“Rochelle, I had no idea you cared so much about me. Maybe it would be easier to talk if you gave the gun to me.”
“No, Mr. Bellini, I don’t think so. Do you love her? Mrs. Parker I mean. Do you love her?”
Hell, what was the right thing to say in a situation like this? Rochelle was obviously walking the fine line between sanity and insanity; like a high wire act working without a net. What would upset her the least? What would keep him alive so that he could marry the woman he loved? Sometimes the right thing to say was nothing.
“I know she’s prettier than I am and smarter, more sophisticated and more refined, has more money and a better job but she doesn’t love you the way I do.”
“No,” Ben thought, “she sure as hell doesn’t love me the way you do. And you left out that she’s saner than you are.”
“You know she’s a lot older than you are. You know she has grown kids, kids my age, don’t you, Mr. Bellini?”
What was this woman thinking? That he’d gotten engaged to Lane without knowing all of that? He knew she wasn’t rational, but wouldn’t she know he wouldn’t get engaged to someone without at least meeting her family. He did a mental head shake. This woman really did think that she had some kind of relationship with Ben. Maybe even thought he had feelings for her too. Hell.
“I could prove it to you. Right now. I could prove to you how much I love you.”
Holy Hell what was she thinking? That he was going to have sex with her so she could prove in some perverted way that she loved him more than Lane did? But if she took her clothes off, she’d have to lay the gun down. Unless… oh dear God, she could tie him up. That particular fantasy had never appealed to Ben. Bondage just wasn’t on his play list.
“Can I call you Shelly? I’ve heard people at Dr. Andersen’s call you Shelly.”
She nodded.
“Bonding.” Ben thought, “Bonding is good, bondage is not.” He took a breath and said calmly, “Shelly, you don’t have to prove anything to me. I believe you.” He forced himself to flash his million watt smile.
“It’s because I’m not pretty enough isn’t it? I’ve seen your picture in the society pages with cheerleaders and radio personalities. You only date pretty women. Rich, famous, pretty women.”
Lane’s phone buzzed with a text message. It was from Mick. “Ben’s code?”
She pulled over and sent Mick Ben’s garage code. Thank God. Mick was there. Everything would be okay now.
“But none of those other women can have you, Mr. Bellini. Because you are mine.”
Did she hear herself? What kind of relationship did she think they had? She was still calling him Mr. Bellini. And then it hit him. Cheerleaders and radio personalities is what Rochelle had said. Had she been Liza’s stalker? Had she stopped stalking Liza because Ben had broken up with her? Had Rochelle killed Carol Anne? Ben wasn’t sure what category that moved her into. He didn’t know what brand of crazy she was, he just knew she was crazy. But was she a killer? And if she’d killed someone she saw as a threat to her relationship with Ben, then thank God she’d come here instead of going to Lane’s.
“Freeze. Police,” Mick called as he entered the bedroom.
Ben dove toward Rochelle as she turned to look at Mick, knocking her off balance and causing her to drop the gun. Mick was on her in seconds Mirandizing and cuffing her.
“It’s all right, Red. Everything’s good.” Ben said as he approached the dresser. He picked up his phone and took it off speaker.
“Thank God, Ben are you all right? Did she hurt you?”
“I’m fine. You did good, calling Mickey. Thanks. Where are you?”
“I’m right here,” she said and he turned around as she flew into his arms.
Mick looked up and saw Lane run into the bedroom. Bellini was standing there in his boxers. They positively glowed as they looked at each other. It made him sick with envy and jealousy.
“Let me call a squad to come get her. You know I need statements from both of you at the station, right?” But Mick knew they weren’t listening. It was clear that they only had eyes and ears for each other.
“I was so afraid,” Lane said as she kissed Ben. “I love you.”
Mick had just saved her boyfriend’s life and he might as well have been a fly on the wall. And watching them pet and fawn over each other was more than he could stomach.
“I love you. I’m fine. You did everything right. You saved me.” Ben kissed her.
Mick cleared his throat. They looked at him.
“I’ll just call a squad to come get her.” He looked at Ben. “I’ll give you two some privacy. Maybe you want to get dressed?”
Mick pulled Rochelle out of the bedroom. Ben pulled Lane into the closet with him. God he wanted to make love to her right now, right there in the closet. Every cue he knew told him she was thinking the same thing. Instead he pulled on a pair of khakis.
“I need to call Lila. I think Rochelle might have killed Carol Anne. Did you hear her talking about cheerleaders and radio personalities?”
He pulled on a polo shirt and would have tucked it in except Lane’s hand was on his chest. She pushed him into the wall. “I have never been so afraid and worried in all of my life,” she said, as she kissed him as if her life depended on it. “Is that how you felt last month when you rescued me from Craig and Kyle?”
Just about five weeks ago, he and Mickey had rushed into her office, guns drawn, to save her from a murderer and his accomplice.
“Yes, you scared the hell out of me.”
“Benito Giovanni Bellini, I love you. I don’t know that I can live without you. Please don’t ever make me try.”
“Red, same goes for me. You’re my heart and my life.”
There was a knock on the closet door. “You two okay in there?”
Ben finished pulling his shirt on and tucked it into his pants as Lane opened the closet door.
“Mick, thank you so much,” Lane said as she hugged him.
A month ago he had thought he’d march into hell and sell his soul to the devil himself if she would look at him the way she looked at Bellini.
“That’s twice that you’ve ridden to the rescue,” she said as she held him. He smelled her hair. It smelled like heaven. Dear God, was she really going to marry Bellini?
He looked to Ben and then back to Lane as he released her from the hug. “Did I hear correctly, the two of you are engaged?”
Lane smiled at him. “Yes, for two whole days now.”
The lunatic was right about at least one thing, Lane was beautiful. “Well then, may I offer my congratulations to the groom and best wishes for the future happiness of the bride,” he said, as he reached to shake hands with Ben. “Now back to the business at hand. The squad car has picked her up and now I need both of you to come to the station to make statements.”
“Mickey, we need to call Lila Crane from OPPD. She’s investigating a possible homicide and I think that Rochelle might be the suspect she’s been looking for.” Ben explained about Lane finding Carol Anne and the subsequent search warrant.
God, Lane didn’t need a defense attorney no matter how big, strong and mobbed up he was. What she need was a big strong cop to keep her safe. Why couldn’t she see that?
“I’ll make the call on my way in and have her meet us at Leawood since I’ve got the suspect already in custody.”
Chapter 19
Lila gets her man… er woman
Lane should have been used to it; being separated from Ben as they gave their statements because they were both witnesses. It was what Mick had done after Kyle and Craig were arrested last month. It didn’t ease her tension. Mick came into the interview room with the yellow legal pad. Lila Crane was right behind him. They both sat down and Mick pushed the legal pad and a pen toward Lane.