Stranger in the Moonlight (Edilean 7)

Dave shrugged, and his expression said that he was pleased by Travis’

s interest. “If I was going to ask her to marry me I had to give her a ring, didn’t I? But why should I go buy one when she has a store full of them? They were just sitting there in her shop, about fifty of them, and they were free—or would be once we got married.” He leaned forward, as though he was about to reveal a confidence to Travis. “She has a safe inside her garage that’s full of . . . I can’t imagine what’s in there. She lives in a world of gold and jewels. An Aladdin’s cave of diamonds and pearls. She likes pearls. One time she even tried to lecture me on the different kinds of them. Like I care, right?”

“Did you see inside the safe?”

“Naw,” Dave said with a grimace. “I tried to get her to show me but she wouldn’t. I even tried to get her to give me the combination, but she refused.”

In his entire life, Travis had never felt such anger, such hatred for anyone before. “You understand the terms of the contract, don’t you?”

“Of course I do.” He looked at Travis as though they were men who shared a secret. “You don’t want any competition. You’re like me. We’re both businessmen and we understand each other. Too bad the women don’t get that.”

Travis didn’t dare respond as he didn’t trust himself not to say what he was actually feeling. He gave Borman a fake smile, as though he thought the man was a genius, then filled in the outrageous price Russell had negotiated for him. Travis would have paid more. He pretended to sign it in the place where Russell’s name already was.

Eagerly, Dave leaped up, signed the bottom without reading it, and Travis handed him his copy.

“Planning to call her to say good-bye?” Travis asked even while his hands were itching to hit the man.

“Don’t have time,” Dave said as he turned toward the door. “I have important things to do, including getting my old girlfriend back. Now there’s a girl who knows what to do to make a man happy in bed. If you get my meaning.”

“Yes I do,” Travis said, then stood there and watched David Borman leave the room. He felt like he needed a shower with a disinfectant.

Travis didn’t know how long he stood there before Russell came in through the side door.

“Did he take it?”

Travis hesitated. “The money? Of course.”

“What’s this?” When Travis didn’t immediately turn around, Russell stood quietly and waited.

Finally, Travis looked at what Russell was holding. “That’s a pawn ticket.”

“I can see that. What’s it for? Oh! The ring.” Russell looked at the address on the ticket. “Wonder what his plan was going to be for this weekend when he asked Miss Aldredge to marry him but didn’t have a ring to give her?”

“My guess is that he’d say he knew nothing about a missing ring.”

“His word against Carla’s, and she was the one who stole it from the shop.”

“That’s what I think,” Travis said as he reached out to take the ticket. “I’ll go by there and get it.”

“Do you have any cash on you?” Russell asked.

“A few hundred, but I have cards.”

“A pawnshop that takes credit cards? Besides, you can’t use yours.” Russell raised an eyebrow.

Travis knew nothing about pawnshops and what kind of payment they took.

“I’ll get the ring out of hock and you can go with me. Besides, your car has two flat tires.”

“My car—?” Travis began but stopped. He had a feeling that Russell was lying about Travis’s car being incapacitated, but he didn’t mind. Right now he felt like he needed some company, needed something to take the stench of Dave Borman from him. “Fine,” Travis said, “but I drive.”

Russell gave a noise like a snort.

Two hours later they had the ring and were almost back to Edilean. Russell was driving. For the most part it had been a quiet ride, and Travis wasn’t feeling that hostility from Russell that he’d first seen.

“What does Miss Aldredge think your last name is?” Russell asked.

“She hasn’t asked and I haven’t told her.”