Heart of Gold - B.J. Daniels Page 0,69
you were ‘checking out’ his girlfriend? Did you tell him what you learned?”
“Why bother? Like I said, he had no interest. To him, Charlie was just a cute girl to date for a while.”
“For a while?”
“I’ve been his roommate for almost a year. Everything with Daniel is temporary, especially women. I’m sorry, but your friend was no different.”
Shep wanted to finally meet Daniel and punch him in the face. “What did you plan to do with the information you got on Charlie’s stepsister?”
Jason seemed surprised. “Nothing. Like I said, I was just curious.”
“Are you curious about all of Daniel’s girlfriends?”
This time Jason looked a little embarrassed. “Charlie was different. There is something about her...” He shrugged. “I wished I’d met her first. But then I don’t think I have to tell you that Charlie is one of a kind, do I?”
* * *
WHEN CHARLIE RETURNED to her apartment, she found it empty. She had no idea where Shep had gone. After taking off her coat and boots, she checked out what she could find in the refrigerator since it was past lunchtime.
On the way from visiting Tara, her thoughts had been all over the place. Running into Andy and finding out another ugly thing Lindy had done to her had set her nerves on end. She realized that Shep had probably gone to see Jason. If she hadn’t already planned to go see Tara this morning with Joe...
Pulling out her cell phone, she called Daniel since she didn’t have Jason’s number.
“Charlie! I’m so glad you called,” Daniel said quickly. “Look, I don’t know what happened last night except I know I was to blame. I’m sorry.”
It was nice at least to hear him apologize. “I wasn’t calling about that. I just found out that Jason did some research on me and my stepsister’s murder.”
“What?”
“He didn’t tell you he dug into my background?”
Daniel swore. “I can’t believe this. I’ve known Jason since high school. He’s a hell of a researcher but I had no idea he was researching my girlfriend.” She could hear the anger in his voice. “I swear ever since I criticized this ditzy girl he’s been dating... I’m so sorry. I’m sure he did it to get back at me. Your life is none of his business. I’ll talk to him.”
“Thank you. I should go.”
“Charlie, I hope we get to talk in the next few days. I mean, it’s almost Christmas.”
She thought of the present he’d said he had for her and felt guilty. She hadn’t bought him anything—even before they broke up. “We’ll talk soon.”
Disconnecting, she looked around the apartment. Jason knew about Lindy. And Lindy was back, bringing with her all the horrible memories. Charlie thought of her mother’s death, her father’s hurried marriage, Lindy’s cruelty and finally her stepsister’s supposed murder.
For so long, she’d tried to put it all behind her. But standing in her small apartment alone and even more angry with Lindy, she knew it was time she faced the past head-on.
She found the stack of papers Shep had gotten from the homicide detective and made herself comfortable on the couch. Her heart hammered at the thought of finally knowing exactly what happened that night—and come to grips with the part she played in it.
* * *
AN HOUR LATER, she put down the last piece of research Shep had collected and wiped her eyes. The murder had been brutal. It was beyond her comprehension how anyone could have done such a thing.
She didn’t believe it had been some stranger passing by. All her instincts told her that whoever had killed Lindy had hated her with a passion.
That alone shocked her. For years, she’d wanted to believe Lindy’s death had been random. Some stranger who’d come out of one of the abandoned buildings in the industrial area nearby. Now, she realized with a shudder that the killer had to have been someone who knew Lindy and hated her as much as Charlie did herself.
WT COULDN’T REMEMBER the last time he’d gone ice-skating. When Meg suggested it, he’d thought she was joking. “Aren’t we a little old for ice-skating?”
She’d grinned at him. “We weren’t too old for what we did after our dinner date. What’s ice-skating compared to that?”
Her grin made his cheeks flush. He’d never met anyone so outspoken. She made him feel alive and young again. She was full of surprises, up for anything, and she seemed to like him. All of it felt surreal. Being with her had awakened something in him