Hot Stuff (Hot Zone 1)

Unfortunately he didn't take a hint and strode up to her, getting into her personal space. "So how's it going?" he asked.

"Fine." She forced a smile. "Why did you miss our party last night?"

He glanced from side to side and looked uncomfortable as he fumbled for an answer. "I-uh-"

"Was your wife under the weather?"

"My son, actually. Injured his wrist playing ball at the last practice," he said, warming to his subject. "Vaughn said Todd's a natural just like Vaughn would be a natural college coach. He'd guarantee my boy entry into the pros, that much I know."

"Vaughn's the best," she agreed, but she was unable to get his first statement out of her mind. His reason for missing the party was a bald-faced lie. "I saw the last football practice. Nobody got hurt."

Roy paled and glanced at his watch. "I gotta get going. Work calls."

She nodded in understanding. "You must be busier than ever between the last break-in and now the fire damage."

"Like I said, busy, busy." Roy stepped backward in a sudden rush to leave.

Since she hadn't been the one to initiate the conversation, Annabelle let him go. She stopped at the counter for a brief conversation with Joanne before heading outside..

Just in time to see Roy puffing on a cigarette beside his car. And for a brief second, his gaze met hers. Right before he dropped the butt and ground it out beneath the toe of his boot.

ANNABELLE'S THOUGHTS spun more quickly than the tires on her hooker mobile. Roy. Cigarettes. Fire. She needed to talk to someone about her suspicions, but immediately dismissed Vaughn from her list.

He had enough on his mind without having to cope with her half-baked assumptions about his head foreman, too. And surely that's all they were-ridiculous assumptions about a lecherous but otherwise harmless man. Still, needing someone to bounce things off of, she drove directly to Mara's apartment and began to bang on her door.

She heard sounds from inside but nobody answered. She knocked louder.

"Okay, okay, maybe I should just give you a key after all." Mara yanked the door open wide. "Annabelle," she said, clearly surprised.

"I guess you were expecting Nick?"

Mara ran a hand through her disheveled hair. "Yeah. Well no I wasn't expecting anyone, but with all the banging, I thought he'd come back. Never mind. Come in." She waved Annabelle inside.

She walked into the small but pretty apartment with enough windows to provide lots of sunlight and enough plants for Annabelle's liking. "I'm sorry to barge in when you're home sick but it's important."

Mara shook her head. "It's just a cold. I woke up with it this morning. But between the fire, the smoke and all, I thought I could get more paperwork done here. What's up?"

Annabelle twisted her hands together, feeling ridiculous. "It's about the fire. The marshalls said it was caused by a cigarette, right?"

Mara nodded.

"Let me ask you something. Did you know Vaughn's ex-wife?"

Mara shook her head. "They didn't live in town but from what I understand, she was a mistake he hates to talk about. Why?"

"The police think she could be a suspect but I have another idea I need to run by you."

"Shoot."

"If you count everyone we sent invitations to, who didn't show up last night?"

"Hmm. Let's sit down a minute so I can think. Want something to drink?"

"No, thanks."

Mara poured herself a large glass of orange juice and joined Annabelle at a small white kitchen table. "It's hard to know since it was so last minute. There were no place cards and no official RSVP was required. Off the top of my head, the only two noticeably missing were Roy Murray and Fred O'Grady. Fred's wife went into labor and the only time Roy's predictable is when he's hitting on women or pushing his son's athletic agenda."

Annabelle nodded. "See? That's motive right there," she said, her voice rising.