Locked in Temptation Page 13

  “There’s something about your detective that...”

  “Sparks my fire and nothing else, Dak,” Stonewall interjected.

  “Bullshit.”

  So what if Stonewall knew what he’d said had been a lie? Truth of the matter was that when it came to Joy, there was something else. He knew that even if he wouldn’t own up to it. In all honesty, Joy more than sparked his fire. She was keeping it ablaze even while she was a thousand miles away.

  Stonewall frowned at Dak. “Don’t you have something to do? Deals yet to be made. Millions yet to be banked.”

  Dak slowly stood. “Yes, you’re right. That’s the story of my life.”

  Was that regret Stonewall heard? If so, he understood. Even with Dak’s revolving door of women, he still lived a lonely life. At least Stonewall had a group of friends in Charlottesville whom he was close to, like Striker, Quasar and Roland. Then, of course, there was Sheppard Granger as well as other members of the Granger family. And now that Striker had married and Quasar was headed there himself, Stonewall was looking forward to getting to know their wives, the women they’d chosen to spend their lives with. Forever.

  He shook his head again. There was that word again. He didn’t like the word forever any more than Joy liked the word relationship.

  “I came here to tell you something that might make your day,” Dak said.

  “And what is that?”

  “Something has come up, and I need to fly to California. I’ve instructed the pilot to make a pit stop in Charlottesville to drop you off. That means you’ll go home a day or so early.”

  Stonewall folded his arms over his chest and eyed Dak. “You trying to get rid of me, Navarro?”

  Dak chuckled. “No, but you did the job you came here to do, Stonewall. I thank you for keeping me alive. Now that the threat’s over, hopefully there won’t ever be another. And just so you know, I intend to keep you on my payroll for another thirty days. That means you have a month to do nothing.”

  A smile curved Dak’s lips when he added, “Unless, however, I need you to fly back here so I can whip your ass in cards again.”

  “Not hardly. Only reason you won that one time was because my mind was elsewhere that night.”

  “Bull. Just enjoy your time off. You deserve it.”

  Stonewall smiled, thinking of all he could do in thirty days, and it involved one particular woman. “Thanks. I plan to use the time wisely.” He smiled as an idea formed in his mind. Another surprise for Detective Joy Ingram.

  * * *

  JOY AND SANCHEZ entered the conference room where Sunnie Clay was already seated. “She changed her outfit,” Sanchez whispered. “Damn, she looks good in anything she wears.”

  Joy had no idea what Ms. Clay had worn that morning, but she looked like a serene goddess now. Joy didn’t think one strand of hair was out of place. The woman’s makeup was flawless and her clothing more demure than the outfits she’d worn on television last night. She was dressed in a cream-colored business suit with a strand of pearls around her neck as well as pearl earrings in her ears. It was as if she’d just attended the funeral of the victim rather than identifying a body. And she was using a pretty monogrammed handkerchief to dab tears from her eyes.

  “Ms. Clay?”

  Sunnie Clay looked up quickly, and a part of Joy softened. Actress or no actress, Joy knew those tears were real. “Yes?”

  “I’m Detective Joy Ingram and this is my partner, Detective Juan Sanchez. We appreciate you coming all the way from California.” Joy and Sanchez joined the grieving woman at the table. Sanchez automatically took out his notepad. “We’re sorry for your loss,” Joy added.

  “I’m taking your regret with a grain of salt until you tell me what happened to my sister.”

  Ouch. So the grieving sister wanted to get bitchy. Joy would try to understand up to a point. “I know Chief Harkins gave you the specifics earlier about how we found your sister. I don’t have any more to add to that. Recently we got a lead and—”

  “That nonsense about Mandy being someone’s surrogate. That is simply not true,” Sunnie Clay said defiantly.

  “And what makes you so sure of that?” Joy asked.

  Sunnie Clay’s blue eyes narrowed on hers. “Because Mandy didn’t want anything to do with kids.”

  Joy nodded. “People can change their minds about many things, Ms. Clay.”

  “Not Mandy. Did you hear what I just said? Mandy never wanted a thing to do with kids.”

  Joy met the woman’s angry gaze. “I heard you the first time, Ms. Clay.” If Sunnie Clay intended to go on a warpath, she would do it alone. “When was the last time you saw your sister?”

  Sunnie Clay dabbed at her eyes again. “Over a year and a half ago. Mandy and I didn’t see eye to eye on a lot of things. She wasn’t supportive of my career and I wasn’t supportive of hers.”

  “And what was Mandy’s career?”

  The woman chuckled derisively while shaking her head. “That’s just it. Mandy didn’t have a real career. I paid for her last two years of college so she wouldn’t be strapped with any student loans. She got a bachelor’s degree in business. Used it for six months and quit.”

  “Where did she work?”

  “For a life insurance company in the claims department. She said it was pretty damn depressing because any file that came across her desk meant the person had died.”

  Pretty similar to her job, Joy thought. “What’s the name of the company and where is it located?”

  “Burnstone Life Insurance Company, and it’s located in Austin, Texas.”

