Hot and Bothered Read online

Since Felix looked so alarmed, she relented. “Of course I won’t take you to your grandparents. I told you I wouldn’t leave you alone with them until you’re ready. But Kiddo, I hope you can be ready soon. There’s no reason to be so scared of them.”

  “Mom says they’re monsters.”

  “That’s just a figure of speech. You know how your mom is. She loves to make things exciting.” Sometimes Julie felt like a civilian casualty of Savannah’s ongoing war with her parents. “But I promise you that they’re not monsters. They took me in when I didn’t have anyone to take care of me. Would monsters do that?”

  Felix blinked at her behind his glasses. Savannah refused to say who his father was, but clearly, he carried the near-sighted gene. None of the Reinhards wore glasses. But he’d definitely inherited his wild black mop of hair from Savannah. “I guess not.”

  His phone beeped. Julie had mixed feelings about an eleven-year-old having a cell phone, but it gave Savannah a way to keep in touch with Felix when she was shooting a movie, as she was now.

  He read the text and snorted. Probably a meme. Savannah communicated best with Felix via memes, especially when she was away on a film set. She loved making him laugh.

  Julie reached the armchair where Felix was curled up. “Okay, kid, why don’t you jump over to that couch. And don’t forget the floor is hot lava.”

  “I’m not six anymore,” he grumbled, before gathering up his backpack full of books and climbing onto the couch.

  He was just settling in when the jingle of keys sounded at the front door. Mrs. Murphy bustled in.

  “Julie, I’m happy I caught you before you finished up. I’ve been hoping for a nice chat after all these years.”

  Julie barely kept herself from a massive eye roll. Of course that was why Mrs. Murphy had hired her. Perfect chance for some gossip. When it came to the Jupiter Point grapevine, Mrs. Murphy was the root of all information. She was never malicious. She just wanted to know what was going on.

  She plopped onto the couch next to Felix, who blinked at her. “I’m Elaine Murphy. And who might you be?”

  “Felix Reinhard,” he said.

  “Reinhard. So your mother is—”

  Julie stepped in. She didn’t mind getting the third degree herself, but Felix shouldn’t have to. “Felix, can you run out to the car and get me some more vinegar?”

  Felix shot her a reproachful, knowing look. When she and Savannah got into fights over Felix, Julie always made a point of sending him out of the room on random errands.

  As soon as he was gone, Julie stuck her mop in the bucket and faced Mrs. Murphy. “Felix is Savannah’s son. I have no idea who his father is, but I don’t believe he’s from Jupiter Point. Savannah is currently shooting a movie, and as you probably know, Adam Reinhard has been ill. He wanted to spend some time with his grandson, so I volunteered to bring Felix to Jupiter Point for the semester. I can clean houses anywhere.”

  Julie figured this was the most efficient way to get the word out, rather than explaining to everyone individually who Felix was and why he was here.

  “So, you and Savannah…” The older woman trailed off delicately.

  “Me and Savannah what?” Julie squeezed the water from the sponge mop again.

  “Are you…”

  Julie stared at her blankly. What exactly was Mrs. Murphy getting at?

  Then it clicked.

  As did the opportunity to tweak her—just a little. “Savannah and I are a couple, absolutely,” she said solemnly. “All those pictures of Savannah with movie stars and so forth? It’s all a front. Don’t be fooled. We’re lesbian lovers, always have been.”

  Finally, Mrs. Murphy burst into laughter. “Okay, you had me up until the end. Always have been? I don’t think so. Not with how you and Ben Knight were. You were the most lovey-dovey couple I’ve ever seen, and that’s saying something, considering all the honeymooners who come around here.”

  The mention of Ben sent a deep pang of pain right into Julie’s solar plexus. She focused on her yellow latex gloves, giving herself time to recover.

  “I’m Felix’s godmother,” she explained, dropping the joke. “Almost more like an aunt.”

