Shame on Him (Fool Me Once 3)

Oh, my God.

I don’t want to seem rude, but I need to get out of here right away and get to this Andrew Jameson’s house before Dallas finds out about him. Or before Stephanie wants to cleanse my chakras.

“Stephanie, I appreciate you taking the time to speak with me today. I have a prior appointment I need to get to. Would it be okay just to chat on the phone if I have any more questions?” I ask as I rise from the couch.

She walks me to the door. “Absolutely. I’ll do anything I can to help Richard’s killer be brought to justice. If you don’t mind my saying, you seem to have a very gray aura about you, Lori. That usually means you’re troubled by something or you have deep secrets. People with gray auras are usually struggling to find balance.”

Seriously? Is this a joke?

“I’m going to have my herbalist put something together for you. In the meantime, the best cure for a gray aura is love. You should get some love in your life, Lori.”

I thank her without laughing and as she closes the door behind me, I wonder what color her aura is. Is there a color for mentally insane?

Rushing down the stairs, I see a 1965 black Mustang pull into the circular drive and park a few feet behind my car. I’m instantly filled with longing when I see it. I always wanted a car like that when I was a teenager, but my father thought it was impractical. There was a girl in my high school who had a car just like it. She was wild and fun and I wanted to be just like her.

I stop in my tracks and groan when I see who steps out of it. Of course he would own my dream car.

“Well, fancy seeing you here, Lawyer,” Dallas says with a smirk as he saunters around the front of the car and walks up to me. “Are you having fun speaking to someone I already questioned?”

Folding my arms in front of me, I glare at him. “Questioned? Is that what they’re calling it nowadays? Did you come back today to apologize to the widow for getting her drunk and taking advantage of her?”

Dallas leans in close to me. I can feel his breath on my face and see tiny specks of blue in his gray eyes. My heart rate picks up when he leans down and his cheek brushes against my own, and I wonder if he’s going to whisper a secret in my ear. He smells like soap and there’s a tiny hint of cologne mixed in that makes me feel warm all over.

“Careful there, Lawyer.” His lips graze my ear when he speaks quietly. “You almost sound jealous.”

I let out the breath I was holding when he moved in so close to me, noticing he didn’t correct me when I accused him of taking advantage of Stephanie. Taking a step back to gather my wits, I roll my eyes at him. The heat I felt from moments ago disappears into thin air when I see the cocky smile on his face and realize he probably did sleep with her to get the answers to his questions.

“You’re delusional.”

“And you’re in over your head. You can’t handle this case. Go back to your courtroom and stop trying to be something you’re not,” he informs me.

I’m so tired of people assuming they know what I can and can’t handle. All people see when they look at me are three-piece suits and a brain, not someone who can solve a murder and kick Dallas Osborne’s arrogant behind.

“You have no idea what I’m capable of, you smug bastard.”

Shouldering past him, I make it to my car and slam the door closed behind me. I let myself fall apart just a little when I see that Dallas is no longer watching me and is already ringing the doorbell. My hands shake and I swallow past the lump in my throat. All my life someone has been trying to tell me what to do and I’m sick and tired of it. First my parents and now Dallas. I’m tired of being the woman who does as she’s told. And on top of all that, now I have to worry about Dallas informing Ted that I was impersonating someone from the media to get close to a suspect.

Pulling my cell phone out of my purse, I make a call to my secretary at the law firm.

“Candace, I need you to pull up a case the firm handled about ten years ago for the Bay Corporation. I need an address for one of the members of the class-action lawsuit. His name is Andrew Jameson.”

As I wait on the line for Candace to search through the archives on the computer, I try not to think about the fact that I’m doing something illegal right now that could compromise everything I’ve worked for over the last seventeen years. I’m crossing a line.

Candace gets back on the phone and tells me she’ll have to call me back because it’s going to take her a while to find the file, which ends up being perfect.

My next call is to Paige. Right now, her help is equally important.

“I’m coming over. I need to borrow some clothes.”

I ignore her squeal of delight through the phone line and remind myself that I’m doing what I need to do to make it as a private investigator.

Hopefully I don’t regret it.

CHAPTER 6

Will you hold still? I can’t get the eyeliner on right if you keep moving,” Paige complains as she comes at me again with the black eye pencil.

“Is all of this really necessary? I just wanted to borrow some jeans and a T-shirt,” I complain.

Paige ignores me and finishes up with my eye, taking a step back to admire her work.

“Dallas is going to be eating out of your hand when he sees you in this.”

I roll my eyes at her and stand up from the edge of her bed¸ making my way over to the full-length mirror hanging behind her door. “Is he a horse? I don’t want Dallas eating out of my hand. I couldn’t care less if I ever see that jerk again.”