Spenser: Stargazer Alien Mystery Brides #3 (Intergalactic Dating Agency) Page 4

  Natalie opened her mouth and closed it again.

  “I hate to do it,” the chief continued. “But you’re suspended for two weeks. If I catch you here again, or anywhere near this non-case, I’ll fire you. Do I make myself clear?”

  “Yes, sir,” Natalie replied.

  “Okay, then, get out of here,” he said.

  Natalie headed out the back door right behind Vi. Even Barker Posey walked slowly, as if chastened.

  “I’m sorry we got caught,” Vi said as they crossed the yard.

  “It’s okay,” Natalie said. “I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me the chief would come in the back door.”

  “Hm,” Vi said.

  “Hey, how did you do that anyway?” Natalie said.

  “Do what?” Vi asked.

  “Get his name onto the magazine,” Natalie said.

  “It was in the alleyway when we got here,” Vi laughed.

  “So it was really his?” Natalie asked.

  “Yup,” Vi said.

  “Fantastic,” Natalie said.

  And even though it had been probably the worst day of her life, she laughed.

  “Well, I guess we’re headed back to 221B,” Vi said.

  “Actually, I should probably go home and talk to my landlord about the dog,” Natalie told her. “If it’s okay I’ll swing by later.”

  “Of course,” Vi said. “We’ll drop you off at your place.”

  “Thanks,” Natalie said.

  Ten minutes later, Natalie and Barker Posey walked up to her own apartment.

  It was a U-shaped building designed around a pretty little garden. Natalie’s apartment was in the center, looking out over the fountain that was the showpiece of the garden.

  Instead of going inside to her unit, she rang her landlord’s bell. After a few minutes, the door swung open.

  Mr. Lancaster looked a lot like Mark Twain, if Mark Twain had just taken a large swallow of spoiled milk.

  “No, no, no, no, no,” he said before he was even finished opening the door.

  “But I haven’t—” Natalie began.

  “You don’t have to say anything,” Mr. Lancaster blurted. “That dog does not set one paw onto my property and that’s the end of it.”

  “My mentor died and there’s no one else to take her,” Natalie said.

  “Oh, I’m sure there’s someone else,” Mr. Lancaster said, glancing at his watch. “The pound is open until six.”

  “I’m not taking her to the pound,” Natalie said.

  “Well, you’re not coming in here,” he replied firmly. “It’s in your lease.”

  She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He was right. But she had been hoping he would make an exception.

  “Look,” she said. “I’ll find someplace else to stay with the dog. But I need to pack a change of clothes first.”

  “That animal is not coming in, not for a minute,” he repeated.

  “Fine, can you watch her for me out here for ten minutes?” Natalie asked.

  He frowned at her.

  “I’m going to remember this—” she began.

  “What? When I need police assistance?” he asked. “You can’t do that.”

  “I was going to say that I will remember this when it’s time to sign an extension for my overpriced lease,” Natalie told him. “Don’t think I don’t know that I’m paying more than anyone else on my floor.”

  He at least had the good grace to look a little embarrassed.

  She glared at him and he held his hand out for the leash.

  “I’ll be back in five minutes,” she said. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t dilly dally,” he grumbled in reply.

  She jogged through the courtyard before he could change his mind.

  A few minutes later, she returned with a hastily packed bag of clothing and toiletries and was relieved to find Mr. Lancaster still there with Barker Posey.

  The dog was sitting politely, smiling up at him.

  Mr. Lancaster was smoothing his hand down her head.

  “She’s nice, isn’t she?” Natalie asked, not quite daring to hope.

  “She’s probably crawling with fleas,” her landlord griped, handing over the leash. “Or worse.”

  “Thanks,” Natalie said.

  “Don’t mention it,” he muttered as he headed back inside.

  But she could see him peeking out his front window, probably expecting her to try to sneak the dog into her apartment.

  Well, she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.

  She headed toward the street and her phone buzzed in her pocket.

