Jacqueline Diamond - The Baby Scheme

When his mother offered to fill in short-term, he’d agreed out of desperation. Although Heloise’s only previous paid experience had been decades ago as a preschool teacher, her experience as head of the PTA and other volunteer groups had made her a whiz at management.

They got along surprisingly well. She dismissed Kevin’s bouts of grumpiness with aplomb, claiming he’d been much worse as a teenager. She matched his obsession with neatness, and she kept her motherly instincts in check during regular hours.

After five o’clock, however, all bets were off. So it didn’t surprise him when she appeared in the doorway to ask, “Have you eaten?”

“I had a hamburger.” He’d grabbed one an hour ago. “Thanks, Mom.” Pointedly, Kevin turned on his computer and began downloading photographs.

“You haven’t forgotten about this weekend, have you?”

“I’m working this weekend,” he said automatically.

“Not tomorrow night. It’s Betsy’s tenth high-school reunion and you know I’m giving a party for her friends. Some of them are still single. And some of them are single again. You’ll have your pick.”

Although aware that he’d have to put in an appearance, Kevin shuddered at the prospect of being surrounded by his younger sister’s husband-hungry buddies. He’d barely survived their fifth reunion, and by now their maternal instincts must be roaring into full gear. “I’ll drop by.”

“Don’t make us come fetch you,” his mother warned.

He should never, never have bought a house so close to the Vickers homestead, Kevin reflected for the umpteenth time. Why had he figured three blocks and one busy street would prove any kind of barrier to matchmaking? His two sisters, who also lived in the area, were almost as bad as Heloise.

“I’ll be there,” he muttered, wishing he had an excuse to leave town.

“You’ll enjoy the party,” his mother replied. “Don’t work too late.”

Realizing she was leaving at last, Kevin glanced up from the screen. “Love you, Mom.”

“I love you, too.” A smile brightened her face before she went out.

Kevin made a mental note not to shave tomorrow. While he doubted a grubby appearance would deter his sister’s pals, it might at least discourage cheek kissing.

Refocusing on the computer, he sorted through the photos, picking the most telling ones to forward to his clients. It had been a productive day in which he’d wrapped up a couple of small cases.

Unfortunately, he’d drawn a blank on Mary Conners’s behalf. Dr. Abernathy hadn’t returned phone calls and Dr. Graybar’s office had informed him that the physician declined to meet with him.

Kevin finger combed his hair back from his forehead. He’d have to try another tack.

A rustling in the outer office caught his attention. “Forget something?” he called.

The woman who came into the doorway bore no resemblance to his mother. Alli Gardner was considerably taller and had a sensual shape emphasized by tight-fitting jeans and a clinging emerald top.

“It’s me,” she said. “Tough luck, huh? I guess you were expecting someone else.” She strolled into the room.

“If you want some of my time, I charge by the hour,” he replied.

“Are you always this warm and welcoming?”

“This is nothing. Sometimes I’m rude.”

She slid onto the edge of his desk. Obviously, she wanted something. He folded his arms and waited for her to enlighten him.

“You aren’t married, are you?” Alli asked.

“What?” Despite her naturally seductive manner, he hadn’t gathered she was here for personal reasons.

Leaning across the desk, Alli caught his left hand. The touch wreaked havoc with his rebellious hormones. “No ring. I’m not surprised.”

“How charming of you.”

“I didn’t mean it as an insult. It’s just that if you were getting laid regularly, you wouldn’t be so crabby.” She grinned.

She might be right, but he’d rather shave his head than admit that. Annoyed, he cleared his throat and said, “Do you have a point?”

Tilting her head, she took her time scrutinizing him. “I was wondering what you look like in the morning. I guess I’ll find out, because I’m going to be staying at your place for a few days.”

Yeah, sure. “Thanks. I needed a laugh.”

“Seriously,” Alli said. “I saw the gray van parked in front of my flat. I barely escaped with my life.”

“They fired at you again?”

“No, but they would have if they’d seen me. I could call the cops, but it would mess up my story and I’m guessing your client doesn’t want that, either. Right?”

“Don’t assume we’re on the same side.”

“There’s something in it for you, naturally,” she proceeded. “You can listen to my interview with the doc and I’ll give you a transcript, too. And together we’ll have a much better chance of helping these families. At least, I assume there’s more than one. You didn’t by any chance talk to Rita Hernandez, did you?”

“My client information is confidential.” All the same, she’d managed to pique Kevin’s interest. He did need that interview.

Alli bent over him, so close her chestnut hair tickled his neck and her apple-cider scent clouded his mind.

“What’re you working on right now?” she asked.

“Hey!” Before he could clear the screen, however, she glimpsed a photo of a cheating husband and his paramour doing the deed in front of a curtainless window.

“I can’t believe they’d do that with the shades open! And one of them is probably married, right?”

“Both of them. Not for long, I suspect.” Kevin closed the program.

“What else have you got? Never mind.” Standing so close he could feel her heat, she said, “Listen, I’ve got a friend at the paper researching background for me, and I promise to share it. I just need a place to hole up and a computer, because mine has a virus.”

“Tell me again why you’re not at the Outlook anymore,” he said, partly to gain control of the conversation and partly because he wanted to know.

“I never told you in the first place.”

“Make it short,” he advised.

“They fired me.” She spread her hands in a helpless gesture. “Office politics.”

There had to be more to it, but he knew it wasn’t a matter of competence. Although he had no intention of admitting it, he read her articles frequently. Alli had a gift for digging up information and persuading people to talk.

Although her talents might prove useful, the idea of this woman moving into his house was preposterous. Even if he had a guest bedroom, which he didn’t, she was the last person in the solar system he would choose as a roommate.

On the other hand, if the van really was trailing her, she might have no other recourse than to call the police. For his client’s sake, he’d hate to see that happen.

“Do you have any idea who those guys are?” he asked. “The ones who’re stalking you?”

“They’re the mayor’s bodyguards. I’ve been investigating LeMott, and I guess you’ve seen the stories in the paper.”

Kevin disliked the mayor, both for his unsavory reputation and for his arrogance, but to authorize a drive-by shooting showed a truly brutal nature. It would serve the man right if his hair-trigger temper ruined everything he’d fought for. Unfortunately, it might cost Alli Gardner her life before he got caught.

Then the full meaning of her words sank in. “That wasn’t your byline on the articles. When exactly were you fired?”

“Yesterday morning.”

“Office politics, you said?”

“Something like that.”

He’d seen police investigations snarled by competing jurisdictions and rival egos, so it made sense that this happened at newspapers, too. “Who are you writing for now?”