Willing her nerves to settle, she dropped her grade book, papers and text on the table to give herself an extra second to regain her composure around the investigator. Thank God he didn't have handcuffs in sight.
"Is there something I can help you with, Agent Reis? Did you receive the e-mail I sent to your office with a list of all Gary's friends?" Babbling. Not good, but she couldn't stop the tumble of words from her mouth. "I also forwarded a copy of the post Gary sent me that night, inviting me to join him at Beachcombers."
"I got it, but that's not what I'm here for." Reaching back behind the cube wall, he lifted a paper bag. "Here is your purse back. I'm sorry to say we have to keep your clothes for evidence."
And why bring it here? Unease tickled up her spine in spite of the lack of handcuffs. She took the sack grateful they'd let her have her credit cards and license that first day. Her clothes, however, they could keep forever. "I could have come to the base to pick it up."
"Thought I would save you the trip since I already had business out this way." He shoved his hands in his pockets, fished out a pack of gum, offering her a piece—she shook her head—before folding a stick in his mouth. All the while, he never took his eyes off her.
She resisted the urge to fidget like a bug under a science lab microscope. But wait? He already had business out here? "You've been questioning people I work with?"
"That bothers you?"
"Of course it does." She tossed the sack onto the round table with such force it slid to a stop against her grade book. "I've already been put on a leave of absence at the junior high because of this mess. I need my work back—"
"I'm sorry for any financial inconvenience."
His expressionless stare reminded her of a circling shark peering through that microscope, and sheesh what a mixed-up image that was. She really needed to air out her brain before she returned to work full-time.
And to do that, she needed to help Agent Reis however she could. "It's not about the money. It's about my students who need consistency. It's about how much I love my job."
"It's also about a man who lost his life."
"I understand that better than most, wouldn't you think?"
"Then you'll appreciate why I'm here." His shark stare warmed with a hint of human compassion. "Actually, coming here could well clear you."
"Clear me? Gary never came here."
"As I told your major friend when he came to my office, I have to consider that someone may have gone after Owens because of you."
As much as she wanted to rejoice over any option that cleared her, she cringed to think that she could have caused Gary's death, even inadvertently. "Who? I can hardly wrap my head around this."
"I can't discuss details of an ongoing investigation."
Even being a suspect brought such a total lack of privacy she felt exposed. Her hands twitched to check her sapphire button-down shirt with her black slacks. She hated the vulnerable gesture, the near irrepressible need to be sure she was totally covered.
She forced her hands back to her sides and hoped Reis hadn't noticed—only to realize the shark-eyed investigator hadn't missed a thing. In fact his gaze was still locked on her clothes.
On her body?
Okay, now she was totally feeling exposed and completely freaked out. He couldn't be interested in her. Could he?
He was an intriguing man, no doubt, handsome in a dark and serious kind of way. Which made him completely not her type since apparently she had a real weak spot for fair-headed charmers. But how did she discourage this guy without embarrassing both of them? Provided she was even reading him right.
Thank God Billy Wade Watkins chose that moment to amble through the library entrance, silver chains on his baggy clothes jangling. "Ms. Price? Sorry I'm late. I had to drop off my dad at some church meeting thing so I could use the truck."
"Over here, Billy Wade." She backed away from the investigator. "Agent Reis, thank you for bringing my things, but I have to get to work."
"Of course. Let me know if you remember anything more." He leaned closer, his eyes over her shoulder. "Be careful. Schools aren't the safest places to hang out these days."
He brushed around and past, leaving behind his Double-mint gum scent and unwelcome doubts about her students, as well as questions about that whole strange once-over moment from Reis that still totally creeped her out. She'd been so looking forward to this tutoring session, yet suddenly she wanted nothing more than to rake pine straw with Carson.
And that unsettled her as much as the prospect of Reis prying in her personal life.
* * *
Prying the dog tag on his flight boot out of Jamie Price's mouth, Carson passed the toddler a graham cracker in exchange. If only adults were as easy to figure out as the pint-size versions. "There ya' go, kiddo."