Strategically Wed Read online

  “I don’t need a guard or a nursemaid,” Griff stated with no emotion.

  “Of course you do,” Maggie said irritably. “How are you going to get around with your leg in a cast and your arm in a sling?”

  “I’ll manage.”

  His stubbornness irritated Maggie even more.

  For a moment Wylie let the hostility simmer.

  When the tension had dulled a bit, he leaned forward, planting his forearms atop his thighs. “The way I see it, Jonas Falls is a good hundred and fifty miles from here. The tourists have all left for the season. It’s quiet up there.”

  The idea of spending weeks or months trapped inside a house with Griff made Maggie break into a cold sweat. They’d gotten through the past few weeks by being polite and professional. They had both been acting for the sake of the job. But living in the same house together…? She wasn’t that good of an actor.

  On the other hand, what choice did she have?

  When neither man spoke, she swung around and caught the cryptic visual exchange between the two men.

  A drape of remoteness closed Griff’s expression, making it impossible to decipher. She expected him to object to this ridiculous scenario and when he didn’t, she realized he was allowing her to make the decision. His choices were limited. Wherever he went, he’d need help. She could almost sympathize with him if he were anyone other than who he was.

  Maggie was the one who had to make the decision.

  It would be easy to leave town.

  There was no one to make awkward explanations to. Aunt Jessica had already flown back to Florida so she could pack for a month long cruise she was taking with friends. Wylie could make explanations to their associates at the department.

  Despite the logic, Maggie toyed with the idea of walking out the door and letting Wylie and Griff work out a different plan. One that wouldn’t include her. No one would be surprised. Least of all Griff. He probably expected it. He’d always believed women didn’t have staying power.

  Maggie was tempted to prove him right.

  Temptation wasn’t enough, not after feeling the warmth of his blood seep through her fingers.

  She had no choice—if for no other reason than she’d feel guilty leaving him to fend on his own. Her soft heart had always gotten her into trouble. Why should now be any different? “All right, I’ll do it—just until Griff gets off his crutches.”

  Wylie moved to his feet quickly before she could recant her decision. “Good. I’ll make the arrangements.”

  He turned to replace his chair to its rightful place.

  Behind his back, Griff’s brooding gaze met Maggie’s. Was he surprised she’d caved in? She kept her own expression blank, hiding her feelings and motives, her teeth hurting from the lock she had on her jaw.

  It didn’t matter what he thought or what he believed.

  For better or worse, she had committed herself.

  Chapter 5

  Maggie slipped out the side door of the hospital. Tucking her head into her collar, she kept her face hidden.

  A plain car pulled up next to the curb, and she slid into the passenger seat.

  Christine drove the vehicle around the corner and cruised down the residential street before saying, “No tails, Maggie. It’s all clear.”

  Maggie straightened and let out a deep sigh. She needed to get clothes from their respective apartments, and Wylie refused to let her go alone. “Thanks for picking me up.”

  Christine smiled, looking every bit the cop today. “This was easier than being your bridesmaid. At least I’m not handicapped with panty hose. Where shall I drop you first?”

  “Take me to Griff’s apartment.”

  Christine grinned. “Anxious to see how your new husband lives?”

  “Something like that.”

  Christine had been Maggie’s only confidante during the past few months. Dark-haired with a long leggy frame, Christine could have had any man in the department, but she turned down all of their offers.

  “How’s Griff doing?” Christine asked.

  “About as well as you’d expect.”

  “Irritable as hell, is he?”

  “In spades.”

  The tension started easing from Maggie’s shoulders. She had no idea how she was going to handle the next six weeks of Griff’s company. The very idea made her shoulder blades itch and the blood vessels along her forehead pound.

  “The word is that you two are heading out of town for your honeymoon.” The lightness of Christine’s voice didn’t mask the question.

  Maggie wanted nothing more than to unload all her frustrations about this so-called marriage and what lay ahead. However, despite her complete trust in the other woman, she couldn’t sacrifice the investigation or Griff’s safety. A possible leak in the department hadn’t been ruled out.

