Mistletoe’s Kiss

12. Chapter 12

12

Chapter 12

“Murderers look and behave very much like everybody else. Nice, quiet, well behaved reasonable folk, very often.”

Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie

D etective Moore was easily one of the most attractive men Maddy had ever seen and she was used to writing her male fantasies into being. He stood at around six foot two, and when he shrugged off his coat she could see that he had a lean, athletic build, broad shoulders tapering down to a slim waist, hinting at a swimmer’s physique beneath the tailored suit. Maddy had never been one to appreciate a man in formal wear, preferring a snug pair of jeans and a casual tee but Moore wore his effortlessly making it impossible to ignore.

His face was all angles, high cheekbones and a sharply defined jaw that lent him a severe expression. Yet, there was something about his full lips that added a touch of softness. Maddy’s gaze lingered on them before being drawn to his hazel eyes, flecked with shades of green and brown, framed by the darkest of lashes and set beneath defined brows.

His skin was smooth and lightly tanned, unusual for winter in the English countryside and his dark blonde hair was tousled from the wind and snow. Her attention snagged on a small scar along the right side of his jaw, and she was startled by the wholly inappropriate urge to lean in and gently bite it, just a little nibble.

Sara’s voice broke into her thoughts, pulling her back to reality. “… this is Maddy,” she was saying. “I work for Cupid Publishing, and tonight was supposed to be the launch party for her new book. We rented the house and invited guests for a murder mystery party —Maddy writes Mystery Romance novels. We had dinner and then everyone went off to explore the house. Maddy and I were just about to start when we heard a commotion and found the butler in the study…with a dead body. God, it sounds so cliche when you say it out loud! It was Daniel Scott, the head of our Marketing and Publicity division. Someone killed him!”

Moore listened carefully, his expression thoughtful. “Dispatch said it was a death but didn’t provide any details. Do you know who called it in?” His gaze shifted to Maddy with an unsettling intensity. “I’m afraid it’s just me at the moment. I live nearby, so I didn’t have to come through the village. They called me to see if I could get here quickly. The first step will be to secure the crime scene and then we’ll see about making sure you’re all safe.”

The sudden attention made Maddy’s cheeks warm. He was just so damn pretty, and she was embarrassed by the direction her thoughts had taken a moment ago. “Um, it was Mr Michaels, the butler, who called the police. When we found him, he kept mumbling help over and over but he hasn’t really spoken since. We moved him to the kitchen to get him warmed up. I think he may be in shock. The scene in the study… was gruesome. We left him there so we could find the rest of this evening’s guests. They’re all upstairs looking for clues to the pretend murder that was supposed to happen tonight.”

Moore raised a brow, a hint of amusement playing on his lips. “And how many people are in the house Maddy?”

“Oh, uh, there should be four more guests upstairs. Michaels sent the staff home earlier because of the snow, so it’s just us. I thought I heard someone talking at the top of the stairs just before you arrived, but it’s quiet now. Dan—Mr Scott—the victim, mentioned that the house is huge, with lots of rooms upstairs.”

“Thanks, Maddy.” Moore’s tone shifted to one of authority. “Let’s start by containing the crime scene. We’ll head to the study—did you say that’s where the body is? At her nod, he turned to Sara. Can you sit with Mr Michaels for a while? The roads won’t be clear before morning, so he needs someone to stay with him. If his condition worsens, we need to be there. I promise Maddy will be safe with me, we’ll just shut the door to the study and then go upstairs to find your friends.”

Sara sighed, her exhaustion evident. “Yeah, that’s fine. I thought I’d be home by now, watching ‘Love Actually’ with an eggnog.” She shook her head, almost laughing at the ridiculous situation. “I’ll check the dining room on the way and see if I can scrounge up some brandy for Michaels and maybe a drop for myself too. I’m almost positive that being a little tipsy might just help me get through tonight without any lasting trauma.”

They arrived back at the kitchen to find Michaels largely unmoved, he was staring off into space but his mug seemed a fraction closer. Sara added a large drop of whisky to the tea, gently lifting it to his lips while Moore rummaged through the cupboards until he found a pair of marigold gloves. He held them up with a sheepish grin. “I don’t want to leave any prints on the study door.”

Leaving Sara behind, Maddy trudged after Moore down the hallway until they reached the study. The door was still flung open from when they’d fled earlier. Moore paused at the threshold, leaning in to take a quick look around before closing the door gently.

“We’ll come back here later. I’ll need to get a proper look tonight just in case any of the evidence deteriorates before the SOCOs get here tomorrow.”He glanced at Maddy as they turned away. “Can you talk me through what you saw whilst we look for the others?”

“Sure,” she said, starting to explain but jumping a little when Moore placed a hand at the small of her back to guide her along. The warmth seeped through the thin material of her dress and for a fleeting second, she imagined his thumb stroking the silk fabric before he withdrew it, leaving her suddenly cold.

What was it about this man? She was getting all hot and bothered at the scene of a murder! The poor man was only trying to do his job and here she was drooling and dreaming up all sorts of sinful things every time those hazel eyes looked her way. “You need to get a grip Maddy!” she thought, “let’s just put Detective Moore in the ‘clit closet’ with your ‘number one fan’ and Christian Slater in his Heathers era. We can open the closet for all kinds of alone time once we get through tonight.”