“Looking for someone?” his mouth curled into a slow smile as he looked her up and down.
“Looking for Flan,” Cindy said, trying to avoid his leering gaze.
“Well, you found him, honey,” Flan sauntered over, “and for all we know, might have found even more than you expected.” As he got closer, Cindy felt the heat from his body and magnetic energy, pulling like an undertow.
Involuntarily, she took a step back.
“What can I do for such a beautiful lady?” Flan asked, moving in closer, not taking his eyes off her for a second. “For all we know this could be the best day of our lives.”
He wasn’t wasting a minute, out for the grab, thought Cindy, flustered, and Shelly dead only a little over a week. Cindy gathered herself together and saw how women could easily fall for him. This guy knew just what he was doing. If ever there was a player, this was him.
“I’m here investigating Shelly’s death,” Cindy said, trying to sound professional.
It only half worked. He leaned back on one leg, cocked his head to the side, and looked at her with amusement. “You’re investigating the murder?”
He made Cindy feel foolish, childish, as though she were playing games.
“Cindy Blaine,” she said, crisply, “private detective.”
“You don’t say,” his grin widened. “We get everything down here, from people thinking they’re movie stars, famous musicians, detectives -.”
Cindy by passed his disparaging comment.
“You were seen in public with Shelly quite a bit,” she moved right on with her questions.
“That’s right,” Flan agreed, “she was a hell of a dame. I liked her, so what?”
“So, she turned up dead,” said Cindy.
Flan began to get irked. You could see he wasn’t used to being spoken to like that.
“I’m talking to everyone who knew her,” Cindy went on in a clipped tone, hoping to irk him more, get him to spill. “Did you know Shelly well?”
He threw back his head then, and sauntered closer, taking charge. Cindy could almost feel his warm breath on her face.
“Don’t play games with me, honey,” he said. “You know I knew Shelly well, so don’t try to lead me on with stupid questions.”
Cindy said nothing for a moment.
“Exactly how did you find out about the two of us?” he was turning the tables on her now.
Cindy didn’t want to tell him that she’d learned about it from Katrina. God knows what he would do to her then.
As Flan waited for her to answer, the smile left his face and his manner turned oppressive.
“My partner and I heard about you and Shelly from Tommy at Rancher’s Bar,” Cindy said. She was grateful that Mattheus had made that connection. She also wanted to let Flan know she was part of a team, not alone.
Flan looked contemptuous for a second, then he gathered steam and looked at her cagily, “who’s We?” he asked, zeroing in.
“I’m here with my partner, Mattheus -,” Cindy started.
“That’s, a weird name! Flan burst in before she could finish, “Mattheus’s got to be Shelly’s husband, right?”
“Right,” said Cindy.
Flan laughed. “The pitiful loser she ran away from?”
Cindy didn’t like anything about this. Flan knew too much about Shelly. He should have been interviewed by the cops first thing.
“Shelly was one desperate woman,” Flan went on, “a starving plant needing water! That gal never knew what a real man was, until she met me. Then, she couldn’t forget.”
“She forgot it now,” Cindy cut him off at the pass.
“What the hell you talking about?”
“Shelly gave her life for it,” said Cindy.
“Well, maybe it was worth it?” Flan shot back. “Wouldn’t you give your life for something as terrific as me?”
Cindy recoiled. He was not only threatening, he was an ego maniac. Women were his toys, he got power from them, from this.
“The guy Shelly was married to was a stiff,” Flan seemed to enjoy seeing the revulsion in Cindy’s eyes. “He led Shelly on too, she expected big things, and the jerk never delivered. I know guys like that, they taunt their women by promising the world, and when it comes down to it, when it’s time, they give them nothing! They’ve got nothing to give. They find a million ways to back away. It’s an old story. Me, I never back away from anything!”
Cindy felt punched in the heart.
“I’m a little rougher than most,” Flan grinned at her, “but at least I’m involved. The women know I’m here.”
Cindy wanted to get as far away from him as possible, but had to stay and pin him down. He had information and she needed it. And, once he’d gotten started talking, he didn’t want to stop.
“So, exactly what do you know about Katrina?” he asked then, looking closely at Cindy.
“I know your wife was a resident at the Shelter,” said Cindy, “and that she’s back living at home now.”