The Life She Wants Part 16

It was a soft case now with Compton dead, everything either liquidated and auctioned or held by US Marshals for auction. The apartment in Manhattan and the estate in Aruba had been sold. Emma Shay had been thoroughly investigated and if no new incriminating evidence turned up before the expiration of the warrant, it was likely the case would be closed. The FBI was being a.s.sisted by local detectives Danner and Severs, but after the expiration of the warrant the local police would be off the case and it would be up to the FBI to sniff around Emma to see if she suddenly started living large or if she bought airfare to another country where she might access her nest egg without the interference of the US Government.

Law enforcement could investigate her forever if they chose to, but they couldn't access her property, phone records, banking records or other personal property and s.p.a.ce without a warrant.

Logan and Georgianna had been watching, listening, and there had been nothing to indicate the former Mrs. Compton had access to illegally received money. And they had other cases to work. They were actually property crimes cops but both had had some previous experience in intel and fraud and it served a purpose to have them working in a division that didn't normally deal with white-collar crime. No one would suspect them of investigating Emma Shay.

Logan went back and sat at his desk. Their desks were pushed together, back to back so the partners faced each other. There were two computers, two phones, a couple of bulletin boards, a couple of shelves where spiral notebooks and loose papers were constantly stacked. George had pictures of her kids, parents and her framed awards on her side of the cubicle. Logan had a picture of his last dog, a German shepherd named Suzanne after an ex-girlfriend he hadn't had a great experience with. The accoutrements in the room were heavy on George's side.

"It's not going anywhere and we know it," he said.

"You have to tell Mike," she said.

Mike was the captain in charge of the fraud unit.

"When there's something to tell him, I'll tell him," Logan said.

"There's something to tell him now," she insisted.

"Are you going to get in my business here?"

"He's going to ask you to either drop and hand off your investigation or make yourself available to detectives for questioning. He's going to ask you, 'Do you want to work this case, which could be a career making case if you find something, or do you want to fall in love?' Because you can't have both. If you want to work it, then you're now undercover and everything you do with Riley Kerrigan is subject to examination, but you can't have both."

"I can if she's not in any way involved in a conspiracy to receive or help someone receive stolen money or property."

"But you won't know that unless you're undercover. I have no problem pa.s.sing this to another team and..."

"And dropping it after months of work? What do we have-a surplus of bored detectives around here looking for extra work? By the time the warrant is expired we'll know what we're dealing with!"

"And you'll be in over your head," she pointed out. "You'll screw it up."

"No. I. Won't." He took a breath. "I know how to keep my work and my personal life separate. I've done it for fifteen years."

"Well..." she said.

"Okay, once or twice I might've blurred the line a little, but I'm not exactly famous for it."

She leaned on her hand, looking at him earnestly. George was beautiful. She was five-ten with shoulder-length bronze hair, big brown eyes, a knockout body and a drop-dead intelligence that she'd completely betrayed by marrying and reproducing with a big, burly firefighter. Cops had a love-hate relationship with firefighters. The smoke-eaters always got the girls and it just wasn't right. If Logan had seen George first, he might've married her, but unfortunately he'd been married to someone else back then. But he drew her as a partner and in that got one of the smartest detectives he'd ever known. He knew he should probably listen to her now, take her advice.

"I got it, George," he said.

"Why don't you go ahead and tell me how you justified this in your tiny little brain," she said.

"I was befriending her! I never would've gotten interested if I thought she could possibly be involved with our suspect! But then... I just found out, okay?"

"You've had five minutes, which is about all the time you give matters this important. Go ahead. Tell me."

"It's not going anyplace. So they know each other, so what? Everybody knows everybody-it's her hometown, that's why she's back. That doesn't spell conspiracy or fraud or anything. It's too soon anyway. If I'd been married to a multimillionaire who got all his money through fraud and if I had a little of that stashed somewhere I wouldn't tap it in six months. I'd wait a few years till there was no scent on the money. If she wanted some money, why didn't she take the settlement she was offered?"

Georgianna pulled a face. "Because she looks better this way and what she's got stashed is more."

"Then why didn't she take the settlement, move to the islands or something and have both? We talked about this. One of two reasons-either she's afraid she won't be able to travel because she'll end up extradited and prosecuted or maybe, just maybe, she's not guilty of anything."

"Danner, here's what you don't get-they were married. They lived together. They slept in the same bed. He probably talked in his sleep. They socialized with his employees and his clients. Do you really think he pulled off a Ponzi and she never thought something was weird? Really?"

