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CHAPTER FOURTEEN

T hankfully Naomi was still on the front desk when Jacob walked into the retirement home the next morning. Some of the snow outside had melted, and he’d been held up by construction on the freeway offramp. Ordinary things that weren’t inconveniences reminded him he lived as part of a community.

That was all he allowed to cross his mind. Not anything about a murder or a police investigation. After all, that had nothing to do with him. Jacob had plenty to do. And okay, his thing had a bit to do with murder. But Mr. Harris and his issues weren’t something he wanted to take on board.

“Good morning.” Naomi smiled, but it didn’t illuminate the dark circles around her eyes.

“Morning.” Jacob slid over the sign in sheet.

“Mr. Harris?”

“Worth a try, right?” He wasn’t going to tell the man’s story in a book, but could he give someone closure?

“He’s doing better this morning. Sorry about yesterday. The doctor sedated him after what happened at breakfast.”

Jacob shrugged off the fact he’d asked for this yesterday. “No problem. Past couple of days have been busy anyway.”

She nodded. “The police sent over a list of people they want to talk to. They’re coming by after lunch is over.”

For a second, he thought she would say the police wanted to talk to him. Instead, they were coming to the retirement home. Not right away, but days after the body was found.

Jacob didn’t want to grumble out loud, but the victim’s coworkers were being interviewed later and yet the captain had brought the town’s new federal agent to his apartment on the same day she was discovered?

He didn’t want to be disgruntled, but what else was he supposed to do with that? It wasn’t like it was at all fair.

“Have you talked to them?” She tipped her head to the side. “Your name wasn’t on the list. But maybe they don’t know you were…what is it they say?” She frowned. “Like you’re acquainted with her, or whatever.”

Jacob shrugged. “I’m just praying they find whoever did it. No one wants a killer on the loose.”

Especially if the town, and the entire police department, thought it was him who did it.

She nodded again. “That’s the truth.”

If it got out that he was questioned his life would get even more difficult. He’d go from victim to possible perpetrator. Interviews he had scheduled would dry up. Clients would cancel. The cops were single minded in the pursuit of justice. It wasn’t a bad thing, except that they never considered the fallout to a person’s reputation when those in blue accused someone of a crime they hadn’t committed.

Sure, he wanted them to find out who had killed Celia. But did they have to destroy his business in the process?

He knew the chief had a problem with him. The guy had it stuck in his head that Ivan Damen had an accomplice all those years ago or an apprentice. Which was a completely terrifying thought.

All Jacob knew was that he’d never seen or heard of a second person there when he and Addie, along with Hank and Becca, had been taken. Neither had Hank. And it certainly wasn’t Jacob, as much as the chief might want to believe otherwise.

No matter how many times he told the chief that, the guy just wouldn’t let it go.

“I’ll buzz you in.”

“Thanks.” Jacob headed for the entry door that led to the hallway where the residents lived.

He passed a busy common room where a community bingo game was in progress. Most of the residents looked like they were half asleep, but the perky fitness instructor type woman on stage at the front either hadn’t noticed or didn’t care.

The hallway smelled like overly floral perfume.

Mr. Harris had a room in the middle of the hall. Even though Jacob had decided to drop the guy as a subject, he still wanted to see if the man would tell him anything more. Maybe he could pass the information to Hank. The cops would get the idea he wasn’t the kind of person who hurt others.

What if the older man had killed someone else, and Jacob was able to provide answers to a grieving family who needed closure?

That made him think of Addie and the life she had built—the career she’d gone after, like Hank. Maybe it wasn’t so hard to understand why she’d become an FBI agent with a focus on criminal profiling. She gave voices to those whose stories remained silent, in a similar way he did. Except she solved murders that otherwise would’ve gone cold.

He was incredibly proud of the woman she’d become. Even if he didn’t know her all that well, part of him would always love her and consider her family. Seeing her again had reminded him of the bond they shared.

Maybe she didn’t feel it. If she did, then she’d have acted differently in his apartment. Right? He didn’t know how to tell.

Jacob was about at the door to Mr. Harris’s room when the woman herself walked out of a room across the hall.

They both stopped. Silence stretched between them for a second.

“Hey.”

She seemed to shake herself out of the paralysis of surprise and crossed the space between them. “Jake.”

She looked good, FBI pantsuit with a wool coat. Hair braided. Professional. The kind of person who got the job done in a compassionate way. Why was she working with the police department? Right now the only ones he trusted were her and Hank. To an extent, Russ and the pastor. Then there was the counselor he met with on occasion.

“How’s it going?” She glanced into the room beside him.

He wasn’t quite sure how to take her question. “You mean what am I doing here?”

“Fine.” She didn’t smile, just kept that snooty, professional expression on her face. “What are you doing here?”

“Working on that book I told you and the captain about.” He refused to cross his arms, though he wanted to. It would look defensive to her. Like he had anything to hide—from her. They’d been through too much together to have secrets between them.

