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    Against the Mark
    Against the Mark
    Against the Mark
    Ebook402 pages7 hours

    Against the Mark

    By Kat Martin

    4/5

    ()

    Read preview

    • Art Theft

    • Investigation

    • Mystery

    • Friendship

    • Family

    • Friends to Lovers

    • Amateur Detective

    • Opposites Attract

    • Family Secrets

    • Love Triangle

    • Hidden Identity

    • Amateur Sleuth

    • Forbidden Love

    • Second Chance at Love

    • Unlikely Allies

    • Danger

    • Romance

    • Suspense

    • Trust

    • Family Relationships

    About this ebook

    The perfect murder is a work of art. The final book in the New York Times–bestselling author’s sexy and suspenseful Raines of Wind Canyon series.

    In one catastrophic instant, Haley Warren’s father was taken from her. She knows the explosion that killed him was no accident. Tyler Brodie, the provocative and handsome P.I. hired by Haley, discovers that her father was investigating a suspected art theft. As Haley and Ty get closer to the truth, the truth gets ugly: Did Haley’s dad know too much . . . or was he in on the take? And although Ty’s a consummate professional, he’s having trouble focusing on the facts of the case, and not the figure of his gorgeous client. The two are determined to get to the bottom of the case, even if it means they die trying.

    Praise for Kat Martin

    “Kat Martin is a fast gun when it comes to storytelling, and I love her books.” —Linda Lael Miller, #1 New York Times–bestselling author

    “It doesn’t matter what Martin’s characters are up against—she dishes up romantic suspense, sizzling sex . . . and fans are going to be the winners.” —RT Book Reviews
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOpen Road Integrated Media
    Release dateDec 17, 2018
    ISBN9781488051593
    Against the Mark
    Author

    Kat Martin

    For New York Times bestselling author Kat Martin, a career in real estate led her down the road to romance. Through real estate, Kat found her own perfect match — her husband, Western author Larry Jay Martin. "We were on opposing sides of a transaction — I represented the seller and he represented the buyer," Kat recalls. A short time after the two became acquainted, Larry asked her to read an unpublished manuscript of an historical western he'd written. Kat fell in love with both the book and the author! "It was quite a romantic story," she admits. "I'd still like to see it get published." Then, after doing some editing for her future husband, she thought she'd try her own hand at writing. Kat moved on to become the bestselling author of over thirty historical and contemporary romance novels. To date, 10 million copies of her books are in print, and she's been published around the globe, including Germany, Norway, Sweden, China, Korea, Bulgaria, Russia, England, South Africa, Italy, Spain, Argentina and Greece. When she's not writing, Kat also enjoys skiing and traveling, particularly to Europe. Currently, she's busy writing her next book. Kat loves to hear from readers via her email: [email protected]

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    Reviews for Against the Mark

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    • 5/5
      DESCRIPTION, NOT REVIEW: The perfect murder is a work of art

      In one catastrophic instant, Haley Warren's estranged father was taken from her. She never got the chance to reconnect with him, so now she's doing it the only way she's got left: by proving the explosion that killed him was no accident.

      When Tyler Brodie, the provocative and handsome P.I. hired by Haley, discovers that her father was investigating a suspected art theft, he knows his death is no coincidence. After all, tens of millions of dollars worth of stolen art could motivate a thief to go to any lengths—including getting rid of anyone poking around where they don't belong.

      As Haley and Ty get closer to the truth, the truth gets ugly: Did Haley's dad know too much…or was he in on the take? And although Ty's a consummate professional, he's having trouble focusing on the facts of the case, and not the figure of his gorgeous client. The two are determined to get to the bottom of the case, even if it means they die trying.
    • 5/5
      AGAINST THE MARK by Kat Martin is an exciting Romantic Suspense. #9 "The Raines of Wind Canyon",but I feel can be read as a stand alone. A great read that is fast paced and action packed. Ms. Martin continues to write a saga with this series that is filled with secrets, danger, adventure and romance. It has just the right amount of romance and intrigue to keep the reader entertained. Any reader who enjoys romance and suspense is sure to love one of Kat Martin's stories. The heroine is strong and the hero a alpha male,who will do anything necessary to keep his woman safe. Oh, yea this has stolen Art and murder involved! A great read from start to finish with a few twists and turns included. Received for an honest review from the author and/or publisher.