"And here's what you don't get, George-not everyone is married like you are. Most of the cops in this shop don't tell their wives what happens at work and their wives don't ask. Not all married couples talk. Al's wife has these huge bills and he doesn't want to ask her what she's spending the money on and for that matter Al has a little issue with the slots, so he's not into sharing. Not all couples have that whole transparent thing going on like you and Mr. Universe."

Georgianna smiled. "He likes that you call him that."

"Great. Then I'm going to stop."

"So let me tell you another thing you don't get. If she didn't communicate with her husband, then if she has a secret of any kind she'll tell her girlfriend. Guaranteed."

"s.h.i.t," he said, knowing she was right.

"So what do you want, Danner? A new squeeze or a case?"

"Leave me alone. I can do this."

"I'm watching," she said.

Here's what was going to happen, Logan thought. He was going to work the case with George-they were considered a dream team because they were smart, instinctive and experienced. He'd listen to phone tapes and scrutinize bank records. He would gladly tell George anything he learned from Riley that had anything to do with a possible conspiracy and pointed a finger at Emma Shay. He would not share the personal and intimate details he hoped to achieve with Riley Kerrigan, and very soon. He would keep those two parts of his life separate.

If he learned from Riley that her girlfriend Emma was coming into money or had hidden money, then Logan would do the right thing-he'd tell George and they would hand over the case and report it to the FBI. Logan wouldn't break the law. Not even for his own mother.

But he was going to have something with Riley because he was irresistibly drawn to her. He thought he caught her scent several times through the day and night even though she wasn't anywhere nearby. He thought they could have one of those unique give and take relationships that was part fun, part intense, part s.e.xual. He was into her, that's all. He might be an idiot about women, but he was into her and he was going for it until it worked or flopped.

He might've noticed Riley at first because he was checking out some of Emma's old friends, but that connection faded fast and he kept finding her because she appealed to him. And there was nothing illegal about that.

The second week in December was bitterly cold, with frost on the ground, dark clouds overhead, fires in every home with a hearth. But in Riley's heart there was a special warmth that she hadn't felt since her youth.

She laid her plans carefully. She left work early, went to the grocery store, picked Maddie up after cheer practice and took her home. Then she got busy in the kitchen. With her mom and Adam always ready and eager to plan family dinners, it wasn't necessary for Riley to cook very often. Of all of them, her hours were the longest. Adam was usually done at school by four at the latest, June was busy but liked to deliver her meals early in the afternoon-her elderly clients liked to eat early and looked forward to her visits. She was always finished before five in the afternoon. When they weren't eating at June's, Riley and Maddie often grabbed takeout, something for which her daughter was usually grateful.

Tonight she was making corn chowder, salad and biscuits. She set the table even though they usually ate in front of the TV. A fire blazed in the family room. She even refreshed her lipstick.

"I have some things to talk to you about," Riley said when her daughter joined her in the kitchen.

"Wow," Maddie said. "Must be deadly serious. Fancy spread."

"It's not. I mean, I think it's important but... Well, I just wanted to tell you-I met someone. A man."

Maddie grinned. "And you're finally going to tell me?" Maddie said, dipping a spoon in her soup and blowing on it.

"What does that mean? Did Grandma say something?"

"Well, she did, but only a couple of days ago. Really, Mom? You think I haven't heard you whispering into your phone late at night? And giggling? Or that I haven't noticed how nice you've been lately?"

Riley stiffened. "I'm not usually nice?"

"Sure you are. In a very businesslike way."

"Wow," Riley said. "I thought we were very close."

"We are. I know you love me. Now tell me about this guy. We don't want to waste this cozy setting." Then she smiled prettily.

"Hmm," Riley said. "Well, I met him accidentally several times-grocery store, Starbucks-he lives around here. He's a police officer in Santa Rosa so I saw an opportunity to ask him to check on you and make sure you're not getting into any trouble and if you were, to tell me."

"You wouldn't dare!" Maddie said, outraged.

"Touche," Riley said, smiling. "He is a police officer, though. And I got a kick out of him-he's cute and kind of funny-and I thought, if I want to have a date again, maybe a cop would be safer than someone who had no ties to the community. Know what I mean?"

"You checked him out," Maddie said.

"Well, I'd have checked out any man before dating him..."

Maddie laughed. "Oh, Mom."

"What? I don't meet them in school, you know!"

"I think it's great. Do I get to meet him one of these days?"

