Clay saw more than a few male heads turn as Allie spotted him, Madeline and Kirk and began to stride toward their table in the back corner. Evidently, he wasn't the only man in the place impressed with her transformation.
"Hi," she said, giving Clay a no-holds-barred smile as she slid into the one empty chair, which happened to be right next to him.
He refused to let his gaze linger on her mouth. "Hello," he responded. Then he drained his beer. He had a feeling that it was going to be a long night. He didn't like what he was doing or why he was doing it. But that didn't matter. He had to do what he could. It always came down to necessity.
"You look great," Madeline said. "I hope you've found your second wind."
"I took some No-Doz. It was quicker and easier than drinking a gallon of coffee," she said.
Clay knew his stepsister was very attractive, with her long, thick auburn hair, dramatic cheekbones and large hazel eyes. But Allie didn't look drab by comparison. It was her mouth....
And that beauty mark. Heck, Clay was even beginning to like her freckles. She was different, unusual...and seemed unaware of the effect she was having on the men around her.
"Coffee makes me jittery if I drink too much," Allie was saying. "It's the curse that goes along with having a high metabolism. I'm usually hyper until I can't go anymore, and then--" she snapped her fingers "--I'm out. So, if this affects me the same way and I go to sleep--" she smiled at Clay again "--wake me up."
"We'll take care of you," he said.
Her eyes met his, and he read frank curiosity in them.
"Would you like a drink?" he asked.
"I'll have a beer."
At his wave, the waitress hurried over, and he ordered two beers. "Anyone else?"
"I'm all set," Madeline said.
Kirk lifted his half-filled glass. "Me, too. I don't know about you, but I'm ready for a game of pool."
Kirk was as easygoing and affable as he looked. Until he was confronted by a threat to someone he loved. Then he was a force to be reckoned with. Clay liked him, thought he'd make Madeline a fine husband.
"A table's opening up," Madeline said, calling out to a friend to hold it for them. "We gonna bet on the game?"
"Hell, yeah," Kirk replied. "I came to win big." Shoving his dark hair out of his eyes, he turned to Allie. "Fifty bucks says Maddy and I can take you and Clay."
"I'll bet fifty, too," Madeline said.
"You?" Clay asked, obviously taken aback.
"I'm expecting a sizable tax refund."
"So what do you say?" Kirk's focus was still on Allie.
Allie's eyebrows slid up. "You two aren't confident or anything, are you?"
"We might be confident, but are we any good? That's what you have to ask yourself," he replied with a teasing wink.
"That's not the only factor in the equation." Allie winked right back. "Maybe you two are good, but maybe Clay and I are better."
Madeline made a taunting sound and spoke over Kirk. "Ooh, I love it. She's not going to let you intimidate her."
"We won't know until we play," he said.
Allie leaned closer to Clay, thoughtfully tugging on her bottom lip. "You've seen what these two can do. What do you think? Will I have to carry you?"
Clay coughed in surprise. Women generally assumed he'd be the better player.
"I might be a burden," he replied dryly, "but I'll try to hold my own."
She studied him a little longer, then flashed him a grin. "Let's do it."
As Allie, Kirk and Madeline headed over to the pool table, Clay intercepted the waitress who was bringing their drinks and carried them into the back room, where Kirk was already racking balls.
Allie accepted her beer with a nod of thanks, took a sip, then set it on the edge of the table.
"Who breaks?" she asked above the babble of voices around them.
"You can," Kirk said, but Allie didn't respond. She was too busy staring across the room.
Clay followed her gaze to see Joe Vincelli coming toward them, a smirk on his face.
"Out on the town tonight, Officer McCormick?" he asked.
Allie's spine visibly straightened. "Something wrong with that, Mr. Vincelli?"
"No, of course not. It's just that when you said you were going to find the man responsible for my uncle's murder, I didn't expect you to go out drinking with him. That's a hell of a way to investigate."
Instinctively, Clay stepped in front of her. He wouldn't allow Joe to bully a woman in his presence. But, even at barely over five feet tall, Allie didn't seem to feel she needed his protection.
She put a hand on his arm and gently but firmly pushed him out of the way. "I'll drink with whoever I want," she stated flatly.
Joe's jaw tightened as his eyes sought Clay, but Clay could sense that he was weighing his response. Obviously not wanting to get his ass kicked, Joe reined himself in, which came as a bit of a disappointment to Clay. He'd long been eager for the opportunity to rearrange Joe's weasel-like features.
"What's your problem?" Clay asked. "Why are you always harassing women? First Cindy, then Grace and now Allie. I'm right here, Joe. If you want a piece of me, let's take it outside."
He thought Allie might interfere--maybe assume her role as cop--but she didn't. She stood where she was and didn't speak, but he could feel the tension in her as Joe considered his options.
Finally, Joe backed away. "He's a cold-blooded killer, Allie. Don't let him fool you."
"He doesn't frighten me," Allie said. "Nor will he or anyone else interfere with the integrity of my investigation."
Joe risked throwing one more glance at Clay. "If that's the truth, I wouldn't go anywhere alone with him. Maybe if you learn too much, you'll go missing next."
Chapter 6
Cursing Joe Vincelli, Allie bent over to take her first shot. Just when Clay seemed to be relaxing, Joe had to come up and cause trouble. Now Clay was wearing a closed, rather grim expression and had fallen silent. Why couldn't the people in this town trust her to do her job?
Setting the cue ball on the dot, she sent it flying into the triangle of solids and stripes, which scattered across the table. Two solids dropped with a double thunk into opposite corner pockets.
The others rolled to a stop. She didn't do as well on her second shot, but she didn't leave her opponents with anything they could capitalize on, either.
"Not bad, eh?" she said, teasing Madeline and Kirk.
"I haven't lost any money yet," Kirk said and motioned for Madeline to take her turn.