Undercover Fiance

She choked back a scream. He turned on the table lamp. Seated with a foot on his knee and his hands clasped behind his neck, he grinned at her.

Despite heavy beard shadow and messy hair, he looked as if he’d enjoyed the sleep of innocents. Her grouchy mood darkened further. “I thought you were still asleep.”

“With you stomping around? For such a petite woman you sure do make a lot of noise. I could swear you don’t weigh more than one-twenty, but I guess you’re packing a lot more than that under your clothes.”

She chuffed a harsh breath. “I will have you know—” She shut her mouth, too late realizing he teased her.

He dropped his foot to the floor and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. “We’re both early risers. We have a lot in common.”

“We have nothing in common.” She looked pointedly at her watch. “I have work to do. If you’re going to play bodyguard, you have exactly fifteen minutes to grab a shower.”

He snatched up his bag and scooted into the bathroom. She gathered the blankets and pillows off the floor. She pressed a pillow to her nose. It smelled of soap and shampoo, and it roused memories of sex. She groaned and tossed the pillow onto the bed. Celibate for years, she usually didn’t think about sex. She especially didn’t want to think about sex in conjunction with Daniel Tucker.

He was ready to go in ten minutes.

Downstairs the resort staff had already swung into high gear for another busy day. Clanging, banging, rattling and Chef’s temperamental shouting emerged from the kitchen along with the aroma of baking bread and roasting meats. Housekeepers loaded up carts with cleaning supplies. Janine wondered which one of them had tried to burn her to death in a stinky old garage. Everyone looked guilty.

She stopped in the kitchen to fill a carafe with coffee before she and Daniel went to her office. Her phone began ringing before she had a chance to sit down. Maintenance wanted her approval to begin cleaning up the burn site. A reporter wanted details about the fire. Guest services needed advice about what to tell guests who were upset about the rumors of arson. Between calls she logged invoices into the computer. Daniel sat quietly on a small sofa, moving only to refill her coffee cup. She appreciated his silence.

A knock startled her. Hot coffee splashed her hand and she cursed under her breath. She noticed Daniel sliding a hand over the bulge of the holster on his hip. She called, “Come in.”

A man showed a badge and introduced himself as Walt Helmsley, an investigator with the state police. Another man materialized in the doorway behind the investigator. Glad to see the sheriffs department uniform and a friendly face, Janine smiled in welcome.

“Daniel Tucker,” she said, “Mr. Helmsley and Sergeant Mike Downes.” She diverted her telephone calls to voice mail. “Gentleman, I’ve hired Mr. Tucker to help me find the stalker. I can’t recall everyone I talked to yesterday. Do you know about Pinky?”

“The sheriff briefed us,” Mike said. His expression radiated concern. As an old friend of the family, the deputy sheriff had a personal stake in what happened at Elk River. “I want to hear it from you. Start over from the beginning.” He and the state police investigator brought out pens and notebooks.

She began with losing her organizer book and ended with why she had hired Daniel. She thought repeated telling should get easier. It did not. The story sounded stupid. She felt stupid.

Mike’s forehead knit as if he felt angry as well as concerned. He glanced at Daniel then back to her. “Why didn’t you come to me, Janine? I take threats against the colonel seriously.”

Relieved he didn’t follow the sheriff’s lead in blaming her for Pinky, she said, “I didn’t want the police involved.”

“I’m a friend, too.” He sounded hurt.

Catching herself pulling her hair, she dropped her hand onto the desk. She toyed with a paper clip. “I didn’t want the colonel to know. He doesn’t need the stress. It’s a private problem. Was a private problem.”

“Colonel?” Helmsley asked.

“My father, Colonel Horace Duke. I thought I could handle this on my own.”

“You could have been killed.” Mike turned a heated glare on Daniel. “Your little plan is stupid, sir. And dangerous.”

Daniel arched an eyebrow. His expression remained otherwise neutral. “Seems to me my plan is working out exactly the way I intended. What do you know about erotomania, Sergeant?”

