“I don’t need an explanation. I can guess. You suspect Emma Miller’s husband, and you’re planning to speak to him. But you won’t do it, because I’m telling you not to. You will not visit his office, and you most definitely will not show up on his doorstep. I mean it, Jane.”
“Not bad, Officer Detective Special Agent Conrad Ryan.” She added just enough sneer in her voice to let him know he could take his silent intimidation and shove it. And yeah, sure, also her deepest defenses had been pricked. He’d used her name twice in two minutes, a bad sign. Clearly he was beyond irritated with her. The first clue that their breakup loomed. Before their first date!
If ever she fell in love with him? Which she wouldn’t do. Nope. Not her.
“Jane,” he grated.
“All right. Fine. You win, okay? I won’t drop by Mr. Miller’s office or show up on his doorstep.” Truth.
Instead, she would approach him somewhere else. Did Mr. Miller workout at the town’s only gym? Frequent a favorite restaurant? Attend the theater? People bumped into each other all the time. Hardly a big deal.
“Now, if you’ll excuse us…” She backed up a step, bumping into Beau, who rested a hand on her lower back to stop her from falling.
“Jane.” Conrad's annoyance had only sharpened.
“Nope, no need to continue saying what you’re saying. Trust me. I’ve already deduced the highlights. You meant every word. I’ll be in huge trouble if I disobey. And finally, I better go home and stay there or else.” She spread her arms wide and rolled her eyes. “See? I can detective like a boss, too.”
“And if the killer decides to go after you?”
Was this an attempt to scare her? “There’s no stronger motivation to catch the fiend as quickly as possible.”
He pursed his lips and switched his gaze to Beau. “You’ll keep her safe?”
Gold-star solve for Conrad. He suspected her of misleading him, and he was taking measures to ensure her well-being, anyway. Her chest clenched with the realization, but that was okay. Because it meant nothing. Less than nothing, most likely.
“I will,” Beau vowed. “I’ll take a bullet for her if necessary.”
What? “No one is taking a bullet for anyone.” But awww. How sweet. He cared about her well-being, just as she cared about his. Because they were the best of friends.
Look at that. She now had a buddy at her side and a short-term boyfriend on the horizon. Maybe. Possibly. Either way, things were looking up for this Ladling girl.
A silent exchange seemed to transpire between the guys. That, she didn’t like. What were they saying without saying it?
As Beau led Jane to the door, she cast a glance over her shoulder. Conrad stared at her, hard, never pulling his gaze, even when people passed between them. As if she held him captive, and he couldn’t muster the strength to look anywhere else. What a powerful thought.
She smiled as she settled into the truck.
“What now?” Beau asked.
Good question. She fished her phone from her purse and hunted for Anthony Miller’s information on the internet. According to his social media, he’d just checked into a hotel bar only twenty minutes from their current location to celebrate his upcoming divorce.
“That look on your face leads to trouble,” Beau said, sounding resigned. “But go ahead. Tell me. What are we doing next?”
“Interrogating a lawyer over cocktails.”
There he was. Anthony Miller. He hunched over the hotel bar, alone, swirling amber liquid in a short, round glass. Shadows and light twined over him. Mostly shadows. Dark gray walls and low-burn candles provided a dimming effect. Soft music played in the background. Only a few other people occupied the space.
He looked anywhere from forty to sixty. His mostly pepper hair was disheveled, some of the short strands like spikes. Strain etched lines around his eyes and mouth. A wrinkled shirt was half tucked and half untucked. He had only rolled up one sleeve.
Jane closed the distance before Beau attempted to talk her out of this. He remained close to her heels. At the bar, he darted ahead to pull out a chair for her—a chair two barstools over from Miller. Dang him. She’d hoped to snag the spot at the lawyer’s side. Nothing she could do now but accept.
Beau, the most terrible partner in non-crime ever, claimed the seat between them, putting himself closer to the man Jane would be questioning.
She leaned into her companion, breathing in a scent so different from Conrad’s but just as amazing, and whispered, “You are the best and worst friend of all time. You know that, right?”
He bent his head to hers and whispered back, “You are the only friend I have, and I will always put your safety first.”
Gah! How could she remain annoyed with him now?
Mr. Miller sneered at them. “You guys in love?” He slurred his words.