didn’t like it, either.
He headed to his truck. Once he was back at the office, he would investigate each of the employees. And he would take a second run at Darcy. So far he’d turned up exactly nothing. She didn’t even have a parking ticket. Was she really that good, or was her history planted?
He tried telling himself she wasn’t anything like Sylvia, but how was he ever supposed to let the past go enough to trust anyone again?
* * *
Mark headed over to Darcy’s place around seven that evening. He’d put it off as long as he could, but eventually he was going to have to speak with her. He might as well get it over with.
She called, “Come in,” when he knocked.
He pushed open the front door and stepped into her living room.
“I could be a serial killer,” he said as he headed for the kitchen.
She looked up from where she stood at the counter. “I don’t have any cereal in the house. I eat oatmeal every day.”
He groaned. “Why am I not surprised?”
As he stepped into the kitchen, he found that he very much wanted to move close and kiss her. Not a deep passionate kiss, although he wouldn’t mind that, but a greeting kind of kiss. One that said “hello” and “how was your day?” He missed her and how he felt when he was around her.
The realization made him swear under his breath. He had to keep his distance from this woman, both physically and emotionally.
Darcy returned her attention to her work. He saw that she’d baked Christmas cookies and was decorating them. As he watched, she piped red frosting onto a Santa cookie, filling in the coat.
“Don’t get all huffy about the front door,” she said without looking up. “I usually keep it locked, but I knew I’d be in here baking and I hoped you’d stop by. I didn’t see you at the Hip Hop this morning.”
“I was tied up at work.”
“Oh.”
She kept the single word response neutral so he couldn’t tell what she was thinking.
“I’m glad it was just work,” she continued. “I was getting a little worried. I thought you might be sick or something.”
“I don’t need rescuing.”
He spoke more sharply than he’d intended. She flinched slightly. A drop of frosting slipped onto the counter.
