police arrived on the scene of Melanie’s suicide. Melanie herself in some bizarre last kick at her older sister? It was possible, especially as Melanie had been very specific as to the time Cynthia should arrive that night a year ago. It was as if she planned for Cynthia to find her hanging that way. That she set up a camera to flash her picture minutes after her death was not so inconceivable after all.
But who could have gotten their hands on this picture? Who would know this much about Cynthia’s past? Cynthia had been very clear on the need for total confidentiality, worried that any leak of her sexual compulsions would cost her her job at an upscale financial planning firm. Cynthia would not have shared any of this information willingly. Who would want Cynthia dead? And why? But perhaps the most pressing question of the hour kept circling her mind. “Why use me?” she murmured.
Tess blew out a breath and gave in to the urge to check her watch. She’d been sitting alone for sixty-three minutes, dammit. Where was Amy?
Aidan stood on the other side of the mirror, watching her. After that one moment of gross shock, she’d regained her composure and hadn’t lost it again. Behind him, the door opened, then closed and Aidan smelled faint cinnamon and strong cigarette smoke. Poor Murphy. He’d been chewing cinnamon gum the entire four months they’d been together as a stop-smoking aid. Looked like the stress of the last few hours had knocked his partner off the wagon. “You smoke the whole damn pack, Murphy?”
“Half.” Murphy cleared his throat roughly. “How’s she doing?”
“Seems to have recovered well enough.” She’d been staring at the mirror with steadfast calm mixed with defiant challenge for the better part of an hour. He could have, should have let her go. He knew that. They didn’t have enough to hold her, that was for damn sure. Yet still he stood, frozen in place.
Watching her as she watched him right back.
She stirred him, Aidan had to admit. He didn’t think there was a man alive who could look at that face, that body, without being stirred, and Aidan was certainly alive. But there was more to his response than the outer package. There was a quiet dignity in the way she waited.
27
Karen Rose
[Suspense 5]
You Can't Hide
She’s a psychiatrist, he told himself. Trained in hiding her emotions. Trained in waiting out long periods of silence. Kind of like cops. He had something in common with Dr. Tess Ciccotelli. He didn’t like that.
On the other side of the glass there was sudden movement as she sighed, her shoulders slumping for the briefest of moments. She dropped her eyes to the pictures he’d left on the table and calmly placed the police photos of Cynthia Adams’s impaled body to one side. She then chose the picture of Cynthia’s sister hanging for closer scrutiny, her black brows drawing together as she stared.
“Why use me?” she murmured, barely loudly enough for them to hear.
“That’s a damn good question,” Aidan murmured back.
“You know she didn’t do this,” Murphy said quietly.
Aidan sucked in one cheek. “I don’t know anything yet, Murphy. And neither do you. But I do appreciate you giving me the time to come to my own conclusions. You could have pul ed rank and dismissed her already.” If the tables had been turned, had Aidan been the trainer and Murphy the new kid on the block, Aidan probably would have done just that. “Why didn’t you?”
Murphy sighed. “Maybe because, until I saw her face when you confronted her with the tape, I wasn’t entirely sure either. She’s angry with us both, but I hurt her and that she won’t forgive easily. Is her lawyer coming in from another planet, or what?”
“I expected her to get here a half hour ago. Her lawyer’s name is Amy Miller.” Murphy stiffened, almost imperceptibly. “So you know the lawyer?”
“I’ve met her before,” Murphy said briefly. “Never worked with her.”
Aidan
But who could have gotten their hands on this picture? Who would know this much about Cynthia’s past? Cynthia had been very clear on the need for total confidentiality, worried that any leak of her sexual compulsions would cost her her job at an upscale financial planning firm. Cynthia would not have shared any of this information willingly. Who would want Cynthia dead? And why? But perhaps the most pressing question of the hour kept circling her mind. “Why use me?” she murmured.
Tess blew out a breath and gave in to the urge to check her watch. She’d been sitting alone for sixty-three minutes, dammit. Where was Amy?
Aidan stood on the other side of the mirror, watching her. After that one moment of gross shock, she’d regained her composure and hadn’t lost it again. Behind him, the door opened, then closed and Aidan smelled faint cinnamon and strong cigarette smoke. Poor Murphy. He’d been chewing cinnamon gum the entire four months they’d been together as a stop-smoking aid. Looked like the stress of the last few hours had knocked his partner off the wagon. “You smoke the whole damn pack, Murphy?”
“Half.” Murphy cleared his throat roughly. “How’s she doing?”
“Seems to have recovered well enough.” She’d been staring at the mirror with steadfast calm mixed with defiant challenge for the better part of an hour. He could have, should have let her go. He knew that. They didn’t have enough to hold her, that was for damn sure. Yet still he stood, frozen in place.
Watching her as she watched him right back.
She stirred him, Aidan had to admit. He didn’t think there was a man alive who could look at that face, that body, without being stirred, and Aidan was certainly alive. But there was more to his response than the outer package. There was a quiet dignity in the way she waited.
27
Karen Rose
[Suspense 5]
You Can't Hide
She’s a psychiatrist, he told himself. Trained in hiding her emotions. Trained in waiting out long periods of silence. Kind of like cops. He had something in common with Dr. Tess Ciccotelli. He didn’t like that.
On the other side of the glass there was sudden movement as she sighed, her shoulders slumping for the briefest of moments. She dropped her eyes to the pictures he’d left on the table and calmly placed the police photos of Cynthia Adams’s impaled body to one side. She then chose the picture of Cynthia’s sister hanging for closer scrutiny, her black brows drawing together as she stared.
“Why use me?” she murmured, barely loudly enough for them to hear.
“That’s a damn good question,” Aidan murmured back.
“You know she didn’t do this,” Murphy said quietly.
Aidan sucked in one cheek. “I don’t know anything yet, Murphy. And neither do you. But I do appreciate you giving me the time to come to my own conclusions. You could have pul ed rank and dismissed her already.” If the tables had been turned, had Aidan been the trainer and Murphy the new kid on the block, Aidan probably would have done just that. “Why didn’t you?”
Murphy sighed. “Maybe because, until I saw her face when you confronted her with the tape, I wasn’t entirely sure either. She’s angry with us both, but I hurt her and that she won’t forgive easily. Is her lawyer coming in from another planet, or what?”
“I expected her to get here a half hour ago. Her lawyer’s name is Amy Miller.” Murphy stiffened, almost imperceptibly. “So you know the lawyer?”
“I’ve met her before,” Murphy said briefly. “Never worked with her.”
Aidan
Similar Books
