amount of leg protruding from the short skirt. “There’s nothing wrong with Suave. If you read the labels, you could see they’re all made out of the same chemicals. Isn’t this skirt a bit too short? How will I be able to sit down?”
“You’re not going to be sitting down, remember?” Ashley laughed. “Jeez. It hasn’t been that long since you were on the scene with Drew. You’re only in your thirties, Coop.”
“My ex and I went to mainstream hangouts, like the club inside the Sheraton. They played Top 40 music and didn’t stay open past midnight. After I described Miguel’s clothing style to Edward and a little about his taste in music, he told me we’d be meeting at a dance club downtown. And not until ten-thirty.”
Ashley yawned. “Good Lord, that’s late! I’ll be in bed with Nora Roberts by then!” She slid an arm around Cooper’s waist and squeezed. “You’re doing the right thing. I admire your tenacity.”
“Even though I’m going out with Edward?” Cooper asked.
“It’s not a date.” Ashley handed her sister a tube of garnet-hued lip gloss. “He’s helping you investigate, that’s all.”
When Cooper remained silent, her sister stopped rifling through her makeup drawer. Their eyes met in the mirror. “Oh, my word, you’ve got a thing for him, don’t you?”
“Edward’s just more exciting because I don’t know anyone like him.” Cooper focused on applying the lip gloss. “He’s intriguing. But you’re right. It’s not a date.”
Ashley sat on the granite countertop and rubbed moisturizer onto her cheeks. “I saw the way he looked at you, Coop. Be careful. You’d better tread lightly around that man. He’s like a caged tiger that’s been released back to the wild.” Her eyes flashed as she warmed to the metaphor. “On the prowl. And he’s picked you, big sis, as his prey.”
“You’ve got some imagination, Ashley. Let’s go downstairs. I need to drink twelve cups of coffee if I’m going to survive this night.”
“Rrrrrrrr.” Ashley made a rumbling noise deep in her throat and curved her hands into mock claws. “Come here, you sexy little rabbit.”
“Knock it off, Tony.” Cooper grabbed her sister by the arm and pulled her out of the bathroom. They stepped over the trail of deflated shopping bags littering the bedroom floor and headed downstairs. Ashley tiptoed on the carpet and continued to growl like a tiger.
“Why don’t you save that act for Lincoln? I’m sure he’d find it appealing.”
Upon hearing her husband’s name, Ashley immediately ceased her play-acting. “He’s going to be late again. I’m sure I’ll be sound asleep by the time he gets home.”
Cooper scooped fragrant grounds into Ashley’s coffee maker. “Another dinner at Morton’s?”
“With the finance manager. His name is Alex, or something that sounds like that. It’s their second after-hours meeting this week.”
Watching the steam rise from the top of the carafe, Cooper asked, “But why so late at night? Can’t they have a conference during the day?”
Ashley removed a pint of rocky road ice cream from the fridge and began to burrow into its flat surface with a tablespoon. “That’s what I wanted to know, but Lincoln got mad at me when I asked. He said Miguel’s death has got everyone unsettled at the dealership right now, but strangely, sales are still at an all-time high considering it’s wintertime.”
“So he and Alex are working on promotions or inventory changes or what?” Cooper persisted.
“Heaven only knows!” Ashley shoveled the ice cream into her mouth. “I’ve never been too interested in the nuts and bolts of his business before, so Lincoln doesn’t really go into detail with me.”
Cooper poured herself some coffee and then turned to her sister. “One of his employees has been murdered. Your husband is attending a bunch of late-night meetings, and in the middle of winter, during a recession, sales are going up?” She stirred milk into her coffee and then wagged the spoon at Ashley. “You’d better get interested in the details, starting tonight! Something’s going on at Love Motors.”
Ashley nodded glumly. “You’re right. In my heart, I’ve been wondering the same things, but I’ve been too scared to look any further. I have a feeling that I don’t want to hear the answers to my questions. My life might never be the same again.”
Touching her sister’s hand, Cooper said, “I’m scared, too, but now’s the time for us to dig deep in search of that inner strength. I know it’s in you and I pray it’s in me.”
The sisters stared at one another, their hands