  “Well, you and Savannah did grow up together, so that makes sense. Something tells me you’re a lot more than an aunt to that boy, though. Savannah never was especially reliable. Do you know how many times she had me order books, then lost interest by the time they arrived? I had a whole ‘Abandoned by Savannah’ section in the bookstore. I just hope the boy doesn’t fall into that category.”

  Julie picked up the mop bucket and backed out of the room. They’d been chatting so long that the floor was dry. “Of course not. Savannah loves Felix. But she’s such a big star now, so in demand. Whenever she’s on location, Felix stays with me.”

  Mrs. Murphy followed after her. “Well, I’m sure he’s lucky to have you. He seems very attached to you.”

  Of course he was. Julie was the most consistent person in his life, other than Savannah, and he craved routine. In her opinion, he was one step away from an anxiety disorder. But she didn’t want to tell Mrs. Murphy all that.

  “I’ve been wanting to ask you about something,” she said quickly, before the bookstore owner could ask her anything else.

  She brightened. “What’s that?”

  Julie screwed up her courage. “I wanted to ask about Robert Knight.”

  “Ah. Jupiter Point’s only unsolved murder.” She gave Julie a shrewd look. “Ben’s father. You must have known him pretty well.”

  Mrs. Murphy truly was a mastermind when it came to interrogations. She should have been a spy, not a bookstore owner.

  “Not well, no. I was shocked when I heard what happened. Have they made any progress in solving the case?”

  “You’d have to ask Chief Becker. He doesn’t tell me anything.” Mrs. Murphy sniffed, as if insulted that the town’s police chief didn’t confide in her. “But there was a big story in the newspaper recently. Merry Warren interviewed all the Knight brothers.”

  Well. She’d definitely have to check that out. She could probably find it online. If she couldn’t talk to Ben herself—since he clearly didn’t want to—she could read his words in a newspaper.

  “As a matter of fact, I heard that Will Knight is now investigating the murder himself. So you could always talk to him.”

  Julie swallowed hard. Seeing Will would be almost as hard as seeing Ben.

  Which had happened exactly three times since she’d gotten back. The first time was at the 7-Eleven, where he’d been wrapped up with a stunning blond. Ben had scowled at her so hard, she’d worried his head might explode.

  Originally, she’d intended to talk to him right away and find out what had gone wrong twelve years ago, why he’d stood her up. But his frown had stopped that plan in its tracks.

  Then she’d spotted him at the hardware store with his older brother Tobias. She’d ducked behind a shelf of plumbing parts before they could notice her. Then she’d spent the next ten minutes peering between copper pipes and white plastic elbows as they’d shopped for lumber.

  If Ben had been alone, maybe she would have tried again to talk to him. But two Knight brothers at once? She couldn’t bear it. The brothers had been like another family to her, at a time when she felt utterly alone in the world. Even though the Reinhards asked her to stay after her mother died, there were always strings attached. She always felt like a guest, maybe one step removed from a servant. But with Ben and his family, she never felt that way.

  The third time she’d seen Ben was at the cemetery. She’d gone to visit her mother’s grave. He was kneeling at his father’s, eyes closed, in silent communion with his murdered parent.

  Again, she’d fled before he could see her. The guilt was too much.

  Because there was a strong possibility that she’d encountered Robert Knight’s killer on her last night in Jupiter Point.

  That encounter was the reason she’d stayed away until now. And one of
the main reasons she’d come back.

  Twelve years was long enough to keep a secret like that. Someone needed to know. Not Ben, since he obviously didn’t want anything to do with her. The police chief? Could he be trusted?

  Mrs. Murphy was asking her something. “I’m sorry, what was that?”

  “I was saying that we could really use you at the theater. We’re putting on Grease this year. I remember what a lovely voice you always had. The church choir sure missed you after you left.”

  “Oh no. I definitely don’t have time for anything like that. I’m still settling in.” Besides, she wasn’t ready for anything that public. She still wasn’t entirely sure it was safe to be back in Jupiter Point.

  “Well, I sure hope you stay a while. You’ve done a spectacular job here.” Mrs. Murphy surveyed the living room, where the floors radiated a soft glow and the windows sparkled. Julie smiled proudly. “Green cleaning” hadn’t exactly been her first choice for a job. But she liked creating order out of messes. She liked setting her own hours and choosing her own clients. Green cleaning had been very good to her.