  “It won’t be much of a honeymoon with Griff’s injuries.”

  Maggie was grateful when Christine didn’t press her for more details. The other woman must have been curious about why Maggie had agreed to finalize the marriage vows. Christine knew as well as anyone that the last person on earth Maggie would have chosen to marry was Griff Murdock. And yet, Wylie had now spread the word that Maggie and Griff had signed the marriage papers, were legally wed and were preparing for their honeymoon.

  Just the word “honeymoon” created a big knot inside Maggie. Only in the throes of a nightmare would she have dreamed of going on one with Griff.

  Christine rechecked the rearview mirror before making a right hand turn. They clocked another few blocks before she pulled up in front of a white-fenced two-story house. “This is it. Do you want some help?”

  Maggie shook her head. “I’ve got it covered. This shouldn’t take long.”

  “I’ll take a spin around the neighborhood and check out the area.”

  Maggie thrust open the car door and hurried up the sidewalk, fishing Griff’s keys from her pocket. She’d never been to the boardinghouse before. Griff told her Mrs. Harris, the landlady, would be gone. This was the afternoon she visited an ailing relative in a nursing home on the other side of town.

  Letting herself in the front door, Maggie didn’t take time to look around. She crossed the floor and headed up the stairs. Fortunately she didn’t meet any of the other tenants. Griff’s room was the second one on the right. She fitted the key he’d given her into the lock.

  Once inside she took a deep breath, trying to dispel the uneasiness that seemed to increase tenfold.

  Her eyes took in the sparse furnishings, skipping hurriedly past the king-sized bed. It didn’t surprise her that Griff’s place would be neat. He carried an innate tidiness about him, which went along with his aura of remoteness. There was little to reveal the inner man, his goals, desires or passions.

  Don’t even think about it, Maggie. Just do what you have to do and get out of here.

  She gave herself a mental slap and headed to the closet to find the suitcase she’d been told would be there. She flung the big bag on the bed and quickly emptied the drawers of their contents. She tried to keep her mind empty and not to give any weight to the realization that Griff was a boxers’ man. After she emptied the bureau, she tackled the bathroom. She stowed his shaving gear in a separate bag along with the few other toiletries she’d been told to bring.

  The impersonal environment made her even more nervous about the weeks ahead of her. It wouldn’t have surprised her if he catalogued his medicine cabinet. Or labeled his socks.

  What did she really know about Griff Murdock? He’d been her father’s partner. So what? That didn’t tell her what he’d be like to live with.

  What possible landmines did she have the potential of tripping?

  Behave, Maggie. Next you’ll be speculating if he sleeps on the left side or the right? Touching his clothes made everything seem too familiar for her peace of mind. She made another stab at blanketing her thoughts before her imagination got the best of her.

  She pulled a sweater from his closet
and then decided to grab his heavy jacket in case the weather took an early winter turn.

  She’d just left the bathroom when there was a sharp knock at the door.

  “Mr. Murdock? Are you in there?” an unfamiliar woman’s voice penetrated the thick wood.

  Maggie hesitated for a moment, wondering if there was any chance of ignoring the knock. The doorknob jiggled and she heard the sound of keys rattling.

  It had to be the landlady.

  Maggie didn’t have time to think. She pasted a polite smile on her face and opened the door to greet an older woman with purplish gray hair.

  The woman jerked back. “Oh my gracious.” She clasped her hand to her chest. “You frightened me.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. You must be Mrs. Harris.”

  “I know who I am. Who are you?”

  “I’m Maggie Ben—” she caught her faux pas just in time. “Murdock.” She hoped Mrs. Harris didn’t notice her stuttering.

  “You’re the wife?”

  It was all Maggie could do to nod her head. The words of deceit were locked in the back of her throat.

  If anything, the landlady eyed her with even more suspicion. “I’ve never seen you over here before. Seems awfully strange for a man to marry someone who’s never been to his own home. How do I know you’re the missus?”

