Shame on Him

CHAPTER 2

Twenty minutes later I pull into Breakwater Village, the gated community in the city of Granger, where Richard Covington lives. After I give my information to the guard at the gate, he takes down my license plate number and waves me through.

Due to my parents’ careers, I grew up in a home that some might call a mansion among some of the wealthiest people in Indiana. Every weekend we attended one function or another at country clubs or the lavish homes of these friends. And with my law career, I’m used to being around people of wealth and stature and spending evenings in their large homes. But even I’m a little bit in shock as I pull into Richard Covington’s circular driveway.

The house looming in front of me is a beautiful English manor situated on a large wooded lot with professionally landscaped shrubbery and flower gardens. Though it’s large, it doesn’t quite block the lake and boat dock behind it. I get out of my car and smooth my hands down the front of my Chanel suit, checking my reflection in the car window to make sure my shoulder-length straight brown hair is still in order.

My mother would have a field day if she knew I was walking up to Richard Covington’s front door right now. She’s been trying to get Richard to attend one of her charity events for years now. According to the Forbes magazine article that Paige referred to, he is the richest man in Indiana. His fortune, now in the billions, was made when he invented a medical device in his final year of med school.

Clutching the subpoena in my hand, I ring the doorbell and wait.

And then wait some more.

I parked behind a brand-new Cadillac in the driveway, so I’m assuming someone has to be here.

I ring the doorbell again and, after waiting another few minutes without an answer, I reach up and knock. The door pushes open as soon as my knuckles rap against the wood.

Looking nervously back over my shoulder first, I slowly poke my head through the doorway. “Mr. Covington?”

There’s no response to my shout except for the tick of a clock in the entryway. Something doesn’t feel right about this. My gut is telling me to leave and try again at another time. Unfortunately, my brain is reminding me that I should just suck it up, because this is what I want to do with my life. Not deliver subpoenas, per se, but detective work—something thrilling, challenging, and that actually makes me happy.

Deciding to listen to my brain like I always do, I take a tentative step into the house and try calling out again. “Mr. Covington? Hello? Is anyone home?”

I crane my neck around the door and listen quietly for any sounds of movement in the house. Although with a house this big, someone could be driving a dump truck through one of the rooms in the east wing and I wouldn’t even hear it.

He must have hired help in a place this huge. It’s hard to believe that even if he isn’t home, someone else isn’t in the house somewhere and wouldn’t have heard the doorbell. Even in my parents’ home, their housekeeper, Mrs. Cooper, is always there.

“HELLO?” I try again, louder than before.

My voice echoes around the massive cathedral ceiling in the entryway.

I finally decide to give up and try again another day. Regardless of whether or not the door was open, it’s not a good idea for me to just walk into someone’s house uninvited. Especially when I’m here to deliver them a court document that is most likely going to anger them. Plus, the quiet emptiness of this house is starting to unnerve me.

As I turn to leave, the loud screech of a hysterical cat shatters the silence. I scream in surprise and stumble back against the open door as a white Persian races by me, hissing and yowling as it goes. My eyes widen in shock when I see that it left little red paw prints in its wake.

Swallowing thickly, I step over the paw prints and look in the direction the cat came from. The red markings start in the next room to the left. Without even thinking, I head in that direction, my heels clicking loudly on the floor as I go. As I step into the room, the hardwood floor switches over to carpet and my heels sink into its plushness.

I’m in the library—full bookcases line every wall of the room. The rest of the décor loses my focus as my gaze narrows in on something completely out of place in this otherwise spotless home. The red paw prints I had been following lead right up to a body on the floor in the middle of the room. A body that is sprawled across the cream carpet with a bullet hole between its wide-open, lifeless eyes and a pool of blood soaking into the carpet under its head.

All the breath leaves my lungs with a whoosh when I see that the body in front of me is that of Richard Covington.

“One more time, Lorelei. Tell me exactly what you saw when you walked into the library.”

Kennedy’s brother Ted was the first on the scene after I called the police, and he’s been questioning me for the last half hour. I’ve gone over the details so many times now my brain feels like it’s going to explode. While the medical examiner and a few detectives process the scene, Ted pulls me into the kitchen and away from the chaos to question me more.

“Here, drink this,” Kennedy says as she holds a glass of amber liquid in front of me.

I reach for it without thinking and down it in one swallow, the burn of the alcohol making a fiery path down my throat and into my stomach. I cough and sputter as I slam the glass onto the counter in front of me.

“Where did you get that?” Ted demands.

Kennedy shrugs and takes a seat on one of the barstools next to me. “From the liquor cabinet in the living room.”

“Goddammit, Kennedy! This is a crime scene. You can’t just waltz around helping yourself to booze,” Ted scolds.

“Oh, pipe down, asshole. Lorelei just saw her first dead body. The woman needed something to relax her.”

Although I think I’ve been handling myself pretty well so far, I’m not going to pretend like I haven’t felt a chill racing through my body ever since I found Richard shot dead in his library. Whatever Kennedy gave me tasted like gasoline and didn’t go down very smoothly, but at least I don’t feel cold anymore.

