Forbidden Temptation

Chapter Four

A black ribbon still hung on the door of Five Points Floral Creations when Daniel arrived after lunchtime the Friday after Alice Donovan’s funeral. He recognized the clerk he’d met on Monday when he’d stopped by to find out more about Alice’s movements the night she’d died.

Daniel avoided the clerk, taking a slow tour of the display area, looking for a fall arrangement to send to his mother. A week in town and still he hadn’t called her.

He was a lousy son.

He took a bouquet of fall asters to the cashier’s counter where the clerk, a pretty girl with short black hair and a sapphire nose stud, met him with a smile. Sasha, he remembered.

She recognized him, as well. “Hi. Daniel, right? Did you get in touch with Ms. Bannerman?”

He handed her his credit card. “I did, thanks.”

“I hope you can help find out who killed Alice. I still can’t get my mind around it.” Sasha handed him his receipt.

“Do you know Ms. Browning, too?”

Sasha’s brow wrinkled. “Ms. Browning?”

“She’s a wedding planner. Talked to someone here on the phone the morning Alice…” He let the words trail, watching for her reaction.

“Oh, the one who offered to check on Alice.” Sasha’s eyes widened with sudden horror. “Was she the one who found her?”

Behind them, the bell above the door jingled again. Daniel turned to find the subject of his questions entering the store, her dark hair pulled back in a severe twist, her slim body clad in a conservative gray suit. But she still exuded a sort of wild, natural beauty that made his heart skip a beat.

Her light brown eyes locked with his. “Daniel.”

“Ms. Browning.”

She looked at the floral arrangement in front of him on the counter, a question in her eyes. He ignored the silent query and looked down at her hands, which held a sheaf of bright yellow paper. Large black capital letters spanned the top of the papers: Protect Yourself.

Daniel reached for the top sheet, ignoring Rose’s glare.

“Southside Neighborhood Association Special Meeting. Tuesday evening at 7:00 p.m.” The date and location were listed, along with Frank Carter’s name-he was to speak to the attendees about self-protection.

Daniel looked at Rose, whose glare was both angry and defensive. Did she expect him to scoff? “It’s a good idea.”

“Something needs to be done,” she answered tightly. After a brief pause she added, “You’re welcome to attend, of course.”

He tamped down a smile of amusement at her grudging offer. “I’ll check my schedule.”

She moved past him, handing several flyers to Sasha. “Could you put a few of these where your customers can see them and pick up a copy? We’re trying to get the word out.”

Sasha took the flyers. “Of course.”

Rose turned back to Daniel, her chin coming up again as if in self-defense. She handed him one of the flyers. “In case your schedule is clear.”

He folded the paper and slipped it in his pocket, his gaze following her as she left the shop and headed down the sidewalk toward the next store. A neighborhood meeting was actually a damned good idea. He should have thought of it himself. A killer couldn’t move as easily in places where the citizens were informed and alert.

Orion’s decision to kill in a smaller area made him more vulnerable, and this meeting might even draw him out. Could a smart, experienced killer really resist the chance to see his potential victims all in one place?

Daniel was pretty sure the answer was no. Orion would be at the meeting Tuesday night. Daniel knew it deep in his gut.

And he’d be waiting for him.

THE LIBRARY meeting room was already starting to fill up by the time Rose arrived Tuesday evening with her contribution to the refreshments table, a tin of apple-bran minimuffins. As she was placing them on a platter, Melissa Bannerman arrived with a box of pastries from the Elegant Eatery.

“Oh, good, I was afraid I’d be late!” Melissa set the pastries next to Rose’s tray and folded the box top to display the confections. She dusted powdered sugar off her fingers and looked around the room. “Nice crowd.”

“People are worried-”

Melissa’s attention fixed on someone across the room. “Hey, there’s Jesse.”

Rose followed her gaze. A sandy-haired man in a white button-down shirt and jeans stood near the doorway. He spotted Melissa and smiled, nodding in her direction.

“Jesse?” Rose murmured, arching an eyebrow.

Melissa made a face at her. “The technician who put in my new alarm system. He’s with Professional Security Systems. You should give them a call. Jesse!” Melissa waved the man over.

He crossed to them, his smile spreading over his face. “Melissa! It’s nice to see you again.”

The familiarity in his tone surprised Rose. He spoke as if Melissa was an intimate friend rather than a client. Though in fairness to him, Melissa was the type of person who never met a stranger. Maybe the security technician figured, when in Rome-

“Jesse Phillips, this is Rose Browning. You should give her your card. She might be in the market for a system.”

