A Nose for Trouble Read online

  AND HE WAS STILL RUNNING, wasn’t he? Still hiding from the truth, and from her.

  Another round of wheezing and snorting. Brennan’s gaze flicked to his roommate’s bed. It would solve so many problems if the bastard stopped breathing altogether. Johnny dying, however, wouldn’t help him discover who the true mastermind of the drug traffickers was. Johnny was a ringleader, but he answered to someone. Over three years of his life was on the line, too many lives ruined, and too many months undercover so he could learn the truth. And now, just when things were falling into place, Ellie crossed their paths once again.

  He’d told Johnny cops had arrived on the scene and saved Ellie, but he’d made sure his boss understood her injuries were too great for her to return to the force. They’d been untouchable for over two years, proof she wasn’t a threat. It didn’t matter they’d spent most of that time overseas in a safe house owned by the contact meant to meet him at the bar. He’d never met him. All Brennan knew was the man planned to expand his business into smaller towns where a scattered police force had much less control. And of all the towns they could have chosen, it had to be the one Ellie lived in.

  A muscle tightened in his cheek. Now what? Should he warn her? Would she even listen? He’d no bloody idea what to tell her. Hell, he wasn’t sure he could face her. He’d never gone to the hospital afterward, relying on a contact to inform him of her progress once he was overseas. His contact made it clear she hated him. Brennan doubted it was anywhere near as much as he hated himself.

  He inhaled. A floral scent filled the room. He noticed the window was open, the gentle breeze bringing in the garden’s subtle aromas. His imagination told him it was Ellie’s scent, the exotic hint which clung to her hair when she snuggled against him after they’d made love. The wind blew the curtain inwards. How easy it was to imagine it was her breathy sigh as she whispered how much she loved him. Words he’d never hear again.

  Brennan sat up, shaking his head as though it would disconnect him from a past he no longer deserved. Try as he might to deny it, Ellie still held his heart. The problem was Johnny. The man had a photographic memory for faces. And if he saw her, hell, if he so much as had an inkling Ellie had resumed her duties in Trinket Bay, Brennan couldn’t bear to think what he’d do.

  CHAPTER SIX

  ELLIE INCHED CLOSER to her desk and peered at her computer screen. There’d been reports of similar cases of medical clinic break-ins from stations to the north. Instinct told her the physical evidence she and Henderson gathered at the Sinclair’s medical clinic would be the same. Nothing confirmed her suspicions though, and she still hadn’t spoken to her superior regarding them.

  The chair squeaked in protest as she slumped backward, her momentum and the wheels spinning her away from the computer to the window and the beauty that was Trinket Bay. Ellie didn’t notice the architecture of Daisy’s Café as the golden glow of the afternoon sun bounced off its roof. She was back in the murky alley, gun shots thundering in her ears, and her heart shattering in her chest. On the floor near her office door, Charlie whined then growled, her legs jerking as she slept.

  The station’s phones rang. Once, twice, then stopped.

  She shrugged, her thoughts once more in the past.

  The last she’d heard, Brennan had fled the country with the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the Australian Federal Police on his tail. Later, A.S.I.O. believed he was working with foreign dealers. Both agencies questioned her relationship with Brennan, and she’d told them what she thought of the lying scumbag. She’d made it clear he’d betrayed her too, not just the uniform. While they’d concluded she was innocent and cleared her name, they’d refused to share information. Even if they had, nothing eased the pain of his betrayal.

  At the thought, her stomach clenched, her jaw tightened to the point where she might crack a tooth, and her heart shattered once again. If she were the fanciful type, she’d have said she endured the plunge of a hundred daggers piercing their target. The only thing that hurt more was the damn scar and its unerring reminder of what he’d done.

  The phones rang again, and she pounced on the one on her desk.

  “Trinket Bay Police Station. This is Senior Constable Ellie Marsden speaking. How may I assist you?”

