Neighbors and More (High Rise Series) by Mona Risk Page A

fortune here. I mean a big one. Don’t leave
it around for anyone to grab and run.”
    “Don’t I know that?” She’d scored a point. Time to press her
advantage. “Steve wouldn’t have needed a ring. If I wanted a man—if I loved a
man—he wouldn’t need a ring to convince me to marry him. I already have my
share of diamonds. I didn’t want Steve. I despised him.” She turned toward Dante.
Would he believe her?
    “Detective Ladd, if Steve was her fiancé, I would have
thought that would make Alexa less likely to be the killer rather than more
likely. Don’t you think?”
    The detective’s gaze flipped from the cheap ring in his hand
to the giant rock she held. He slammed the small box shut, shoved it in the
plastic bag, and dropped the card in, too. “I will have fingerprints taken on
this. I will continue my search now. Not a word to the press,” he added before
moving to the guestroom.
    “We’re not the ones who leak nasty gossip,” Dante retorted.
“But I suggest you search two apartments, Julia Bairey’s 1202 where Steve lived
when married, and Cater Morton’s 502 where Steve moved after his divorce.”
    “Mr. Cantari, I know how to do my job. I can assure you these
condos are on my list.”
    Alexa slumped on the edge of her bed. “I’m sick, just
thinking that someone has entered my condo more than once, opened my medicine
cabinet, searched through my clothes.”
    “Calm down, sweetheart. I promise we’ll find out who wants
to hurt you.”
    Tilting her chin toward the door, she muttered, “He’s
convinced I’m lying.”
    “No. I don’t think Ladd has made a decision. He’s still
looking for clues. Several people have a good motive to get rid of Steve.”
    Pictures of jail, handcuffs, and court zipped around in her
head. “Dante, do you believe me?” She wished he could take her in his arms and
kiss her senseless to make her forget the nightmare. “Do you believe I’ve never
seen that ring?”
    If he had no faith in her, he’d better leave and never come
back. She’d had enough deceitful men around her.
    His lips twitched in a hint of a smile. “I’m sure you’d have
thrown it in Steve’s face.”
    Relieved, she exhaled. At least, she still had a friend in
this rotten world.
    “The whole thing doesn’t make sense.” Dante shook his head.
    Ladd came back toward them, his plastic bag swollen with
more items. She didn’t give a damn if he took the whole household. “Mrs. Partson,
do not leave town. Do not go any place where I can’t reach you.”
    “I don’t intend to. But I repeat—”
    “Alexa, don’t say anything now.” Dante’s warning gaze froze
the words in her throat.
    Apparently, she was the main suspect. A shudder shook her
and she plopped her forehead into her hands. Had they reached the point where
anything she said could be held against her? 

 
     
            
    Chapter Seven
    After Ladd’s departure, Dante strolled to the kitchen,
grabbed two cans of beer from the refrigerator, and joined Alexa on her
balcony. They settled on the rocking chairs watching the breathtaking view of
the azure water spotted with the white sails of fishing boats. A couple of Jet
Skis crisscrossed, stirring a wake of foam behind them, and a yellow boat
zoomed past, dragging an expert water-skier.
    Dante snapped the cans open and handed her one. He gulped
down half of his can and clucked his tongue. “Mmm. I needed a cold drink.”
    “Darn, I forgot to have the lock changed.”
    “It wouldn’t make a big difference, if someone can access
the spare key from the security room. An alarm system connected to the police
would be more useful.”
    Her eyes flashed with interest. “Not a bad idea. I’ll look
into it tomorrow.”
    The breeze carried notes of music. Alexa bent over the rail.
“Oh Dante, look. There’s a wedding on the beach.” He glanced in the direction
she pointed. A flowered arch erected on the sand harbored a party of people, elegantly
dressed but