Shakespeares Christmas Page 0,63

rusty surface, and some cloth had been run over it. Whoever tried to clean it didn't do a good job. He left one partial. It doesn't match Sims's. He's still in custody for the purse snatching, but I don't think he'll be charged with the murder any time soon."

"Is he making sense?"

"Not a lot. He told the police he'd had a lot of visitors in his new home, which I gather means the alley behind the stores. That location in the alley is close to every father in this case. Jess O'Shea came to visit Sims as a minister, Emory works in Makepeace Furniture, which backs onto that alley, and Kingery's pharmacy is a block away."

"I noticed that."

"Of course you did," he said and bent to kiss me. My arms went around his neck, and the kiss lasted longer than he thought it was going to. "I want you again," he told me, his voice low and rough.

"I noticed that, too." I pressed against him gently. "But the wedding is tomorrow. Let me tell you about tonight. Since I'm going to baby-sit all the children - Eve, the baby, Krista, Luke, and Anna - at the O'Sheas' house, maybe I can learn something from the children, or from being in that house."

"Where are all the parents going?"

"To a dinner. It's a couples thing, so I was glad to get out of it."

"Who would they have paired you with?" Jack asked.

I realized for the first time that I was causing a hostess some seating problems. "I don't know," I admitted. "I guess that friend of Dill's, Berry Duff."

"Has he been by your folks' much?"

"No, I think he went right home after the rehearsal dinner. He'll come back into town today, if I remember right, and spend the night somewhere here in town. I guess here at the motel."

"He admired you."

"Sure, I'm everyone's dream girl," I said, hearing the sharp edge in my voice, unable to stop it.

"Did you like him?"

What the hell was this? "He's nice enough," I said.

"You could be with him," he said. His light hazel eyes fixed on mine. He didn't blink. "He wouldn't drag you into things like this."

"Hmmm," I said thoughtfully, "Berry is awful cute ....nd he has his own farm. Varena was telling me how beautiful his house is. It's part of the spring garden tour."

For a second Jack's face was a real picture. Then he pounced on me. He pinned me by the shoulders and scooted his body sideways until it lay over mine.

"Are you teasing me, house cleaner?"

"What do you think, detective?"

"I think I've got you where I want you," he said, and his mouth descended.

"Jack," I said after a moment, "I need to tell you something."

"What?"

"Don't ever hold me down."

Jack rolled off instantly, his hands up in a surrender position.

"It's just that you feel so good," he said. "And ... sometimes I think if I don't weigh you down you'll just drift away." He looked off to the side, then back at me. "What the hell did that mean?" he asked, shaking his head at his own fancy.

I knew exactly what he meant.

"I have to go back to the house," I said. "I'll be at the O'Sheas' from about five-thirty on." I swung myself up and sat with my back to him, since I had to begin getting my clothes out of the heap by the bed.

I felt his hand on my back, stroking. I shivered.

"What are you going to do?" I said over my shoulder, as I bent to retrieve my bra.

"Oh, I have an idea or two," he said casually. He hooked the bra for me.

Jack was going to do something illegal.

"Like what?" I pulled my shirt over my head.

"Oh ... I might get into the doctor's office tonight."

"Who would let you in? You can't possibly be thinking of breaking in?"

"I think it won't be a problem," he assured me.

"You know anything you learn that way isn't real evidence," I said incredulously. "I've watched enough TV to know that."

"Can you think of another way for me to find out their blood types?"

"Blood types? I thought you said Summer Dawn hadn't had her blood typed? And are you sure the blood types would be in a file at Dr. LeMay's office?"

"All three families went to him."

"But how many kids need to have their blood taken?"

"You said Eve had. If I can eliminate at least one of them, that'll be good," he argued. "I realized that there were only a couple of