expression on his face was as adamant as he felt.
“You’re making a big ado about this,” she said. “Truthfully, you’re starting to scare me.”
“Good. Be scared. I want you to take every precaution. Three women have been brutally murdered. Right here in our own backyard. We don’t have a motive. We don’t have a suspect. Unfortunately, we don’t have much of anything right now. But we do know that at least one of them received harassing telephone calls right before she died. So I want you to be careful. Stay alert. Don’t put yourself in any vulnerable situations.”
“I got a few prank calls and somebody thought it would be funny to put a dead rose on my car. Stop trying to make me feel like I’m the next victim in a slasher movie.” The blood drained out of her face, she couldn’t seem to keep her hands busy enough, and he knew she was more afraid than she’d admit.
Good going, Marino. Scare her half to death, why don’t you? Some comfort you are .
He studied her quietly. “Look, I’m probably coming on a little too strong.”
“Ya think?”
He shrugged. “It’s an occupational hazard. Cops tend to see the worst side of a situation.”
“Exactly.” Her eyes flashed. “I know all about your occupational hazards.”
He paused, choosing his words carefully, trying to think of a way to ensure her safety without scaring her more or making her pull away from him altogether. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe it’s a teenager with too much time on his hands. It’s probably not connected to this case at all.”
Her eyes held the first glimmer of hope.
“But I still want you to file a report.”
Erin sighed loudly.
“And I don’t want you to think that what I’m about to say is my way of asking you for a date. I know better than to try that.”
A tentative smile crossed her lips.
“But I would like to stop by now and then. Make sure the three of you are safe. Just for my own peace of mind. This would be official business only, of course.”
Peace of mind? Around Erin? That’s an oxymoron. There’s never peace of mind around Erin. There’s a ferocious need to protect her. Defend her. Coupled, of course, with a healthy personal interest that just keeps rearing its persistent head no matter how much I don’t want it to. Protect and defend. That’s my job. Male interest. That’s an area I just won’t allow myself to act upon .
“What do you say?” He smiled widely and winked.
“Well, if it’s official business, Detective, how can I say ‘no’?”
FIVE
Two weeks later
E rin ducked her head into the living room to check on Jack and Amy. Satisfied that both children were engrossed in a video, she returned to the kitchen and plopped on a stool.
“Kids okay?” Carol glanced up from the cookbook she’d been perusing.
“Yep. I stood in the doorway for five minutes and they didn’t move a muscle. I can’t understand how they can be mesmerized by a movie they’ve seen at least a dozen times.”
Carol laughed. “Count your blessings.”
“Can you believe it’s been two weeks since Easter? Time’s been going by in a flash and there never seems to be enough of it.”
“I guess a certain detective with a permanent place setting at your dinner table could tend to make time fly, huh?”
Erin rolled her eyes. “Let me guess. Tess has been running at the mouth again.”
“I never disclose my sources. But you can’t deny it. I’ve driven by and seen his car once or twice myself. Looks like you took my advice and decided to give the guy a chance.”
“I am not dating Detective Marino.”
Carol raised an eyebrow.
“I’m not. He’s a professional mooch. He praises Tess’s cooking. He knows it automatically gets him an invitation for dinner.”
“Wow, a winker and a freeloader. There’s no end to this man’s vices.”
Erin shot her a look.
“And after dinner?”
Erin shrugged nonchalantly. “He stays for a while. Sometimes he plays video games with Jack,
“You’re making a big ado about this,” she said. “Truthfully, you’re starting to scare me.”
“Good. Be scared. I want you to take every precaution. Three women have been brutally murdered. Right here in our own backyard. We don’t have a motive. We don’t have a suspect. Unfortunately, we don’t have much of anything right now. But we do know that at least one of them received harassing telephone calls right before she died. So I want you to be careful. Stay alert. Don’t put yourself in any vulnerable situations.”
“I got a few prank calls and somebody thought it would be funny to put a dead rose on my car. Stop trying to make me feel like I’m the next victim in a slasher movie.” The blood drained out of her face, she couldn’t seem to keep her hands busy enough, and he knew she was more afraid than she’d admit.
Good going, Marino. Scare her half to death, why don’t you? Some comfort you are .
He studied her quietly. “Look, I’m probably coming on a little too strong.”
“Ya think?”
He shrugged. “It’s an occupational hazard. Cops tend to see the worst side of a situation.”
“Exactly.” Her eyes flashed. “I know all about your occupational hazards.”
He paused, choosing his words carefully, trying to think of a way to ensure her safety without scaring her more or making her pull away from him altogether. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe it’s a teenager with too much time on his hands. It’s probably not connected to this case at all.”
Her eyes held the first glimmer of hope.
“But I still want you to file a report.”
Erin sighed loudly.
“And I don’t want you to think that what I’m about to say is my way of asking you for a date. I know better than to try that.”
A tentative smile crossed her lips.
“But I would like to stop by now and then. Make sure the three of you are safe. Just for my own peace of mind. This would be official business only, of course.”
Peace of mind? Around Erin? That’s an oxymoron. There’s never peace of mind around Erin. There’s a ferocious need to protect her. Defend her. Coupled, of course, with a healthy personal interest that just keeps rearing its persistent head no matter how much I don’t want it to. Protect and defend. That’s my job. Male interest. That’s an area I just won’t allow myself to act upon .
“What do you say?” He smiled widely and winked.
“Well, if it’s official business, Detective, how can I say ‘no’?”
FIVE
Two weeks later
E rin ducked her head into the living room to check on Jack and Amy. Satisfied that both children were engrossed in a video, she returned to the kitchen and plopped on a stool.
“Kids okay?” Carol glanced up from the cookbook she’d been perusing.
“Yep. I stood in the doorway for five minutes and they didn’t move a muscle. I can’t understand how they can be mesmerized by a movie they’ve seen at least a dozen times.”
Carol laughed. “Count your blessings.”
“Can you believe it’s been two weeks since Easter? Time’s been going by in a flash and there never seems to be enough of it.”
“I guess a certain detective with a permanent place setting at your dinner table could tend to make time fly, huh?”
Erin rolled her eyes. “Let me guess. Tess has been running at the mouth again.”
“I never disclose my sources. But you can’t deny it. I’ve driven by and seen his car once or twice myself. Looks like you took my advice and decided to give the guy a chance.”
“I am not dating Detective Marino.”
Carol raised an eyebrow.
“I’m not. He’s a professional mooch. He praises Tess’s cooking. He knows it automatically gets him an invitation for dinner.”
“Wow, a winker and a freeloader. There’s no end to this man’s vices.”
Erin shot her a look.
“And after dinner?”
Erin shrugged nonchalantly. “He stays for a while. Sometimes he plays video games with Jack,
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