“who was your shrink?”
“Dr. Bowen. Some rich-ass shrink. Nice enough guy, I guess, but he never understood. Though, to tell you the truth, talking about my frustration did help. Maybe not then, but now…well, I don’t let things get me riled like they used to, if you know what I mean.”
“A lot of people never realize that, Billy,” Connor said. “You’re already ahead of the game.”
The bell over the main door rang and Billy said, “Look, Kincaid, I really can’t help you. I wish I could, but I have a good job here.” He stood up. When he looked through the door, he swore. “Fuck.”
Connor stood, looked around Billy’s shoulder. Will Hooper was standing at the counter, hand poised above the bell.
“Billy Thompson? I’m Detective—” He stopped when he saw Connor. His jaw clenched and Connor could feel his anger even fifteen feet away.
“Kincaid, can I talk to you?”
“I was just leaving,” Connor said. He glanced at Billy and said quietly, “You have my number. Call me if you remember anything.”
Billy grunted.
On the sidewalk, Will started in on Connor. “What are you doing here? I thought I saw you around the station, and now here? You interfere with a police investigation and I’ll take action.”
“Lighten up, Will.”
“You’re going to get Patrick fired.”
“Saint Patrick? He does the work of three guys. He didn’t tell me anything, anyway.”
“I’m not stupid. He wouldn’t have to say anything.”
“You think Emily is guilty?”
“What I think doesn’t matter. I’m just looking at the evidence.”
“And the evidence says?”
“I’m not talking about this case with you.”
Connor leaned over. “I saw the e-mail. If I were still a cop, I’d be all over it.”
“Don’t go there.”
“Go easy with Billy. He’s a good kid.”
“What did he tell you?”
“Ask him.” Connor walked away. He wasn’t going to make it easy for Will, especially not now when his gut told him Emily was on the verge of being arrested.
TEN
F AYE K ESSLER SAT in the papasan chair in Cami’s ornate penthouse apartment. Faye yearned to have her own place, where she didn’t have to hide, didn’t have to be anyone but who she really was. Cami was brilliant. She had graduated from high school early and could have gone to any college she wanted, but she was tired of school. Genius-level IQ, but Faye knew having a high IQ was as much a curse as being ugly. Cami had connected with Faye in a way no other person ever had.
They were soul mates. Bound by something greater than life.
Blood.
There was no greater union.
“Do you think it’s safe?” Skip asked. “Shouldn’t we lay low for a while?”
Cami shook her pretty head. “It’s perfect.” She gave Skip that smile, the one that said,
I know what I’m doing and I love you for caring, but we’re doing it my way.
Faye marveled at Cami’s ability to control men. Faye wanted that control, but she was destined to stand on the sidelines and observe.
“Where’s Robbie?” she asked.
“He’s coming,” Skip said, winking at Faye.
He knew.
He knew that she and Robbie had had sex. The idea turned her on as much as it scared her. Maybe Skip had even watched. Seen her body, scars and all. Robbie didn’t care about them, he had his own. It’s why Faye let him touch her naked.
Even if Skip had watched that night, when Cami was doing her thing and she and Robbie were on the couch, he couldn’t have seen anything. No lights, that was Faye’s rule. And Robbie didn’t care, he just wanted to screw her.
Only Cami had seen her marks.
They’d met last year after talking online for months.
They’d gone to different schools. Faye to a private high school; Cami, a year older, had graduated from high school early and was part of an independent study program with Stanford. They were from opposite ends of the same track—both smart, Cami pretty and poised while Faye was ugly and gangly. Rich single
“Dr. Bowen. Some rich-ass shrink. Nice enough guy, I guess, but he never understood. Though, to tell you the truth, talking about my frustration did help. Maybe not then, but now…well, I don’t let things get me riled like they used to, if you know what I mean.”
“A lot of people never realize that, Billy,” Connor said. “You’re already ahead of the game.”
The bell over the main door rang and Billy said, “Look, Kincaid, I really can’t help you. I wish I could, but I have a good job here.” He stood up. When he looked through the door, he swore. “Fuck.”
Connor stood, looked around Billy’s shoulder. Will Hooper was standing at the counter, hand poised above the bell.
“Billy Thompson? I’m Detective—” He stopped when he saw Connor. His jaw clenched and Connor could feel his anger even fifteen feet away.
“Kincaid, can I talk to you?”
“I was just leaving,” Connor said. He glanced at Billy and said quietly, “You have my number. Call me if you remember anything.”
Billy grunted.
On the sidewalk, Will started in on Connor. “What are you doing here? I thought I saw you around the station, and now here? You interfere with a police investigation and I’ll take action.”
“Lighten up, Will.”
“You’re going to get Patrick fired.”
“Saint Patrick? He does the work of three guys. He didn’t tell me anything, anyway.”
“I’m not stupid. He wouldn’t have to say anything.”
“You think Emily is guilty?”
“What I think doesn’t matter. I’m just looking at the evidence.”
“And the evidence says?”
“I’m not talking about this case with you.”
Connor leaned over. “I saw the e-mail. If I were still a cop, I’d be all over it.”
“Don’t go there.”
“Go easy with Billy. He’s a good kid.”
“What did he tell you?”
“Ask him.” Connor walked away. He wasn’t going to make it easy for Will, especially not now when his gut told him Emily was on the verge of being arrested.
TEN
F AYE K ESSLER SAT in the papasan chair in Cami’s ornate penthouse apartment. Faye yearned to have her own place, where she didn’t have to hide, didn’t have to be anyone but who she really was. Cami was brilliant. She had graduated from high school early and could have gone to any college she wanted, but she was tired of school. Genius-level IQ, but Faye knew having a high IQ was as much a curse as being ugly. Cami had connected with Faye in a way no other person ever had.
They were soul mates. Bound by something greater than life.
Blood.
There was no greater union.
“Do you think it’s safe?” Skip asked. “Shouldn’t we lay low for a while?”
Cami shook her pretty head. “It’s perfect.” She gave Skip that smile, the one that said,
I know what I’m doing and I love you for caring, but we’re doing it my way.
Faye marveled at Cami’s ability to control men. Faye wanted that control, but she was destined to stand on the sidelines and observe.
“Where’s Robbie?” she asked.
“He’s coming,” Skip said, winking at Faye.
He knew.
He knew that she and Robbie had had sex. The idea turned her on as much as it scared her. Maybe Skip had even watched. Seen her body, scars and all. Robbie didn’t care about them, he had his own. It’s why Faye let him touch her naked.
Even if Skip had watched that night, when Cami was doing her thing and she and Robbie were on the couch, he couldn’t have seen anything. No lights, that was Faye’s rule. And Robbie didn’t care, he just wanted to screw her.
Only Cami had seen her marks.
They’d met last year after talking online for months.
They’d gone to different schools. Faye to a private high school; Cami, a year older, had graduated from high school early and was part of an independent study program with Stanford. They were from opposite ends of the same track—both smart, Cami pretty and poised while Faye was ugly and gangly. Rich single
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