throat.
“What did you say? I’m sure I didn’t hear you right. Did you say you went to Mystic?”
She lifted her chin. “Yes, I went to Mystic.”
His deep eyes swirled as they penetrated hers. His jaw muscle twitched before he started pacing.
“What the hell were you thinking?”
Sophie leaned back into the leather chair. “It sounded like a good idea at the time. I found another clue.”
He stopped pacing and spun in her direction. “What?”
Sophie shrugged. “The shop owner packed up Valerie’s things when she didn’t return.”
His gaze darted around the living room. “Did you bring them here?”
She pointed toward the door. “They’re in my trunk. I was going to take them into the station on
Monday and hand them over to the investigators.”
Jack let out a deep sigh and plopped down on the sofa, taking a swig of his beer. “Okay, well, here’s the deal.” He lifted his gaze to meet hers. “I’m staying here until this guy is caught.”
She abruptly stood. “Oh, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
He nodded. “Sure it is. Partners stick together, and if you were so scared you needed to go gun
shopping, then I’m staying. It’s either that or I tell your brother...everything. The choice is yours.”
Sophie’s mouth parted. “What if this guy is never caught? He was in the cold case files for a reason.
Do you expect Kingston to catch him when he couldn’t before? I’ve done more detective work and
found more clues than he could on a case he worked for three months, Jack.”
“Sophie, be reasonable. Kingston might have a few personal issues, but he’s a damn good cop. He’ll figure it out.”
“What if he doesn’t?”
“He will.”
She shook her head, not at all happy with his reasoning. “Nope, I’m not betting my life on a cop
with emotional issues. If you’re staying here, we work the case; we catch this guy, and then you leave.”
“Sophie…” Jack rose and rounded the table. “You aren’t thinking clearly.” He turned his back on her and started pacing again. “You went to a shooting range. Marshall thinks you’re scared. What makes you think you can figure this out without getting yourself killed?”
He had her there. There was no logical explanation she could give him. Everything in her gut told
her to tuck tail and pretend nothing had happened, that she didn’t know anything, and as logical as that thought was, it was also fleeting. Those women deserved justice, and so what if she was better at
pretending to be a cop than Kingston was at being an actual one?
“I have you on my side.” She shrugged. “It doesn’t hurt that the voices in my head are apparently
watching out for me too.”
Jack nodded and picked up his bag. “Just show me to the spare bedroom and I’ll get settled.”
“Jack, I’ll be fine. You can go home.”
Sophie walked over to her purse, pulled out her can of mace, and flashed it at her partner. “I have this.”
Her big-brute partner grumbled and disappeared down the hallway. She watched him walk into the
spare room, turn around, and walk back out. “Bookshelves and a recliner, are you kidding me?”
Her face flamed. Her apartment was small, and she never had overnight guests. She needed the
room for more important things than sleeping.
“I don’t have many overnight visitors.” She pressed her lips together. “See, just one more reason
why you shouldn’t stay. Doesn’t the thought of your nice, comfortable bed sound good to you? Hmm?”
He rolled his eyes and carried his bag to the couch, dropping it on the floor. “The couch will do for now.” He glanced around the small apartment again. “I’d feel better if we stayed at my house, but if I had to guess, you wouldn’t come willingly.”
“Nope, and you’d get in trouble for kidnapping.” She grinned. “Let me get you a pillow and some
blankets.”
Sophie disappeared down the hall to grab the bedding. She wasn’t sure how she felt
“What did you say? I’m sure I didn’t hear you right. Did you say you went to Mystic?”
She lifted her chin. “Yes, I went to Mystic.”
His deep eyes swirled as they penetrated hers. His jaw muscle twitched before he started pacing.
“What the hell were you thinking?”
Sophie leaned back into the leather chair. “It sounded like a good idea at the time. I found another clue.”
He stopped pacing and spun in her direction. “What?”
Sophie shrugged. “The shop owner packed up Valerie’s things when she didn’t return.”
His gaze darted around the living room. “Did you bring them here?”
She pointed toward the door. “They’re in my trunk. I was going to take them into the station on
Monday and hand them over to the investigators.”
Jack let out a deep sigh and plopped down on the sofa, taking a swig of his beer. “Okay, well, here’s the deal.” He lifted his gaze to meet hers. “I’m staying here until this guy is caught.”
She abruptly stood. “Oh, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
He nodded. “Sure it is. Partners stick together, and if you were so scared you needed to go gun
shopping, then I’m staying. It’s either that or I tell your brother...everything. The choice is yours.”
Sophie’s mouth parted. “What if this guy is never caught? He was in the cold case files for a reason.
Do you expect Kingston to catch him when he couldn’t before? I’ve done more detective work and
found more clues than he could on a case he worked for three months, Jack.”
“Sophie, be reasonable. Kingston might have a few personal issues, but he’s a damn good cop. He’ll figure it out.”
“What if he doesn’t?”
“He will.”
She shook her head, not at all happy with his reasoning. “Nope, I’m not betting my life on a cop
with emotional issues. If you’re staying here, we work the case; we catch this guy, and then you leave.”
“Sophie…” Jack rose and rounded the table. “You aren’t thinking clearly.” He turned his back on her and started pacing again. “You went to a shooting range. Marshall thinks you’re scared. What makes you think you can figure this out without getting yourself killed?”
He had her there. There was no logical explanation she could give him. Everything in her gut told
her to tuck tail and pretend nothing had happened, that she didn’t know anything, and as logical as that thought was, it was also fleeting. Those women deserved justice, and so what if she was better at
pretending to be a cop than Kingston was at being an actual one?
“I have you on my side.” She shrugged. “It doesn’t hurt that the voices in my head are apparently
watching out for me too.”
Jack nodded and picked up his bag. “Just show me to the spare bedroom and I’ll get settled.”
“Jack, I’ll be fine. You can go home.”
Sophie walked over to her purse, pulled out her can of mace, and flashed it at her partner. “I have this.”
Her big-brute partner grumbled and disappeared down the hallway. She watched him walk into the
spare room, turn around, and walk back out. “Bookshelves and a recliner, are you kidding me?”
Her face flamed. Her apartment was small, and she never had overnight guests. She needed the
room for more important things than sleeping.
“I don’t have many overnight visitors.” She pressed her lips together. “See, just one more reason
why you shouldn’t stay. Doesn’t the thought of your nice, comfortable bed sound good to you? Hmm?”
He rolled his eyes and carried his bag to the couch, dropping it on the floor. “The couch will do for now.” He glanced around the small apartment again. “I’d feel better if we stayed at my house, but if I had to guess, you wouldn’t come willingly.”
“Nope, and you’d get in trouble for kidnapping.” She grinned. “Let me get you a pillow and some
blankets.”
Sophie disappeared down the hall to grab the bedding. She wasn’t sure how she felt
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