  It was a text from Vi.

  Violet Locke:

  I have news. Come to 221B.

  Well, that explained exactly nothing.

  Still, she had nowhere else to go.

  “Come on, Barker Posey,” Natalie said. “Let’s go for a walk.”

  After a brisk walk that gave her time to gather herself, she arrived at 221B.

  She took a deep breath and rang the bell.

  Vi opened the door immediately.

  “Took you long enough,” she said.

  “We walked right over,” Natalie said.

  “Come on out back,” Vi replied, heading down the dark hallway toward the patio.

  Natalie couldn’t help wondering if Spenser was outside too.

  Sure enough, when Vi opened the door, it revealed a lovely scene. Jana was at the picnic table with their landlords, Tony and Micah, pouring out glasses of lemonade.

  Hannibal, Fletcher, and Spenser were all shirtless in the yard, tending the rose garden.

  Try as she might, Natalie couldn’t tear her eyes from Spenser’s magnificent, glistening form.

  “Quite a sight, isn’t it?” Jana asked sympathetically.

  Natalie shook her head.

  Barker Posey lifted her ears.

  That was when Natalie noticed that Micah held a small dog in his lap.

  “Oh, I can’t believe Maybelle isn’t barking,” Micah said, delight evident in his voice. “Good girl.”

  “Is it okay that I have Barker Posey with me?” Natalie asked.

  “Of course, and you can let her off the leash,” Micah said. “She’s very welcome here.”

  “Why do you have a bag?” Vi asked suspiciously.

  Natalie sighed.

  “Come sit,” Jana said. “Lemonade first, questions later.”

  “My landlord kicked me out because of the dog,” Natalie said, sitting down and accepting the glass. “As soon as we’re done catching up, I’m going to find a place to stay, temporarily.”

  “I wish we had another apartment, honey,” Micah told her. “We would be glad to have you and little miss Parker Posey.”

  “Actually, it’s Barker Posey,” Natalie said. “And thank you. But I’m sure I’ll find something.”

  But she wasn’t really sure, it was tough to find a rental with a pet of any kind. And the gentle Saint Bernard was the size of a small pony.

  “You will stay with us for tonight,” Spenser said, straightening up from the rose bush he was tending to. “So long as this is acceptable to our landlords.”

  “If you can find room for these two to squeeze in somewhere, they can stay as long as you like,” Tony said. “It’s nice for Maybelle to have a buddy. Especially now that she’s trained enough not to bark at everyone.”

  They all observed the two dogs, who were lounging under a tree together, tongues lolling out in goofy contentment.

  “Thank you,” Natalie said, letting out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “I promise we won’t overstay our welcome, but it’s getting late, and I was starting to worry a little.”

  Spenser beamed at her, and her heart did a little flipflop.

  Her phone buzzed again, and she saw it was Lila calling from the station.

  “Excuse me, I’ve got to take this,” she said, heading inside.

  When she reached the dark hallway, she picked up.

/>   “Hey, Lila, any news?” she asked.

  “I checked that cam on the mayor’s street for last night’s footage,” Lila said. “Did you know the Peterson’s daughter is dating Ed Bachlan?”

  “Uh, no,” Natalie admitted, wishing she could skip past the gossip.

  “Yeah, she totally is, I saw him drop her off at ten and kiss her like he was trying to steal one of her fillings,” Lila whispered, clearly loving having this tidbit to share. “The Petersons live next door to Mayor Smalls.”

  “Any action at the mayor’s house?” Natalie asked, anxious to change the subject away from a teenager’s social life.

  “Oh, yeah,” Lila said. “A car turned into his driveway around ten-thirty and left again just before eleven.”

  “Did you run the plates?” Natalie asked, hoping they were clear enough to read.

  “Yes, it was a silver Mercedes, registered to Myra Locke,” Lila replied. “Odd for the mayor to want to talk to a lawyer so late at night.”

