Best Kept Secrets(72)
Alex let him hold her close because it felt good to have
two strong arms around her. Her partner was handsome and
charming and knew how to make a woman feel beautiful.
She was a victim of his charm, but knowing it was her safety
net.
She could never actually fall for a glib charmer like Junior,
but small doses of attention from one was fun temporarily,
especially since every time she was around Reede, her confidence
and ego took a beating.
"Is Reede a club member?" she asked casually.
"Are you kiddin'?"
"He hasn't been invited to join?"
"Oh, sure, as soon as he won sheriff the first time. It's
just that he feels more at home in another crowd. He doesn't
give a f*ck--excuse me--for society stuff." He stroked her
back. "You seem more relaxed than when I picked you up.
Having fun?"
"Yes, but you got me here under false pretenses," she
accused. "You're a long way from becoming drunk and talkative."
His smile was unrepentant. "Ask me anything."
"Okay. Who's the man over there, the one with the white
hair?" Junior identified him by name. Her instincts proved correct. His name had been among those at the bottom of her
letter. "Introduce us when the band takes its next break."
"He's married."
She shot him a look. "My interest in him isn't romantic."
"Ah, good, good."
He did as she asked. The banker she had picked out of the
crowd seemed disconcerted when Junior introduced her. As
she shook hands with him, she said, "I received your letter,
Mr. Longstreet."
Her straightforwardness surprised him, but he recovered
admirably. "I see that you're taking it to heart." He slid a
knowing glance toward Junior.
"Don't let my being here tonight with Junior fool you. I
can appreciate what he, his father, and Mr. Lambert mean
to Purcell and its economy, but that does not mean I'll suspend
my investigation. It'll take more than a letter to scare me
off."
Clearly irritated, Junior spoke to her out of the side of his
mouth as he escorted her back onto the dance floor a few
minutes later. "You could have warned me."
"About what?"
"That you are armed and dangerous. Longstreet's a big
wheel who shouldn't be put on the defensive. What's all this
about a letter, anyway?"
She explained, reciting as many of the names as she could
recall. "I hoped to meet some of them here tonight."
He pulled a deep frown, regarding her with asperity. Eventually,
however, he shrugged and fashioned a beguiling smile.
"And here I thought I'd swept you off your feet." Sighing
in resignation, he added, "Well, I'd just as well help you
out. Want to meet the rest of your adversaries?"
Trying to make it appear as casual as possible, Junior
moved her through the crowd, introducing her to those there
who had signed their names to that subtly threatening letter.
A half hour later they moved away from a couple who
owned a chain of convenience stores throughout West Texas.
They had invested heavily in Purcell Downs and were the
most demonstratively hostile. By that time, though, word had
gotten around who Junior's date was, so they'd been laying
for her.
"There, that's everybody," he told her.
' 'Thank God,'' Alex whispered. "Are the knives still sticking
out of my back?"
"You're not going to let that old biddy's rapier tongue get
to you, are you? Look, she's a dried up old shrew who hales
any woman who doesn't have a mustache as thick as hers."
Alex smiled in spite of herself. "She all but said, 'Be on
the next stage leaving town ... or else.' "
He squeezed her arm. "Come on, let's dance again. It will
take your mind off your troubles."
"I need to repair the damages," she said, slipping out of
his grasp. "Excuse me."
"Okay. The little girls' room is thataway." He pointed
down a narrow hallway.
There was no one in the powder room when she went in,
but when she came out of the cubicle, the judge's daughter
was standing in front of the dressing table, staring at her
reflection in the mirror. She turned and faced Alex.
Alex smiled. "Hi."
"Hello."
Alex moved to the sink and washed her hands. "We haven't
been formally introduced. I'm Alex Gaither." She
plucked two coarse paper towels from the dispenser.
"Yes, I know."
Alex dropped the used towels into the wastepaper basket.
"You're Judge Wallace's daughter." She attempted to break
the ice in an atmosphere that was glacial and getting colder