The Lady Killer by Paizley Stone Page B

her presence. Yesterday Murf got a good start on compiling the list of building owners, and we have been calling them. So far, three out of seven buildings link back to Amy Montgomery’s property management group. We are still working on the list. A couple of the owners are in different time zones than us, so we haven’t reached them yet. Also, it’s Monday morning, and surprisingly enough these people seem to think that running their businesses is more important than answering our questions.”
    “Okay, that’s a good turn of events and a new starting point. Cut to the chase on the rest of them. Just ask if they do business with Amy.”
    Murphy headed toward her desk with an excited look on his face. “I just got two more confirmations on buildings tied to Amy Montgomery. That makes five out of seven. I think we’re really on to something here. I made an appointment for this afternoon to interview her. Who do you want to go?”
    “You and I will go. Burns, you can stay and follow up on the other two buildings. Call me as soon as you know anything. If they are not hers, then find out who does their property management. What time is our appointment, Murphy? “
    “In about two hours, want to grab a bite on the way?”
    “Sure, something quick would be good. I skipped breakfast this morning.”
    Amy Montgomery’s office was downtown, so they decided on a little sandwich shop close by. As she ate, the thoughts about what she had discussed with Dr. Walsh filled her head. She felt like she was blushing, even though there was no way he could tell what she was thinking. He was sitting right there in front of her, and she could reach out and touch him, if she dared. “Thanks for working on that list yesterday. This may turn out to be something really important for the case.”
    He shrugged his shoulders. “Hey, it isn’t like I had a whole lot else to do.”
    “No girlfriend?”
    “No, I had a bad breakup about two years ago. I like to give myself time in between relationships for reflection and to avoid that whole rebound thing. I think the worse thing you can do is run right out there and try to cover up your feelings with a piece of ass.” As soon as it was out, Dan realized what he had just said. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to say anything to offend you. It’s just that I see so many guys running around doing just that. To me sex has to mean something, or I feel even lonelier afterwards.”
    “You didn’t offend me. I’m actually amazed at your level headedness. I guess that means that you’re not like most guys. Personally, I think that’s a good thing.”
    Dan looked at her for a moment. He couldn’t tell if she was flirting, or teasing him. Why did he feel so hopeless around her? He wanted her to like him, but somehow he felt that she was mocking him all the time. “Are you making fun of me?”
    “No! What in the world would make you think that? I was paying you a compliment.”
    “Sorry, that’s just my insecurity rearing its ugly head. Ignore me until I grow up.”
    “You grow any more we’ll have to throw you off of the police force, and sign you up for pro basketball! You’re already a pretty big guy.”
    “Yeah, I played football in college, but I never had the urge to go pro. It’s very hard on your body. Sure, you make a lot of money, but you can’t walk straight by the time you’re thirty. Anyway, I wanted to do something to help people. I was always a big guy, so the bullies never went after me. They always picked on the little guys. I wanted to do something to make a difference in life. So, now I’m putting the bullies behind bars.”
    After they were finished, Laura picked up the check and headed for the cashier. “Let’s go see if we can narrow down our list of bullies with the help of Ms. Amy Montgomery.”
    “Okay, we can walk from here, if you don’t mind. It’s a really beautiful day.”
    “That would be great. We’ve been cooped up in that gloomy precinct building way