he couldnât even imagine.
He rang the bell and when Davica answered, she hugged him. Not sideways, like a friend, but straight on, pressing her breasts into his chest. Teffinger saw it coming and did nothing to stop it.
She wore a white T-shirt that barely covered her ass. He couldnât tell if she wore a bra or panties.
âYouâre in a good mood,â he said.
âI was wondering when youâd come back.â
Teffinger smiled.
âWhy, did you miss me?â
She walked as he followed, then turned and said, âHow could I miss you? I didnât even throw anything at you.â
He laughed.
âA sense of humor,â he said. âI like that.â
They ended up outside at the pool. She dangled her perfectly tanned legs in the water while he sat near the edge, staying high and dry, holding a piping-hot fresh cup of coffee. The Colorado sun brought the autumn air to the exact right temperature.
Teffinger took his sport coat off and threw it on a chaise lounge.
âSo are you here to interrogate me or screw me?â she asked.
âI only have a license for one of those,â he said.
âThe second, I hope.â
He shook his head and then got serious. âJust out of curiosity, do you know anyone named Tonya Obenchain? Sheâs a real estate agent.â
She didnât answer.
Instead she slipped off the edge of the pool and splashed into the water.
The T-shirt floated up around her.
It became immediately apparent that she wore no bra or panties.
Just the T.
She kicked out, then swam back and folded her arms on the edge of the tile.
âNo, I donât. Why?â
He swallowed.
âWe came across her body yesterday,â he said. âAbout a hundred feet from where we found Angela Pfeiffer. She was buried about six inches under, the same as Angela.â
âYouâre kidding.â
No, he wasnât.
Davica dunked under the water and kicked off the side of the pool, getting halfway across before she surfaced. There she went into a perfect overhand stroke. At the other end she stopped, took her T-shirt off, and threw it onto the concrete.
Then she swam back, pulled herself out of the water, and sat on the edge of the pool next to Teffinger.
She turned her face to the sun and closed her eyes.
She didnât have a hair on her body.
Not anywhere.
Then she looked at him. âI didnât kill Angela and I sure as hell didnât kill any real estate agents, either.â
âIâm not saying you did,â Teffinger said. He didnât exactly know how to ease into the next question, so he just asked it. âJust to be clear, you and Tonya Obenchain were never, you know â¦â
âWhat? Lovers?â
âRight, that.â
Davica laughed.
âWomen arenât like men, Teffinger,â she said. âWe remember the names of the people we sleep with. So I can definitely say no, we werenât. Besides, real estate agents are boring. I like dangerous people. Bad boys and bad girls.â She ran a finger down Teffingerâs chest. âPeople like you.â
âMe? Iâm not dangerous.â
She looked him in the eyes.
âYouâre a guy on the edge, Teffinger, and you know it. You wonât end up boring me. Thatâs why weâre going to be lovers.â
Teffinger was about to say something, but she stood up, walked over to the chaise lounge, lay down on her stomach, and stretched out.
âYou got me all stressed out,â she said. âNow you owe me a backrub.â
He knew he shouldnât, but he walked over, put his hands on her shoulders, and kneaded her muscles.
âI love it when Iâm right,â she said.
âJust donât spread it around,â he said.
âGive me a full-body massage and I wonât.â
He worked his hands lower down her back, not knowing where heâd stop.
14
DAY THREEâSEPTEMBER 7
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
W hen a