The Past Between Us by Kimberly Van Meter Page B

door on her own laughter.





CHAPTER NINE
    T HOMAS HEARD THE WATER running and Cassi humming to herself through the thin wall separating the bathroom from the bedroom and he shuddered at the thought of her, naked, water sluicing over her body, sliding over places he ached to touch and feel himself.
    Last night he’d slept like a baby. Surprising, because he’d been tormented by the feel of lying so close to Cassi and unable to do anything about it. Yet, within moments his eyelids drooped and he was out like a light. It’d felt good. He couldn’t remember the last time he slept so soundly.
    But now, he was tormented in a different way. He wanted her so badly he was nearly obsessed with thoughts of her. He had to shake it off if he was going to find a way out of this mess for her.
    Thomas grabbed the disposable cell and swore under his breath when he realized he’d forgotten to charge it and it’d died. The disposables weren’t all that great for holding a charge and he should’ve figured that. He plugged it in and then sat at the small, wobbly table to make some notes.
    Moments later he heard the door open and he refrained from turning around. With his luck she was standing there with nothing but a towel covering her. That’s all he needed. He was only human for crap’s sake.
    “You sure you don’t want to rinse off?” she asked. “I promise I won’t run.”
    He turned and was relieved to see her dressed and actually looking sincere. He was tempted but he declined. Besides, maybe if he stank like a dog it’d keep his head where it belonged—on the case instead of on the uncomfortable fit of his jeans. Sadly that kind of logic didn’t hold up. He could be marinating in his own filth and still want to get her naked.
    “Thanks,” he said, pulling the files together in a neat pile. “But let’s just get out of here. We have some miles to cover.”
    “Where are we going?” she asked, a bit fearfully. He supposed trust went both ways.
    “We’re going to pay a visit to your old friends Barbara and Winifred.”
    She looked distressed as she said, “Do we have to? I can’t pay them back yet.”
    “We have to follow the trail you were on, only this time, we’ve got better resources at our disposal.”
    “So why go back then?” she asked, almost desperately.
    He sympathized, really he did, but the trail led back to those women so that’s where they were going. She’d have to tough it out, no matter how unpleasant the encounter was. But he softened a little at the misery in her eyes. “Don’t worry. You can stay in the car. I don’t need them reporting back to whoever gave them the money that you’re asking questions.”
    Relief flooded her gaze and for a second he thought he saw tears glittering. “Thanks,” she said in a small voice. “I’m just not ready to see them yet.”
    “I know. But I’m not doing it only for you,” he admitted. “Anything I can do to keep from losing my job for aiding and abetting a suspect is good with me.”
    She smiled. “Well, then I guess it’s a win-win.”
    “In this instance…yeah, I guess it is. Grab your stuff. Let’s hit the road.”

    C ASSI FELT A MILD TWINGE of guilt for the fact that when she’d split with Tommy’s car she’d also hijacked his cell phone and now he was forced to use a disposable. She supposed there was little she could do to change what had gone down so she let it be. But when she continued to feel a twinge here and there, she wondered if she was feeling more than simple guilt over the phone. He was helping her, something she hadn’t expected, and he might possibly lose his job over it. She wanted to be free of this mess, but there was a possibility that nothing might come of their investigation and she didn’t like the idea of Tommy going down in flames with her.
    “I didn’t ask you to do this,” she blurted, unable to keep her thoughts private.
    Tommy glanced at her before returning his gaze to the road. “I