  “Austin? Is that where she lived?”

  “After college, yes. Then she moved on, determined to become a tracker, moving from state to state, doing odds-and-ends jobs to keep a roof over her head and food in her stomach.”

  “A tracker?”

  “Yes. That’s what she called herself.”

  “And who or what was she tracking?”

  There was a pause, and Sunnie Clay’s lips tightened when she said, “Our mother. She was intent on finding our mother.”

  Joy lifted a brow. “Your mother?”

  “Yes, our mother.”

  Joy waited, hoping she wouldn’t have to ask the woman to expound and was glad when Sunnie began talking again. “We were raised in a foster home, detective. The only good thing is that we were kept together for a while so I was able to watch out for Mandy. When I turned sixteen, we were separated and didn’t get back together until years later. I’m three years older and was about to finish college when we met up again.”

  “How many years later was that?” Joy asked.

  “Close to five years. I ran into her in New York. I was there with friends during New Year’s and she was a waitress at one of the restaurants we dined in one night.”

  Sunnie paused, dabbed at her eyes again. “I was so glad to see her, and I believe she was glad to see me, although I could tell she had changed a lot. I was in my last year of college and sharing an apartment with three other women and couldn’t offer her anything, but I promised that as soon as I finished college and got a job, I would send for her. And I did.”

  “So she moved with you to San Diego?”

  “No. I landed my first job in Miami, working for a major hotel chain in their accounting department. I convinced Mandy to come live with me while she finished up her last two years in college. She did and then took off for Austin.”

  “Where did she live while in Austin?”

  “At some boardinghouse. When she quit that insurance gig and got behind on her rent, I bailed her out a few times. But when she said she didn’t intend to get another job but wanted to try tracking down our mother—the woman who never wanted us anyway—I refused to give her any more handouts.”

  “Earlier
you said that she had changed. In what way?”

  Sunnie drew in a deep breath. “My sweet baby sister. I tried to get her to talk about what happened during those five years we’d been separated, but she would clam up and refused to do so. All I know is that she said she would never marry and didn’t ever want any kids. She was pretty adamant about it and never wavered, which is why I don’t believe she’d been pregnant, and certainly not that she was about to do it again.”

  “But she didn’t have the baby for herself, Ms. Clay. She had it for a couple who might not have been able to conceive. Maybe she thought she was doing a good deed. And it was a way to earn money. Surrogates can demand up to six figures from couples. Some might even negotiate for bonuses.”

  Sunnie shook her head, as if not convinced. “Although she probably could have used the money, I still can’t buy what you’re saying. I knew my sister. She said childbearing would have left marks on her body. She was rather vain.”

  After watching Sunnie Clay’s show last night, Joy wondered if it ran in the family. “When you saw her last year, did she seem bothered by anything?”

  “No. In fact, she seemed happy. Hinted about meeting this guy.”

  “A guy? Do you have a name?”

  “No. She wouldn’t give me one, said they were keeping their relationship a secret for a while. But she assured me that he wasn’t married or anything like that.”

  “Then why keep it a secret?”

  “Claimed there was a no-fraternizing policy where they worked.”

  “And where was she working at the time?”

  “As a temp in accounting at some pharmaceutical company.”

  “Where?”

  “In New Orleans.”

  “Is that the last known address you have for her?”

  “Yes. I figured I would hear from her again when she was down on her luck and needed money. And if you’re about to ask me what she was doing in this area, I have no idea. I’m wondering that myself.”

  “The last time you heard from her was a year and a half ago, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “The two of you didn’t stay in touch?”

  “No. She needed her space to deal with some things, and I felt I owed her that much. I would call but she never returned my calls.” Sunnie Clay dabbed at her eyes again. “I never thought her life was in danger.”

  “What is the last known phone number you have for her?”

  Sunnie opened her designer purse that Joy figured cost more than Joy’s salary for an entire month. When the woman pulled out her phone, Joy and Sanchez exchanged glances. There was no doubt in their minds the phone case was pure gold.

  Moments later, Sunnie recited a phone number to them. “Not sure why I haven’t deleted it out of my contacts. It hasn’t been in use for over a year.”

  “Still, we’ll hopefully be able to get a record of calls.”

  “Don’t be surprised if the phone was a burner.”

  Joy released a deep breath. That would certainly make things difficult but not impossible. “Let’s hope that’s not the case.”

  “I never thought she would end up like this.” Fresh tears filled Sunnie’s eyes.

  Their interview might have started off rocky, but it had gone smoother than Joy had anticipated. “Detective Sanchez and I appreciate you answering our questions. We know this is a difficult time for you and intend to do all we can to bring the person or persons responsible for your sister’s death to justice.”

  Joy stood, reached in the back pocket of her slacks and pulled a business card from her wallet. “Here’s my card, Ms. Clay. Please call me if you remember anything else.”

  Sunnie took the card. “Thank you, and I hope you do find the person responsible. Mandy didn’t deserve to die that way.”