  “Yes,” Natalie agreed, trying not to stay calm. “Well, it’s probably nothing. Thank you for checking. Gotta go.”

  “Bye now,” Lila replied in a disappointed way.

  Natalie hung up and stood frozen in the dark hallway, trying to make sense of it all.

  But the bottom line was clear.

  She had just thrown herself in with Violet Locke and her crew.

  But Vi’s sister was probably the last person to see Mayor Smalls alive. It didn’t mean she was involved, but it definitely complicated matters.

  “Everything okay?” Vi’s voice cut through the dark hallway.

  “Uh, yeah,” Natalie replied. “Just someone from work checking on me.”

  “Nice,” Vi said. “I figured I’d carry your bag up for you.”

  “Thanks,” Natalie said.

  “Go on out with the others,” Vi said. “I’ll be down in a sec.”

  7

  Spenser

  Spenser carefully cleaned his gardening shears.

  He was making every effort to remain calm and control his physical response. But knowing that Natalie was going to be staying with them made his heart pound as if it were trying to escape his chest.

  It was impossible not to imagine being so close with her, talking to her about his feelings, asking her to be his mate.

  “Are you alright, brother?” Hannibal asked, approaching him with a sympathetic expression.

  “Of course,” he replied gruffly.

  But somehow, he swallowed the wrong way at the same time, and ended up coughing a little.

  Hannibal thumped him on the back as Fletcher loped over with a big grin on his face.

  “Have you come to laugh at me too, brother?” Spenser asked.

  “Not at all. I have come to sympathize,” Fletcher said. “And also a little bit to laugh at you.”

  Hannibal laughed at that jab. His brothers were much more comfortable with Earth humor than he was.

  But Spenser found himself smiling too, in spite of himself.

  “We are only amused because we know she cares for you, brother,” Fletcher explained. “All will be well.”

  “How can you say that?” Spenser demanded.

  “How can we not say it?” Hannibal replied. “We have seen the way her eyes seek yours. Why don’t you tell her how you feel?”

  Spenser sighed.

  “She is focused on her friend’s death. It would be unseemly to speak of it.”

  Fletcher nodded in agreement.

  “Or it might be a comfort,” Hannibal suggested.

  Spenser thought about that for a moment.

  He had never lost a friend.

  But he was far from his home, never to return. So he knew something of loss.

  “Comfort,” he said softly, trying it on for size.

  “Give her a chance to say yes,” Fletcher suggested. “Tell her she can decide whenever she likes.”

  “And leave me to suffer,” Spenser growled.

  “Not deliberately,” Hannibal said. “She would never hurt you on purpose. But she might take her time. Would that be so bad?”

  Spenser wasn’t sure.

  “Would anything be worse than right now, when you have no claim on her at all?” Hannibal asked. “Tell her how you feel, before she fears she is misreading her own response to you.”

  That hit him hard.

  “She might not know I feel the bond too?” he asked. “That’s impossible.”

  “It’s not impossible at all,” Hannibal said solemnly. “These creatures have trained themselves to ignore even their most basic instincts.”

  The back door swung open before they could continue their discussion. Natalie wandered out, looking more lost and distracted than before.

  Barker Posey loped up to her, nuzzling her hands with her big velvety snout, as if to stop her from dwelling on whatever sad thoughts were racing around her mind.

  Natalie smiled at the big dog and ran her hands down Barker’s back, then scratched her behind the ear.

  “That is exactly where Maybelle likes to be scratched,” Spenser said, leaving his brothers behind to move closer, like metal to a magnet.

  “Lots of dogs like to be scratched there,” Natalie said. “It must be hard for them to reach.”

  Spenser bent to pat the magnificent creature also.

  His hand accidentally brushed Natalie’s and he felt a spark of attraction that nearly took his breath away.

  He made up his mind on the spot.

  He would speak with her about his feelings, and he would do it right away.

  “Okay, ready for some news?” Vi announced, stepping back onto the patio.

