my mama always said lies make God weep,” Carol spit out, losing all her Southern charm. Luke’s eyes averted to the ground, and I was shocked into silence. I’d never heard Carol say a harsh word to or about anyone except that no-good-son-of-a-bitch ex of hers. She was a bit frightening. Luke must have thought so too, because when she took a step toward him, he took one back. “If my best friend gets hurt again, I’m holding you personally responsible.” She held up a finger. “One hair and I will track you down and put you in the ground, I swear to God. You get me, FBI man?”
“I’ll guard her with my life.”
A bright smile crossed Carol’s face, transforming her back into the woman I knew. “Good,” she chirped. “Then y’all have a safe trip. Hope ya catch him.” She turned back to me. “You call me every day.”
“Will do.”
“We’d better get going,” Luke said. “Our plane leaves in two hours.”
“Okay.” I smiled at Carol, who smiled back. “Take care of Gus and the cats for me?”
“I’m sure Patrick and I will spoil them rotten.”
I tousled the kid’s hair again. “Be good for your mom.”
I kissed Carol’s cheek before climbing into the cool car. My muscles knotted up when the door slammed shut. I forced myself to take deep breaths as Luke got in. What the hell was the matter with me? I hadn’t been this nervous since the first class I taught. I was as jittery as a June bug. I had wanted this. Why…? It hit me.
“Wait,” I said just as Luke was about to start the car.
“You forget something?” he asked.
“I think maybe this is a bad idea.”
Luke lowered his hand from the keys and fell back in his seat. He looked over at me, surprisingly sympathetic. “Was it the funeral remark?”
This made me smile. “No, it wasn’t the funeral remark.”
“Then what? You practically begged me last night to come. What changed?”
I gazed out the window, watching Carol help Patrick into the backseat of her car. As she walked to the driver’s-side door, Patrick turned around and looked out the window at me. His eyes met mine for a fleeting second. My stomach clenched. The faces of those little boys who had their mothers taken away flashed in my mind.
“Because I don’t think I can do this,” I said, turning back to Luke. “I’m not the same person I was. I’m not as sharp as I was. What if I fail? What if this guy gets away? How could I face myself every day?”
He gazed at me, searching for something in my face before he chuckled. “You really don’t remember, do you?”
“What?”
“Iris, we’ve had this conversation half a dozen times before. At the Academy, on the Staub case, even in Rosetta. Every agent has the same doubts.”
“That was then. Maybe now I’m too…damaged. I could just make things worse.”
“You seemed pretty on top of things last night. You threw some pretty good ideas out there.”
“Or I could be leading you in a completely wrong direction. When you’re off looking at doctors, the law enforcement perp might be out stalking another woman.”
“Or,” Luke said, “we find this guy because of your profile.” He paused. “I’ve worked with a lot of agents in the past two years, and none could hold a candle to you, even on a bad day. If I didn’t think you were up to this I wouldn’t have fought for you. You and me, we’re…” He gripped the steering wheel so hard it creaked. “You’re still Iris Ballard. My partner. I knew it the second you showed up at my motel room with that same excited look in your eyes you’ve had every time we began a case. I trust you. Trust
me.
”
I broke away from his gaze. “You really think I can do this?”
“I know you can. And so do you.”
I bit my lower lip and closed my eyes. “Thank you. You can start the car now.” The car sprung to life, and I opened my eyes.
It was time to rejoin the land of the living.
Chapter 6
After an uneventful plane ride, Luke and I landed at
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