  Felix loped back into the room with his odd, stiff-legged stride. Her heart swelled at the sight of him.

  Sure, the arrival of Felix had upended her life. But he was worth it.

  “Julie, you have to help me.” Savannah’s call had come at night, waking Julie from a deep sleep in the little Reinhard guesthouse.

  “Savannah? What’s going on?”

  “You can’t tell my parents anything. Promise.”

  “Um.” Julie sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “They barely know I’m alive, you don’t have to worry about that. But where are you?”

  “I’m at a hotel in Benson. I need you to come here. I’ll explain when you get here. Bring a suitcase.”

  “Benson?” Why was Savannah in the next town over? “A suitcase? What are you talking about?”

  “Please! And don’t worry about money. I’ll cover everything.”

  None of it made any sense. Julie had her last final the next day. She and Ben were planning a camping trip to celebrate the end of her junior year. She couldn’t go to Benson.

  “Just come. I need you!”

  The edge of panic in her friend’s voice really scared her. Savannah never panicked. She was always so bold, so defiant, so rebellious. And she’d done so much for Julie. If not for Savannah, she’d be in a foster home by now. Savannah was the one who’d insisted that Julie stay with the Reinhards, even after the car accident that took Mama.

  “Okay. I’m coming.” Julie took down the address and threw some clothes into a bag.

  But she had to tell Ben what was happening, and she tried his phone. No answer. Probably had it turned off.

  So she got into her mother’s old sky-blue VW beetle and drove out to the Knight house.

  And that was when everything had gone off the rails.

  She’d told no one except Savannah what had happened. But now it was time. Past time. She was going to tell the whole story to someone.

  Felix helped her pack up her cleaning supplies while Mrs. Murphy reeled off the list of who was performing in Grease.

  Maybe she should tell Mrs. Murphy her story so everyone could hear it. Then she wouldn’t have to face Ben. Because once the Knight brothers heard the entire thing, they’d probably think she was a coward and want nothing to do with her.

  3

  “You need to fucking talk to her,” said Tobias bluntly. That was Tobias’s style, direct and to the point. With his deep-set dark eyes and fearsome physique, he played the intimidator well. But he’d do anything for his brothers—including tell them when they were being idiots. “We have a business to run here. Planes to keep in the air. Honeymoons to not ruin. You need your head in the game, bro.”

  “You’re right, and I will. The next time I run into her, we’ll talk.” Ben propped his boots on the desk, where he and Tobias were going through applications for a mechanic. So far, they’d been getting by on their own, but they needed a full-time airplane mechanic to take care of their little fleet. They also needed someone to take bookings, and possibly another pilot.

  A pile of fuel receipts caught his attention; he had to organize the damn things. Their need for an assistant was getting dire. Honestly, they needed an assistant to help them hire an assistant.

  “I thought you were over Julie like, ten years ago.”

  “I was.”

  Tobias glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. “Was?”

  “Am. Was and am. Still am.” He shuffled through the receipts. “Even more so now. Much more.”

  Tobias looked as if he was trying not to laugh. “Got it. Loud and clear.”

  Will, their oldest brother, pushed open the door of the little office. At his heels was Chase Merriweather, Merry Warren’s half-brother, who was Will’s new intern. He had the look of a golden retriever in human form; Ben always pictured a playful, eager puppy whenever he saw Chase.

  “We have to talk.” Will dropped his long body into one of their metal folding chairs.

  “That seems to be a theme today,” Ben said gloomily. “What is this, an Oprah episode?”

  Will shot him a puzzled look. “This is about Mom and Cassie. I heard from them today. It’s happening. They’re going to come here for a visit.”

  They all got very quiet for a moment.

  They’d gone twelve years without seeing Janine Knight or their sister Cassie. Mom had always been fragile and volatile. Sky-high one day, deep in the dumps the next. And Ben had always been the son closest to her, the one who could coax her out of her dark moods.

