Rachel perked up. „No way what?“
„Be quiet Rachel,“ Aidan snapped. „Tell me it isn’t true, Abe.“
Abe considered him evenly. „You’ve never been impolite to a guest. What happened?“
„Oh, nothing. Just that my partner and three other cops in our precinct got called into IA yesterday. Seems the SA’s office is investigating cops for the murders of those low-lifes that deserved to be fried the first time around.“ Aidan glared at Kristen. „They’re good men and good cops who wouldn’t murder any man, even ones you guys were too inept to keep in jail.“
Kristen wanted to deny it but a look from Abe had her closing her mouth tightly.
„And now you have the nerve to bring her here?“ Aidan sneered. „I’m gone.“
„Don’t you move one inch.“ Becca inserted herself between the brothers. „You aren’t going anywhere, Aidan. Not until you’ve first apologized to Rachel’s guest.“
Aidan’s eyes widened and he looked at Abe. „I thought – “
Abe’s lips twitched. „I guess she’s technically Rachel’s guest“ He let Aidan stew a moment, then added, „But next time she’ll be mine.“
Delighted, Becca and Rachel stared at Kristen, whose cheeks heated. Deliberately she ignored them and looked up at Aidan. „I’m sorry your friends were hassled, but anybody who’s had any contact with those cases has had to account for their whereabouts on the nights of the murders. Everybody in the SA’s office is getting questioned, even me. If they have alibis, we’ll take them off the list. If not, they’ll have to stay there a little longer.“ She lifted her hands, let them fall. „I’m sorry. I really am.“
Aidan hesitated, then inclined his head in a single nod. „All right then.“
„If we make her eat out on the back porch, can she stay for dinner?“ Rachel asked dryly.
Aidan rolled his eyes. „Give me my hat, you smart-ass.“
„Aidan!“ Becca snapped. „Don’t curse in my kitchen.“
„Go in the living room and curse with Dad,“ Rachel said with a grin and after a moment Aidan grinned back, quickly checking the grin when his eyes met Kristen’s.
„I’m sorry,“ he said quietly. „My partner was very upset after being called into IA. We’re all afraid this is going to turn into a witch-hunt.“
„Not on my watch,“ Kristen vowed and Aidan pursed his lips, considering.
„All right then.“ He lifted one black brow. „I guess you can stay.“
Sunday, February 22,
8:00 p.m.
She’d held her own, Abe thought proudly. Kristen had survived a Sunday dinner with the Reagans. The ham was culinary history and everyone who remained gathered in the living room to watch a movie, so like old times it made his throat thicken. Sean sat on the sofa, while Ruth sat on the floor with their new baby, her back up against Sean’s knees. For a long time after Debra’s death Abe hadn’t been able to watch Sean and Ruth together. It wasn’t just that Ruth looked so much like Debra, because she did. They’d been cousins after all, their mothers were sisters. It was more the happiness Sean and Ruth exuded every time they were in the same room that was the hardest to bear. But over the years, Abe had become accustomed to the sharp pang of loss. It was a given. Just one of those things. Seeing Sean and Ruth together made his heart hurt.
Until today. Today he hadn’t been alone. Today he’d brought Kristen to his family and she’d melded right in, as if she’d known them all her life. Now she and Rachel sat on the love seat watching the Steve Martin comedy Sean had rented. From his seat on the couch Abe could watch her face as she truly relaxed for the first time in five days.
She was intent on the movie when Rachel leaned over and whispered something in her ear. It must have been classic Rachel, irreverent and funny, because Kristen threw back her head and laughed that wonderful husky laugh that made him feel like he’d taken a kick to the gut. Looking back, he should have known he wouldn’t be the only one to feel that way. Ruth twisted to stare, her face slack with shock. His parents also turned, pained.
Abe wanted to put the whole scene on freeze-frame and whisk Kristen out of the room before she noticed the family’s reaction. But of course it was too late for that. Her smile at Rachel’s witticism disappeared like mist in sunlight.
Her green eyes shot to his, wary once more. „What?“ she asked.
„My God,“ Ruth breathed, then shook her head hard. „I’m so sorry, Kristen, I didn’t mean to be rude, but… you sounded like someone I once knew.“
Kristen grew very still, her eyes still on Abe’s. „Debra?“
He’d seen fear and courage in her eyes, vulnerability and sadness. Now he saw hurt as she jumped to her own conclusions and it sliced at him like a knife. „Kristen – “
She held up her hand, a smile on her lips. „It’s okay.“ But he could see it wasn’t. She turned back to the television. „Can we rewind a bit, Sean? We missed the last minute or two.“
Sean complied. Ruth sent Abe a silent message of acute apology. The movie went on, but Steve Martin just didn’t seem as funny after that.
Sunday, February 22,
10:00 P.M.
Abe pulled past the cruiser in the street and into her driveway. She’d sincerely thanked his parents for dinner, wished Sean and Ruth congratulations on their new baby, and crossed her fingers for Rachel’s good grade on the interview. But once in his SUV, she’d grown quiet and with every mile to her house, his heart grew heavier. He could almost hear the wheels turning in her mind and desperately wished she’d say something. Anything. Finally, she did.
„It’s okay, Reagan,“ she said. He winced at the formality. Her eyes wouldn’t meet his, focusing instead on her darkened windows with their new curtains. „I understand.“
He put his hand on hers. „What do you understand?“
„I understood before tonight that you needed to take care of me, to keep me safe. Because you didn’t keep Debra safe. Even though that wasn’t your fault. I guess I didn’t think that I was a substitute in every other way, though.“ She swallowed and looked out the window. „That hurt the old ego a little,“ she added wryly.
„You’re not a substitute for Debra. Dammit, Kristen, look at me.“
She shook her head firmly and opened the door. „Thank you. Really. I had a lovely time and you have a wonderful family. Call me tomorrow if you want to meet on the case. I’ve got Officer Truman here tonight. I’ll be fine.“
And she would be, Kristen thought. She’d been through a hell of a lot worse than this, after all. She slammed the SUV door, half-expecting him to follow her. She told herself she wasn’t disappointed when he didn’t. He backed out of her driveway with an engine roar that would most certainly make her neighbors complain. She entered her kitchen, not thinking about the fact it was the first time she’d entered her own house alone in the past five days. Not thinking about the kiss they’d shared over by her teapot. Not thinking about him at all.
It wasn’t a bad outcome all in all. She’d discovered that she could tolerate, even anticipate feeling strong arms around her. That she could kiss a man without throwing up, that she could even yearn for the feel of his lips on hers. So it wasn’t a total loss.
She dropped her coat on the kitchen chair. Bypassed the teapot. She didn’t think she could stomach tea tonight. At least he wouldn’t be able to peep in her windows anymore. Heavy curtains covered the glass.
She closed the door to her bedroom, not thinking about Abe Reagan at all.
But it was his name she screamed when the hand came out of the darkness to clamp over her mouth, muffling her scream, yanking her back against a large, hard body. She struggled violently, her nails raking against skin. A strangled cry met her ears and the hand left her mouth, an iron arm locking hard across her breasts, immobilizing her. She screamed again, kicking, her heel catching something hard. Then her body went still when cold, hard metal touched her temple. I’m going to die.