experience and energy into figuring out who the killer was. The rest would work itself out.
“Why does this matter so much to you?” Matt asked.
“Sorry?”
“Finding killers, serial killers in particular. You’re obviously familiar with all the main players at Quantico. And there’s more to your excitement, to your drive, than hoping for a promotion. So what is it?”
Her enthusiasm faded beneath his question. How could she tell him about the dreams, the nightmares, that had plagued her off and on for most of her life? She’d never told anyone about them before, not even her parents. Her dreams were of unspeakable evil, a man in the shadows, a little boy, a toddler, with curly brown hair and terrified eyes begging Tessa to help him. Other faces, of men and women, much older, with accusing eyes, as if she was somehow responsible for whatever horrors they’d suffered. They all pleaded for her help, but she’d never known what to do.
“Tessa?” His eyes narrowed with concern.
She shied away from sharing the horrifying details but decided he’d earned the truth, or at least a piece of it. “Nightmares. That’s why this matters, why I do this. To make my nightmares go away.”
His blue eyes softened with sympathy. “Is it working?”
She clutched her hands in her lap. “Not yet.”
The door to the squad room opened and six of her fellow agents from the Savannah office came in, carrying boxes and laptop cases. Several of them nodded at her as the police officers led them to desks around the room, desks that had been cleared out once Casey told the police chief how many people to expect.
Finally, her boss glanced her way and motioned for her to join him.
Her pulse leaped and she shoved her chair back from the table. She grabbed a pad of paper and a pen.
“Come on, Matt. Casey wants to see us.”
“I’m pretty sure he just wants to see you. I’ll wait.”
She tugged him out of his chair.
“These are important people,” she said. “They could mean a lot to your career too. They can send great cases your way. And I’m not going to ignore your contribution to this investigation. You’re the reason this task force was put together. You deserve the credit.”
His brows rose in surprise, but he didn’t fight her. He followed her as she hurried through the squad room toward her boss. Someone called out her name and she half turned to see one of the Savannah agents waving at her. She waved back, but she wasn’t looking where she was going and her feet tangled up in the cords by one of the desks.
She started to pitch forward, but suddenly Matt was there, catching her around the waist, pulling her against him.
He lifted his hand and brushed her hair out of her eyes. “Are you okay?”
She stared at him in horror. “Are you insane?” she whispered. “Don’t touch me. Let me go.”
He frowned but dropped his hands.
Tessa straightened her clothing and glanced casually across the room at Carter, the agent who’d called her name. Judging by his smirk, he’d caught the whole tender exchange, with Matt brushing her hair back.
Wonderful.
“Tessa?” Casey sounded impatient now as he waved for her to join him.
She cleared her throat. “Come on, Matt. Casey’s waiting.” She squelched the flare of guilt that shot through her at the way his face had tightened into a stiff mask. Yes, he’d saved her from a fall, but did he really have to add that special moment for everyone to see? It would be a miracle if her peers didn’t hear about it, especially since the agent who’d seen them was the biggest gossip in the office.
At least her boss had missed that moment. He greeted them as if nothing untoward had happened. Then he spoke to the man across from him. “This is Special Agent Tessa James, and the private investigator who consulted on the case, Matt Buchanan.”
Tessa noted the past tense of “consulted.” Matt obviously noticed as well, because a look of disappointment flashed across
“Why does this matter so much to you?” Matt asked.
“Sorry?”
“Finding killers, serial killers in particular. You’re obviously familiar with all the main players at Quantico. And there’s more to your excitement, to your drive, than hoping for a promotion. So what is it?”
Her enthusiasm faded beneath his question. How could she tell him about the dreams, the nightmares, that had plagued her off and on for most of her life? She’d never told anyone about them before, not even her parents. Her dreams were of unspeakable evil, a man in the shadows, a little boy, a toddler, with curly brown hair and terrified eyes begging Tessa to help him. Other faces, of men and women, much older, with accusing eyes, as if she was somehow responsible for whatever horrors they’d suffered. They all pleaded for her help, but she’d never known what to do.
“Tessa?” His eyes narrowed with concern.
She shied away from sharing the horrifying details but decided he’d earned the truth, or at least a piece of it. “Nightmares. That’s why this matters, why I do this. To make my nightmares go away.”
His blue eyes softened with sympathy. “Is it working?”
She clutched her hands in her lap. “Not yet.”
The door to the squad room opened and six of her fellow agents from the Savannah office came in, carrying boxes and laptop cases. Several of them nodded at her as the police officers led them to desks around the room, desks that had been cleared out once Casey told the police chief how many people to expect.
Finally, her boss glanced her way and motioned for her to join him.
Her pulse leaped and she shoved her chair back from the table. She grabbed a pad of paper and a pen.
“Come on, Matt. Casey wants to see us.”
“I’m pretty sure he just wants to see you. I’ll wait.”
She tugged him out of his chair.
“These are important people,” she said. “They could mean a lot to your career too. They can send great cases your way. And I’m not going to ignore your contribution to this investigation. You’re the reason this task force was put together. You deserve the credit.”
His brows rose in surprise, but he didn’t fight her. He followed her as she hurried through the squad room toward her boss. Someone called out her name and she half turned to see one of the Savannah agents waving at her. She waved back, but she wasn’t looking where she was going and her feet tangled up in the cords by one of the desks.
She started to pitch forward, but suddenly Matt was there, catching her around the waist, pulling her against him.
He lifted his hand and brushed her hair out of her eyes. “Are you okay?”
She stared at him in horror. “Are you insane?” she whispered. “Don’t touch me. Let me go.”
He frowned but dropped his hands.
Tessa straightened her clothing and glanced casually across the room at Carter, the agent who’d called her name. Judging by his smirk, he’d caught the whole tender exchange, with Matt brushing her hair back.
Wonderful.
“Tessa?” Casey sounded impatient now as he waved for her to join him.
She cleared her throat. “Come on, Matt. Casey’s waiting.” She squelched the flare of guilt that shot through her at the way his face had tightened into a stiff mask. Yes, he’d saved her from a fall, but did he really have to add that special moment for everyone to see? It would be a miracle if her peers didn’t hear about it, especially since the agent who’d seen them was the biggest gossip in the office.
At least her boss had missed that moment. He greeted them as if nothing untoward had happened. Then he spoke to the man across from him. “This is Special Agent Tessa James, and the private investigator who consulted on the case, Matt Buchanan.”
Tessa noted the past tense of “consulted.” Matt obviously noticed as well, because a look of disappointment flashed across
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