      RATING: 4.5

      HEAT RATING: MILD

      REVIEWED BY: AprilR, Review courtesy of My Book Addiction and More
    • 5/5
      Even though I just picked this series up with the last book I'm totally loving it. Its full of romance and adventure and of course very desirable men that make your blood run hot. In this book we have Ty, who I only met through the last book (and much too briefly) but I gather he has been in a couple previous books and his client/romantic interest Haley. With his laid-back country boy and ex-military background, Ty was pretty popular with the ladies (and me) even though he hadn't met that one lady he could see himself with until he sees Haley smiling at him. He agrees to help her look into the supposed accidental death of her father as a favor to her great aunt and his good friend, Ellie. That is when the fun began. Throughout their investigation they learn that her father was indeed murdered but more importantly Haley learns that taking a chance on someone isn't the scariest thing out there but living a life without Ty might be.

      I really liked this book and its non-stop action; just when they thought they were safe something or someone else came along to shake things up. I really want to go back and read this series from the beginning because these characters are fascinating. Even though this is a series with reoccuring characters Ms. Martin does a great job of recapping the stories when it's needed. Can't wait to read more of these books.

      Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
    • 4/5
      4 STARS

      This is a nail bitter. Every time you think they are safe something else comes up that puts them back in danger. Lots of drama, action, suspenseful, good characters, humor and too many details of love scenes.

      Haley Warren has not seen her father for years. He left her mother for a different woman. Now Betty Jean Warren the other woman called her up and said her father was murdered. Haley leaves Chicago and is staying with her Aunt Ellie. Her Aunt introduced her to Tyler Brodie a P.I.

      Tyler will look into her father's death and discover if it was murder or a accident like the police think it was. Tyler is good friends with Ellie. In fact the office is in her guest house on her estate. His partner and wife live on the upper floors of guest house.

      Haley wants to help search for answers to her fathers life and death. She finds her father for past 5 years has been living a whole different life. That the truth her mother told her was not the whole truth.

      They find a whole lots of questions when they were searching for answers. Also his two computers one was missing a hard drive and other had a virus on it. His house had been broken into after his death. That a lot of things had to go wrong for the boat to explode.

      Their was a big case he started to investigate three years ago of two Art pieces were stolen from a museum that were worth millions still on the black market. He had found new information the week before he died.
      Then Betty Jean was attacked and put in the hospital and warned to stop looking into her husband's death and if she did not convince Hayley to stop she will be next on their list.

      The two cops who are investigating the death are taking the easy out. They don't believe it was murder and Betty Jean was just a home invasion gone wrong.

      Hayley has not had good luck with men in her past. She even has been wondering if she is gay, but she is really attracted to Brodie. Brodie has lots of different girls calling him up but he does not answer his phone.

      It keeps your attention the whole book and you want everything to work out Tyler and Hayley.
      I was given this ebook to read and asked in exchange to give honest review of it by Netgalley and Harlequin.
    • 4/5
      If you are already a fan of Kat Martin’s romantic suspense novels, then you will not be disappointed with Against the Mark, the latest upcoming release in The Raines of Canyon series. Even though I have only read one other book in the series, I had no problem jumping into this book and getting immersed in the featured romance and murder investigation into an art theft ring.

      Martin has written a well-developed suspense plot that complements an equally well-developed romance between Ty Brodie, an easy-going country boy from Texas and Haley Warren, a somewhat uptight socialite from Chicago. Because of his friendship to Haley’s great-aunt, Ty agrees to investigate into the supposed accidental death of Haley’s father three months ago. Although the attraction between Ty and Haley is instantaneous, their romance develops at a slower, more realistic pace.

      Ty is an all-around great hero. He’s handsome, confident and as a former special ops Marine, he has the skills and experience to handle himself and protect Haley in dangerous situations. His charisma, integrity, and openness with Haley make him swoon worthy. What I like best about Ty is that he is always honest with Haley, and he doesn’t play emotional games. He never withholds his feelings to leave Haley (and me as a reader) in a state of perpetual angst.

      It took a while before I really warmed up to Haley. However, she is a dynamic character who experiences the most change and emotional growth over the course of the book. At first she struck me as superficial, a woman who places too much importance on money and appearances. Even Ty is initially put off by her attitude. Yet, as more and more of Haley’s backstory is revealed, I realized that her perceptions have, to a large degree, been skewed by her mother’s ideology and values. Although she have may started the investigation into her father’s death out of a sense of guilt, I do like that Haley refuses to stop probing into her father’s death even when the level of danger intensifies. It is when Haley puts her step-mother’s well being above her own feelings that I started to appreciate her as a heroine.