  He fought the urge to bellow with rage at the timing.

  Natalie looked up, and Spenser wondered why her expression was slightly wary.

  He shrugged it off, assuming his cultural differences were causing him to read her wrong.

  They headed for the table and sat down together.

  Spenser sat beside Natalie, trying to communicate his love and support to her through the very cells of his body, since he could not talk with her verbally until after Vi had shared her news.

  8

  Natalie

  Natalie waited, her heart in her mouth.

  Spenser joined them and sat down beside her.

  She couldn’t put her finger on it, but somehow his strong, steady presence gave her a measure of peace.

  “There was no EpiPen in the study,” Vi began.

  “You were barely in there long enough to get a good look around,” Natalie said.

  “It was plenty of time,” Vi said dismissively. “Plenty of time to look for an EpiPen and not find one, and plenty of time to find something very important.”

  Spenser and the others watched as Vi pulled something out of her pocket with a flourish.

  “His phone,” Natalie murmured.

  “His phone,” Vi agreed. “It was under the desk, half under the rug. The police must not have searched very hard.”

  “They didn’t want to investigate at all,” Natalie explained.

  “That’s clear from the bang-up job they did,” Vi said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Cops.”

  “Vi,” Jana said, elbowing her.

  “Present company excluded, of course,” Vi added, nodding at Natalie.

  “Of course,” Natalie agreed, suppressing the desire to snarl. “So what’s on the phone?”

  “We were hoping you could help with that,” Vi said. “Do you have any idea what his passcode might be?”

  “That’s easy, it would be Barker Posey’s birthday,” Natalie said.

  “Are you sure?” Vi asked.

  “Not one hundred percent,” Natalie admitted. “But he’s the kind of guy to keep his computer password on a sticky note on the monitor. I don’t think he would have suddenly become security oriented.”

  “Makes sense,” Vi said. “And I saw that sticky. Your theory checks out.”

  His work password was Bar
kerPosey58.

  “So what’s the dog’s birthday?” Vi asked.

  “May eighth,” Natalie said.

  No one asked how she knew, so she was spared the embarrassment of telling them she had attended more than one birthday party for the big dog.

  They all watched as Vi typed 0-5-0-8 into the phone.

  It unlocked instantly to show a photo of the mayor at his desk, Barker Posey sitting politely by his side.

  Natalie sucked in a breath, feeling the pain of his loss all over again.

  Harvey Smalls had made some mistakes, but he was a good man. She would miss him for the rest of her life.

  “Let’s see what’s open,” Vi said, double-clicking.

  She scanned through a fitness app, a mapping app, email, text, and a rundown of phone calls.

  “Recent calls,” Vi said, clicking.

  The most recent was an outgoing call to an unknown number.

  Vi made as if to tap on it.

  “No,” Natalie said quickly. “Don’t call from this number.”

  She slid her own phone out of her pocket and dialed as the others watched, making sure to dial a pre-fix first that would hide her own number from the recipient’s caller ID.

  She put it on speaker, and placed it on the table.

  It rang once, and then someone picked up.

  “Myra Croft’s office,” a young male voice said.

  “Wrong number,” Natalie said and hung up.

  She grabbed the phone and put it back in her pocket, very carefully not speaking or making direct eye contact with anyone.

  With luck, she might just pick up on something if anyone here were involved.

  “Whoa,” Vi said, eyes widening.

  “Your sister,” Jana said softly.

  “No kidding,” Vi said. “Let’s see what time the call was.”

  They all watched as she woke the phone, entering the code again.

  “Five thirty,” Jana said. “Is that still business hours for him?”

  “Every hour is a business hour for him,” Natalie said neutrally. “But he’s often still at town hall at that time.”

  “I wonder why Myra would have been calling,” Vi said. “She’s got her hands in a lot of different things for work. But maybe she knows something. I’ll go over there in person tomorrow to talk to her.”