Embracing Danger by Olivia Jaymes Page A

anymore and she wasn’t sure she could stand that but this wasn’t about her.
    “I will tell you,” she finally said, the words catching in her throat. “But not tonight, okay?”
    “That’s fine. Take the time that you need. You know where I am.”
    She had a reprieve but it wouldn’t last for long. The truth of that summer couldn’t be swept under the rug any longer. She’d tell him everything.
    *     *     *
    Shane had been surprised by how easy it had been to convince the police to show them the file, especially as it was still considered an open investigation. He couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps one of Jason’s partners had contacts that had smoothed their path.
    Either way, they were now sitting in a tiny gray conference room in the police station perusing the contents. He leafed through the Susannah Hollis murder police file with a heavy heart and growing frustration. It was easily the skimpiest evidence he’d ever seen and it was no wonder that they’d never found the shooter.
    “There’s not much here. They didn’t find any fingerprints that didn’t belong. They were able to recover the bullet but it didn’t match anything in the system. All the witnesses had conflicting statements as well. Not a whole lot to go on here.”
    Arden set down one of the witness statements and sighed. “This is disheartening. It’s like they immediately gave up. As far as I can see they only spoke to a few people.”
    “They did speak to your uncle but didn’t question him about his relationship with your mother. He simply gave a statement that he was out drinking and playing pool, which a few other people corroborated. But then how do you explain a neighbor saying she saw him get in his car and drive away from the house after the shots were fired?”
    “People see what they want to see,” she reminded him. “If they were having an affair they might have met at the house when my father was out of town. As my uncle, he wouldn’t raise any suspicions.”
    Arden had been remarkably calm this morning and Shane wasn’t sure he could trust it. If she needed to scream, yell, or cry, he didn’t mind but this serene mask was kind of disturbing. It was like waiting for the other shoe to drop.
    “Are you okay about all this?” he questioned. “I’m worried about you.”
    Her fingers fiddled with the empty paper cup from the coffee joint around the corner and her eyes wouldn’t meet his gaze.
    “I’m still processing everything. I’m trying to stay sort of separate from it all as if this is happening to someone else. It’s like I’m looking down on my body in a way. I am upset but I know that crying and bemoaning my lot in life isn’t going to help anything. It’s best if I try and stick to business.”
    It sounded like she was going to have one hell of a breakdown at some point. He only hoped he would be there to help her through it and come out stronger on the other side.
    “You’re doing a great job staying calm but just remember you don’t need to. No one would blame you if you took up smoking or drinking right about now.”
    She tossed the empty cup into a small trashcan. “I’ve always wanted to take up skydiving. Maybe this is my lucky day.”
    She forgot he knew her too well. “Bullshit. You’re terrified of heights. I never could get you to climb rocks with us. You don’t even like to be on a ladder.”
    “It is smart to be afraid of heights,” she huffed. “A person could get seriously injured or die if they fall. It’s survival of the fittest. You, sir, are going against nature.”
    There was that smile and giggle again. Dammit, he loved it when she dropped the serious facade and played. Just a little.
    “Maybe I’m simply more evolved and I’m not afraid anymore. Have you thought about that?”
    Tapping the file folder, she rolled her eyes and groaned. “Can we get back to the case now?”
    Shane shrugged and grinned. “Sure, if you don’t have a good answer we can.