      Haley hasn’t had much experience with men or with being in love. She really doesn’t understand all the hoopla about sex until she kisses Ty. He awakens a side of passion and sensuality within her that no one else ever has. Their physical relationship paves the way for them to connect on a much deeper level. Ty is not perfect. He has a dark side that emerges whenever he’s engaged in dangerous, adrenaline-pumping situations. Instead of being pushed away, Haley knows exactly how to deal with and calm an edgy, angry Ty. Unfortunately, Haley’s insecurities and single-minded attitude about marriage creates unnecessary complications and emotional pain in the latter part of the book.

      Martin has created a believable plot about art theft, and I enjoyed learning more about the intricate process of creating a forgery. The mystery behind Haley’s father’s death becomes clear early in the book, and the tension and suspense build as Ty and Haley find themselves in increasingly greater danger as they work together to uncover and capture the mastermind behind the recent stolen art. I found the scene where police are led to the ringleader somewhat anticlimactic, but, just when I thought I had resolution figured out, Martin shakes things up so that the outcome was not as clear cut as I expected.

      The supporting characters all play a meaningful role in facilitating the plot and they add texture and liveliness to round out this fictitious world Martin has created. Moreover, the spark between Ty’s cousin, Dylan and Haley’s best friend, Lane has been ignited, and now I look forward to their future love story.

      I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
    • 3/5
      Haley, upon recommendation of her grandmother, hired Tyler to help her investigate her father's death. In doing so, she makes herself a target. The lines then blur between professional & personal in their relationship.

      Just an ok read for me. The relationship between Tyler & Haley was ok but maybe rushed/awkward at times. In fact, at their first meeting, Haley's description almost strikes me as a young teenager. And Tyler's actions seemed odd at times (as if trying too hard when the story reads as if he shouldn't be trying.)

      Decent read if you are a fan but not one of my favorites.

      I received this book in exchange for an honest review for Netgalley.

    Book preview

    Against the Mark - Kat Martin

    CHAPTER ONE

    You dirty, no-good, low-down son of a bitch.

    Ty Brodie’s eyes widened at the sight of the little man standing, fists clenched and red-faced, in the doorway of Riggs and Brodie Private Investigations. What the hell?

    Pug Calloway was no more than five foot five, barrel-chested and brawny, and he was fire-spittin’ mad.

    Mess with my wife, will you? Pug swung hard, but Ty, being six-two, dodged the first punch simply by stepping out of the way. Hold on, Mr. Calloway—you’ve got this all wrong.

    Bullshit! I saw you with my Nettie down at the Cockadoodle Inn. Another punch sailed out, straight from the shoulder. Determined not to hurt the older man, somewhere in his sixties, Ty danced backward out of arm’s reach.

    We were talking business, Mr. Calloway. I’m a private investigator. Your wife hired me to look into some personal matters for her.

    Liar! Pug’s left arm shot out, two sharp jabs that sailed harmlessly into the air, followed by a right cross that would have been painful if it had connected.

    After five years in the Marines, Ty was more afraid of hurting the old guy than Pug doing any real damage.

    Listen to me, Mr. Calloway—

    Pug swung a punch that whizzed past his jaw. She’s mine, you understand? You stay away from her!

    Dammit! I wasn’t trying to steal your wife! He clamped a hand over Calloway’s head, holding him back as the little man swung several more harmless blows. All right, Pug—that’s enough.

    Ty shoved the shorter man backward hard enough to make him stumble. He heard a noise behind him and glanced over his shoulder to see his next-door neighbor, Ellie Stiles, standing beside a long-legged, good-looking blonde in tight jeans and a crop-top that showed tanned skin and a sexy silver belly-button ring.

    He flashed a grin the instant before Pug Calloway’s fist connected with his nose. Ty flew backward, tripped, went ass-over-teakettle and landed hard, the impact sending him sliding across the tile floor to wind up at the women’s feet.

    Don’t call me Pug, the little man growled. Only my Nettie calls me that.

    Ty glared up at Pug, whose fists were still clenched, ready to hit him again. Catching a glimpse of the pretty blonde’s smile, Ty felt a rush of heat to the back of his neck that slowly crept into his face.

    For chrissake, man. I wasn’t trying to steal your wife. Nettie was old enough to be his grandmother. He used the hem of his white T-shirt to wipe away the blood leaking out of his nose. Nettie hired me to follow you. She thought you were cheating on her.