  And then had come the night of the murder. The night Ben had the task of telling his mother her husband was dead. And he’d fucked it up.

  That night…he’d never forget it, never forgive himself.

  After that, she’d fled Jupiter Point, taking Cassie with her. The four Knight brothers had scattered in various directions. Ben had joined the Air Force, Tobias had joined the Army. Only Will had stayed to take care of their youngest brother, Aiden, who was barely eight at the time.

  Ben missed his mother fiercely, but at the same time, his stomach churned at the thought of seeing her again. He cleared his throat. “How long are they coming for?”

  “To be determined. Cassie says she thinks Mom can handle it, but she’s not sure.”

  Ben grunted, fiddling with the pile of resumes.

  Will glanced at him curiously. “Got something to say, Ben? You never really talk about Mom.”

  Because there was nothing to say. Informing your mother that her husband had just been stabbed to death in the kitchen…yeah, everyone did that kind of thing. And Mom’s terrifying reaction—that was totally normal.

  “It’s all good,” he said, with an approximation of his usual carefree manner. “I hope she comes. I miss her.” That much was true. There’d been a huge hole in his heart ever since she’d left.

  Will nodded, moving on. “I got something else too. I think I found something about Dad’s murder. I tracked down—”

  “We tracked down,” said Chase proudly.

  Will raised a skeptical eyebrow, but nodded in agreement. “Chase and I tracked down all the surviving soldiers who were with Dad during his last mission. I thought one of them was dead, but it turns out he’s been living under a different name.”

  “Why?” Tobias frowned at their oldest brother. “Why a different name?”

  “I’m not sure. I’m still trying to locate him.”

  “We’re trying to locate him,” Chase corrected.

  Ben and Tobias exchanged an amused glance. Having Chase around was like living with a puppy still being trained. No better trainer than Will, in Ben’s opinion. Will had raised Aiden, so he had the proven parenting skills.

  “One thing,” Will added softly. “The last known address of this particular soldier is only a hundred miles away. He’s probably changed his name again, and moved again. But it does raise the possibility t
hat the killer is more local than we thought.”

  Silence settled over them all. The idea that someone local—someone from Jupiter Point, the most peaceful, charming tourist town you could imagine, whose biggest claim to fame was stargazing—the idea that someone from around here could have committed murder was shocking.

  But no place was immune to evil deeds or to misfortune. Ben knew that. He’d learned it when his world had fallen apart at the age of eighteen, and then again in the Air Force.

  He cleared his throat. “Any other leads you guys have found?”

  Chase shot him a grateful look, thrilled to be included in the “you guys.”

  “There were a few anonymous tips called into the police station back then. I’m going to sift through them.”

  “We’re going to—”

  Will laughed and squeezed Chase’s shoulder affectionately. “Actually, I’m going to tackle the tips on my own. I have another fun job for you.”

  An uneasy expression came over the kid’s face. “Like when I filed all your notes? And organized your desk? Got your computer up and running?”

  “No, an actual fun job. I have a line on Cindy Tran, who used to work with me at the Sheriff’s Department. She disappeared and I’m worried about her. I heard she might be in Las Vegas, so off you go.”

  Chase did a few air pumps while Will headed for the door. “Anyway, think about the best way to welcome Mom and Cassie back. Ben, you always knew her best, see what you can come up with. I’ll be gone for a few days, then we’ll come up with a plan.”

  The door fell shut behind them. In the sudden quiet, Ben looked over at Tobias, who wore a dark scowl as he stared at his phone.

  “Worried about Mom?” Ben asked him.

  “No, I’m trying to decide if Sarah wants a pink bike or a red one.”

  Tobias and his new wife, Carolyn, had recently adopted her younger sister, Sarah. Watching big tough Tobias turn into a father figure for a little blond pixie was hilarious.

  “Pink seems too on-the-nose girlie,” Tobias continued, rubbing the back of his neck. “But some girls really like pink. I shouldn’t not get her pink just because it’s too predictable. Seems kind of unfair, in case that’s what she wants.”