Still, this wasn’t exactly what he was doing here. The book was done—at least as far as Mr. Harris was concerned.

He ran a hand through his hair. “What do I need an alibi for now?”

Her face flashed with hurt before she squashed it and her expression blanked. He saw it all in her blue eyes. Holding her attention until she blinked first. “Look, I’m not going to talk to you about an ongoing investigation. I’m not working Celia’s murder. I have cases of my own, and there’s enough work to keep me in Benson for two years. Although, I hope that’s not how long it takes to catch this person.”

He frowned. “Who?”

“I can’t talk about it.” She shifted, so he got a look at the badge on her belt. “Those are the rules, and I’m not going to break them. Not even for you.”

Jacob wanted to ponder that statement. He’d have to do it later, though.

“Please tell me you don’t believe I had anything to do with Celia’s death.”

He didn’t realize until he’d said it how important that was to him. He needed to know that she believed he was innocent, probably more than with anyone else in the world. God knew, but if Addie trusted him then that was at least one person he could rely on.

Someone on his side.

“I have a lot of work to do.” She glanced away. “A pile of cases that’s growing every time I look at a single page of one file. If I want to get through this assignment, I need to work.” She winced, but he didn’t know why. “Leave the investigation alone.”

“When I’m in it? I’m probably the prime suspect. Which means the real killer is going to go free.”

“So you’ll stick your nose in, and it’ll look even more suspicious. Or you’ll jeopardize my standing and compromise what I’m trying to do here.”

“Sorry, I didn’t realize your reputation was more important than my freedom.”

“That’s not—Jake.”

He turned back, three steps away already. “It’s Jacob. It has been for years, but you weren’t here.”

She shook her head. “I don’t want us to be enemies.”

“We don’t get to be allies like this.” He wanted her in his life. But was she going to keep the law between them, just to keep herself safe?

It could be that was exactly what she was doing. Playing it safe, so she could guard her heart as it were. Staying aloof to keep things business so she didn’t have to get involved. Meanwhile he drowned in his feelings for her.

“It’s messy, it always is,” he said. “There’s no avoiding the fact that feelings get hurt. It’s a part of life. At least you have feelings. That means you care about someone.”

“Feelings were never the problem. As much as I might wish otherwise.” She sighed. “Apparently fifteen years and a lifetime apart hasn’t done anything to cure that problem.”

“So I’m an illness you suffer from?”

“Whatever it is, it’s chronic.”

They stared at each other until Jacob said, “You’re unbelievable.”

“I thought it was funny.” She rolled her eyes. “What’s that saying, laugh to keep from crying?”

“That’s terrifying.” They’d both pushed aside their feelings and relationships, to keep themselves safe. “But maybe it’s time to embrace the fear.”

He moved closer to her. Slow, to gauge what her reaction might be.

“What do you say we live dangerously? See what happens?”

Addie bit her lip. Considering his words. “You’re going to be a bad influence.”

“As I recall, that was you back in the day.”

“Yeah, you were a real choir boy.”

Jacob grinned. “I still go to church now.”

“Seriously?”

“Maybe you should try it.” If this developed into something, they’d have to establish how things would be different this time around. He wasn’t making any assumptions, but he lived differently now than he had in high school when he thought he could do whatever he wanted with no consequences.

“Russ wants me to go with him on Sunday.” Addie shifted her weight from side to side. “I think I might. I still believe, but…it’s been a while since I went to actual services.”

“Church is free. Therapy costs money.”

“I’m completely sane, I’ll have you know.” She squared her shoulders and looked down her nose, but he saw the gleam in her eyes.

Jacob grinned. “Me, too. Of course.” He winked.

“Of course.” She gave him a wry smile.

“Have dinner with me.”

“Is that a question?”

“Please,” Jacob added.

“Where? And don’t say your apartment.”

He didn’t know why she needed that qualifier but didn’t mind if she wanted neutral ground. “There’s a place on the corner of Broadway and Ninth. It’s called Luce Del Sole. I’ll call for a reservation and let you know?”

She nodded. “I’ll be there. Just tell me when.”

“Thanks, Addie.”

She sifted her stance. “How do you know I’ll be there to spend time with you, and not so I can build a profile that pins murder after murder on you?”

She worried he’d lump her in with the police? He didn’t even do that with Hank. “My circle might be small, but you’ve always been in it.”

“Why now?”

“You’re here.” He wasn’t sure how to explain it. “You’ve always felt to me like a ‘once in a lifetime’ sort of thing.”

Her expression softened, though he wasn’t sure she was aware of it.

Jacob lifted his chin. “I’ll let you get back to work.”

She crossed to him and kissed his cheek. Jacob didn’t move. He just enjoyed the closeness. The memories wrapped up in the present.

She practically stopped his heart, if he was willing to entertain yet more sentimental thoughts about her. Usually that only happened at three in the morning, daydreaming while he stared out of his windows at the city skyline.

Not the dawn. Looking at the dawn was too painful.

“Soon.”

“Yeah.” He choked the word out. “See you soon.”