  “Would you like to see some identification or perhaps you want to call Sergeant Wylie Jameson at the Pendleton Police Department. He’ll verify my identity. You can use Griff’s cell phone.”

  Mrs. Harris didn’t take up the offer to use the phone. Neither did she seem convinced. “Ever since the shooting, I’ve been locking the house whenever I come and go, never knowing if someone was going to show up here and start shooting at me.”

  “I’m sure you’re in no danger.”

  “You’re sure? You know who shot Mr. Murdock?”

  “The police are diligently pursuing all leads. Whoever shot Mr. Murdock will be behind bars soon.”

  “Humpf.” Mrs. Harris folded her arms. “If they’re so smart, then how come Mr. Murdock got himself shot? Seems to me that no one is safe if a cop can’t take care of himself.”

  Before Maggie could respond, the landlady lowered her arms and waved an accusatory finger in Maggie’s direction. “Then I come home and hear you rummaging around. I thought someone had broken into Mr. Murdock’s. He had told me to keep an eye on things until he got back. How do I know who’s a crook or who’s not?”

  From the way the older woman rattled on, Maggie could see Mrs. Harris was definitely working herself into a state. Maggie resorted to the patient tone she’d used with Aunt Jessica. “Mrs. Harris, I don’t believe you’re in any danger.”

  “Why not? Mr. Murdock was shot, wasn’t he? Since he’s not dead, or…” Her voice trailed off and her eyes widened. “Oh no. Is he dead? Are you collecting his things?”

  She tried to peer around Maggie’s shoulder to see what she had been doing inside the room.

  Maggie used her body as a shield to ward off the woman’s prying eyes. “No, Mr. Murdock isn’t dead.” Desperate to get rid of her unwanted visitor, she placed a reassuring hand on the woman’s arm. “Griff just wanted me to pick up a few of his things.”

  “That looks like more than a few things.” The older woman frowned at her suspiciously. “Mr. Murdock’s not trying to skip out on his rent, is he? Is that why you’re cleaning out his things?”

  “No, he’ll pay his rent at the regular time.”

  “When is he coming back?”

  “He’ll contact you.”

  “Why can’t you tell me?”

  “I don’t know when he’ll be released from hospital.”

  “What about his mail? Maybe I should take it to him, just to make sure he’s doing all right.”

  “I’m sure he would appreciate your visit once the quarantine has been lifted.”

  “Quarantine?” Mrs. Harris took a step backward, as if Maggie was spewing germs. “He’s sick? I thought he had been shot.”

  “There’s been a viral breakout at the hospital, and they’re limiting the number of visitors to the hospital.”

  “How come you haven’t been quarantined?”

  “I’m immune.” The lies were literally tripping off her tongue. Before Mrs. Harris could form another question, Maggie said, “I’ll have him contact you as soon as he’s up and about. Would that be acceptable?”

  “What about his mail? I don’t want to be responsible for nondelivery.”

  “Forward it to the department. I’m sure Griff will want to reimburse you for your trouble.”

  Maggie started to close the door, hoping the woman would take the hint and leave.

  Mrs. Harris wasn’t about to be pushed out. She thrust her foot in the doorway. “You tell him I’ve got a waiting list for this room and it would be common courtesy for him to let me know if I need to get a new tenant.”

  Only after she got her final word in did she pivot and close the door behind her.

  Maggie sagged against the wall in relief. She quickly relatched the door, a flimsy attempt to ward off any more sudden intrusions.

  Within minutes, she’d finished packing, eager to put distance between herself and the nosy landlady.

  Before she could unlatch the door, the phone rang.

  Should she answer it?

  There was no answering machine.

  After the third ring, she grabbed the receiver. “Hello?”

  The person on the other end didn’t respond, even though Maggie heard breathing. “Is anyone there?”

  “Are you Mrs. Murdock? Mrs. Griff Murdock?” an unfamiliar voice whispered.

