Love Can Be Murder

for Christmas, although she was sure he wouldn't use it. In fairness, though, she hadn't called enough to know.
    Curious as to what her aunt would say for herself, she walked into the bedroom and leaned against the door, arms crossed as her father's raspy voice trailed off and the tone sounded. But instead of Dee's unbearable high-pitched whine, a man's voice came on the line. A familiar man's voice.
    "Mr. Beadleman, this is Detective Capistrano from the Biloxi Police Department. I'm looking for your daughter, Roxann. If you've heard from her or seen her in the last twenty-four hours, please call me back at—"
    She snatched up the phone and fairly hissed into the receiver. "How dare you call my father's home."
    "Good, you're there. Saves me a heap of paperwork."
    She squeezed the phone, wishing it were his red neck. "What the hell are you talking about?"
    "I went by your place a while ago to finish our conversation. Remodeling?"
    "Funny."
    "Do you know who did it?"
    "You came to mind."
    "I'm much neater when I break and enter."
    "Why are you calling?"
    "When I saw the mess, I started thinking maybe Frank Cape had dropped by to bully you into giving up his wife's hiding place."
    "You're the only bully I've encountered, Detective."
    "Then you're unharmed."
    "Unemployed and unharmed."
    He sighed. "Is that why you're in Baton Rouge? To look for a job?"
    "That's none of your business. How did you find me?"
    "I took a chance that you would run home to Daddy if you were frightened."
    The gross misinterpretation of her relationship with her father made her want to laugh...and cry. "I'm not frightened."
    "You should be. Has it occurred to you that if I could track you down in a single phone call, Frank Cape could do the same?"
    "You're assuming, Detective, that he's the one who ransacked my place."
    "You have other enemies?"
    She certainly didn't want to get into the other suspects—Elise, Richard. "It might have been a random crime."
    "Then you should consider moving to a better neighborhood."
    She smirked. "I'll do that, Detective, as soon as I get a job."
    "That 'got your number' message on your computer screen—does it have something to do with the break-in?"
    "You went inside?"
    "How else was I going to make sure you hadn't been stuffed in the refrigerator?"
    Oh. "Yes, whoever broke in left the message, but I don't know what it means."
    "Old boyfriend?" He sounded dubious.
    Roxann frowned. "It's possible, but not likely."
    "Did you file a police report?"
    "No. Because I thought it might have been you."
    He scoffed. "Have you changed your mind about cooperating?"
    "No."
    "I can protect you from Cape."
    "I can protect myself."
    "Is your father home?"
    "He's gone for the weekend."
    "Don't tell me you're alone."
    "My cousin is here."
    "In the event Cape drops by, is your cousin a big strapping guy?"
    "No, but she could talk him to death."
    "Christ. Do you have a gun?"
    "No. I have pepper spray."
    "Christ . I have your father's address, I'll be there by daybreak. Stay put."
    "Don't—" But he'd already hung up. Roxann cursed and flailed for a full minute before she realized it was just the kind of hysterics that Capistrano would have expected. She counted to ten to calm her thinking, then used her cell phone to call Tom Atlas, her supervisor at Rescue.
    "Roxann, I was just about to call." His tone was rushed, elevated. "Where are you?"
    "At my father's in Baton Rouge."
    "Get out of there, pronto."
    "What's wrong?"
    "After you called me about the break-in, I left a message with Melissa Cape's sister. She just called back to tell me that Frank is on the warpath. Said he was going to find you and make you take him to Melissa. He has a dossier on you—where you live, where you work, where you grew up." Tom paused to take a breath. "He was making threats against your family, Roxann."
    Her throat convulsed—if something happened to her father because of her, she couldn't bear it.
    "Unfortunately, there's no money for a hotel. Do you have someone you can stay with for a while? Somewhere Cape wouldn't find you?"
    Her sluggish mind chugged away until Dr. Nell Oney's sweet face materialized. "I have a friend associated with the organization I can call. I'm sure she'd put me up for a few days."
    "Good. Keep me posted on your whereabouts."
    Roxann disconnected the call and extinguished all the lights, then with heart racing double-time, checked every window in the house to make sure they were locked securely. She flipped on the