Ted sighs and shakes his head at his sister. Before he can reprimand her more, we hear greetings called to someone out in the foyer. Turning around in my chair, I realize Kennedy gave me that alcohol ten seconds too soon. My blood is now boiling at the sight of the person who is strolling into the kitchen.

“Hey, Dallas. Thanks for coming over,” Ted says as Dallas walks up to him and they shake hands.

“No problem. I heard about it on my police scanner and was planning on heading over here anyway.”

Dallas turns away from Ted and smirks at me. “Are you sure Lawyer here didn’t shoot the guy?”

“Oh that’s really mature,” I fire back. I’m immediately disappointed in myself for letting him get to me.

It’s no secret to anyone that Dallas Osborne and I don’t exactly get along. He owns Osborne Investigations here in Granger, and Fool Me Once partners up with him every once in a while when we need backup on a case. We’ve known each other for about three months—three long months of hating the sight of each other.

A few weeks ago he helped Paige bring down one of the most notorious mob bosses in Indiana. One would think that since he helped out my friend and regularly helps out my company that I would be appreciative of him. Well, one would be wrong.

I might be more inclined to be nice to him if he wasn’t such a Neanderthal and an arrogant jerk. It also doesn’t help matters that he’s entirely too good-looking and knows it—over six feet of pure muscle and brawn with tattoos up and down his strong arms, short, messy, dark brown hair, and light gray eyes.

“Is there any particular reason why he’s here?” I ask Ted in annoyance.

“HE’S here because he was asked to be here,” Dallas answers with smugness.

Ignoring him, I stare directly at Ted and wait for him to respond.

“There have been a bunch of budget cuts lately and we’re shorthanded at the department. I asked Dallas to come over to see if he’d be willing to take on this case for us for the time being,” Ted explains.

My hackles immediately go up and indignation runs through me. “Excuse me? I’m the one who was delivering the subpoena and found the body. If anyone is going to take on this case, it’s going to be me.”

Kennedy pats me on the back in a show of solidarity and I glare angrily at Dallas, refusing to back down on this.

“Lorelei, I would love to hand this entire thing over to you guys, but my hands are tied. You guys just don’t have the right kind of experience for this sort of thing,” Ted informs me.

“Oh, and Mr. Caveman over there does?”

My eyes still haven’t left Dallas’s, which means I get to see them light up when he smirks at me again.

Stupid man and his stupid smirk.

“Well, Lawyer, I used to be a police officer back in the day before I had to retire because of a knee injury. The department hired me to solve this case because of my invaluable knowledge. Which you are obviously lacking.”

I grit my teeth and clench my hands into fists to avoid punching that mocking smile right off of his too-good-looking face.

I want this case. I want to find out who killed Richard Covington and prove to myself that this is something I could be really good at. The fact that Dallas can just waltz in here and take it right out of my hands makes me ill.

“If you want, I could let you help me out. I can always use someone to fetch me coffee and type up my notes,” Dallas says.

Over my dead body.

“All right, Dallas, that’s enough. I like you, but don’t make me kick your ass,” Kennedy warns him, coming to my defense.

What is it about this man that ties me up in knots? I’ve turned down hotter.

“Sorry, Kennedy. She just makes it so easy,” Dallas says with a laugh.

Oh, that’s right. He’s a jerk.

“Dallas, if you want to follow me to the station, I’ll make a copy of Lorelei’s statement for you and also get you a copy of the ME’s findings,” Ted tells him as he heads toward the door of the kitchen.

“I’ll be right behind you in a few. I just want to check out the crime scene real quick,” Dallas answers.

Ted nods. “Take your time. Ladies, I’ll talk to you later. Lorelei, if you think of anything else, you can give me a call or just let Dallas know.”

Yeah, like that’s going to happen.

“You have my number. Feel free to call me anytime. I probably won’t take your call though, because I’ll be busy solving this case.”

Dallas salutes Kennedy before sauntering out of the room. I’m appalled with myself that I stare at his firm backside until he disappears from sight.

“All right, now that they’re gone, here’s what you’re going to do,” Kennedy says, startling me out of my stare. “You’re going to solve this fucking case and show Dallas Osborne where he can stick his Goddamn cockiness.”

I sigh and shake my head at her. “You heard your brother. I can’t work on this case because I’m not with the department.”

“Since when do I ever listen to my brother? Fuck him and fuck Dallas. Seriously, you should really consider fucking Dallas. That man is f-i-n-e, fine. And he looks at you like he’s picturing you naked.”

I scoff at her and roll my eyes. “You’re insane. He can’t stand me. And obviously the feelings are mutual.”

She raises one eyebrow. “Right. That’s why you stared at his ass when he walked away.”

I can feel my cheeks heat in embarrassment and I quickly look away from her.

Kennedy grabs my arm and pulls me off of my stool. “Come on, Paige is still waiting for us at the bar. We’re going to suck back a few drinks and come up with a game plan.”

I let Kennedy drag me through the house, making sure to keep my eyes straight ahead as we walk past the crime scene. Not just because I don’t want another look at the dead body, but because Dallas is currently bent over said body. It’s like his butt is trying to taunt me.

Sucking back a few drinks suddenly sounds like a great idea.