  “Yes, I am.”

  A long pause answered.

  “Hello?” she asked. “Who’s there?”

  A distinct click reverberated on the other end.

  Maggie slowly recradled the phone. There was something eerie about the voice.

  Who would care whether or not she was married to Griff? An old girlfriend?

  When they’d embarked on the engagement, Griff had claimed he hadn’t seriously dated anyone in over a year.

  Maggie attempted to shake off her increasing jitteriness as she gathered up the rest of Griff’s things and headed toward the door.

  She jumped as a phone rang. The sound came from the small pocket-sized phone Griff had insisted she take with her. The suitcase slipped out her hands as she fumbled for it.

  “Maggie?”

  She recognized Griff’s deep voice and almost sagged with relief.

  “Who else would it be?” Then Maggie realized how snappish she sounded. She never thought she’d be relieved to hear the sound of Griff Murdock’s voice. “Sorry. I’m just a little frazzled.”

  “What happened?”

  “I just had a run in with your landlady, and I intercepted a creepy phone call. Other than that, life is rosy.”

  “Who called?”

  “Someone who didn’t seem to be too happy about me being married to you. I figure it was an old girlfriend.”

  Griff didn’t say anything right away. Then she heard him repeating what she said to someone else.

  “Is that Wylie?” she asked.

  “Yeah. He wants us to get out of town as soon as possible. Is Christine still with you?”

  Maggie checked out the window. “She’s parked across the street.”

  “How soon can you get here?”

  “I’m almost finished, although I couldn’t find your pajamas or robe.”

  “I usually don’t need them.”

  “Oh.”

  “You can stop and pick up a bathrobe and pajamas at Mert’s Store. I’ve got an account there.”

  “What size?”

  “Large.”

  Maggie could hear his rich amusement. She refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing he was getting under her skin. Fortunately, she was alone where no one else could see the flush warming her cheeks. “Anything else?” she asked, keeping
her tone as cool and impersonal as possible. She didn’t want to think about how wifely this conversation sounded.

  “Not for me.”

  She snapped shut the cell phone and gathered up Griff’s belongings one more time.

  Mrs. Harris seemed to be waiting for Maggie to appear as she stepped into the hall. “You tell Mr. Murdock that I’ll be sleeping with a gun under my pillow.”

  “You got a license for it?”

  Mrs. Harris sniffed. “My nephew gave me this gun for my own protection. Are you threatening to arrest me when real criminals are out on the streets terrorizing law-abiding citizens?”

  “Law-abiding citizens carry registered guns.”

  The landlady humpfed and spun on her toe. She entered a room at the end of the hall and slammed the door behind her.

  Maggie didn’t waste any time. She strode down the sidewalk and gestured to Christine. “Pop the trunk.”

  As soon as she threw the suitcase into the trunk, she hopped into the passenger seat. “Drive as fast as it’s legal.”

  Christine didn’t hesitate. “You okay?” she asked.

  “I will be as soon as I’m out of range from Mrs. Harris.”

  “A gossip?”

  “The worst kind. Wylie should hire her. She’d make a first-class interrogator.”

  Christine shuddered. “Not while I’m working there.”

  “You’ve met her?”

  “Once.”

  “Once is all it takes.”

  “Yep.”

  “We’ve got to make another stop before we pick up my things.”

  Inside Mert’s Store, Maggie found everything without assistance. She deliberately chose unappealing colors in both items even though she hoped to never see Griff in either of them. At the checkout she was blessed with a salesclerk who was more interested in peeling off her nail polish than inclined to question Maggie about her purchases or chatting. Maggie was in and out of the store in seven minutes flat.

  Her last stop, at her apartment, didn’t take much time, either. She’d already had a head start on her packing. She simply resorted her suitcase to take only those items that would be appropriate for northern Wisconsin. Besides jeans, shirts and toiletries, she decided to bring her sewing machine and the doll fabric she’d just purchased. The days would get long, and she’d need to keep busy.