  Silence greeted her. She repeated herself. Heavy breathing followed by a deep, but mirthless chuckle rattled down the line before the call disconnected. Ellie stared at the screen display a moment longer, then put the phone back in its cradle. There was something familiar about that laugh. When nothing further came to mind, she shrugged. Prank calls weren’t unusual during the summer holidays. Ellie noted the time and logged the call. It was unlikely her superior would want to pursue it, but old habits were hard to break.

  She looked down at Charlie to find the dog gazing back at her intensely.

  “Our shift’s over, and I have plans tonight. Let’s go home.”

  “Hot date?” Koen Henderson, their constable, asked on the way past her door, files in hand.

  “The hottest,” she drawled, straightening before crossing her arms over her chest and sizing him up like she would a suspect. “What’s it to you, Henderson?” Guilt stabbed her, sharp and fast, as the younger man’s cheeky grin vanished and his tanned face showed a hint of embarrassment. She smiled to let him know she was joking. “Sorry. I’m meeting friends at the brewery. We haven’t caught up in a while. You?”

  His grin returned two-fold. “First Class Constable Dermott McClane.” The formal use of their fellow officer’s full name and title made the younger man laugh, but he was quick to control it. “Says I’m the best at filing and put me in charge of paperwork tonight. He also thinks I’m stupid enough to believe everything he tells me. Don’t worry,” he added when her serious look reappeared. “I won’t mess anything up. Just adding an extra page to put on his desk in the morning. Make him think the commissioner is planning a surprise inspection. You know how he loves to keep the station spotless.” He waggled his eyebrows for good measure.

  Charlie snorted as though she was in on the joke, and Ellie smiled again. Her hands rose in a gesture of innocence. “Nothing to do with me, but I’m sure the place will be sparkling when I next come in. Have a good night, Henderson.”

  “You too, Senior Constable,” he said as they parted ways. His voice lowered. “You too.”

  WITH CHARLIE SETTLED at home surrounded by her favourite treats and toys nearby, Ellie made her way to the Bayside Brewery. There’d been music playing before she left as Ellie thought the radio might keep Charlie company. But that was before the familiar blend of piano keys called to the sweet strains of a single violin and ensnared her in a memory.

  She’d never been a lover of classical music. If she couldn’t stamp her feet and move to the beat, she didn’t want to know. Brennan introduced her to a magical world of wonder a few months after they began dating. Maybe she didn’t want to dance, but her heart soared, her eyes closed, and tears of joy spilled down her cheeks. Then Brennan wrapped her in his arms the way the music weaved itself around her soul. When he kissed away each tear before finally claiming her mouth, much like the song, she didn’t want that kiss to end. That night was the first time they’d made love, and he’d been as sweet and tender as the song. And when passion consumed them again, she’d shown him fire and raw, sensual heat. It was perfect. He’d been perfect.

  She was at the bottom step leading to the brewery and in danger of tripping up them when she slapped a hand over her mouth.

  Damn it! She’d hummed the bloody tune all the way there. She’d even struck a pose and then danced across the street like she was in Brennan’s arms, her heels tapping along in time with the music only she could hear.

  Ellie glanced around, but no one was looking in her direction. Thank goodness. She would have appeared as though she was one of the drunk and disorderly patrons she and her fellow police officers normally escorted to a holding cell to sleep it off.

  She should have switched the
bloody thing off. As it was, she’d almost snapped the dial in her haste to change stations. It seemed her heart, and apparently her feet, hadn’t received the memo to which her brain so eagerly clung.

  Kayla, Lucy, and Nolan greeted her, drinks in hand at their favourite table wedged between the bar and the doors opening onto the brewery’s popular beer garden. The coveted position allowed them a view of the room, and for some strange reason, the ability to converse without screaming over the crowd.

  Lucy squealed, threw her arms around her, and squeezed tight. Ellie extracted herself from the enthusiastic woman’s embrace with a hesitant smile. The younger woman had only been in town a few months, and Ellie needed more time to warm to her exuberant ways. Trust was a big deal to Ellie, and outside the members of the Trinket Bay police station, she didn’t give it easily. She had Brennan to thank for that.

