'I don't know.'

He brought the bat down hard on Sonny's hip, hearing the crunch of bone followed by Sonny's scream of pain. 'Not a good answer, Sheriff.'

'I don't know,' Sonny repeated harder, sobbing. 'Buck was supposed to get rid of the stuff, but we saw Lucy wearing the bracelet the next summer and we panicked. We didn't want anyone tracing the stuff back to us.'

'So?'

'I got the bracelet back from her, but I couldn't find the necklace. Then she stole the bracelet back and wouldn't tell me where it was. I wanted the necklace, so I put some of my mother's things in her room and said Lucy stole them. I thought I'd get her in trouble with her dad, make her so scared that she'd tell me where she'd hidden them so I wouldn't plant more things and get her sent to juvie.'

Hell of a sheriff, he thought. 'Did she tell?'

'No. I didn't know her parents would send her away the first time. Three years she was gone. I couldn't find the necklace. I looked a thousand times.'

'Well you didn't look hard enough,' Evan snapped. 'She's had the bracelet and the necklace all along. She sold my necklace, knowing full well it belonged to me. Her father ran me and my parents out of town. Bankrupted us. My father killed himself.'

'Not our fault,' Sonny said, still sobbing and writhing in pain.

'I know. You didn't do anything.' He brought the bat down on Sonny's skull, heard his yelp, saw Ryan flinch as warm blood sprayed his pale cheeks. 'So I will.'

Chapter Twenty-Two.

Tuesday, May 4, 9.20 P.M.

'They changed their mind,' Lucy said as she walked through the morgue's parking garage with Stevie, Fitzpatrick and Detective Skinner. 'The victim's parents looked sick.'

'Me too,' Skinner muttered.

'It was a hard ID to do,' Lucy said kindly. 'We have the cell phone numbers for the parents so you can call them tomorrow and talk to them about their daughter.'

'I'll take over your shift,' Fitzpatrick said to Skinner when they'd reached their cars.

'If you're sure. My wife would appreciate it.' Skinner looked at Lucy. 'We have a new baby and I know she needs a break.'

'Go,' Lucy said. 'I'm fine here.'

Stevie looked exhausted. 'I'm going home to eat dinner and catch up on paperwork while Records does their thing.' With a wave she was gone, leaving Lucy and Fitzpatrick alone.

His expression was suddenly so hungry that her cheeks heated. But his words were all business. 'I got your purse and phone back from Drew. You're set up as bait.'

'Good to know.' He took the duffle from her shoulder and put it in the back seat. Then kissed her. It was sweet, yet restrained, hinting of what was to come. 'Feels like you haven't done that in forever,' she said when he lifted his head. 'But it's only been a day.'

'One hell of a day,' he said. 'Let me take you home.'

For the first time, that phrase sounded lovely.

'What is Records checking?' she asked when they were on the road.

'Same thing I was checking before. Still looking for the Bryans. It'll take awhile to track Ileanna's mother, especially if she remarried. Some of those records are kept at town level, especially from twenty years ago.' He glanced at her. 'Didn't you say you gave music lessons to the kids at your old boarding school? St Anne's?'

Lucy smacked her forehead lightly. 'On Wednesdays. I should cancel this week.'

'No, I don't want you to cancel. I want you to keep your routine.'

She lifted her brows. 'My routine is to go home alone.'

His smile was guarded, putting her on alert. 'That routine can change,' he said.

'Tomorrow's Wednesday. You think that's where he'll leave Ryan's body, don't you?'

'Yes, so the school's going to have a bug infestation tomorrow. Students get a vacation day and our officers will patrol, dressed as exterminators. It'll be last minute, so hopefully it'll catch him off guard.'

She rubbed her forehead. 'All right. The kids will be ecstatic for a day off.'

He hesitated. 'I don't want you to mention this to anyone. Not even your friends.'

Her eyes narrowed. 'Just who are you accusing, JD?'

'Everyone,' he said. 'Until we put this guy away, everyone.'

'No. I won't suspect them. Not my friends.'

'Fine, but don't tell them. Not yet. Can you promise me?'

'I don't know,' she said honestly. 'You're asking a lot. They could be in danger.'

He sighed. 'Look at it this way. Somebody has been tracking you, watching you. It could be someone you know or someone your friends know. They make a mistake and trust the wrong person, or let a detail slip . . . they could get hurt. He killed the PI. She must've gotten in his way. There was no sign of forced entry in her apartment. He had a key. Just like with your car.'

Her stomach twisted. 'And Gwyn's apartment. Okay, okay. I get it. I promise.'

'Thank you.'

'Oh, I meant to tell you. Alan quit. You know, one of the techs?'

His jaw hardened. 'You mean that little prick that knew about the club and thought he was such hot shit? The one that had access to your purse?'

She blinked. 'Yeah, him. So what do you really think about him?'

'I think we need to check out his alibi for every second of the last forty-eight hours.'

'He was on duty for a lot of it.'

'Yeah, but he could have left for a little while.'

'True. What are you doing?'

He was dialing his cell. 'Getting his address. I need to pay the little prick a visit.'

