apartment. “Hell, what kind of question is that? I’d give up anything for her—everything.”
“And you did—didn’t you?”
Driving a hand through his hair, he turned and glared at her. “Hell, what are you, a fed or a shrink?”
She smiled, revealing dimples on either side of her mouth. “Both. I’m not wrong, though, am I? What aren’t you telling us, Joel?”
He stared at her blankly.
Casey finally sighed, shifting on the couch. She propped her arm on the back and stared at him, her eyes dark and brooding.
“You have secrets in those eyes, Joel. I see them. I don’t need evidence to know that.”
He laughed bitterly. “You’re a fed. Evidence is all you know.”
An odd, secret little smile curved her lips upward and she shifted her gaze, staring past him into the corner. Joel’s skin started to prickle and he felt that odd chill in the air again. “Oh, I wouldn’t bet on that, Joel. I know a little bit more than just evidence…now, what was it you wanted to ask me?”
Narrowing his eyes, he stared at her. His skin felt tight and it was cold in the room. Very cold. Carly was there, hovering just beyond where he couldn’t see her and although she wasn’t afraid, she was—something. Worried, intrigued, curious.
Something.
Damn it, he needed to get Dowling out of here before she started wanting to check the air conditioner or something.
“Why do you want Grainger so much? He’s your hot spot. You wanted the others, but him…” Joel shook his head. “You wanted him the most. Why?”
Casey’s smile faded. “You sure you aren’t a shrink?” Her eyes closed. “He’s a criminal. That alone should be enough. But there is more. You are right.”
Her eyes closed, her arm straightening out. She laid her head along it, looking vulnerable, and much younger. “I met him in high school—we were so alike. Two kids out to save the world. His name was Joshua. My dad almost had a heart attack—I think his did, too. I was a black girl, he was a white boy. Not what either of our parents wanted. But we loved each other. That was it for us—all that mattered. They came to accept that, even as young as we were. We got into college together, both wanted to become lawyers. It was our senior year. We both had gotten accepted into Harvard. We were going to get married that summer.”
Her voice got softer and Joel watched as a tear slid out from her closed eyes. “One night, he never came home. We’d been living together since our sophomore year. I called the cops. You know the drill—forty-eight hours for a missing person. Then I get a phone call. There’s a body.” Her voice cracked and she fell silent for a minute.
Slowly, she lifted her head and opened her eyes, staring sightlessly into the distance. When she spoke again, her voice was steady, but the silent rain of tears continued. “He saw a drug deal—they shot him. There were witnesses but none of them would testify. I begged them to—and they wouldn’t.”
She started to speak again, but a sob choked her.
Joel walked away, leaving her alone for a few minutes while he went into the bathroom, getting a washcloth and wetting it.
By the time he reached the living room again, she was a little more composed. He held out the cloth and she accepted it silently. He turned away, waiting until she spoke again.
“I couldn’t become a lawyer. They can’t make you speak, Joel. No matter what—they can put you on the stand, but they can’t make you talk. And if we can’t make the people who see things talk, we can’t put the bad guys away.”
Guilt churned inside of him. One arm propped against the wall, he closed his hand into a fist, hiding his face from her. She’d lost just as much as he had. And instead of turning into a vigilante and going after Grainger like Joel had, she’d used the law.
There was silence behind him and then a hand brushed his shoulder. “I know bad guys, Joel.” He stiffened under her hand, then slowly
“And you did—didn’t you?”
Driving a hand through his hair, he turned and glared at her. “Hell, what are you, a fed or a shrink?”
She smiled, revealing dimples on either side of her mouth. “Both. I’m not wrong, though, am I? What aren’t you telling us, Joel?”
He stared at her blankly.
Casey finally sighed, shifting on the couch. She propped her arm on the back and stared at him, her eyes dark and brooding.
“You have secrets in those eyes, Joel. I see them. I don’t need evidence to know that.”
He laughed bitterly. “You’re a fed. Evidence is all you know.”
An odd, secret little smile curved her lips upward and she shifted her gaze, staring past him into the corner. Joel’s skin started to prickle and he felt that odd chill in the air again. “Oh, I wouldn’t bet on that, Joel. I know a little bit more than just evidence…now, what was it you wanted to ask me?”
Narrowing his eyes, he stared at her. His skin felt tight and it was cold in the room. Very cold. Carly was there, hovering just beyond where he couldn’t see her and although she wasn’t afraid, she was—something. Worried, intrigued, curious.
Something.
Damn it, he needed to get Dowling out of here before she started wanting to check the air conditioner or something.
“Why do you want Grainger so much? He’s your hot spot. You wanted the others, but him…” Joel shook his head. “You wanted him the most. Why?”
Casey’s smile faded. “You sure you aren’t a shrink?” Her eyes closed. “He’s a criminal. That alone should be enough. But there is more. You are right.”
Her eyes closed, her arm straightening out. She laid her head along it, looking vulnerable, and much younger. “I met him in high school—we were so alike. Two kids out to save the world. His name was Joshua. My dad almost had a heart attack—I think his did, too. I was a black girl, he was a white boy. Not what either of our parents wanted. But we loved each other. That was it for us—all that mattered. They came to accept that, even as young as we were. We got into college together, both wanted to become lawyers. It was our senior year. We both had gotten accepted into Harvard. We were going to get married that summer.”
Her voice got softer and Joel watched as a tear slid out from her closed eyes. “One night, he never came home. We’d been living together since our sophomore year. I called the cops. You know the drill—forty-eight hours for a missing person. Then I get a phone call. There’s a body.” Her voice cracked and she fell silent for a minute.
Slowly, she lifted her head and opened her eyes, staring sightlessly into the distance. When she spoke again, her voice was steady, but the silent rain of tears continued. “He saw a drug deal—they shot him. There were witnesses but none of them would testify. I begged them to—and they wouldn’t.”
She started to speak again, but a sob choked her.
Joel walked away, leaving her alone for a few minutes while he went into the bathroom, getting a washcloth and wetting it.
By the time he reached the living room again, she was a little more composed. He held out the cloth and she accepted it silently. He turned away, waiting until she spoke again.
“I couldn’t become a lawyer. They can’t make you speak, Joel. No matter what—they can put you on the stand, but they can’t make you talk. And if we can’t make the people who see things talk, we can’t put the bad guys away.”
Guilt churned inside of him. One arm propped against the wall, he closed his hand into a fist, hiding his face from her. She’d lost just as much as he had. And instead of turning into a vigilante and going after Grainger like Joel had, she’d used the law.
There was silence behind him and then a hand brushed his shoulder. “I know bad guys, Joel.” He stiffened under her hand, then slowly
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