Read Online Her Last Chance by Toni Anderson - Free Book Online Page A

didn’t like to share anything.
She was more closed off than Fort Knox. But she took a sip anyway, which gave
him a juvenile thrill. He’d once again regressed to high school.
    Avoiding his gaze, she reclaimed
her spot on the bench. The pallor of her skin reminded him she hadn’t had much
sleep last night and this was her second time going head-to-head with the
killer. She wasn’t a rookie. The first time had scarred her for life—literally
and figuratively. Who knew what yesterday’s encounter had done.
    Taking out his wallet, he hunted
for Agent Walker’s card and dialed his number.
    “Walker.” The man answered on the
first ring.
    “This your idea of protective
custody?” His voice was cold and clipped.
    “Ms. Maxwell wouldn’t accept
protective custody, sir .” Walker’s tone made Marsh stare hard at the
Lincoln.
    “So what are you going to do? Wait
until he cuts her up before you nail him?”
    “I don’t need you to tell me how to
do my job.” Walker’s voice rose and Marsh heard Nicholl in the background
telling his partner to back off.
    But maybe the guy was right.
Josephine wasn’t exactly known for her cooperation. Marsh rubbed his forehead.
Walker was a good agent with several commendations in his file and Marsh was
screwing with the investigation because he was personally involved and because
he could.
    Shit . He’d always detested
people who abused power and yet look how tempting it was. He took a deep
breath. Then another. The one thing Marsh believed in was the law. He needed to
let the bureau do their job, while he protected Josephine.
    “You’re right,” and though it cost
him, “I’m sorry.”
    The tension eased a little on the
end of the line.
    “Did you get the evidence from the
old case?” he asked. “Because I can go over to Queens right now and pick it
up—”
    “No, sir, that won’t be necessary…”
    “You got it?” Marsh heard evasion
in his voice. The guy wasn’t telling him everything.
    “No, sir.” Walker paused as if
debating what to tell him. “The evidence disappeared. About a month ago a beat
cop was murdered, his uniform stolen and someone used it to sign out the
evidence on Ms. Maxwell’s old case. It was never returned.”
    “What?” Marsh fisted his hand in
his short hair, pulling at his scalp. This UNSUB was bold and not missing a
trick. “Did you get anything from the station cameras or the log?”
    Walker hesitated again, and Marsh
was starting to get seriously pissed.
    “The only thing we got was your
name, sir.”
    What the …? “I told you I
examined the files six months ago,” Marsh frowned. Had he told them?
    “Yes, sir, but the UNSUB signed
your name when he took the file.”
    Why the hell would he do that?
Marsh gritted his teeth on a curse. “Maybe he checked the log to see who else
checked out the evidence…”
    “Maybe.” But Walker replied too
quickly.
    “Do I need an alibi for last night,
Special Agent Walker? Because I’m pretty sure I can provide one.” Marsh didn’t
have time for this shit. Turning his back on the black Lincoln, he sat on the
bench next to Josephine, aware of her scent, her interested blue eyes.
    “I have over two hundred people,
plus my partner, plus a date, who can place me at the Total Mastery NY Gallery
on West Broadway for most of last evening.”
    Josephine raised a single eyebrow,
but he didn’t know if it was the fact he was supplying an alibi or the fact
he’d had a date that surprised her.
    “Why’d you sign out the evidence
six months ago?” Walker redirected his questions.
    No way was Marsh exposing Elizabeth
Ward, his former agent and Josephine’s best friend, to this investigation. Not
when Elizabeth had sacrificed everything and finally got her life back.
    “Josephine’s father was worried
about her.” Marsh felt her stiffen beside him, but refused to look in her
direction.
    “Walter Maxwell?” Walker probed.
    Marsh let his head drop back, his
neck stretching as he gazed up