were set up to find this man’s body, whoever he is. Someone went to a lot of trouble to make that happen. You didn’t do the murder, but you’re connected. Until we find out how, you stick with people you know.’
Her cool control snapped, emotion churning in her eyes. He saw the awareness return, but also saw fear and anger. That was good. She needed to be afraid. Just not of me . Still, he got the feeling she was afraid of him and he didn’t know why.
‘I get it,’ she said roughly. ‘No dark alleys.’
‘Or running before dawn,’ he added. ‘Promise me, Dr Trask.’
She nodded once, her eyes not leaving his. ‘I promise.’
He handed her one of his cards. ‘Both Stevie’s and my cell numbers are on the back. Call us if you need us.’
She took the card gingerly, again avoiding his fingers. ‘I will. Thank you.’
‘Then we’ll get to work,’ Stevie said. ‘We’ll be in touch.’
Lucy watched them leave, her heart pounding wildly. Stevie had patted her shoulder comfortingly as she’d pushed away from the table, but Fitzpatrick hadn’t touched her again. He hadn’t needed to. Her hand still tingled from that brief brush of their fingers. Her cheeks still burned from that last long look he’d leveled before he’d closed the conference room door on his way out.
Fitzpatrick was very interested. Her ‘boring’ warning had had the opposite effect, only intensifying his not-so-subtle study of her face as he’d sat across the table. I don’t want him to be interested .
But of course she did. Goddamn me . She gritted her teeth. Won’t you ever learn?
‘That went better than I thought it would,’ Craig said.
She realized he’d been watching her. ‘Yes, it did,’ she murmured. ‘I have an alibi.’
‘I could see they didn’t think you had anything to do with it from the moment they walked in,’ Craig said. ‘Especially Fitzpatrick. I think he likes you,’ he added slyly.
She wanted to wince. ‘It doesn’t matter if he likes me nor not.’
You, Lucy Trask, are a big liar . Having a man like JD Fitzpatrick interested mattered a great deal. He was sexy, kind, and had a magnetism that drew her gaze despite her best intentions. Ruby had called him a narcotic, which was probably the most accurate description.
He’d be amazing in bed. The thought sent a new shiver across her skin. Oh God .
Which was precisely why she needed to keep her distance. Even if every nerve in her body was telling her to run closer. Maybe just once . What could it hurt?
Everything . Unbidden, the squeal of tires and the sickening crunch of metal filled her memory. Her mind went quiet, until all she could hear was the baby’s wail that still invaded her worst nightmares. What could it hurt, indeed? Everything .
Craig frowned, still watching her. ‘Whatever you say,’ he said skeptically.
‘So, what about me? Am I on leave?’
‘Yes. Until you’re officially cleared. Luckily you were just back and hadn’t had time to start any other cases.’
‘But we’re so behind.’
‘That’s mine to worry about. I’ll figure something.’ He rose, tugging his suit coat into place. ‘Go home for now. And remember what they said about being alone in dark places. I don’t want anyone finding you slumped over a chess table.’
Lucy followed him from the conference room, the memory of this morning’s chess table pushing the baby’s cry from her mind. She thought about the body back in the cold room. The man had no face, no fingers, no tongue. And no heart .
It was Russ. Every instinct she possessed told her it was.
Fitzpatrick was right. I am involved, somehow . But how? And why? Why me?
Monday, May 3, 1.00 P.M.
Lucy headed to the parking garage, looking over her shoulder every few feet. She was suddenly conscious of how empty the garage was, even in the daytime. And she was suddenly conscious of how isolated she was. Her back went rigid and she picked up her pace, her key clutched in one
Her cool control snapped, emotion churning in her eyes. He saw the awareness return, but also saw fear and anger. That was good. She needed to be afraid. Just not of me . Still, he got the feeling she was afraid of him and he didn’t know why.
‘I get it,’ she said roughly. ‘No dark alleys.’
‘Or running before dawn,’ he added. ‘Promise me, Dr Trask.’
She nodded once, her eyes not leaving his. ‘I promise.’
He handed her one of his cards. ‘Both Stevie’s and my cell numbers are on the back. Call us if you need us.’
She took the card gingerly, again avoiding his fingers. ‘I will. Thank you.’
‘Then we’ll get to work,’ Stevie said. ‘We’ll be in touch.’
Lucy watched them leave, her heart pounding wildly. Stevie had patted her shoulder comfortingly as she’d pushed away from the table, but Fitzpatrick hadn’t touched her again. He hadn’t needed to. Her hand still tingled from that brief brush of their fingers. Her cheeks still burned from that last long look he’d leveled before he’d closed the conference room door on his way out.
Fitzpatrick was very interested. Her ‘boring’ warning had had the opposite effect, only intensifying his not-so-subtle study of her face as he’d sat across the table. I don’t want him to be interested .
But of course she did. Goddamn me . She gritted her teeth. Won’t you ever learn?
‘That went better than I thought it would,’ Craig said.
She realized he’d been watching her. ‘Yes, it did,’ she murmured. ‘I have an alibi.’
‘I could see they didn’t think you had anything to do with it from the moment they walked in,’ Craig said. ‘Especially Fitzpatrick. I think he likes you,’ he added slyly.
She wanted to wince. ‘It doesn’t matter if he likes me nor not.’
You, Lucy Trask, are a big liar . Having a man like JD Fitzpatrick interested mattered a great deal. He was sexy, kind, and had a magnetism that drew her gaze despite her best intentions. Ruby had called him a narcotic, which was probably the most accurate description.
He’d be amazing in bed. The thought sent a new shiver across her skin. Oh God .
Which was precisely why she needed to keep her distance. Even if every nerve in her body was telling her to run closer. Maybe just once . What could it hurt?
Everything . Unbidden, the squeal of tires and the sickening crunch of metal filled her memory. Her mind went quiet, until all she could hear was the baby’s wail that still invaded her worst nightmares. What could it hurt, indeed? Everything .
Craig frowned, still watching her. ‘Whatever you say,’ he said skeptically.
‘So, what about me? Am I on leave?’
‘Yes. Until you’re officially cleared. Luckily you were just back and hadn’t had time to start any other cases.’
‘But we’re so behind.’
‘That’s mine to worry about. I’ll figure something.’ He rose, tugging his suit coat into place. ‘Go home for now. And remember what they said about being alone in dark places. I don’t want anyone finding you slumped over a chess table.’
Lucy followed him from the conference room, the memory of this morning’s chess table pushing the baby’s cry from her mind. She thought about the body back in the cold room. The man had no face, no fingers, no tongue. And no heart .
It was Russ. Every instinct she possessed told her it was.
Fitzpatrick was right. I am involved, somehow . But how? And why? Why me?
Monday, May 3, 1.00 P.M.
Lucy headed to the parking garage, looking over her shoulder every few feet. She was suddenly conscious of how empty the garage was, even in the daytime. And she was suddenly conscious of how isolated she was. Her back went rigid and she picked up her pace, her key clutched in one
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