Chapter 14
H er heart pounded like she had just chased a suspect through the back alleys and over fences for the last six blocks. Sure, she’d had good sex. Hell, she’d had good sex with Nick. But this was a new level of cardio for her. They hadn’t done anything crazy, like a sex swing or acrobatics. But she couldn’t tell by her body.
She snuck a peek at him as he slipped on his jeans. The button was undone and the light dusting of hair covering his chest screamed for her to run her fingers through it… again.
Down, girl. She’d just had an amazing orgasm. The first in a while. So how could she be lusting for more so soon?
Because it was Nick.
The man had always had a hold on her heart from the first day he kissed her in the sleigh… the stolen sleigh… the one with the dead guy, Staniski. Double Damn.
Time to get her brain back on work, girl.
“Well, this was a nice break, but I need to get back to work. Thanks for the paint list. I’ll start cross referencing that with anyone who might be related to this case.”
He stared. His stoic expression held a touch of sadness. Or did she imagine the last?
“Mickey… ”
She held up a hand. “We’re good. I just need to get to work.”
Those intense blue eyes lowered. “Yeah, time is running out.”
She tucked in her shirt, slipped her holster and weapon back into her waistband, then grabbed her coat. At the door, she turned to him. “Nick.”
He crossed to her. Cupped her cheek in his hand and kissed her—soft but thorough. “Yeah, I know. Starting over, remember?”
Starting over.
***
Thoughts ran through her head. No way she’d find sleep in the next hour or two. Instead of going home, she drove to the one place she always went when she had a busy brain. The station.
The bullpen was quiet. She hung her coat on the hook on her cubicle wall and powered up her computer. As she reread the file notes, her mind juggled the facts. “Too many missing pieces.”
“Hey, Sis. I thought your shift was done hours ago.”
“It was, but I needed to go through the Staniski case again.”
Jim slipped into her spare chair and crossed his leg over his knee. “Any luck finding Garmen, yet?”
“No. That’s one of the missing pieces. And I’m wondering if my new garage decor has anything to do with the case.”
“I heard about that. Did you have any old subs released from jail this week?”
“A couple, but they don’t seem the type.”
“Well, I have a new lead I was going to check out tomorrow. If you want it—” Jim rubbed his jaw.
“Spill. ”
“I found out old man Silver had a meeting with Towers a week before the sleigh disappeared.”
“And? I know Towers put in an offer to buy the mall.”
“Yeah, but did you know that Staniski got a parking ticket in front of the HighTowers offices the next day?”
Michelle sat up taller. “Really? Have you checked to see if he was in the building that day?”
“Cameras from the traffic light on the corner showed him entering at 10:24 a.m. and exiting twenty minutes later.”
She might have to have another chat with Elaine. The administrative assistant knows all. “I will check it out. Did you learn anything else about Garmen?”
“He’s either in the wind or six-feet under.” Jim pushed off the chair. “Oh, did Mom call you today?”
“No, why?”
“She mentioned having you bring Nick Jolley and his daughter to dinner on Sunday.”
Shit.
“Hey, if working with him is messing with you, I can…”
“No. We, uh, worked it out. The past is in the past.”
Jim’s eyes scrunched. He was scrutinizing her.
Crap. She schooled her expression.
“It’s not the past but the future I’m worried about.” He gave her his lie-detector stare.
Well, she had one of those as well and was immune. “I can handle myself.”
“Sure, that’s why he’s insinuated himself into my case.”
“It’s my case, too. And he’s got a lot riding on this. If we could just give him the sleigh, he wouldn’t be involved.”
“You know that’s not the way procedure works. ”
She knew. Her phone buzzed, and her mom’s smiling face filled the screen. Michelle’s stomach flipped.
Jim laughed. “Say hi to Mom for me.”
She flipped him the bird as he sauntered out of her cubicle. She sucked in a breath and hit the button. “Hi, Mom.”