Vicious by Debra Webb Page B

soothed Jess’s nerves.
    She decided to take the red suit and the ivory one as well. That was about it. She really did need to do some shopping. Everything she owned had been destroyed in the motel room she’d rented when she first came back to Birmingham. She’d been meaning to put together a new wardrobe, but there just hadn’t been time for more than a quick fix to her immediate needs.
    “Can I help you with those?” Hayes asked, as she headed for the door.
    Jess thrust the hanging garments at him. “Thank you. I’ll lock up.”
    After setting the security system to away, she closed and locked the door. Hayes started down ahead of her. Jess smiled when she noticed Mr. Louis waited at the bottom of the stairs. She’d expected to see him. He surely wondered what had become of her the past twenty-four hours.
    “Jess, I’m so glad to see you,” George Louis said, looking past Hayes who had planted himself between the older man and Jess as she descended the final steps. “I was getting worried.”
    “I’m sorry, Mr. Louis, I—”
    “George,” he reminded gently.
    “George,” she repeated. “I meant to call you, but I’ve hardly had a chance to catch my breath.”
    Her landlord frowned at the garments Hayes carried. “Are you moving?”
    “Oh no. No.” Jess turned to Hayes. “Lieutenant, this is my landlord, George Louis.”
    Hayes dipped his head in acknowledgement. George looked the taller man over thoroughly before allowing an answering nod.
    “Lieutenant, would you give me a moment, please?” Her landlord deserved an explanation for her abrupt departure yesterday morning.
    With a final look at George, Hayes strode off to his stylish Audi. His was one of the newest models. Jess’s twelve-year-old Audi waited sadly in the drive for her attention. She had no idea when she’d get her freedom back. For now, she was escorted everywhere she went.
    Just like a celebrity. Ha!
    “Are you all right, Jess?” George moved closer, concern shadowing his face. “I saw you on the news at the scene of that terrible murder.”
    “Murders,” Jess corrected. “Two young women were murdered.”
    He shook his head and pressed his palms together as if he intended to pray. “How horrible. I keep thinking about that awful man who came here to hurt you.”
    The Man in the Moon . George Louis had saved her. Sort of. “I feel bad about that, George. I hope you’re okay after all the excitement.” He’d seemed okay the last time Jess spoke to him.
    He stared at the ground, shuffled his feet in that shy manner of his. “I’m fine.” He looked up at Jess then, his eyes appearing huge behind the thick lenses of his glasses. “You must be exhausted. Have you had dinner?”
    “I’m going to dinner now,” she assured him. If Daniel Burnett knew what was good for him, he’d have dinner waiting. She was starving!
    “Will you be coming home tonight?” her landlord asked hopefully.
    If Louis hadn’t looked so genuinely worried Jess might have been annoyed by his nosiness. But it was nice to know someone cared. Missed her. “Unfortunately, I might not be home for a few days more. This case is keeping me busy night and day. You have my cell number so you can reach me if you need to.”
    “Yes, I have your number.” He reached out and patted her shoulder, the move awkward. “You should have a good dinner and just rest. You work too hard, Jess. One of these days you’re going to have to take a vacation.”
    She couldn’t remember the last time she’d taken anything that even resembled a vacation. A memory from the past intruded on her thoughts. Unless she counted Christmas ten years ago when she’d come back to Birmingham to spend the holiday with her sister. She’d had a promotion to celebrate, not to mention she’d solved the biggest case of her career to that point.
    She’d run into Dan at the Publix on Christmas Eve, and they’d ended up still in bed together the next morning.
    Here they were a decade