Janet Evanovich - Full Bloom

Annie and Wes did as they were told.

A door slammed upstairs. "That crazy woman is at it again," Destiny muttered. "I'd kill her if she weren't already dead."

"Like we don't have enough problems," Lovelle said, sweeping the last of the glass into a dustpan as Theenie followed with the mop. "Dead body in the backyard, dead person roaming the house, it's no wonder everybody is canceling."

"You've had more cancellations?" Danny asked Annie.

She shrugged. "No big deal. It's not like I don't have enough to do what with planning a wedding."

Something shattered overhead, making everyone jump. "Dammit!" Destiny said, bolting from the table. "She's breaking my stuff." She raced upstairs.

Erdle looked at Wes. "This is why I drink."

Wes propped his elbows on the table and said nothing. Theenie brought him a cup of coffee, and he thanked her.

"I know this is going to sound crazy," Danny said to Annie, "and I can't believe I'm even suggesting it, but if you really suspect there is some kind of entity in this house, you might consider calling a priest."

"We're waiting to see if Destiny can lead her to the light," Lovelle told him. "In the meantime, be careful or she'll steal your underwear."

Danny nodded as though it made complete sense. "I'll be sure to keep them on at all times."

"That's advice we should all follow," Theenie said, tossing a look from Wes to Annie.

Erdle got up from his place, carried his plate to the sink, and rinsed it out. He placed it in the dishwasher and started for the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" Annie said. "I've got a whole list of chores for you."

Erdle sighed and reclaimed his seat.

The doorbell rang. Theenie started from the room. "Don't answer it," Annie said. "It might be another reporter."

Theenie squared her shoulders and grabbed a meat mallet from the drawer. "I'll make him sorry he ever set foot in the yard."

Wes and Danny watched with interest while Erdle rested his head on the table.

Lovelle smiled. "I'm so glad Theenie is beginning to show assertiveness."

"I just wish Doc hadn't left town," Annie said, "in case she hurts somebody."

Peaches, who'd been quiet for a while, returned to the cabinet. Bam, bam, bam.

Annie sighed.

Bam, bam, bam.

Annie shook her head. "I don't know which is worse, having to deal with a cantankerous cat who hates me or having to spend every spare dime I have on the upkeep of a tacky whorehouse."

"Now, Annie, you know you don't mean that," Theenie said from just inside the doorway. Max and Jamie stood beside her.

A door slammed upstairs. "Stop throwing my stuff!" Destiny shouted.

Bam, bam, bam.

"Good morning," Annie said to Max and Jamie without missing a beat. She gave them a big smile. "And good morning to you, handsome," she told Fleas. She'd barely gotten the words out of her mouth before she heard a hiss and a snarl, and a streak of orange fur flew past her. Fleas yelped and took off, and a second later there was a loud crash from the living room.

"Uh-oh," Jamie said, and turned.

"Don't worry," Annie said calmly. "Theenie, would you please make sure Fleas is okay and put Peaches out?"

"Of course, dear. Here, you can have the mallet back."

"Jamie, you and Max sit down," Annie insisted, "and I'll pour you a cup of coffee."

Max grinned. "I sort of get the feeling we dropped by at a bad time."

"We can't stay," Jamie said quickly. "Destiny called and asked if we would drop off her mail again. She sounded awful. Is she sick?"

"She's just tired."

"Annie, you don't look so well yourself," Jamie said. "Are you okay?"

Annie glanced around the room and saw what looked like pity on her friends' faces, and she crossed her arms.

"Okay, everybody listen up," she said, giving them a stern look. "I know things look bad right now, but I've been through tougher times than this." She paused. "Okay, except for my husband being buried in the backyard."

"And the part about you being the murder suspect and all," Lovelle reminded, "which is destroying your business."

Annie wished Lovelle hadn't brought that up. "Yes," she said calmly. "But once my name is cleared everything will be back to normal. The point I'm trying to make—"

"Boy, this cat weighs a ton," Theenie interrupted, coming through the doorway with Peaches in her arms. Wes and Danny both hurried over to help her; Danny took the cat and Wes opened the door for him. "Fleas is okay," Theenie said, "but Peaches jumped on the end table in the living room and broke that statue. You know, the one that looks like a man and woman are doing it?" She was breathing heavily, obviously from exertion. "I never liked that statute, and I don't know why anyone would have it sitting around, but then I keep forgetting a bunch of floozies used to live here. Oh, look, Peaches scratched me."

"That cat has lost her mind," Lovelle said as more racket sounded from the second floor, "and all because we have some spirit running amok in this house."

"As I was saying," Annie began, "I expect things to calm down very soon. Certainly before the wedding," she added quickly, looking at Jamie and Max. "But in the meantime, I would appreciate it if you guys would stop with those woe-is-Annie looks, because that's going to piss me off. You really don't want to piss me off right now."

Erdle raised his head and looked around the room. "She's right. You don't want to piss her off on account of she's mean and dangerous. If you don't believe it, just ask me, 'cause I know firsthand."

"Erdle, do you mind?" Annie said.

He nodded and slumped over the table once more.

Wes grinned. "Well, if it's any consolation, I don't feel a damn bit sorry for you, Annie. But that doesn't mean some of us can't help. I've got a couple of friends who work for the police force in Columbia. They'll be able to advise me on what we should do, since it doesn't look like Lamar is up to the challenge."

"I'm pretty good at digging up information, if you need it," Max said.

Danny nodded. "And I can start taking Lamar fishing. If I keep him busy he won't have much time to screw up the case."

"I know what I can do," Jamie said. "I can write a huge story about this place. I'll get Vera to take a lot of pictures. Annie will have more business than she can handle."

"Lovelle and I will do whatever Annie needs us to do," Theenie said. "Right, Lovelle?"

Lovelle suddenly looked excited. "Oh, and if Annie needs money I can give a recital in the ballroom. We'll charge fifty dollars a pop."

Erdle lifted his head once more, looked around. "I'll give up drinking."

"I hate going into this attic," Annie told Wes that evening. "It always gives me a bad case of the heebie-jeebies. I've seen a couple of bats up here." She shuddered.

He followed her up a short landing that led from the third floor to the fourth-floor attic, the only room on that floor. "I'll bet this is where Destiny's spirit spends most of her time."

Annie gulped and missed the next step. She teetered, but Wes immediately reached out and prevented her from toppling and knocking him down the stairs as well. Instead of releasing her once she'd regained her footing, he slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him.

Annie was very conscious of her hips pressing into his hard body. "Um, Wes?"

He nuzzled the back of her neck. "Yeah?"

Annie closed her eyes as his lips caressed her nape. Her skin prickled, and tiny shivers ran down her spine. Oh boy, she thought. The man only had to touch her, and her body went ape-shit.

"Excuse me," she said, using the same tone Theenie used when she took Erdle to task over his drinking. Wes kissed his way to one ear and nipped Annie's earlobe gently with his teeth, and she forgot what she had been about to say. Her bones started to melt.