Arouse Suspicion by Maureen McKade Page A

was her own fault. When Nick had awakened her last night, all she wanted to do was forget, to let the heat of passion burn away the nightmare's icy grip. That she was incredibly attracted to Nick Sirocco only made it that much more pleasurable. It wasn't the first time she'd used sex to forget, but she'd never enjoyed it quite so much.
    "I told him about your suspicions," Danni said. "But he already knew."
    Sam nodded and pinned Nick with a sharp gaze. "Sergeant Rodgers told me you were at the station asking a lot of questions. He said you think Paddy was murdered." His expression hardened. "Can't you let him rest in peace, Rocky? We all knew how hard it was on him being forced to retire. The force was his life. He told me six months ago that if he retired, he'd go crazy."
    Nick's lean jaw tightened. "He had resigned himself to retiring and was even talking about trips he was planning. He started helping me with a project and was excited about that, too. And he was going to continue his volunteer work at the youth center." Nick fixed his gaze on Danni. "He also told me he was looking forward to spending time with his daughter, if she'd let him."
    Danni's breath caught in her throat, and her heart triple-timed in her chest. Had her father actually confided in him? If so, why hadn't he mentioned it before now?
    Sam's bushy eyebrows furrowed across his brow. "He told you a helluva lot, Rocky."
    "We were friends."
    The waitress stopped by and dropped off another cup for Nick. Instead of letting him fill it himself, the woman picked up the carafe and did it.
    "Thank you," Nick murmured.
    "You're welcome. Is there anything else I can get you?" she asked, her hip pressed against Nick's arm.
    He looked past her breasts, which were level with his face, and smiled. "No, thank you."
    Danni watched the disappointed waitress walk away and wasn't surprised when the woman turned to take another look before disappearing into the kitchen. But the twitch of jealousy in Danni's stomach was a surprise.
    "Look, I know you thought of Paddy as a father, Rocky, but I think you're wrong here. He was found in his own bed with his own service revolver in his hand. There was no sign of a struggle," Sam argued. His expression turned melancholy as he looked at Danni. "I don't understand why you're helping him, Danni. You've seen the evidence. You were a cop. It's a tragic but straightforward suicide. There's no reason to search for a killer who doesn't exist."
    Torn between her surrogate parent and the man who'd stolen her father's affections, Danni shouldn't have had any problem making her decision. But she'd heard her father's message on Nick's answering machine. And the more Sam tried to talk her out of continuing the investigation, the more determined she became to unravel the mystery.
    "Too many things don't add up," Danni said. "If everything Nick said about Dad is true, then there was no reason for him to kill himself."
    "You're missing motivation, Danni," Sam said. "Even the greenest rookie knows there has to be a motive if there was a murder."
    "I know, I know," she said impatiently. "Finding a motive will give us the killer."
    Sam laid his giant hand atop her fist. "I wish I could help you, Danni girl, but your dad and I didn't see each other that much since I retired." He smiled self-consciously. "Nancy's kept me busy doing things around the house that I hadn't gotten around to for twenty-five years. And since we bought the boat, we've started fishing every weekend."
    Danni grasped his hand, pleased to hear he'd finally started doing the things he used to talk about. "I'm really glad to hear that, Sam. How's Nancy doing?"
    Sadness entered the older man's face. "Better. But the doctors say there's really nothing to stop the degeneration of nerves. She'll end up in a wheelchair." He forced a smile. "That's why we have to make the best of what time we have."
    "Dad told me one time that he wished he'd found a woman like Nancy." Danni glanced down to