    Pug’s bushy gray eyebrows shot up. That’s crazy. Why would she think that? I love Nettie. I’d never cheat on her.

    Yeah, well, that’s what I told her. He rolled to his feet, checking his nose, relieved to find it wasn’t broken—it just felt that way. Now if you don’t mind, I have better things to do than solve your marital problems.

    Pug just grinned. She really thought I was cheating? She was jealous?

    Yeah, so why don’t you go home and show her how much you love her? You might use some of that energy you’re wasting on me for a better purpose.

    Pug’s irritating grin widened. Good idea. The little man started walking, stopped and turned back. Sorry about your nose.

    Ty scowled as he shoved to his feet. You’ll be even sorrier when you get my bill.

    Pug just smiled. Chest puffed out, he headed for the door. The P.I. office occupied the lower floor of the house Ty’s partner, John Riggs, lived in with his wife, Amy. It had once been the guesthouse on Ellie’s Hollywood Hills estate. The smaller house had been a wedding gift from Ellie, the silver-haired woman now standing at the bottom of the porch stairs.

    Remembering she was still there, Ty turned, and Ellie handed him a wet washcloth she had retrieved from the bathroom.

    Thanks. Tipping his head back, he pressed the cold cloth beneath his nose, stanching the flow of blood. He tried not to look at the blonde, who was still grinning, digging a pair of dimples into her cheeks.

    I see you had a little misunderstanding with Mr. Calloway, Ellie said dryly. At seventy-one, she was still pretty, still kept a trim, athletic figure. She lived in the big house up the hill, and her mind was as sharp as the day she was born.

    I guess when you referred his wife to me as a client, you neglected to mention her husband was the jealous type.

    Ellie sighed. Well, knowing Pug and Nannette for so many years, I suppose I should have said something.

    Ty grunted. I suggest you make sure things get straightened out between them.

    Oh, I will. She hid a smile as she turned. In the meantime, I’ve got another client for you. Tyler Brodie, I’d like you to meet my grandniece, Haley Warren. Haley’s out here from Chicago. Her grandmother was my sister.

    Just to regain a little of his dignity, Ty let his gaze roam over her, starting at the frosted-pink toenails peeking out of strappy high-heeled, open-toed sandals, sliding up a pair of long legs in snug-fitting jeans, across that bare midriff with its glittering belly-button ring over a set of nicely rounded breasts to a pretty face framed by long, softly curling honey blond hair.

    She had big blue eyes, and an Angelina Jolie mouth that made him think of dirty sex. Maybe she read his thoughts for a faint blush rose in her cheeks.

    Good. A little payback only seemed fair.

    Besides, she was a real pleasure to look at. Not beautiful in the classic sense like some of the women he knew, but with those dimples and big blue eyes, she was way beyond cute.

    Nice to meet you, Ms. Warren.

    The smile was gone and she assessed him coolly. Aunt Ellie tells me you’re a friend, as well as an investigator.

    I like to think that’s true.

    Of course it’s true, Ellie said. That’s why I know we can count on Ty to help us.

    Wariness slid through him. Ellie had a way of bringing him clients who were nothing but trouble. How’s that?

    Well, you see, three months ago Haley’s father died when his powerboat exploded.

    I’m sorry for your loss, he said to her.

    Grief flashed in her eyes an instant before she glanced away. Thank you.

    At the time everyone thought it was an accident, Ellie continued, a gas leak of some kind that turned deadly. Haley’s stepmother doesn’t believe it. About a month ago, Betty Jean started emailing Haley, trying to convince her to come to Los Angeles and help her find out the truth.

    Ty focused on the leggy blonde. And you think she’s right because…

    I don’t know if she’s right or not. I’ve never met her. Before he died, my father and I had been estranged for nearly five years, ever since he left my mother and ran off with another woman.

    Betty Jean, he said, just to make sure he was getting this straight.

    That’s right. After he moved to L.A., Dad tried to mend our relationship, but I just… I couldn’t get past his desertion. She glanced down and her eyes misted. Now my father’s gone.

    Ty nodded, beginning to get the picture. So your dad’s dead and you regret not mending your fences.

    Yes, I do. Very much. But the thing is, some of the things Betty Jean says make sense. I owe it to my father to find out what really happened.

    He flicked a glance at Ellie, whose features looked a little too bland to suit him. I take it you’re here to convince me to help her.

    That’s right. You know how good you are at these things, Tyler. I know Johnnie’s out of town but Haley will be helping you. That’ll save you from having to do everything by yourself.

