Page 24 of Blood Moon

He wanted to tell Mutt that there was a logical explanation for this notably attractive stranger being in their kitchen. Which was that, while still parked in front of the fast food restaurant, Beth and he had agreed that theyneeded someplace to talk in more depth about the relationship between the Mellin case and a blood moon.

“I checked out of my hotel,” she’d told him. “Where do you suggest we go to compare notes?”

His spontaneous reply had been, “My place.” She’d been about to shake her head no, when he jumped in ahead of her. “Look. You’re safe from me, all right? I’m not going to hit on you. But the subject matter we’ll be discussing is likely to get intense, and it would be easier to concentrate without the distractions of a public place like in the bar yesterday.” Having said that, he’d been reminded to ask her how she’d known about that dive.

“I grew up in Thibodaux,” she said. “When I was in high school, that bar was widely known to have relaxed rules about selling alcohol to minors so long as they didn’t drink it on the premises.”

“Encouraging kids to drink and drive.”

“Which is why it was shut down for a while. It’s changed hands since then, but I didn’t know how seedy it had become until I walked in yesterday. By then it was too late for a change of venue.”

“I can’t help but wonder, why the subterfuge? Why didn’t you just come to the station and ask for me?”

“Because you were the detractor. I didn’t want to rattle anyone until I’d had a chance to talk to you first.”

“Well, they are rattled.”

“Already?”

“Yes. Word is out that a woman keeps calling the department, asking for me and only me, and won’t leave her name.”

“Oh.”

“Right. We have to assume we’re on borrowed time before someone discovers you’re fromCrisis Point. When they learn that, they’ll presume, correctly, why you want to talk to me. So, until we know the extent and outcome of this conversation, and I determine how disruptive it might be to my life—”

“To mine as well.”

“—it would be better if we’re not seen together looking like collaborators.”

Even though she’d been sitting in the passenger seat of his car, she’d propped her hand on her hip. “Then maybe you should have thought twice about creating that scene at the airport.”

“Maybe I should have, but I didn’t want you to get on that plane, forcing me to follow you to New York.”

He could tell she’d been surprised by that. “Would you have done that?”

“After yesterday’s parting? No. I was glad to see the last of you. But as of nine-thirty this morning, yes. I would’ve gone to New York if necessary to continue this.”

“What happened at nine-thirty?”

“A confrontation with the jerk who shut me down when I tried to extend the Mellin investigation.”

“The boss who’s looking for an excuse to fire you?”

“That’s the one. Lieutenant Tom Barker.”

“Why did he do that? I mean, why did he shut down the investigation?”

“He had a promotion pending. Solving the Mellin case would put him on the fast track toward getting it. Solving the caseswiftlywould make it a shoo-in.”

She’d lowered her hand from her hip. “He used the Mellin case to gain a promotion?”

“That’s the kind of person he is, and he relishes being boss. Believe me, Tom Barker wouldn’t welcome an examination of how he conducted that investigation. He wants the Mellin case to remainsolved.So you were right to exercise caution. This morning the set-to we had began with him warning me against giving any interviews about theCrisis Pointepisode or the case itself.”

“That sounds like a giveaway as to how nervous he is.”

“I thought so. Which is why I came after you and caused a scene.”

Her gaze had shifted to an airliner that was taking off from the runway across the busy boulevard. She’d glanced at the dashboard clock. “I think that must be my flight.” Turning back to him, she’d said, “We could go back to the bar.”