  Sanchez stood as well when Joy said, “No, she didn’t, and we intend to do our best. One last question—did she ever track down your mother?”

  Sunnie Clay shook her head. “I would have to say no. I want to believe if she had, she would have told me.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  JOY SCANNED HER investigative notes. Figuring out what happened with Mandy Clay was a puzzle she intended to solve. Even with all the interviews they’d conducted at the surrogate agencies, they hadn’t picked up any new leads. No one could identify Clay as being one of their surrogates. But Mandy Clay had to have worked with someone. Epinnine was an expensive prescription drug. She had to have been under the care of an ob-gyn, reproductive endocrinologist or some other type of fertility specialist.

  Surrogacy was something Joy had never dwelled on...until now. Since she’d been assigned the Mandy Clay case, she’d read anything on the subject that she could get her hands on. She could only admire the couples who’d not given up on their dreams to have a child or the surrogates who helped make the couples’ dreams come true.

  And Mandy had been one of those surrogates. But why didn’t any of the agencies know her? That unanswered question only led to another... Were there illegitimate agencies out there? It wouldn’t surprise Joy if there were. During her years as a detective, she’d felt like she’d seen it all.

  Joy then looked over the list containing the addresses of all homes or buildings in Sofia Valley. It also listed the owners. She noted that some of the larger homes were owned by corporations instead of individuals. That wasn’t unusual as a number of corporations owned places to serve as periodic retreats for their employees. It appeared all those homes had been vacant the night Mandy died.

  She noted several homes hadn’t been visited by Sessions because they were located too high in the mountains. The logic was that if Mandy Clay had begun her journey that far up the mountain, she would have died before making it off the mountain because the temperature at such a high altitude was even colder. But still, Joy refused to not consider every possibility, no matter how improbable.

  She heard her phone’s text alert. Her breath wobbled in her throat as she wondered if Stonewall had sent her a message. He’d been doing that a lot, and she always looked forward to them. Usually the message was a countdown of the days before he returned, and other times he would text her something outlandishly sexy that would make her blush.

  Pulling her cell phone from her desk, she saw the text had been from him.

  Miss u. Want u.

  Smiling, she texted back, How bad?

  His reply was, Throbbing bad.

  Lust stirred in her abdomen when she texted. For me it’s aching bad.

  He texted back, Tell me what U need.

  She quickly responded. A diversion.

  She signed off with a smiley face. Joy liked this texting game they were playing. It gave her something to look forward to and it broke the monotony of her day.

  She glanced up when she heard the sound of deep male laughter. Joy would recognize it anywhere because it still grated on her nerves. It belonged to Darrin Chadwick, her former partner from hell. He had taken a job promotion to lieutenant in Ohio a few months ago, so why was he here? More than anything, she hoped he wasn’t returning to Charlottesville.

  He laughed again and the sound was even closer. He was the last person she wanted to see because she wasn’t in the mood to pretend to be friendly. But if she left her cubicle now, there was no way he wouldn’t see her.

  Too late. She glanced up and there he was, standing within a few feet of her cubicle. She thought now what she thought the first time she’d seen him—he was a handsome man. But once he opened his mouth, any thoughts of his good looks would dissolve. He was a male chauvinist bastard who’d given her hell as a partner and belittled her every chance he got. He thought a woman’s place was anywhere other than law enforcement.

  “Hello, Joy.”

  “Darrin,” she acknowledged. “What brings you back to Charlottesvi
lle?”

  “I’m in a wedding this weekend and thought I’d stop by and see everyone.”

  Don’t do me any favors. “That was kind of you. How are things going in Cleveland?”

  “Fine. I plan to make chief of police one day.”

  He definitely doesn’t lack confidence. “That’s a great goal.”

  “You know what I keep remembering whenever I think of you?”

  She wondered if it was all the times he would tell her what she couldn’t do and what he could do better as a detective. “No, what?”

  “How you looked in that green dress that night we worked undercover at that charity party. You looked sensational.”

  She would accept a compliment from anyone. Even him. “Thanks.”

  “How about if we get together while I’m in town? I’ll be here until Monday morning.”

  You’ve got to be kidding. “Thanks, but I’m pretty busy this weekend.”

  “Oh.”

  Is that disappointment? Do I care?

  “What about if—” he started.

  The phone on her desk rang and she couldn’t help but smile. Great timing! “Excuse me, Darrin. I need to get this,” she said, picking up the phone. “Hello?”

  “Detective Ingram, this is Margaret.”

  Margaret was Chief Harkins’s personal assistant. “Yes, Margaret?”

  “Chief Harkins wants to see you in his office.”

  “Okay, I’m on my way.”

  Joy hung up, stood and grabbed a notepad and pen off her desk. “Sorry, Darrin, I have to go.”

  “I heard. That was Margaret, which means the chief wants to see you. I hope you aren’t in trouble about anything.”

  She frowned at him. “Why would I be in trouble?”

  “You never know. I heard you’re working that case involving that reality TV star’s sister. I hope Harkins’s not planning to replace you with someone who will get less emotional.”