her with a canny “You called him, didn’t you?”
Julie reddened just enough for her to see. “You can’t possibly know that.”
“Yeah, right, because I don’t know you at all, do I? We only got arrested together in Mindanao and had to spend ten days in a sinkless hellhole shouting at anyone who’d listen to us that, no, we weren’t soliciting and we certainly hadn’t been using the act as a cover to deal drugs.”
“That’s what you get for carrying white powder in your purse.”
“It was a free sample of Oscar after-bath.”
“Which we couldn’t make them understand, because they didn’t bother to run any tests and we didn’t speak the language—which I thought you said you did.”
“I speak Hawaiian, Julie. That’s a big linguistic step from the Philippines.” Because she really wasn’t annoyed, Meliana let the door swing open. “Is he coming down?”
“Unless he forgets to gas up. Always a possibility.”
“Hey, he’s my husband—I’ll make the nasty cracks.” Linking her fingers loosely behind her back, she watched her friend stride along the short corridor, pause, then glance from side to side. “Chris isn’t here, Julie. I sent him out with patrolman Dick—”
“Dirk.”
Meliana smiled. “They’re talking to Mrs. Feldman. She’s the only bona fide snoop in the area.”
“Everyone I know lives with curtain twitchers. What makes your neighbors so special?”
“Not special, professional. Most of the people around here don’t get home until six or later.”
“No latchkey kids?”
“Busy on their computers. Chris made the rounds, Jules. No one saw a thing.”
“Mmm, well, as I see it, there wasn’t enough time for the guy to have hauled butt up to your bedroom, planted the rose, swiped your lacies and hightailed it back out before we got here. That means he either did the deed while you were home and occupied, in which case he’d have had fairly free access, or he knows your security code.”
“Which he rearmed, then set off on the way out?”
Julie started for the stairs. “He stole your underwear, Mel. You can’t expect rational behavior.” She glanced up. “Is that thunder?”
“There’s a storm on the lake. Perfect backdrop for a murder mystery.”
“You need to date again,” Julie decided.
“I had a blind date lined up for tonight. That’s why I’m not as upset as I probably should be about the break-in.”
“You’re as sick as your underwear thief. Is this the dresser?”
“Top drawer. White rose lying on a folded black slip. Patrolman Dirk bagged it.”
“Was it hothouse?”
“I saw a few spots on the petals. I’d guess garden grown.”
“Thorns?”
“Shaved off.” Which unsettled her and had her rubbing her bare arms. “God, I hope he’s not spying on me.”
“They often do.”
“It’s creepy.” Meliana drew her fingers across her throat and fought a chill. “I don’t want to be a bug under a microscope.”
“It’s a burden, I’ll admit.” Julie sat on the bed and let herself sink back into the padded headboard. “Tell me the truth, Mel—are roses the only thing this guy’s left for you?”
“That I’m sure of, yes.”
“Of course, this could just be the beginning of a more frightening agenda.”
“That’s reassuring.”
“I’m a cop. I deal in facts.”
“So do I, but I don’t tend to approach patients’ families and tell them I’ll be gutting their sons and daughters.” She heard wind howling around the eaves. “Andy McRae says it’s going to be a brisk fall.”
“And he knows that because…?”
“He maintains the lawns and gardens in the complex. Means nothing, Julie. Your mother knows as much about flowers as he does.”
“Whereas you and I know nothing.” A wry expression invaded her features. “I wonder what Johnny knows?”
“More than me and less than your mom.” She heard the door slam open and bang off the wall downstairs. “Ah, good, a looming confrontation. I should have gone ahead with that date.”
Johnny rushed in as if he expected the intruder to still be there. He had his keys in his left hand and a big red dog at his heels.
Delighted, Meliana went to her knees. Shannon barked and jumped on her. “I didn’t think you’d bring her.”
When he realized there were only the two women in the room, Johnny regrouped and shot Julie a dark look. “That was a short two hours.”
“Hey, don’t blame me.” Julie stabbed a finger at Meliana. “She guessed. Count yourself lucky Blackburn didn’t find out. He’d have been a wall in your face before you got up the stairs.”
“He’d have been flat on his ass in the downstairs hallway.”
Meliana ruffled Shannon’s silky ears. “I love it when men do the testosterone thing. Johnny, do you even try putting your clothes together?”
He frowned, glanced down at his jeans, T-shirt and jacket. “What’s wrong with them?”
The brown jacket looked as if he’d slept in it, the red T was torn and frayed at the hem and his jeans were the oldest pair he owned. Meliana hid her amusement. “Nothing, I guess. Kneejerk reaction. I see Shannon swallowed your last hairbrush.”
He moved his lips in a perfunctory smile. “I wasn’t thinking personal aesthetics when I jumped in my truck and raced down here. Is the rose gone?”
“Off to the police lab to be mutilated. Are you limping?”
“Eileen Crawford cleaned today. I tripped over the magazine rack.”
“Which she undoubtedly put back in its proper place. This isn’t a big deal, Johnny.” Meliana was going to repeat that until she believed it. “Some pervert likes roses and underwear. He left one and stole the other. Maybe he just wanted something pretty to wear.”
“Or maybe he’d rather you wore it for him.”
“You’re not going to be nice and let me delude myself for a few hours, are you?”
Instead of answering,