Mike and the investigator exchanged a puzzled look.

“It’s a mental disorder,” Daniel explained. “A delusional fixation on another person as a love object. Read love letters written by thirteen-year-olds and you’ll get a glimpse into the kind of thought processes we’re dealing with. Except this guy is an adult and he’s willing to act out his fantasies. If you guys intend to catch Pinky, you need to get educated.”

“Are you a shrink?” Mike was openly hostile now.

“Just a regular guy who’s devoted the past five years of his life to stopping stalkers.” He grinned at the investigator. “And no, you guys haven’t heard of me. I keep a low profile. No press, no advertising. If you want to check me out, contact Gail Porter with the El Paso County district attorney’s office. She’s referred several clients to me.”

“I don’t know if you’re qualified or not,” Mike said. “I know for darned sure you’re endangering your life. Not to mention Janine’s life!”

“I’m doing nothing illegal.”

“Interfering with an investigation and obstructing justice are illegal.”

Daniel showed both palms. “I’m not doing either of those. You guys have my blessing to arrest Pinky. You won’t hear a peep out of me.”

“Mike,” Janine said. “Mr. Helmsley. Mr. Tucker is not the problem. Pinky is. I apologize for not calling you, Mike. In hindsight, you’re absolutely correct. But, I suggest we focus on the matter at hand and worry about who is right or wrong later.”

“Ma’am, Mr. Tucker,” Helmsley said, “stalking is against Colorado law. No offense, but civilians aren’t qualified to handle these matters.”

“No offense,” Daniel said smoothly, “neither are the cops. Pinky isn’t your run-of-the-mill firebug. He’s seriously disturbed, but he’s smart.” He jerked a thumb at Janine. “Here’s an intelligent woman. She deals with a large staff. She knows people. But Pinky sat in this office, interviewed for a job and fooled her completely. He’ll fool you, too.”

Helmsley smiled, close-lipped. “Obviously you’ve never sat across the interrogation table from me, sir.”

Daniel chuckled. “Obviously you’ve never dealt with an erotomanic stalker harboring sociopathic tendencies who uses anonymity as a weapon. Pinky isn’t scared of the cops. You’ll never rattle him.”

Janine massaged her aching temples. An island, she thought She’d buy an island and post a huge sign saying No Testosterone Allowed. “Gentlemen! Stop the bickering. It’s going nowhere. I and everyone at Elk River will cooperate fully with the police investigation.”

She found a list she’d created yesterday. She handed it over the desk to the investigator. “Here are the names of the people I’ve hired in the past six months. Mr. Tucker assures me that Pinky began working here during that time. As for Mr. Tucker, he’s staying.”

Seeing Mike forming a protest, she held up a hand and shook her head firmly. “Your goal is to arrest Pinky. Mine is to protect my father. I fail to see where our goals are incompatible.”

Mike cast an unhappy glance at Daniel. “Provoking Pinky is a mistake, Janine.”

“He’s already provoked. If Mr. Tucker is dumb enough to set himself up as a target, then I will let him continue for as long as it keeps the colonel safe.”

“Dumb?” Daniel mouthed silently. He made a face at her.

“I also ask that you gentlemen cooperate with me. As far as anyone else is concerned, Mr. Tucker is my boyfriend. Nothing more.”

She ended the interview. After she saw them out of the office, she pawed through her desk drawers in search of aspirin.

“So you think I’m dumb, huh?” Daniel asked, grinning.

“I hold serious doubts about the intelligence of anyone who paints a target on his forehead. I wish you wouldn’t fight with the police, either. Especially Mike. He’s an old friend.” She swallowed two aspirin then chased them with a slug of coffee.

“Your friend doesn’t know what he’s dealing with.”

“He’s an experienced law officer.” She stared glumly at her telephone. The message indicator flashed.

“As long as they don’t get in my way.”

The door opened and Kara poked her head inside.