Read Online Unforgivable by Laura Griffin - Free Book Online Page A

hesitated, as if trying to decide how much to tell her.
    “Do you have a suspect?” she asked.
    “No.”
    “Then what is it?”
    “Just a hunch. Something that’s been bugging me tonight. About you.”
    “Me?”
    “Yeah. You seem to be having a rough week.”
    She stared at him.
    “Someone kidnaps you at a convenience store. Rips off a few hundred bucks. Then he has a chance to drive away, but instead, he chases you down and tries to kill you. Next, your nephew goes missing while you’re on an outing together, all in the space of two days.”
    “You think there’s a connection?”
    He didn’t answer. Obviously, he did, or he wouldn’t have brought it up. Mia’s stomach clenched. The idea that Sam had somehow been targeted because of her …
    “You having any trouble I should know about?” he asked.
    “What do you mean?”
    “Ex-boyfriends, coworkers, new neighbors who don’t like you?”
    She laughed. “Are you serious?”
    “Yes.”
    She stared at him. He wasn’t kidding.
    “You owe anyone money?”
    “No. I mean, yeah, the mortgage company, but—”
    “Anyone owe you money?”
    “No.” Jeez. He was interrogating her as though she’d done something wrong. “Let’s backtrack a minute. You think the man Sam talked to in the reptile house—” She frowned. “Are you saying he could be the man who shot me?”
    “I think we should consider the possibility.”
    “Why?”
    “Sam’s description, for one thing.”
    “All he could tell us was that the guy was white and had a fluorescent green SpongeBob Band-Aid on his nose. And a ball cap.”
    “That was a disguise, like the hood and the bandanna from the other night. When a kid talks to someone with a bright green Band-Aid on his nose, all he notices is the Band-Aid. The cartoon character. He notices that detail because his attention’s been directed there. Bank robbers have been known to do the same thing. Distract someone with a phony feature like that, people focus on it at the expense of everything else.”
    Mia shook her head, trying to make the idea fit. “But why would someone want to hurt me through Sam?”
    “That’s why I’m asking. Have you had any trouble lately? Anything at work? In your personal life? Anyone following you? Any hang-up calls?”
    The only trouble she’d had near the time of the shooting was that run-in with her boss. But she didn’t see how Snyder could possibly be involved in this.
    “There’s been nothing,” she said. “Nothing like that at all.”
    His look was intense now, and she could tell he took his theory seriously. He didn’t believe these were random events.
    Fear churned her stomach. What if he was right?
    Ric stepped closer. He reached up and rubbed the pad of his thumb over the bruise on her cheek. Her heart started to pound, but it wasn’t from fear anymore. He was going to kiss her.
    Mia’s throat went dry. His hand cupped her face. His heated gaze caught hers before she closed her eyes and felt his mouth press against hers. Finally, she thought as she went up on tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck.
    The doorbell rang, and she jerked away.
    Ric glanced at the hallway, then looked at her sharply. “You expecting someone?”
    “No.”
    She hurried for the door, hoping whoever it was wouldn’t ring again and wake up Sam.
    “Check who it is,” Ric said behind her.
    Mia gazed through the peephole at the blond bombshell standing on her front porch. This was going to be interesting.
    She pulled open the door, and Sophie stepped right in. She was dressed to kill in a black miniskirt, knee-high black boots, and a green satin shirt that dipped low in front. Her hair fell around her shoulders in a just-outof-bed style.
    “Hel lo. ” She looked Ric up and down and then looked at Mia. “I was wondering whose truck that was.”
    “Ric, you know Sophie from the lab?”
    “Nice seeing you.” He nodded at Sophie and turned to Mia. “I should go.” He held her gaze for a moment, and