    Haley would be helping him. He could think of any number of things he’d like her to do for him, but none of them had anything to do with business. The fact was Haley Warren was Ellie’s niece. Seducing her probably wasn’t a good idea.

    Have you talked to the police?

    Betty Jean has, Haley answered. The police said there was nothing to indicate any sort of foul play. But my stepmother isn’t convinced and if she’s right—

    I’ll tell you what. I’ll look into the circumstances of the accident, see if anything looks suspicious. I’ve got friends in the department. If something’s not right, I’ll talk to them myself.

    Haley reached over and caught his arm. He felt a little zing of awareness and figured she must have felt it, too, since she stepped back as if she’d been burned.

    She glanced away, took a deep breath and forced her eyes back to his face. I want to be involved in this, Mr. Brodie. I need to find out for myself. I owe it to my father to find out the truth.

    It’s just Ty, and I can get things done faster if I work alone.

    I want to be there when you talk to Betty Jean. I want to hear what she has to say.

    He figured Haley also wanted to find out why her father had dumped her mother and run off with another woman. Probably someone younger and prettier, the usual motivation. Truth was, it didn’t really matter if Haley went along. And it might help the stepmother open up.

    All right, when I go you can come with me. Make an appointment with Betty Jean, and you can fill me in on what you know on the way. I gather you’re staying with your aunt.

    That’s right.

    When would you like to go?

    How about tomorrow morning? Ellie suggested, the twinkle in her eyes warning him he had just stepped into another of her traps.

    Or maybe he was just being paranoid. Maybe this time Ellie was just trying to help her niece. He reminded himself that as pretty as Haley was, getting involved with her wasn’t an option—not for either one of them. Not when Ellie Stiles was such a good friend.

    * * *

    Night had settled over the valley below the house by the time Haley got home after supper. Her aunt Ellie had taken her to a little bistro called Le Petit Four on Sunset Strip, and though the food was excellent, Haley hadn’t really been hungry.

    She hadn’t had her usual appetite since she had received the news of her father’s death. But she had already lost four pounds so she’d forced herself to eat, and the broiled halibut with a Parmesan crust and lime butter had been delicious.

    With a tired sigh, she drew back the blue satin coverlet on her bed in the guest wing of her aunt’s opulent Hollywood Hills home and slid between the Egyptian cotton sheets.

    The house was at least eight thousand square feet, perched on a hillside, modern in design, white stucco with dark brown trim, a flat roof and a four-car garage. There was an infinity pool on the lower level of the yard, a deck off the living room and bedrooms that stretched across the entire back of the house, with spectacular views of the L.A. basin.

    With its twelve-foot ceilings, the inside was equally impressive, the decor also modern, a showcase for the valuable contemporary art collection Ellie and her late husband, movie mogul Harry Stiles, had amassed before his death.

    Haley hadn’t been to visit her aunt since her parents divorced five years ago. At the time, she had just turned twenty-one and was finishing her degree in fine art at the University of Chicago. Art was an interest she and her parents had shared, kind of a family tradition that even her great-aunt and her husband, Harry, had enjoyed. Allison Warren, Haley’s mother, had started taking her to galleries when she was just a child.

    Armed with both an art history degree and one in art design, for the past four years she’d been working at the Seymour Gallery in downtown Chicago. She’d hoped her dad would come to one of the openings she arranged for both up-and-coming and well-known artists.

    Her heart squeezed. She’d always believed that in time she and her dad would talk things out, breach the rift between them. But the years had slipped past and now her father was dead.

    Not just dead, Haley amended.

    According to her stepmother, her father had been murdered.

    Haley thought of the woman she had never met. Betty Jean. She sounded like a waitress in an Alabama biker bar. Or some kind of country bumpkin. Have you heard the joke about the traveling salesman and the farmer’s daughter, Betty Jean? Just the whisper of her name at the back of Haley’s mind made her stomach burn.

    The woman had to be some big-busted bimbo with bleached blond hair and no morals, just the sort a good man like James Warren would fall prey to. Nothing like her mother, who enjoyed the opera and symphony and was a patron of the arts.

    Her father had been extremely intelligent. Before the divorce, he had been working for her grandfather as president of the Wentworth Insurance Group. Then he’d met Betty Jean Simmons when he was in L.A. on business. Six months later, he quit his high-powered job, left his wife, abandoned his daughter and moved to California.

    Tomorrow Haley would meet the woman who had destroyed her family.