Jesse produced a business card and smiled warmly. “Nice to meet you, Rose. Do you live in a house or an apartment?”

“House,” she said, taking the card. His fingers brushed hers-deliberately, she suspected. She forced herself not to jerk her hand away. She glanced up at him again and found his gaze focused intently on her face.

“I love my new system,” Melissa said. “A dozen levels of security but really user-friendly.” Already her attention was straying, leaving Rose to deal with Jesse’s laser focus.

“I bet you live in an old house,” Jesse said, his voice pitched low. “I can tell you’re an old soul.” His gaze moved lazily over her, male appreciation glimmering in his eyes.

Rose had to wonder if she’d be so uneasy about his obvious interest in her if she hadn’t lost the true-love veils. The old Rose loved to flirt, secure in the knowledge that, long before she got too involved with a man, the true-love veils would let her know whether or not he was the one for her.

But the veils were gone, leaving her off balance and wary of every man who looked her way. She couldn’t deal with Jesse’s obvious interest in her. She didn’t know how, anymore. “I see someone I need to speak to.” She started to move away.

Jesse caught her hand, his grip firm and hot, and gave it a quick shake. Her skin quivered uncomfortably where he touched her. “It was a delight to meet you. Give me a call and I’ll set up an appointment and we’ll get you a good system.”

She managed a polite half smile as she began to weave her way through the crowd in search of the closest quiet corner. Before she made it halfway across the room, she ran headfirst into a solid wall of muscle.

“Excuse me-” She looked up, her apology dying in her throat as she stared up into Daniel Hartman’s gunmetal eyes. “Daniel.”

“Ms. Browning-”

“Rose, where’d you get off to-” Melissa came up behind Rose, stopping short when she saw Daniel. “Dr. Hartman.”

“Good to see you again, Ms. Bannerman.” Daniel glanced at Rose, no doubt wondering if she recognized his name. She feigned ignorance, wondering how much longer he planned to keep up his pretense. True-crime buff, indeed.

Melissa looked from Rose to Daniel and back, obviously aware of the tension stretching between them. “I guess you’ve met already. I told him about you.”

Rose dragged her gaze away from Daniel’s to look at Melissa. “You did?”

“He mentioned he was in the market for a wedding planner.”

Rose slanted a look at Daniel.

His eyes glittered. “Thanks for the referral.”

“We’d better grab a seat now if we want to be near the front.” Melissa led the way to the front of the room, where there was a scattering of open seats. Melissa took one near the aisle and Rose settled in beside her.

Detective Carter entered the room and shook hands with the neighborhood association president. The detective exuded a sense of calm and purpose that eased the knot forming in Rose’s stomach. Maybe his presentation would have the same effect on the jittery nerves of the women in the Southside neighborhood.

“Nice crowd.” Daniel slipped into the empty chair next to Rose. He smelled good, as if he’d just stepped from the shower. Maybe he had; his dark hair had a hint of damp curl to it and a tiny nick on his jawline suggested a recent shave.

She pressed her lips together, annoyed at herself for noticing. “People around here are worried.”

“With reason,” he conceded.

Melissa leaned forward to look at Daniel. “Are you going to address the meeting, too?”

He shook his head. “Just here to observe.”

“The presentation or the crowd?” Rose murmured.

Daniel met her curious gaze. “Both.”

The look in his eyes sent the skin on the back of her neck crawling. Slowly, she turned to look at all the people settling into their seats behind her.

Her breath caught. Her heart skipped a beat and then hurtled headlong into hyperspeed.

Like a silvery sea of wraiths, almost every woman’s face was covered with a blood-streaked death veil bearing the telltale ribbon of red across her throat.

The killer was here.

HE DRANK IN THE SIGHT of their faces, pale and dark, round and narrow, young and old. Apprehension and hope battled in their expressions, a sweet reminder of what his actions had created. They were his handiwork, these women teetering on the edge of panic. They feared his power and his whims.

It filled him with satisfaction, seeing them all gathered in neat little rows, awaiting words of comfort and hope.

How can we protect ourselves? What can we do to avoid becoming victims?

He hid a smile, kept his emotions in check. But inside, the answer rang in his head like an edict from on high.

Nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing.

They could do nothing to stop him now.

DANIEL HEARD Rose’s soft intake of breath. He turned to find her looking at the crowd behind her, her face as pale as winter. He followed her haunted gaze. Had she seen someone? Did she know who Orion was? “What is it?”

Rose turned back to the front, her jaw rigid. “Nothing.”

She was lying. She’d seen something. “What did you see?”

