words, although he wanted to. "Is anything missing?"
"Hard to tell." Frustration sharpened his words. He moved around her, their arms brushing in the narrow hall.
Danni followed him to his bedroom but stopped in the doorway. She catalogued the Mission-style bedroom set, which included a queen-sized bed that had either been left unmade or had been torn apart by whoever had broken in—Danni supposed it was the latter. There was a matching dresser and a nightstand on either side of the bed.
She noticed Nick kept his hands by his sides as he visually searched his dresser top and open drawers that had clothing hanging out of them. Maybe CSI had taught him a thing or two about not botching up a crime scene. Not that Danni believed the perpetrator would be caught.
His brows drew together as he peered into the dresser's top drawer.
"What is it?" she asked.
He straightened and met Danni's gaze. "If you were a thief, wouldn't you steal a diamond ring? Easy to pocket and even easier to fence?"
Danni's breath stalled in her throat. Although she knew he was merely asking a rhetorical question, her mind was stuck on the diamond ring. Was it his own? Or was it an engagement ring—for a woman? If so, had he been engaged? Or was he dating someone seriously now?
Ice settled in the pit of her stomach. Even though they'd done the dirty deed last night, she knew very little about Nick Sirocco.
"Police. Freeze!"
Startled back to the present, she turned her head to see two patrol officers she didn't recognize with their revolvers aimed at them. She stifled a sigh, then laced her fingers and rested them on her head. If they'd stayed outside where they were supposed to, the police wouldn't be treating them like suspects.
Nick took a step toward the policemen. "We're the ones—"
"Hold it," the younger cop ordered, his fingers twitching.
Danni grabbed Nick's jacket sleeve and tugged him back to her side, then quickly placed her hands back on her head. Nick already had someone after him. He didn't need a nervous rookie blowing him away by accident. "Do like me, and don't make any threatening moves until they sort this out," she said to Nick in a low voice.
For a moment she thought he would argue, but he only shook his head in frustration and copied her position.
"I have a weapon in a shoulder holster," Danni announced to the policemen. "I'm a private investigator. My ID and my license to carry are in my jacket."
While the older patrol cop kept his weapon trained on them, the rookie relieved Danni of her weapon and found her ID and license. He handed them to his partner, then searched Nick.
Five minutes later, Danni took back her possessions, and she and Nick were ushered into the hall. There they were interviewed by the younger cop while the older one, Porter, checked out the apartment. Danni recognized the drill immediately. Though she tried to get ahead of his questions, Shenders, the rookie who still had acne, plodded along methodically.
"Was anything stolen?" Shenders asked after he'd gotten their names and addresses.
"Not that I could see," Nick replied. "But I haven't done a thorough search."
"Anyone who might have a grudge against you? Maybe someone has a reason to think you have something of theirs?"
Danni crossed her arms and caught Nick's quick glance. She shook her head minutely.
"Nobody I know of," Nick replied, his tone neutral.
The older cop, Porter, joined them. "I couldn't find any sign of a forced entry."
"So you think I just invited someone in to do this?" Nick asked, waving a stiff arm at the apartment.
Porter's narrowed eyes were almost lost in his fleshy face. "I'm not suggesting that, sir. I'm only stating what I found." He hitched his belt up under his belly. "Who else besides you has a key?"
Nick hesitated just long enough for Danni to notice. "Nobody."
She frowned, suspecting he lied. Why wouldn't Nick tell them? Maybe the woman who he intended to give the ring had a key?
She struck the nagging
"Hard to tell." Frustration sharpened his words. He moved around her, their arms brushing in the narrow hall.
Danni followed him to his bedroom but stopped in the doorway. She catalogued the Mission-style bedroom set, which included a queen-sized bed that had either been left unmade or had been torn apart by whoever had broken in—Danni supposed it was the latter. There was a matching dresser and a nightstand on either side of the bed.
She noticed Nick kept his hands by his sides as he visually searched his dresser top and open drawers that had clothing hanging out of them. Maybe CSI had taught him a thing or two about not botching up a crime scene. Not that Danni believed the perpetrator would be caught.
His brows drew together as he peered into the dresser's top drawer.
"What is it?" she asked.
He straightened and met Danni's gaze. "If you were a thief, wouldn't you steal a diamond ring? Easy to pocket and even easier to fence?"
Danni's breath stalled in her throat. Although she knew he was merely asking a rhetorical question, her mind was stuck on the diamond ring. Was it his own? Or was it an engagement ring—for a woman? If so, had he been engaged? Or was he dating someone seriously now?
Ice settled in the pit of her stomach. Even though they'd done the dirty deed last night, she knew very little about Nick Sirocco.
"Police. Freeze!"
Startled back to the present, she turned her head to see two patrol officers she didn't recognize with their revolvers aimed at them. She stifled a sigh, then laced her fingers and rested them on her head. If they'd stayed outside where they were supposed to, the police wouldn't be treating them like suspects.
Nick took a step toward the policemen. "We're the ones—"
"Hold it," the younger cop ordered, his fingers twitching.
Danni grabbed Nick's jacket sleeve and tugged him back to her side, then quickly placed her hands back on her head. Nick already had someone after him. He didn't need a nervous rookie blowing him away by accident. "Do like me, and don't make any threatening moves until they sort this out," she said to Nick in a low voice.
For a moment she thought he would argue, but he only shook his head in frustration and copied her position.
"I have a weapon in a shoulder holster," Danni announced to the policemen. "I'm a private investigator. My ID and my license to carry are in my jacket."
While the older patrol cop kept his weapon trained on them, the rookie relieved Danni of her weapon and found her ID and license. He handed them to his partner, then searched Nick.
Five minutes later, Danni took back her possessions, and she and Nick were ushered into the hall. There they were interviewed by the younger cop while the older one, Porter, checked out the apartment. Danni recognized the drill immediately. Though she tried to get ahead of his questions, Shenders, the rookie who still had acne, plodded along methodically.
"Was anything stolen?" Shenders asked after he'd gotten their names and addresses.
"Not that I could see," Nick replied. "But I haven't done a thorough search."
"Anyone who might have a grudge against you? Maybe someone has a reason to think you have something of theirs?"
Danni crossed her arms and caught Nick's quick glance. She shook her head minutely.
"Nobody I know of," Nick replied, his tone neutral.
The older cop, Porter, joined them. "I couldn't find any sign of a forced entry."
"So you think I just invited someone in to do this?" Nick asked, waving a stiff arm at the apartment.
Porter's narrowed eyes were almost lost in his fleshy face. "I'm not suggesting that, sir. I'm only stating what I found." He hitched his belt up under his belly. "Who else besides you has a key?"
Nick hesitated just long enough for Danni to notice. "Nobody."
She frowned, suspecting he lied. Why wouldn't Nick tell them? Maybe the woman who he intended to give the ring had a key?
She struck the nagging
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