    A light knock sounded at the door. Haley turned as the door cracked open and her aunt poked her head into the bedroom. Oh, good, you’re still awake. So, what did you think?

    Haley scooted backward until her shoulders came up against the headboard. What did I think about what?

    Why, Tyler, of course.

    She thought of the man her aunt had insisted accompany her in the morning. Tyler Brodie. He looks like a college boy. And he fights like a wimp.

    Ellie laughed. He’s thirty years old, and he’s no wimp. Ty spent six years in the Marines before he moved here from Dallas. He just didn’t want to hurt poor Pug, is all.

    She remembered the punch Ty had taken and bit back a smile. Clearly, he had been trying not to hurt the older man.

    He’s good at his job, Ellie added. If the accident that killed your father was more than that, Ty will help you find out.

    Ellie had told her a little about Tyler Brodie. That he was raised in Texas and had been working as an investigator for the past three years. She’d neglected to mention he was handsome as sin with a body to match. Tall and rangy, with dark brown hair a little too long and interesting hazel eyes that seemed to change color with the light.

    He had shoulders that would fill a door frame and an impressive set of biceps that stretched the sleeves of his plain white T-shirt and hinted at the solid muscles underneath. He had a V-shaped body with a lean waist and long legs that ended in a pair of scuffed leather cowboy boots.

    I hope he’s as good as you say. I guess we’ll know more after I talk to Betty Jean.

    So you called her?

    Haley nodded. We’re supposed to be at her house at ten tomorrow morning.

    Ellie smiled. Then I guess I’d better let you get some sleep. Good night, dear. I’ll see you in the morning.

    Good night, Aunt Ellie.

    Her aunt closed the door, and Haley’s thoughts returned to the man who would be taking her to meet her stepmother. Her girlfriends in Chicago would call Ty a hottie. Fortunately for Haley, she had never been one of those women who fell dumbstruck in the presence of a particularly virile male.

    The only reason she was letting him come along was that her aunt had insisted. Brodie was a trained investigator. Since Aunt Ellie had even more money than Haley’s mother’s family and was paying his fees—however extravagant they might be—Haley had agreed to accept his help.

    Besides, the thought of facing Betty Jean Simmons—now Warren—by herself was daunting.

    Haley closed her eyes, shutting out the distant spots of colored light blinking through the huge plate-glass windows on the far side of the bedroom. She should have closed the drapes, but the lights kept her mind off the meeting she dreaded in the morning.

    And any unwanted images that might pop into her head of Tyler Brodie.

    CHAPTER TWO

    The following morning, Ty drove from his condo to his office a few miles away to meet Haley Warren, Ellie’s niece, the sexy little blonde he couldn’t lay a hand on.

    He owed Ellie Stiles. The wealthy older woman was the main reason he was now a partner in Riggs and Brodie Investigations. He had met her through Wounded Warriors, a charity where she worked helping disabled vets.

    Ty had been visiting friends who’d been wounded in Afghanistan. He’d met Ellie and they’d struck up a friendship. Next thing he knew he was working part-time, then full-time for Johnnie Riggs. Now they were partners. He had a job he loved and was good at, and he owed it all to Eleanor Stiles.

    When a knock sounded at the office door, he got up from his desk and walked over to open it. In a pair of cream slacks and a long-sleeved, blue silk blouse the color of her eyes, her hair done up in one of those complicated French braids, Haley looked classy and slightly remote.

    He tried not to think of the silver belly-button ring beneath her clothes, at odds with the don’t-touch-me outfit she was wearing.

    Clearly, her conservative dress had been chosen for her first meeting with her stepmother. Probably the exact opposite of the style she figured her mother’s competition would be wearing.

    You want a cup of coffee or are you ready to go? he asked, glancing at the pot on the counter he’d brewed earlier.

    I had more than enough at Aunt Ellie’s.

    Good, then let’s get out of here. He guided her back out to the newly completed office parking area.

    Before he and Johnnie had become full-fledged partners, they hadn’t needed that much space. But with their clientele growing, they had added an outside door and flattened some of the hillside to form a place for their clients to park.

    We can use my aunt’s car if you don’t want to drive, Haley said.

    We can take my truck. A black Chevy Silverado with custom chrome wheels. He really loved that truck.

    Haley looked down at the scuffed cowboy boots he was wearing. Ellie says you’re from Texas. I should have figured you for a pickup man.

    One of his eyebrows went up. What, you don’t like trucks?

