know what I mean. You need to get a social life.” She paused, and her lips parted as if she’d just had an important thought. She stepped closer to Danielle. “Or maybe you’re not interested in going out with anyone because there’s someone else.”
Danielle frowned. “Who?”
Betty smiled. “I’ve noticed that good-looking detective has visited the school on a regular basis. Is there something going on between the two of you?”
Danielle’s face grew warm. “Betty, I assure you there’s nothing but friendship between Jack and me.”
“Aha!” Betty smacked her hands together. “Jack, is it? Since when did you get on such friendly terms with him?”
Danielle felt as if her skin were on fire. She pushed around Betty. “Stop it. There’s nothing between us.”
“Between who?” Jeff Newman stood in the door from the hallway, a smile on his face.
Danielle glared at Betty and strode toward the doorway. “Betty is giving me a hard time this morning. If you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to my office.”
“Give Jack my best,” Betty called.
“Jack who?” Jeff’s voice drifted behind Danielle, and she stopped to hear Betty’s response.
“I was just teasing Danielle about being smitten with the handsome Detective Denton.”
Jeff gave a disgusted snort. “I’d think she had better taste than that.”
Guilt about eavesdropping washed over Danielle, and she hurried across the hall toward her office. She stopped at thedoor, placed one of the cups in the crook of her arm that held the other cup and opened the door. She could see Jack’s profile from where she stood. April was talking, and a muscle in Jack’s jaw twitched as he concentrated on her words.
Granite. Danielle recalled the word she had first used to describe him, but now that didn’t seem to fit at all. His reaction to seeing Tricia the night she was murdered, his concern for her safety that same night, the enjoyment of a simple meal with her, and the starstruck awe of her parents—all these told her a kind soul with a soft heart lurked somewhere within Jack Denton.
It saddened her to think she might never be able to scrape away the layers and find that hidden person.
He glanced around and smiled when he saw her. Her heartbeat quickened, and she suddenly knew one thing. No matter how long the task of searching out the real Jack, the end results would be worth the wait.
ELEVEN
J ack had breathed a sigh of relief when Danielle arrived with the coffee. Although April had given him some interesting information, the interview had been a challenge. April’s flirtatious manner had prevailed throughout. Now April was off to run errands for Danielle, and he could relax.
Danielle took a sip from her cup and directed a mischievous smile at him. “I think you made a conquest, Detective.”
Jack waved his hand in dismissal. “I get the feeling I’m not the first one to be the recipient of her charms.”
Danielle laughed. “I forget you’re a policeman with fine-tuned skills in understanding human nature.”
Jack chuckled and reached for his notebook. “I don’t know about that, but I’m pretty good at spotting a phony. I imagine April is already gushing over the next male she’s encountered.”
Danielle’s gaze swept over the notebook. She crossed her arms, and he detected a slight shiver in her body. “What did you think about what she told you?”
“It’s definitely something to check out.”
“Are you going to see Landon now?”
He shook his head. “I’ll call him and ask him to drop by the station. I like to question suspects on my own turf. It gives me an advantage.”
Her eyes grew wide. “Suspect? Do you think Landon could be involved in Tricia’s death?”
“I don’t know. I’ll question him and go from there. Now I’d better go back to the station and let you get to work.”
She followed him to the door. “Thanks for coming, Jack.”
He stopped at the door and turned back to her. “I’m glad
Danielle frowned. “Who?”
Betty smiled. “I’ve noticed that good-looking detective has visited the school on a regular basis. Is there something going on between the two of you?”
Danielle’s face grew warm. “Betty, I assure you there’s nothing but friendship between Jack and me.”
“Aha!” Betty smacked her hands together. “Jack, is it? Since when did you get on such friendly terms with him?”
Danielle felt as if her skin were on fire. She pushed around Betty. “Stop it. There’s nothing between us.”
“Between who?” Jeff Newman stood in the door from the hallway, a smile on his face.
Danielle glared at Betty and strode toward the doorway. “Betty is giving me a hard time this morning. If you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to my office.”
“Give Jack my best,” Betty called.
“Jack who?” Jeff’s voice drifted behind Danielle, and she stopped to hear Betty’s response.
“I was just teasing Danielle about being smitten with the handsome Detective Denton.”
Jeff gave a disgusted snort. “I’d think she had better taste than that.”
Guilt about eavesdropping washed over Danielle, and she hurried across the hall toward her office. She stopped at thedoor, placed one of the cups in the crook of her arm that held the other cup and opened the door. She could see Jack’s profile from where she stood. April was talking, and a muscle in Jack’s jaw twitched as he concentrated on her words.
Granite. Danielle recalled the word she had first used to describe him, but now that didn’t seem to fit at all. His reaction to seeing Tricia the night she was murdered, his concern for her safety that same night, the enjoyment of a simple meal with her, and the starstruck awe of her parents—all these told her a kind soul with a soft heart lurked somewhere within Jack Denton.
It saddened her to think she might never be able to scrape away the layers and find that hidden person.
He glanced around and smiled when he saw her. Her heartbeat quickened, and she suddenly knew one thing. No matter how long the task of searching out the real Jack, the end results would be worth the wait.
ELEVEN
J ack had breathed a sigh of relief when Danielle arrived with the coffee. Although April had given him some interesting information, the interview had been a challenge. April’s flirtatious manner had prevailed throughout. Now April was off to run errands for Danielle, and he could relax.
Danielle took a sip from her cup and directed a mischievous smile at him. “I think you made a conquest, Detective.”
Jack waved his hand in dismissal. “I get the feeling I’m not the first one to be the recipient of her charms.”
Danielle laughed. “I forget you’re a policeman with fine-tuned skills in understanding human nature.”
Jack chuckled and reached for his notebook. “I don’t know about that, but I’m pretty good at spotting a phony. I imagine April is already gushing over the next male she’s encountered.”
Danielle’s gaze swept over the notebook. She crossed her arms, and he detected a slight shiver in her body. “What did you think about what she told you?”
“It’s definitely something to check out.”
“Are you going to see Landon now?”
He shook his head. “I’ll call him and ask him to drop by the station. I like to question suspects on my own turf. It gives me an advantage.”
Her eyes grew wide. “Suspect? Do you think Landon could be involved in Tricia’s death?”
“I don’t know. I’ll question him and go from there. Now I’d better go back to the station and let you get to work.”
She followed him to the door. “Thanks for coming, Jack.”
He stopped at the door and turned back to her. “I’m glad
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