He was intrigued about those dark shadows that had momentarily danced in the depths of her eyes. He wondered what had caused her divorce, if her curls were as soft as they looked and what her slightly plump lips might taste like.
He also wondered if the stress of these cases was making him lose his mind. Certainly his thoughts about Jordon were completely inappropriate.
As Jordon continued questioning Ed, Gabriel got up from the table and walked over to stare out the window. From this vantage point he could see not only the cabins up on the ridge, but also the guest shed.
The scene of each murder flashed in his head, along with all of the people he’d interviewed after each one had occurred. Had he interviewed the murderer twice before already? Had he sat across from the person who had viciously stabbed Samantha Kent, Rick Sanders and Sandy Peters and exchanged conversation? Had he somehow missed something vital? That was one of his biggest fears.
“So, where were you on Sunday night when Sandy Peters was killed?” Jordon asked Ed.
Gabriel turned from the window to gaze at the man. “Where I usually am on most nights...at home with my wife.”
“And she can corroborate that you didn’t leave the house all night?”
Ed laughed yet again. “That woman knows if I turn over in my sleep. She’d definitely know if I left the house, which I didn’t.” His blue eyes shone with what appeared to be open honesty. “Look, I’ve got no reason to kill anyone and no reason to hurt Joan and Ted. Ted pays me a good wage for a day’s work. Besides, I don’t have it in me to murder somebody.”
“I think that’s it for now,” Jordon said and looked at Gabriel to see if he had anything to add.
“I’m sure Ed will be available if we have any further questions for him,” Gabriel said.
“You know where to find me. I’m either here or at home with Millie most of the time,” Ed assured them as he got up from the table.
“How do burgers sound for lunch?” Gabriel asked when Ed had left the building.
“Sounds good to me. I’m starving.” She got up from the table and reached for her coat slung across the back of her chair.
“I thought we’d grab some lunch and then head into the station. I figured you’d want to look at all the files of the other two murders.”
“Definitely,” she replied.
It took them only minutes to get into Gabriel’s car and he headed for Benny’s Burgers, a no-nonsense joint just off the main drag that didn’t cater to the tourist trade.
“I seriously doubt that the two housekeepers had anything to do with whatever is going on,” she said once they were on their way.
“I agree.” The warmth of the heater seemed to intensify the fresh floral scent of her that he found so appealing. He tightened his hands around the steering wheel.
“Tell me more about Ed Rollings and his brothers.”
“They were all born and raised here. Ed and his wife have no children but he has two brothers who also live in the area. Glen is two years younger than Ed. He’s single and works as a clerk in one of the souvenir shops. And as you now know, his older brother, Kevin, owned Diamond Cove but lost it in bankruptcy.”
He pulled into Benny’s Burgers’ parking lot, pleased to see that the lunch crowd was already gone and only three cars were in the lot.
Within five minutes they had their burgers and were seated across from each other in a booth near the back of the place. At least in here the odors of fried onions and beef were heavy enough to overwhelm Jordon’s evocative scent.
“I’m assuming you’ve interviewed Kevin Rollings,” she said and then popped a French fry into her mouth.
“Several times, but not in relationship to Sandy’s murder. He’s on my list to speak with later this afternoon. He’s another one who has been on my short list of suspects.”
“You mentioned that Billy Bond was on your list, as well. Anyone else I need to know about?”
He shook his head. “My list is depressingly short and everyone on it has had some sort of an alibi for the first two murders. You can get a better idea of what we’ve done to investigate those murders when you read the files.”
“I’m looking forward to that,” she replied.
For the next few minutes they were silent and focused on their meals. The cheeseburger and onion rings were tasteless to Gabriel as thoughts of the three murdered people weighed heavily in his head.
Jordon’s appetite didn’t appear to suffer at all. She ate her burger and fries, and then, with an assenting nod from him, she pulled his plate closer to her and picked at the onion rings he’d left on his plate.
“This has got to be somebody who wants to hurt Ted and Joan personally,” she said.
“I was hesitant to make that call until now.” He leaned back against the red leather of the booth. “I’ve investigated their background thoroughly and so far haven’t found anything or anybody that would send up a real red flag.”
“What did they do back in Oklahoma City?”
“Ted sold home and vehicle insurance and Joan was a third-grade teacher. According to all their friends and relatives, they’re solid people who didn’t have enemies. Their coworkers also spoke highly of them. Kevin Rollings might want to destroy the business just for spite and I can’t figure out if Billy Bond is hiding something or not.”
“He definitely has a bit of a creep factor going on.” She shoved his now-empty plate away.
“Unfortunately, I can’t arrest Billy for being a creep and I can’t arrest Kevin Rollings on just my suspicion alone. Why did you get a divorce?” The question was out of his mouth before he realized he intended to ask it.
Her eyes widened slightly in surprise and then she smiled. “I was madly in love and got married in an effort to play grown-up and be a traditional kind of woman. It took me two years to realize I wasn’t a marriage kind of woman after all.” She took a quick sip of her soda, her gaze curious. “What about you? Are you a marriage kind of man?”
“Definitely,” he replied firmly.
“Then why aren’t you already married? You’re a hot-looking guy with a respectable job. Why hasn’t some honey already snapped you up?”
“I’m cautious,” he admitted. “I want to make sure that when I finally marry it’s a one-shot, forever kind of deal. My parents just celebrated their fortieth anniversary together and I want that kind of a lasting relationship for myself.”
“Footloose and fancy-free—that’s the life for me,” she replied.
The threat of his intense physical attraction to her eased in his mind. She was somebody he would never be interested in pursuing no matter how alluring he found her.
This brief conversation was enough to let him know that he and FBI Special Agent Jordon James wanted very different things in life. He wasn’t sure why, but this fact gave him a bit of peace of mind.
For the first time since she’d arrived he relaxed. “I’m glad you’re here, Jordon.”
“Thanks, Chief Walters. Does that mean lunch is on you?”
He smiled at her. “Yes, lunch is on me, and please call me Gabriel.”
The sexy smile she flashed him in return instantly surged an unwanted tension back in his belly.
* * *
JORDON STRETCHED WITH her arms overhead and got up from the table. She’d been seated in the small conference room alone for the last couple of hours reading all the information