    She grinned, cutting those cute little dimples into her cheeks. I’m from Chicago. We mostly ride in taxis.

    Ty’s mouth edged up as he pulled open the passenger door. Admiring the curve of her ass in the tailored slacks, he set his hands at her waist to help her into the cab and felt that same zing he’d felt earlier. It must have hit her, too, because he heard her slight gasp.

    She wasn’t as tall as he’d first thought, maybe five-seven, but all the curves were in the right places and those pouty lips were enough to get his blood flowing south.

    What’s Betty Jean’s address? he asked, forcing his mind back to business. Haley had told him the woman lived in Torrance. She rattled off an address on Merritt Street, and he punched the numbers into the GPS on his dash.

    Ty fired up the powerful V-8 engine, released the parking brake and they rolled off down the hill toward Sunset Boulevard.

    It’ll take us a while to get there, he said as they merged into traffic. You can fill me in on the way.

    He knew some of it already. Yesterday, after Haley and Ellie had left, he’d booted up his computer and done some research on James Robert Warren. Fifty-three years old, married to Betty Jean Simmons four years and two months—as soon as his divorce was final. He’d attended Michigan State University, but dropped out in his senior year and married Allison Wentworth, one of the wealthy Chicago Wentworths.

    From the photos Ty had found, he was a good-looking kid who’d grown into a handsome man. In school, he’d been athletic and popular. But none of that really mattered. What mattered was why the man was dead.

    Haley leaned back in her seat. I don’t know that much about what happened, just what the police told my mother and what I read in Betty Jean’s emails. The cops believe gas fumes built up in the galley of the boat. They think maybe a burner on the stove was on but not lit, and when Dad started the engine, the boat blew up.

    But you and Betty Jean aren’t buying it.

    The thing is, my dad knew everything there was to know about boats. He owned one as far back as I can remember. Boating was his passion. And he was ridiculously careful. He would never leave the propane turned on. And even if he did, there were alarms and safety measures that should have warned him. Betty Jean thinks someone must have done something to cause the boat to explode.

    But accidents happened all the time, even to people who were careful.

    What else?

    The boat was a twenty-six-foot Pacific Flyer my dad kept in a slip at Marina Del Rey. His office was located in one of the high-rise buildings nearby, so the boat was close. Betty Jean said he went to the marina almost every day.

    What kind of work did he do?

    He was an investigator for Allied Global Insurance.

    On the internet, Ty had run across his name on a roster on the Allied company webpage.

    Dad was a police science major in college. Then he met my mother and they fell in love. Instead of going into police work, he wound up working in the insurance business for my grandfather.

    That would be your mother’s father, right?

    That’s right. Dad was really smart, and it didn’t take him long to become a vice president.

    Of course it didn’t hurt that he was married to the boss’s daughter.

    When Grandpa got sick, Dad took over as president of the company.

    Then a few years later he meets Betty Jean and quits, Ty said. Uses his background in insurance to get another job, but this time as an investigator, the kind of work he had wanted to do for years. It makes a certain amount of sense.

    Haley arched a blond eyebrow. Do you know how much an insurance investigator earns?

    I’d guess sixty, maybe a hundred thou a year if he’s good.

    In Chicago, Dad made over a million dollars a year.

    Ty flicked her a sideways glance. Earning a lot of money doesn’t always make you happy.

    I wouldn’t know. What I make barely covers my monthly expenses.

    I guess you don’t work for your grandfather’s company, he said dryly.

    Haley ignored the gibe, though the tick in her cheek said she hadn’t missed it. His guess was she didn’t miss much.

    I was an art major in college. I work for the Seymour Gallery in downtown Chicago. I plan openings, work with up-and-coming young artists, cater to famous ones.

    They let you off work to come out here?

    I took a leave of absence. I had some savings, and Aunt Ellie is helping by letting me stay with her.

    He mulled that over, beginning to understand how important this was to her, and brought the conversation back to where they were. So your mom was into art and your dad was more an outdoor kind of guy.

    Haley nodded. Dad loved sports. Boating, mainly. He loved to fish, but he also played racquetball and tennis. He played golf a lot when he worked for my grandfather, and he was really good.

    He like art?

    He liked the old masters. My mother prefers modern art. Her features softened. He was a great dad. I shouldn’t have condemned him for leaving. He was a man. Sometimes men fall prey to a certain type of woman.

    Ty was smart enough to let that comment slide. Your dad became an investigator. Is that why you think he might have been murdered? He was working on a case, maybe getting close to finding out something someone didn’t want him to know?