She pressed her pale lips together, not answering. But she looked terrified.

Daniel looked back over his shoulder, scanning the crowd. There were more women than men, although the crowd was liberally sprinkled with males, many of them there with their wives or girlfriends. Any one of them could be Orion; Daniel knew the killer he’d been tracking all these years had to be pretty damned good at blending in with average people or he wouldn’t have escaped apprehension this long.

Was it the average Joe in the corner, sitting with his arm around a wide-eyed blonde with limp hair and baggy clothes? Was it the preppie-looking thirtysomething three rows back, wearing a bright green golf shirt, a trendy pair of Oakley sunglasses tucked into the breast pocket?

Who had Rose Browning seen that made her face go pale and her breathing shallow?

“Want something to drink?” he asked Rose.

She shook her head in the negative, but he got up and headed back to the refreshment table, anyway, determined to station himself along the wall by the time Frank started his presentation to the people gathered. There was no way in hell Orion could have resisted this meeting, and Daniel wanted to be in a position to observe the men in the audience. Something as simple as an inappropriate smile could betray the killer.

He kept his eye on the crowd as the neighborhood association president introduced Frank Carter and the topic of the evening. As John Fielding finished the introduction, he singled Rose out from the crowd, asking her to stand.

She stood, her expression placid but her red cheeks betraying her embarrassment. She glanced toward where Daniel leaned against the wall, and he gave a brief nod. Her color deepened and she quickly dropped back into her chair.

The neighborhood association president finished up and Frank took the podium. As he went into his presentation, Daniel pulled a notepad from his pocket and scanned the crowd.

By the time Frank finished giving a series of practical ways for women to protect themselves-safety in numbers, practicing radical awareness of one’s surroundings, installing security devices for auto and home-Daniel had jotted notes on several men in the crowd whose behaviors had pinged his internal radar for odd behavior.

Unfortunately, none of them was Orion.

Still, there might be wife-beaters, rapists and con artists in this crowd, and it wouldn’t hurt to give Frank a heads-up.

After Frank’s presentation ended, the crowd headed toward the back of the room to partake of the refreshments. Daniel scanned the crowd, looking for Rose Browning, but couldn’t see her. Biting back a sigh of frustration, he headed for Carter.

“Everywhere I turn, there you are,” Frank murmured, his voice desert-dry.

“Think your killer could resist a meeting like this?”

“You think it’s the same guy for all three.”

“He’s killed other women in other places.”

Frank’s voice took on a different color. “Are you sure it’s the same guy?”

Daniel met the detective’s dark eyes. He knew they were talking about Tina’s murder now. “Not yet.”

Frank nodded. “Let me know if you figure it out.”

“You’ll be my first call.”

“Did you notice any possibles?”

Daniel shook his head. “Not for Orion-”

“Orion?”

Daniel smiled, feeling a little self-conscious. “It’s the name I’ve given him.”

“Orion.” Frank cocked his head. “I like it. It fits.”

“Did see a few guys you should keep your eye on for other stuff,” Daniel added, pointing out the handful of men he’d observed during the presentation.

“I’m familiar with three of them already,” Frank admitted. “Good call. Do you want me to see if my lieutenant will bring you in on the investigation? He might be up for it.”

“Not yet. Want to stay off the radar, for now.”

Frank frowned. “I’m not sure I like you wandering around out there freelancing. This is my case, and I don’t want it messed up by someone who’s not working on the same page as me.”

“I’ll be careful.”

Carter didn’t seem appeased by Daniel’s assurance, but one of the meeting attendees interrupted at that point, pulling Frank away. Daniel took advantage of the opportunity to look for Rose again. He spotted her, finally, sitting alone near the front of the room, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.

She gave a start when he dropped into the chair next to her. Her silvery-brown eyes met his, wide and troubled.

“Not hungry?”

She shook her head.

“Did you come here with Melissa?”

“No, I got a ride with a neighbor.” She looked toward an older woman standing in line at the refreshment table. “She wanted to stay around a little bit, see if she could get a word with Detective Carter.”

“I could drive you home.” He hadn’t known he’d make the offer until the words spilled from his lips. He had planned to hang around the place a little longer, watch the crowd in case he’d missed something.

“Not necessary,” she said softly. “Besides, aren’t you looking for the killer? You don’t want to sneak out too early and miss him.”

So she did know who he was. He’d begun to suspect as much. “Don’t mind if I sit here while I look, do you?”

Her lips curved slightly. “Free country.”

He settled next to her, his arm brushing hers. Sparks flew, sizzling along his nerve endings. He hadn’t felt anything quite like her effect on him in a long time.

