and before Eric even clicked on it he knew what he would see. The face in the window. His chest
was so tight he could barely breathe.
Yes
, he typed back. “You sonofabitch,” he muttered. Again the phone chirped.
wise choice. i look forward to seeing your pictures tonight
.
Eric closed the phone and stared at it. How had the SOB known he’d listened to the MP3 file and read the text? Either he was
standing nearby, watching, or he had the cell phone rigged. Eric looked around the interior of his car.
Or he’s wired my car and is watching me on a PC somewhere.
There had to be a way to track this guy.
And if I can’t? Or if I can’t before tonight?
Then you’ll have to do what he says
. “No,” Eric said firmly.
But when he pulled onto the street, his mind was already working the logistics of a factory arson. Just in case.
Monday, September 20, 9:55 a.m.
She’s here
. David’s hands stilled on the line he was reeling in. He watched Kane’s Ford pull through the construction gate, his heart
pounding and stomach jumping like he was thirteen and just about to ask a girl to his first school dance.
A pang of regret pushed through his sudden nerves.
And we all know how well that ended
, he thought bitterly. Nearly twenty years of service hadn’t been enough to atone. He was pretty sure a lifetime wouldn’t
be enough. He could only do what he could do. And make sure this time, with this woman, it ended differently.
“She’s here,” Jeff said, dragging the last few feet of line to the truck. They’d spent the last hour walking the five-inch
line, squeezing every drop of water from the hose. Every few minutes David had glanced toward the front gate, waiting. Now
she was here.
Jeff’s grin told him that any attempt at nonchalance would be folly. “I see her,” he said, half expecting his voice to crack
as it would have at thirteen. Gratefully it did not.
He watched as Olivia got out of the passenger side, the morning sun making her hair gleam gold. Then she bent over to get
something from the front seat, giving him a perfect view of her very round rear end and he couldn’t control the sudden breath
that hissed between his teeth. Vague recollections taunted him once again and he jerked his eyes away, staring instead at
his hands.
He knew how she felt. How those smooth round curves fit in his hands. Perfectly. He shouldn’t know, but he did. And he needed
to know again. Quelling a shudder, he exhaled, willing the need away. As if.
“I have to agree,” Jeff murmured in approval. “Very nice.”
David gritted his teeth against the urge to tell Jeff to keep his damn eyes to his damn self, making his voice deceptively
mild. “Kayla would gouge your eyes out.”
Jeff’s grin broadened. “She can’t say anything. I’ve caught her eyeing your ass.”
David rolled his eyes. “Barlow called to say they wanted to see the fourth floor,” he made himself say reasonably. “Give me
a hand with this line so we can leave.”
But Jeff continued to stare at the detectives’ car. “Hey, your lady brought food. From the Deli. That’s the good stuff. Take
a break, Dave. You know you want to.”
Jeff walked off and David slowly stood, watching her kick the car door closed with her foot.
Your lady.
She wasn’t, of course. She might have been, if things had gone differently.
If I hadn’t done… whatever.
But she was here.
Because it’s her job, idiot.
But she’d brought food, so that was a good sign.
This is the opportunity you’ve waited for. Don’t blow it like you blew it the last time.
Which he obviously had, but that recollection was more vague than the others. Squaring his shoulders, he started to walk,
knowing the exact instant she saw him coming. She went still, gripping a bag in one hand and a thermos in the other, and she
looked right at him. He didn’t breathe for the space of three hard beats of his heart.
And then she looked away when Jeff reached her
was so tight he could barely breathe.
Yes
, he typed back. “You sonofabitch,” he muttered. Again the phone chirped.
wise choice. i look forward to seeing your pictures tonight
.
Eric closed the phone and stared at it. How had the SOB known he’d listened to the MP3 file and read the text? Either he was
standing nearby, watching, or he had the cell phone rigged. Eric looked around the interior of his car.
Or he’s wired my car and is watching me on a PC somewhere.
There had to be a way to track this guy.
And if I can’t? Or if I can’t before tonight?
Then you’ll have to do what he says
. “No,” Eric said firmly.
But when he pulled onto the street, his mind was already working the logistics of a factory arson. Just in case.
Monday, September 20, 9:55 a.m.
She’s here
. David’s hands stilled on the line he was reeling in. He watched Kane’s Ford pull through the construction gate, his heart
pounding and stomach jumping like he was thirteen and just about to ask a girl to his first school dance.
A pang of regret pushed through his sudden nerves.
And we all know how well that ended
, he thought bitterly. Nearly twenty years of service hadn’t been enough to atone. He was pretty sure a lifetime wouldn’t
be enough. He could only do what he could do. And make sure this time, with this woman, it ended differently.
“She’s here,” Jeff said, dragging the last few feet of line to the truck. They’d spent the last hour walking the five-inch
line, squeezing every drop of water from the hose. Every few minutes David had glanced toward the front gate, waiting. Now
she was here.
Jeff’s grin told him that any attempt at nonchalance would be folly. “I see her,” he said, half expecting his voice to crack
as it would have at thirteen. Gratefully it did not.
He watched as Olivia got out of the passenger side, the morning sun making her hair gleam gold. Then she bent over to get
something from the front seat, giving him a perfect view of her very round rear end and he couldn’t control the sudden breath
that hissed between his teeth. Vague recollections taunted him once again and he jerked his eyes away, staring instead at
his hands.
He knew how she felt. How those smooth round curves fit in his hands. Perfectly. He shouldn’t know, but he did. And he needed
to know again. Quelling a shudder, he exhaled, willing the need away. As if.
“I have to agree,” Jeff murmured in approval. “Very nice.”
David gritted his teeth against the urge to tell Jeff to keep his damn eyes to his damn self, making his voice deceptively
mild. “Kayla would gouge your eyes out.”
Jeff’s grin broadened. “She can’t say anything. I’ve caught her eyeing your ass.”
David rolled his eyes. “Barlow called to say they wanted to see the fourth floor,” he made himself say reasonably. “Give me
a hand with this line so we can leave.”
But Jeff continued to stare at the detectives’ car. “Hey, your lady brought food. From the Deli. That’s the good stuff. Take
a break, Dave. You know you want to.”
Jeff walked off and David slowly stood, watching her kick the car door closed with her foot.
Your lady.
She wasn’t, of course. She might have been, if things had gone differently.
If I hadn’t done… whatever.
But she was here.
Because it’s her job, idiot.
But she’d brought food, so that was a good sign.
This is the opportunity you’ve waited for. Don’t blow it like you blew it the last time.
Which he obviously had, but that recollection was more vague than the others. Squaring his shoulders, he started to walk,
knowing the exact instant she saw him coming. She went still, gripping a bag in one hand and a thermos in the other, and she
looked right at him. He didn’t breathe for the space of three hard beats of his heart.
And then she looked away when Jeff reached her
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