.

playoffs over a pepperoni pizza, boring Annie to eye rolling, until she announced since tomorrow was a school day, Charlie had to go to sleep.

      “Look at this place,” Annie said, as she collapsed onto the sofa beside him after her son had reluctantly crawled into Cody’s bed. “When are you going to buy some furniture?”

      “This place is good enough for you and Charlie to crash in,” Cody said, glancing around the small, sparsely furnished room. His secondhand belongings suited him fine.

      Annie sighed. “Don’t get huffy. You know we appreciate not having to pay for a motel. Besides, Charlie insisted. He wanted to talk to you about sports, sports and more sports.”

      Cody nodded. “And we know sports are way over your head, Annie Oakley.”

      She punched his shoulder. “Annie Oakley! Nobody can call me that but you, Cody Wyoming.”

      He grinned at his sister over the strange names their mother had cursed them with. Thank God Annie was better now, finally able to smile again, enjoy life. She’d had a difficult couple of years after her husband had overdosed on pain meds following complications from back surgery. Pills he’d obtained from another unscrupulous doctor. Yeah, just hand over the cash and the doc was only too glad to provide relief. Mark had been a damn good man, but one with a low threshold for pain. Addiction sent him on a downward path that had spiraled out of control.

      Annie plumped a cushion behind her and turned to study him. “So now you can tell me more about that gorgeous new girlfriend who came to the game yesterday. Where did you meet her?”

      “She’s not my girlfriend.”

      “Yeah? The two of you seemed awfully engrossed in each other.” Pinching him lightly in the ribs, she continued, “You almost missed Charlie’s turn at bat.”

      “Strictly business, Annie.” He knew eagle-eyed Annie had noticed his interest in Merlene.

      “Why is everything always business with you, Cody? You need to lighten up.”

      “I take my work seriously.”

      Annie waved her hand. “Everyone knows that. You’ve spent years trying to make up for Dad’s mistakes. It’s time to stop and get a life.”

      Cody glared at Annie. First she ragged him about Merlene and now their father. If he didn’t love his sister, he’d arrest her for disturbing his peace. “I’ve got a life, thank you very much.”

      “What life? You work constantly and don’t own a thing so that, God forbid, you won’t become attached to anything. You even drive a county car. I’m wondering what you do spend your paycheck on. You must have a mint stashed away.”

      “Not everyone worships money. I don’t need material things, Annie. They’re not important.”

      “Please.” She held up her hand. “You talk like some wigged-out new age guru when I know what you really like is to watch grown men bash each other’s heads in on Sunday afternoons. But that’s only if you’re not at work trying to arrest felons and bash heads yourself.”

      “I’m sorry you think so little of police work,” Cody said in his most wounded tone.

      “It’s not that.” She sighed. “Cody, you don’t have anything to prove. No one thinks you’re going to end up like Dad. And buying a few nice things wouldn’t mean you’re greedy.”

      “I’m happy with what I’ve got.”

      “Hey, it’s me, your sister. I know how badly you want kids. If you don’t settle down and get married, you’ll never have them.”

      “I’m twenty-nine. I’ve got plenty of time.” He closed his eyes. He’d had this conversation with his sister too many times. Hell, yes, he wanted kids, but she didn’t get how hard his job was on a relationship. Or how important his job was to him.

      “Did you at least give her my soup?”

      “Yes, I gave her your soup. She enjoyed every drop.” An image of Merlene placing her delightful lips around a spoon loaded with veggies flashed into his mind. He’d enjoyed every drop right along with her.

      Annie nodded. “Good. Now call her up and ask her out.” She tugged on her thin, straight blond locks. “I’d give anything for hair like that.”

      He stood, now pushing away a mental image of Merlene wrapping dark hair around a long, graceful finger. Annie wasn’t providing a distraction. She was making him think about Merlene even more.

      Call her up and ask her out? If he did, would she accept?

      He stood. “It’s been a rough day, Annie. I’m sorry, but I’ve got to get some shut-eye.”

      Annie rose beside him. “I hate that we’ve thrown you out of your bed. Are you sure?”

      “I’m sure. Go to sleep.”

      She grinned at him. “You don’t fool me, Cody. You just don’t want to listen to me nag anymore.”

      “You got that right. See you in the morning, Annie.”

      “I hope you don’t have one of your horrible nightmares tonight.”

      “Good night, Annie.”

      “You should buy a condo,” she said, moving to the bedroom. “You can’t rent forever.”

      * * *

      MERLENE REACHED FOR her video camera when a dark-colored sedan pulled into Doc Johnson’s driveway. She glanced at her watch. Almost midnight.

      Definitely not Linda’s BMW, but she’d record the license plate for Cody. She zoomed in on the rear of the car until she got a good image of the numbers as the car doors opened.

      Two men dressed in dark slacks and casual jackets exited the vehicle and moved toward the front door. Merlene lost them when they moved behind a hibiscus hedge.

      She lowered the camera. Strange. Who would visit Doc Johnson in the middle of the night? She’d planned to leave in another few minutes.

      She jotted the plate number and a description of the vehicle in her notebook. Tomorrow she’d call Cody with the information.

      He’d still be furious with her for throwing him out of the car last night, but that was tough. The man knocked her rational brain patterns out of whack. She needed to stay away from him.

      Why did she find Cody so bone-meltingly sexy? She doodled his name on the side of her notebook, then scratched it out. She’d be fine as long as she didn’t see him. Or think of him.

      Her head jerked up when a loud crack sounded from the Johnson house. Then another, and another.

      She froze, recognizing the noise. Gunshots.

      Her heart pounded inside her chest. When she remembered to breathe, her inhalation sounded shaky in the quiet of the car. What the hell was going on inside that house?

      She picked up the video camera and refocused on the car in the Johnsons’ driveway. The same two men rushed toward the vehicle as Merlene hit the record button.

      One carried a gun.

      Her mind racing, she continued to record as the sedan careened out of the driveway and raced north on Granada Avenue. The car skidded while making a sharp left turn, bounced off a street marker, then disappeared.

      Merlene lowered the camera, took a deep, painful breath, then exhaled with a whoosh. She glanced back at the house.

      She had to call the police. This was one time when she had no choice. Still...she hesitated. Every time the cops got involved in her life, disaster followed.

      If she called the police, it would blow her surveillance of Dr. Johnson clear to Missouri...but she had to do something. She couldn’t just sit here and ignore what she heard and saw.

      One of the men had waved a pistol.