Too long.

“So why didn’t you just tell me who you were the first time we met?” Rose asked.

“Wanted to keep a low profile.”

“Until it came time to trick Melissa into giving you my name and address.”

“Technically, I already knew your address.”

The look she gave him singed his eyebrows. “So, I’m guessing that you’re not really in the market for a wedding planner, either.”

“No.” He changed the subject. “Earlier tonight, you looked back in the crowd and saw someone or something that upset you. What was it?”

“I just got a creepy feeling,” she answered tightly, looking away. He knew immediately it wasn’t the truth. Not the full truth, anyway. But she showed no signs of budging from her vague explanation, so he tabled the discussion for later.

“He was here, wasn’t he?” she added, half whispering.

He didn’t have to ask whom she was talking about. “I can’t see him not showing up for something like this.”

Her pale face went a shade whiter. “I could feel him.”

He frowned. “Feel him?”

Her gaze darted up to meet his. “I know that sounds crazy.”

Not entirely. He’d felt Orion in the room tonight, too. But his hunch was based less on emotion or some intangible sensibility than a scientist’s certainty that, given all the variables at play, it was nearly impossible for a killer like Orion to resist the opportunity to see the fruits of his labors.

He knew Orion had been here because the killer was incapable of staying away.

“Detective Carter gave a good presentation.” Rose changed the subject abruptly. “I’ve overheard a lot of women saying that they feel safer just knowing he’s on the case.”

“How about you?” Daniel asked. “Do you feel safer?”

She cocked her head. “I don’t know. I’m glad he agreed to speak, though. Women in this neighborhood need to know how to even the playing field between them and the killer.”

Daniel didn’t think a single talk from a cop was enough to make the women of Southside any safer, but he understood Rose’s need to do something constructive to make sense of the loss she’d experienced. “There are more things that can be done. Self-defense courses-”

“I’m giving that serious thought.”

“I know a guy who runs a dojo near here.” Daniel had made it to black belt under the tutelage of Tommy Kim; the guy was great at what he did and he was particularly good at teaching women how to not only protect themselves but to increase their awareness of their surroundings. “I’ll see if he’s interested in doing a basic self-protection course for women.”

The hint of a smile faded from Rose’s face. “I wonder if any of this will make any difference.”

“Can’t hurt,” Daniel pointed out. “If a little more awareness and a few well-aimed kicks saves a woman, then we’re ahead of where we are today. And then maybe we’ll have a description of Orion.”

“You and Detective Carter seem to know each other. Have you met before? Before you came to town, I mean.”

Daniel nodded, not sure how much he was willing to share about his past with Rose. “I grew up around this neighborhood. Dated his sister in college. He was just a teenager then.”

“You’re from Birmingham, then?”

“Born and raised. How about you?”

“I just moved here a few months ago. I grew up east of here in a little dot on the map called Willow Grove.”

He’d heard of it, but he’d never been there. “What brought you to Birmingham?”

“Business. There just wasn’t enough of it in Willow Grove.” Rose’s voice was light enough, but he saw a flicker of sadness in her eyes that suggested her decision to relocate wasn’t quite as simple as her brief explanation implied.

There was little about Rose Browning that was simple.

“Sure I can’t give you a ride home? Your neighbor doesn’t seem inclined to leave anytime soon.”

“I’ll catch a ride with Melissa if I can find her.”

“I’m pretty sure she left just a few minutes ago.”

Rose’s brow furrowed. “Damn.”

“No trouble to drive you home,” he assured her.

She cocked her head slightly, her pale brown eyes narrowing as she looked at him with a hint of curiosity. “Do you consider me a suspect or something?”

Not a suspect, exactly. But she knew something she wasn’t telling. “Maybe I just like you.”

She made a soft sound that might have been a huff of laughter. “I don’t think that’s it.”

“Well, I do like you,” he said firmly, surprised to find that it was the truth.

“You think I know something about your killer.”

“Do you?” he countered.

“Only what I hear in the news or read in the paper.”

Once again, he was certain there was something she wasn’t telling him. But Rose had already proved to be very good at keeping her own counsel.

Maybe she just needed an incentive to spill what she knew. “If you’ll let me take you home, maybe I’ll tell you a few things you don’t know about the killer.”

Curiosity flitted across her composed face. She pushed to her feet. “Okay, I’ll tell my neighbor I’m leaving.”

Daniel watched her go, his gaze lingering on the curve of her hips swaying gracefully as she crossed to speak to her friend. Yeah, he liked her, all right.

Maybe a little too much.