  “You look amazing.” She stared at Ellie’s regulation bun as she flicked back her silvery-blonde hair, which fell in a silky curtain well past her shoulders. “One of these days you must let your hair down, and not just in the literal sense.”

  “She wears it in a ponytail every morning,” Nolan said. “Well, I thought it was a ponytail. Hard to tell without my glasses.”

  All three women stared at him, eyebrows arching, and in Kayla’s and Lucy’s case, smirks tugging at the corners of their mouths.

  “What? I see her running with Charlie most mornings. I didn’t mean...”

  Kayla and Lucy burst out laughing and to her surprise, Ellie did too.

  “Okay, I get it. It seems I’m not wanted. Allow me to finish my drink before I leave you to your ladies’ night.” Mischief shone in the golden-brown depths of his eyes to show he wasn’t serious. “I’m off to mingle. They’ve hired a new bar attendant. With the amount of people here tonight, there may be more beautiful women waiting to fall for my obvious charms.”

  With that, he disappeared into the crowd.

  “Mingle, huh!” Ellie said after tasting the frothy concoction Kayla had bought her, deciding she liked the mint and strawberry mix even if there was too much cream. It reminded her of the strawberry cupcakes her mother made when Ellie was young.

  She’d dollop the mixture into the patty pan, fill their centres with a blend of chopped mint and strawberries fresh from the garden, add more mixture and bake them. The fruity, warmed-by-the-sun aroma would waft through the house for hours afterward. When they cooled, which seemed to take ‘forever’, her mother would blend more strawberries with icing sugar to make a fruity icing and stick a mint leaf on top. Her mother ate hers with a splodge of cream, but Ellie ripped off the wrapper and devoured the deep pink-topped goodness like it was a slice of heaven.

  She took another sip as her friend continued the conversation.

  “Doesn’t make any sense, does it?” Kayla said, her gaze on Nolan as he headed to the opposite end of the bar. “I’ve never met a bigger flirt, yet he panics if a woman shows him any real attention. He’s worked with me for a few years now, and I still haven’t discovered his story. Trust me, the number of women who ask for Nolan want more than their pooches pampered.”

  A sexy giggle followed her words. Ellie noticed two men from the group nearest them, probably tourists since she didn’t recognise either man, turn around and give Kayla ‘the look’. As she returned her attention to her friends, she saw Lucy glance from her to Kayla, a thoughtful expression crossing the younger woman’s delicate features as she drained her glass.

  “Speaking of mingling, I’m saying hi to those taut and tanned surfers in the beer garden. I met them on the beach this morning,” Lucy said. With a toss of her head, she sashayed outside.

  “I can’t believe she’s only been with me for four months. She knows more people than I do, and I’ve lived here for years. Anyway, now we’re, um, alone.” Kayla’s lips pursed, her concern evident. “Do you know who broke into the clinic? Are my parents in any trouble?”

  “No, I don’t. Not yet. Your parents shouldn’t worry. They followed procedure, and they have a police report to give to their insurers.”

  Ellie smiled at Kayla’s relieved expression, then grew serious. She lowered her voice and Kayla leant closer to catch her words.

  “There is something that’s bothering me though.”

  “Oh, what’s that?” Kayla asked before swallowing a mouthful of her wine.

  Ellie shook her head. “Never mind, I was just tossing an old case around in my head.”

  When she hesitated and looked away, Kayla squeezed her arm.

  “You can trust me, Ellie. I won’t say a word.”

  Ellie took a moment to gather her thoughts, then nodded. “I have a photo.”

  “Of who?”

  Ellie downed her drink and removed her purse from her handbag. Time dragged to a halt as she retrieved the photo she’d told herself to destroy countless times.

  Brennan’s dark eyes caught hers, his sultry stare filling her with a longing that hadn’t faded even after almost three years of loneliness. Her hatred for the lying bastard was as strong today as the day he betrayed her, but the desire she still held for him was there too.

