On Borrowed Time by Jenn McKinlay Page B

misunderstand—” the man said.
    â€œI don’t think I do,” Lindsey said. “I don’t know where my brother is, and even if I did, I would never tell a man who won’t even give me his name.”
    â€œIt would put
you
in danger if I was to tell you,” the man said.
    â€œReally?” she asked. “Or would it give a killer a name?”
    â€œI am not a killer,” he protested. “I am a friend.”
    â€œWithout a name?” Lindsey asked. “I don’t think so.”
    Lindsey refused to feel guilty for being harsh when for all she knew this was the strange woman’s husband who was looking for Jack and would like to kill him for having a fling with his wife.
    â€œI wish I could tell you more,” the man said. He sounded sincere but Lindsey was pretty sure all bad guys mastered that at a young age. She bet this man, whoever he was, could lie without a tell.
    â€œI’m sure you do,” she said. She couldn’t mask the sarcasm in her voice.
    The man’s voice grew intense. “Listen, I have to go, but I’ll be in touch.”
    The man hung up and a chill scurried down Lindsey’s spine like a runaway spider.
    â€œBloody hell!” Robbie swore. “What the devil was that about?”
    The kettle in the corner began to whistle, and Lindsey hung up the phone and unplugged the kettle. She poured the boiling water into the teapot, which already held the stainless steel infuser full of tea. She covered the pot and let it steep.
    She could feel Robbie staring at her, but she didn’t know how much he had heard and she didn’t know what to say about the surreal conversation. She found herself looking anywhere but at him.
    â€œSit,” he barked, and Lindsey did.
    She was ridiculously glad to have someone tell her what to do because honestly she was kind of freaking out.
    â€œLook at me,” Robbie ordered. “Lindsey, eyes up here.”
    Lindsey forced her gaze up to his. He had the piercing sharp glance of the born observer. She found she could maintain contact for only a brief moment before her gaze shot off in another direction.
    â€œJust as I suspected,” he said.
    â€œWhat?” she asked.
    â€œYou’re hiding something, something huge,” he said. “Now spill it.”
    â€œI’m not hiding anything,” she protested. “Do you think the tea is ready?”
    â€œNo.” He stared at her with one eye narrowed as if they were in a chess match and he was trying to determine his next move. “Why was that man asking about your brother? Who was he? What does he want with you?”
    â€œNo idea,” Lindsey said. She couldn’t help but feel her nose. Crinkled. Damn it.
    Robbie stared at her without blinking. It was quite unnerving.
    â€œAll right, maybe my brother showed up here yesterday right before the body was found in the library, and maybe my brother was kidnapped by a beautiful woman last night,” she said.
    â€œWhat?” Robbie squawked. “That’s huge! And you didn’t tell me? I have to tell you, Lindsey, I’m hurt. Really hurt.”
    â€œIt wasn’t my story to tell,” she said. “My brother showed up out of the blue. He said he needed a place to hide out, so I gave him the craft room. When I went back to check on him later, the window was open, Jack was gone and there was a dead man on the floor. What was I supposed to do?”
    â€œConfide in your boyfriend,” Robbie said.
    â€œYou’re not my boyfriend,” Lindsey argued.
    â€œDid you tell that manky mariner all of this?” he demanded.
    â€œNo,” she said. “At least not until Jack was snatched from the Blue Anchor last night and we set off after him in Sully’s boat.”
    â€œOy, so he got to play hero, did he? Driving you all over the bay in his boat?” Robbie asked. He looked quite put out.
    â€œIt was actually cold and wet