    That’s what Betty Jean thinks. She said she needed me to come to L.A. so we could figure things out.

    He didn’t press for more. Odds were the explosion was exactly what it seemed, but he didn’t have enough information yet to make a judgment call.

    Ty fought his way through traffic, finally got off the 405 Freeway in Torrance and followed the GPS directions into a neighborhood of middle-class, single-family homes. Haley’s blue eyes went wide as he pulled up in front of the address on Merritt she had given him.

    I can’t believe this.

    It was a modest gray stucco house with white trim, a small, well-maintained front yard, and a two-car garage. What?

    My parents… She shook her head. My parents lived in Lake Forest. Their home made Aunt Ellie’s place look small.

    Ah, poor little rich girl. Until his uncle recently died and his family ranch in Dallas had been sold, Haley would have been out of his league. He had plenty of money now, but he wasn’t raised to the high life, and he had nothing in common with a girl who was.

    In a way he was glad. Made things a whole lot easier.

    Like I said, money doesn’t always make you happy. He turned off the engine, cracked open the door and went around to help her down from the cab.

    Haley didn’t wait. He wondered if she was worried about that little jolt that leaped between them whenever he touched her. He sure as hell was.

    You ready for this?

    She nodded. Her face was a little pale, but he could read her determination. She took a deep breath as they walked up the cement path to the front porch. Bright red geraniums bloomed in a pot beside the door, and a hummingbird feeder swung from the rafters overhead.

    Haley rang the doorbell and it opened a few seconds later. If she’d been expecting a trashy little number with too much perfume and big, perky breasts she was sorely mistaken.

    Haley! I’m Betty Jean. I’m so glad to meet you! The woman threw her pudgy arms around Haley’s neck, went up on her toes and hugged her. She was short, no more than five foot two, wide-hipped, and though she did have oversize boobs, they were definitely her own, with a little too much wear and tear to be perky.

    Oh, dear. Where are my manners? Both of you…please do come in.

    I’m Haley’s friend, Ty Brodie, he said, giving Haley time to recover and figuring he might as well get the introductions out of the way. Pleasure to meet you, ma’am.

    It’s a pleasure meeting you, Ty. She returned her attention to Haley, who hadn’t yet said a word. Betty Jean’s eyes filled. Why, you’re even prettier than your daddy said. Of course I’ve seen pictures, but they didn’t do you justice. Jimmy loved you so much. He talked about you all the time.

    Haley swallowed. Her bottom lip quivered an instant before her composure returned and her features hardened. Jimmy? You called my father Jimmy?

    Her stepmother’s eyes rounded as if she’d said something wrong. Why, yes. He just…he never looked like a James, you know? We used to laugh about it. More tears welled and spilled onto Betty Jean’s plump cheeks. You’ll have to excuse me. I just…I miss him so much.

    Pulling a tissue from the pocket of the turquoise Capri pants she wore with a flowered turquoise top, she dabbed her eyes. She was in her early fifties, with short, curly blond hair with dark roots that had begun to show. She was round-faced, but appealing in a sweet, homey sort of way.

    Would you like a cup of coffee, or maybe a glass of iced tea?

    Haley seemed to be getting over her shock. Tea would be nice.

    That’d be great, Ty said.

    They made their way through a living room that was clean but cluttered with knickknacks, everything from ceramic squirrels to Hummel figurines, into a modest kitchen with yellow ruffled curtains at the windows.

    Just sit right down and make yourself at home.

    Haley made no move, just stood there staring in stunned disbelief as Betty Jean rumbled around the kitchen. Ty guided her into one of the captain’s chairs at the maple table, and she sank down heavily.

    Ty figured if he wanted to get this over with, he had better take charge of the conversation. Haley asked me to come along because she thought I could help you look into your husband’s death. I’m a private investigator, Mrs. Warren. I’d like to hear why you think the explosion that killed James Warren was more than an accident.

    She set a glass of iced tea in front of each of them, carefully placed a sugar bowl and spoons on the table, then sat down across from them.

    To tell you the truth, at first I didn’t. I was too grief-stricken to do anything but mourn Jimmy’s loss. But little by little, I started thinking about the accident. I began to go over the details, try to work out what went wrong.

    Ty heard the sincerity in her voice. It was clear the woman believed what she was saying. In a robust sort of way, she was attractive, her figure plump but curvy, and though there were tiny wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, her cheeks were

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