Pillow Stalk (A Mad for Mod Mystery) by Diane Vallere Read Free Book Online Page B

this.” I opened the notebook to the page that had the threatening message. Last night it had really bothered me. Today I felt a little like maybe it was nothing. It wasn’t even my notebook.
    His eyes scanned the page, then he flipped the notebook closed and looked at the cover, then opened it again and thumbed through the pages. “What is this?”
    “Box office tallies, mostly. I was working on a film festival and wanted to do some research, see if I could determine some patterns to help my proposal.”
    “What are you proposing?”
    “A Doris Day weekend. It’s all very last minute and I have to convince a lot of people that it’s a good idea.”
    “Why don’t people think it’s a good idea?”
    “Do you think a Doris Day film festival is a good idea?” I asked.
    His head tipped to one side then another.
    I was curious to hear his answer. Most men acted like a close proximity to Doris Day would threaten their masculinity.
    “It has its high points,” he started. “Be good for your business, I bet. People seeing those sets, right?” He reached past me and opened the door to the Jeep. When I didn’t move, he put his hand on the small of my back and directed me into the seat. I gathered up the white eyelet fabric of my skirt and stepped onto the floorboards, then sat down. He shut the door behind me and walked around the car to the driver’s side.
    “Are you saying you would attend? Maybe even bring a date?” I challenged, when he was in the car.
    “Are you asking me?”
    “If you’ll come?”
    “If I’ll be your date.”
    I felt the heat rush to my face. “That’s not what I meant.”
    “So you don’t want me to be your date.”
    “Can you be serious for a second, Lieutenant?”
    He leaned back in the driver’s seat. “You don’t have to keep calling me Lieutenant, you know,” he said.
    “What do you want me to call you?
    “You can call me Tex.” By now there was a full on smile on his face.
    “Is that your name?”
    “First name’s Tom. Middle name’s Rex. Most people who know me call me Tex.”
    “Why don’t they call you T. Rex? Or Trex?”
    “Because I tell them not to.”
    “Do people always do what you tell them to?”
    He didn’t answer, and it occurred to me that maybe the answer was yes.
    “Where’s your hat?” I asked suddenly.
    He put a hand on the top of his head for a moment, like he was going to demonstrate that he could rub his tummy at the same time. “I just got this Jeep. Not used to driving a convertible around in the Dallas sun. Yesterday morning when I got the call I was. . . I wasn’t at home. The only thing I could do was grab that hat to wear, or burn the shit out of my head. Seemed lesser of two evils.”
    There was so much in that statement for me to think about at another time, things that told me how vastly different the lieutenant’s and my lifestyles were, but right now, the only thing that mattered was the full tank of gas in his car.
    “Hey, where’s the little fella?” he asked.
    In order to make up for yesterday I had to make a decision about Rocky, and that decision involved leaving him at home for the day. He was in his large cage, easily big enough that he probably wouldn’t notice that he was inside. The interior was filled with plush animals that he would chew on for hours at a time, along with food, water, and the ever-important pee pad. I’d asked one of my neighbors to check in on him later. Her husband was allergic to dogs so she couldn’t have one of her own. I knew she enjoyed the moments she shared with mine.
    I explained about the dog sitter and justified it with a quick recap of my need to be productive. I didn’t spell out our agenda because I wasn’t sure how long I’d be willing or able to accept his oddly generous chivalry.
    “Okay, fair lady, where to?” he asked.
    I scooped the full skirt of my white cotton sundress under my thighs and tucked my feet onto the floorboards. Even though I’d agreed to this