Split Second (Sean King & Michelle Maxwell 1)

He looked over at her and then shrugged.

“I didn’t think you two were really friends anymore.”

“We’re not!” He added more calmly, “We’re not. But a long time ago we were more than friends.”

“I know this is hard for you, Sean.”

They sat there for a bit until King said, “She flashed me.”

“What?” Michelle said sharply.

“On the elevator, she flashed me.”

“Flashed you. How?”

“Trench coat and nothing much on underneath. Come on, admit it, you were probably thinking it was something like that after you found out about her panties on the ceiling.”

“Okay, maybe I was. But why would she do that? You were on duty.”

“Because she got a note she thought was from me asking her to surprise me, on the damn elevator. And after the night we spent together, I guess she assumed I meant a suitable follow-up to that show.”

“If they wanted to set up a distraction with Joan, how would they know when she’d be coming down?”

r /> “The meet-and-greet was from 10:00 to 10:35. She knew that. So at

least whoever was plotting to kill Ritter would know the time window they were working with. The note said to come around 10:30. But even if she didn’t do it, I’m sure they’d have still attempted to kill Ritter.”

“That was pretty risky for Joan. It’s not like she had to.”

“Well, sometimes love makes you do crazy things.”

“So you think that was it?”

“That’s what she pretty much told me. All these years she suspected I was involved in Ritter’s death somehow. She thought I’d set her up, again somehow. When she saw the note that was pinned to Susan Whitehead, she realized maybe we’d both been used. That note on Susan Whitehead clearly indicated the person was involved in Ritter’s killing. The note slipped under Joan’s door was designed to use her to distract me, under the pretense of being written by me. But she couldn’t tell anyone about the note and what she’d done on the elevator because it would have wrecked her career.” He paused. “She asked me why, if I suspected her and I was clean, I’d never told anyone what she’d done.”

“And what did you tell her?”

“I didn’t tell her. Maybe I don’t know why.”

“I think you never really believed she was guilty of anything other than bad judgment.”

“I saw the look in her eyes when the shot was fired. I never saw anyone more shocked. No, she wasn’t part of it.” He shrugged. “But what the hell does it matter now?”

“Like you said, love can make you do strange things. And it looks like whoever was behind this knew how you felt about Joan. That you wouldn’t betray her. In effect, both your hands and Joan’s were tied.” She looked at him questioningly. “It’s not a crime to care about someone, Sean.”

“Sometimes it feels like it is. It’s a little unsettling to have someone come back into your life who you thought was gone forever.”

“Especially if what you thought eight years ago turned out to be wrong.”

“I’m not in love with Joan,” said King. “But I do care what happens to her. I want her back safe.”

“We’ll do all we can do.”

“That still might not be enough,” he said grimly, and then rose and headed up to the house.

As they were finishing up lunch, King’s phone rang. When he answered, he looked puzzled and then said to Michelle, “It’s for you. He says he’s your father.”

“Thanks. I gave him this number. I hope you don’t mind. The cell reception is a little spotty around here.”