"Sure. Yes. Of course. There's something else I wanted to tell you. It's about an old friend of mine. Emma." She took a deep breath. "Emma Shay. We were best friends all through school and when she went away to college in Seattle, your dad was actually her boyfriend. But..." She shrugged and looked into her soup. "Emma kind of lost interest in him and, well, we started going out."

Riley looked up and Maddie was staring at her patiently. Waiting.

"I got pregnant. I suppose that's why things didn't quite work out with your father and me. He'd actually been Emma's guy. But...well..."

"I know all that. You and Daddy weren't really a couple but you got together and-bingo."

"You know all that?"

"Uh-huh. Daddy told me. A long time ago. At least a couple of years ago. Maybe more. He said it was all his fault and the biggest mistake he ever made."

"Well, that was delicate of him..."

"Not because of me! Because it screwed things up with you, Mom. He said the biggest mistake of his life was not begging you to marry him." She slurped a little soup. "I think he's still kind of in love with you."

Riley was momentarily stunned. "Well, that's news to me. He certainly has an odd way of showing it."

"He's kind of stupid that way," Maddie said. "But he's a very good guy."

"Well... So there's a reason I wanted to tell you about Emma. She's been through a really hard time. She married after college, had a miserable marriage, her husband committed suicide and Emma came home. She's had a struggle. So I gave her a job, of course. Grandma was also close to Emma when we were kids and can't wait to see her again, so I guess she'll be around. Also, I think Adam might be dating her, but I haven't asked, it's just that I have a good nose. So I wanted you to have all the information so you wouldn't be completely shocked if you actually meet her. There are lots of connections and complications there."

Maddie stabbed some of her salad. She pulled it off her fork with her teeth and chewed. "I know all that, too."

"Oh, really? And who explained all that?"

"Well, Uncle Adam wanted to give me a heads-up-he has a girlfriend and he hasn't brought her around yet because you're Emma's boss and she has history with the family, not all of it good. I figured out she's the one who used to be your friend and Daddy's girlfriend. And Adam suspects you might still be enemies."

"Huh," Riley said. "Is there any reason for me to be here right now? Anything I can tell you that you don't already know?"

Maddie took another bite of salad, chewed and swallowed. "I seriously doubt it," she said.

Riley put down her spoon in exasperation. "What did Grandma tell you?"

"Hmm." She stalled. "Well. She said after all these many years you and Adam were starting to get your stuff together. She didn't say stuff, but you know Grandma can swear sometimes. And so do you, and yet I will be punished if I- Okay, so she said after all these years it appeared Adam might have a serious love interest and she caught you finally on an actual date. With a decent-looking guy who was nice and polite and kind of interesting..."

"She doesn't know anything about him!"

"You sure about that?" Maddie asked. "Who knows what she knows? This is really good soup." She slurped a little more. "I like these talks, Mom. When am I going to meet your friend Emma?"

"Aren't you more interested in the guy?" Riley asked.

"I want to know about you and Emma, like when you were kids. And when you were teenagers," Maddie said.

"What do you want to know?" Riley asked.

"Everything," she said. "Uncle Adam said if I wanted to know all that I had to ask you. I asked him was there secret stuff? Was that why I had to get it from you? And he said it wasn't because it was secret. It was because it was special. Really special."

Riley thought for a moment. "It was," she said. "She was the first friend I had here. We were nine..."

Riley told her daughter all the details, from nine to nineteen, and Maddie understood it all because she had best friends-the laughter, the fights, the trouble, the way they'd always helped each other through dark times. Although it was frightening, Riley also told about the end. She didn't quote Emma or herself, but she admitted there were hateful things said.

"Mom," Maddie said. "Mom, you're crying..."

Riley wiped at her cheeks. "I didn't realize," she said. "I didn't think it was still so real. It was such a hard thing... And then there was you, and you made it all worth it. Because I had you, my regrets were gone. I was sorry I hurt her, though. And I said so, I really did."

"Is she still mad?" Maddie asked.

Riley shrugged. "I don't think so. We haven't had that talk. We nibbled around the edges of it. She said she got over it a long time ago and I said that I'd begged her to forgive me and she never did. But then we left it without a real talk."

"Are you going to?"

"I'm her boss now so I don't know," Riley said.

"You better," Maddie said. "Know why? Because I don't think I've ever seen you cry before."

"Oh, Maddie, I've cried so much!"

"Not around me," she said. "And you know what? You're more real when you cry."

Chapter Twelve.