'He was with Ruby when Janet's body was left last night,' she said. 'I checked. But you can check yourself if you want to.'

He hung up, annoyed. 'I wish he didn't have an alibi, just because I didn't like him.'

He was jealous, which was a little nice, especially since he'd backed off. 'Can we not talk about any of this for a while? Nothing about work or crazy killers or my family or yours?'

He smiled. 'What's left?'

'Music.'

'The last time we talked about music we ended up in an alley,' he said, his voice silky and suggestive. He lifted her hand to his lips.

A shiver ran straight through her body, remembering. 'We never settled it, did we?'

He turned to give her another hungry look. 'Actually, you conceded my point. But I'm a fair man. I'd be willing to go for best two out of three.'

She laughed breathlessly, the mood suddenly urgent. 'Drive faster.'

Tuesday, May 4, 9.30 P.M.

Clay dropped into a chair in his living room and closed his eyes.

He heard Alyssa sit in the chair next to him. 'Are you okay?' she asked, very quietly.

'No.' He swallowed hard. 'No, I'm not okay. I'm not sure I ever will be.'

'That was hard,' she whispered, 'hearing her cry like that and having no words to say.'

In the car, Nicki's mother had wept. Cursed. Wailed her anguish. 'You held her hand, Alyssa,' Clay said heavily. 'That's all you could have done.'

'I wish I could do something. I feel so helpless.'

'You can. I need you to look something up for me,' he said, his eyes still closed. Hatred for Evan Reardon coldly burned and he was holding onto his control by a thread. 'Dr Lucy Trask. I want to know why she had a bodyguard at the morgue.'

'You mean the detective she said was in training?'

'Yes. His hand never strayed more than a few inches from his gun.'

He waited while Alyssa opened her laptop and searched. Finally she muttered a curse. 'I found it. She's a part owner of Sheidalin. That's the club where the valet was killed and the woman was found dead in her car.'

The bodyguard made sense. Someone was gunning for the doctor. 'Cross-reference Anderson Ferry,' he ordered softly.

'I get a hit on a Ronald Trask, the retired sheriff. But nothing on Lucy.'

'Cross Ileanna Bryan.'

'Nothing.'

'Cross Evan Reardon.'

'Nothing again.'

'Mazzetti's expecting us to dig. Nicki found something that got her killed. So let's keep looking.' But all he could see was Nicki's brutalized body. Grieve later. Find Reardon. And when he did? Clay's fury bubbled up and over. Evan Reardon belongs to me.

Tuesday, May 4, 9.50 P.M.

There was, JD thought ruefully, a difference between talking about sex and actually doing it. Lucy had grown quiet after telling him to drive faster and by the time they'd reached her apartment she was palpably nervous.

He wanted to grind his teeth in frustration, but did not. Last night had been an explosion. Tonight . . . well, if she needed time and space, he'd give it to her. She had a sofa. I can sleep there. Even if it killed him. Which it just might.

He parked in front of her apartment and glanced up at the balcony where Mrs Pugh had greeted them earlier in the day. 'Have you heard from her?'

Lucy looked up, startled. Then she relaxed. A little. 'Barb? Yes. She left a voicemail while we were in Anderson Ferry to say he'd had another minor episode but that he'd quieted down. She's going to have to move him soon. She knows it.'

'She said you'd made the arrangements. Including financial. Very generous.'

Her cheeks flushed. 'He saved me once. Nobody wanted me. My parents didn't. But he and Barb did. It's only money. Mr Pugh and Barb gave me much more.'

JD's eyes stung. 'You're a good person, Lucy. Never let anyone tell you otherwise.'

He got out of the car and opened her door, unsurprised when she wouldn't meet his eyes. But he could see that what he'd said had touched her. Hopefully pleased her. Hopefully she'd let him please her a great deal more. He got her duffle and two small suitcases from the back seat his and hers and she frowned slightly.

'When did you pack that?' she asked, pointing to his bag.

'When I handed you off to Skinner at the morgue. I swung home and grabbed a shower and my bag.' He hesitated. 'Since you'd asked me to stay.'

She swallowed hard. 'Yes. I did.'

He tried not to sigh, but a little one escaped. 'Lucy, it's okay. We'll do whatever you want. I'll sleep on the sofa. Or if you want me to get Skinner back here, I will.'

She looked up at him, startled again. 'Oh, no. That's not what I want. I'm just . . . scared.'

'Of me?'

She glanced away. 'This is embarrassing and I'm sorry. I want you to stay. I really do. It's just . . . Well, it was a lot easier last night. This me isn't used to being . . . you know.'

And suddenly he did. 'Come on,' he said softly. 'It'll be fine. You'll see.' He let them into her apartment and put the bags down.

'I need to call Gwyn,' she said quickly. 'She'll be worried.'

He waited as she did, watched as she hung up, then lifted her chin and took her mouth in what he'd intended to be an uncomplicated kiss. But she surprised him, rising on her toes and sliding her hands into his hair. Meeting him more than halfway.

His control slipped a notch and he kissed her until they were both breathless. He abruptly ended it, darkly satisfied at the yearning he saw in her eyes when she opened them. He slipped her jacket off and laid it on the table.