The Murder That Never Was (Forensic Instincts 5)

Milo watched Shannon walk in his direction, wearing jeans and a zip-up hoodie, her wavy, light brown hair tied back in a hairband. As she slipped her iPhone into her pocket, her expression seemed to change from fearful disappointment to reluctant acceptance. Good. This was the way it had to be. Forensic Instincts was right. Whenever Lisa and Shannon had their first face-to-face, the girl’s illusions would shatter. And the fallout from that sure as hell couldn’t happen here.

“It’s going to be a traumatic and emotional event,” Casey had explained. “You want it to occur in a controlled environment—like your apartment. Not in the middle of a bustling train station. You have no idea how Shannon will react. She might freak out and try to run, or start crying and carrying on. You can’t let that happen in public, and you certainly can’t let her bolt. Keep the leverage in your hands. There’s no way Lisa can risk walking over and picking Shannon up herself. So Miles, you pick her up. Emma will be waiting in the apartment with Lisa to help defuse the situation and ease Shannon into the truth.”

Casey had gone on to outline the steps Lisa and Milo should take to pull it off.

They’d followed FI’s instructions to a tee.

Milo’s grin widened as Shannon shyly approached him, her backpack slung over one arm. “Shannon?” he verified.

She nodded.

“I’m Miles Parker.” He stuck out his hand to shake hers. “I’m Julie’s right-hand guy, and her best friend. She’s said such great stuff about you. I’m glad to meet you.”

A smile lit Shannon’s eyes. “She did?”

“Yup.” Milo took her backpack. “She’s grocery shopping now. She wants you to have a home-cooked meal on your first night here.” A pause, and Milo groped in his pocket, pulling out his wallet and flipping it open. “There’s my Excalibur photo ID badge—just so you won’t worry that I’m not who I say I am.”

Shannon glanced at it, and Milo felt a wave of pity for the poor kid. She was trembling. “I’m an idiot,” she said. “I should have asked to see that right away. I’m just not used to…” She broke off, chewing her lip in a nervous gesture.

“Hey, you’re sixteen. Cut yourself some slack. Coming all this way by yourself was a huge deal—and a brave one.” Milo gestured toward the street. “Let’s go. Julie’s probably on her way home by now. We’ll meet her there.”

Just as FI had predicted, the walk to the apartment contained some nervous questions about Milo.

“How long have you and Julie known each other?” she asked. “Do you text all the time, or have you always lived close enough to get to see each other?”

If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything. Casey had drilled Mark Twain’s quote into Milo and Lisa over and over again.

“We’ve been friends since we were kids,” Milo supplied. “Until a few weeks ago, I lived in Chicago, too. I came to New Jersey with Julie when she ran.”

“Oh.” Shannon looked surprised. “You just quit your job and took off? Are you guys in some serious relationship or something?”

“Nope.” Milo hid his grin. Her youthful openness was kind of refreshing. “We’re very close, but it’s more like brother and sister. And I didn’t have to quit my job. I’m an online tech support guy for Dell computers, so my job is transportable. Give me an Internet connection and my laptop, and I’m in business.”

“Cool.” Shannon fell silent, obviously deep in thought as she fiddled with the zipper of her hoodie. “Did Julie tell you what’s going on?” she blurted out.

“Yes, she did.” Milo kept his demeanor calm. “She’s scared, just like you are. And she’s worried about you. But I’m the only one she’s confided in.”

Shannon nodded, looking almost relieved that someone else—a much-needed ally—was clued in.

Milo led Shannon across the street, simultaneously easing her into the next reveal: their living arrangements.

“Julie’s a better cook than I am, so you’re lucky she’s in the kitchen tonight. I’m usually holed up in my room with my computer.”

The implication registered, and Shannon angled her head toward him. She looked more concerned about where that left her than she did about a guy staying with them. “You and Julie are roommates?”

“Yup.” Milo kept it light, grateful that Shannon wasn’t so sheltered that the very thought of this would send her running. “It keeps the cost of living down. And given the circumstances, I’m glad to be around for you ladies.”

Shannon started fiddling with her zipper again. “Uh…how many rooms… I mean, how big is the apartment… I mean…”

Milo saved her from further embarrassment. “Big enough,” he assured her. “Julie’s got the master bedroom, and I’ve got the small one. But I usually camp out in the living area; it’s bigger and I can do my work there. So it was no sweat to turn the second bedroom over to you.”

“That’s great.” Shannon exhaled with visible relief. “I just feel bad that I’m putting you out.”

Milo gave a dismissive shrug. “I’m a guy. Put me anywhere and I’m happy. Just as long as my tech gear is with me, there’s no problem.”

“Thank you,” Shannon said. Seeing Miles slow down, she glanced up at the apartment building they were approaching. “Is that where you guys live?”

“Uh-huh.”