  Liquorice lashes fringed a gaze suggesting he pictured them together, naked. Her surroundings faded as he bit his plump lips, then whispered he wanted to worship every inch of her. And afterward he’d held her close and told her how much he loved her.

  He’d worshipped her all right. The moment the Polaroid camera’s button clicked to capture the occasion, he’d placed the camera and the developing photo on the table and gathered her in his arms. They’d been celebrating their first year together in the shadowy corner of her favourite restaurant. She’d shunned her usual severe hairstyle in favour of loose spiralled curls, though she’d pinned a few up to frame her oval-shaped face.

  Brennan’s lips found hers and she could taste the champagne, the best they could afford, the crispy-skinned barramundi they’d ordered, and the decadent chocolate dessert they’d shared. She supposed his hands on her waist were innocent enough, given they were in a public place. All thoughts of respectability vanished when one hand moved to push back a curl and his fingertips found a bobby pin. The way he’d groaned his approval into her mouth and pressed himself against her, exchanging passionate kisses until they were almost laying down on the bench seat, however, begged for privacy. She’d no idea how they’d made it home.

  Ellie’s fingers twisted around the already creased rectangle of filmy paper as she imagined her hands around his neck.

  It was all a lie, and he was free while somehow her heartbreak imprisoned her.

  Kayla plucked the photo from her hand and stared at the couple captured in a happy moment.

  “Wow!”

  Ellie’s heart constricted.

  “You both look so in love. And he’s good looking too. I approve.” She looked up to see Ellie’s eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Oh Ellie. What happened?”

  She blinked. For a moment her face became an emotionless canvas, and then it was as though a dam burst. All the emotional pain she’d been holding back came flooding out.

  “I don’t... It’s just... Fine officer I am. That’s Brennan Cole. My ex. Never had a clue he was dealing drugs or involved in the case I was working. We lived together, shared everything, so I thought. He was a detective. A good one. And I loved him. But he betrayed the force, the law, and he betrayed Charlie and me. How could I have been so blind?”

  “I’m so sorry,” Kayla said. She sniffled and searched her handbag for tissues, passed one to Ellie, and grabbed a second to dab at her eyes.

  A fleeting smile crossed Ellie’s face. Kayla had the warmest, kindest heart and her emotions ran deep, even when it wasn’t her pain. She drew in a deep, shuddering breath, somewhat in control of herself again, and moved to pat the back of Kayla’s hand, to tell her not to worry. She had her suspicions, but the chances of Brennan being here in Trinket Bay were a million to one.

  “Oh, my gawd! Do you know him?” said the
woman who’d arrived to collect their empty glasses.

  “Who?” Ellie scanned the faces of the crowd.

  “Him. Don’t you two look cosy? ‘Course, if I’d known you were together, I’d never have flirted with him.”

  Ellie stared at her, and then her police training kicked into gear. “You’ve seen this man?” She tapped the photo. “In town?”

  “Yeah. He was here a few days ago. Dark hair and come-to-bed eyes, the kind that melt your knickers right off. Talk about effing hot. Downright miserable, though. Not our usual customer, that’s for sure. But when he smiled, I swear my ovaries went into mass production.”

  Ellie didn’t listen to half of what the woman said. It was as though she was standing in that alley again, watching the man she loved pretend she didn’t exist. Only he’d been pretending all along.

  “I have to go,” she managed. She ignored Kayla’s stricken expression, pushed past the bar attendant, and left before her friend could stop her. With one hand on her side, the muscles tender as though reminding her of the trauma they’d endured, Ellie raced from the bar with one thing screaming through her mind.

  Brennan Cole was in Trinket Bay.

  AT THE END OF THE BAR, near where the women sat, a man straightened from where he’d been leaning against the polished wood. People watching, he paid attention to no one in particular until the barmaid squealed over some photo some other silly cow was holding. Though the place was packed, he heard enough of their conversation to realise who was in the photo. He took another look at the woman and sneered. He’d bet his last fiver she was a copper.

  What the hell was Cole doing with a bloody copper?

  He pivoted to retrieve his glass, drained the contents, and then smiled as the realisation hit.