Page 106 of Nightshade

“What I want is to go home. Be in my own space. This was a mistake.”

There it was, the undercurrent coming to the surface.

“Tash, we just got here,” Stilwell said. “Why don’t we just see what happens for a couple days? You know, relax, check out the spa… wait and see if they pick up Terranova and—”

“No,” Tash said. “You said it was unlikely he would come after me now.”

“I know. That’s true. But why take a chance? Look at this place. It’s like a vacation. How ’bout we just stay—”

“I don’t like it here. I feel safer at home.”

“Okay, okay, but there’s no way we can get back to Long Beach today to get the last ferry. So let’s just sleep on it, and in the morning if you feel the same way, we can talk about going back over.”

She stopped pacing. “You’re not listening. I’m not going to change my mind. This whole thing was a mistake. I want to go back.” She started pacing again.

“Okay, we’ll go back,” Stilwell said. “But I don’t want you going back alone, and I’ve got to go down to BSU first thing. You can try to sleep in and I’ll hopefully get in for my evaluation, then come back and we’ll check out. How’s that?”

“Whatever,” Tash said. “I wish we could just go tonight.”

Stilwell checked his watch.

“Well, we can’t,” he said. “The last ferry leaves in twenty minutes and we’re an hour away. That’s why I picked this place. It’s away from everything and it’s safe. Also…”

“Also what?” she asked.

Stilwell wasn’t sure how this next part would go.

“There was an interview I was going to do over here tomorrow,” he said. “If we’re leaving, I should probably try to get it done tonight.”

“What interview?” Tash asked.

“It’s on my other case. A guy who knew Leigh-Anne lives here. I could run over there now and—”

“Wait, he’s here in Pasadena?”

“Yeah, I think about ten minutes from here. I was about to look it up. I’d be quick. Maybe we could order dinner when I get back.”

“This whole thing, is that why we’re here? So you can do your interview?”

“No, not at all. I mean, I knew it was close, but this place is—”

“Don’t bother.” Now she looked angry as well as agitated. “Your work always comes first. That’s why I got caught up in this shit and why some gangster wants to kill me.”

“Whoa, wait, hold on a second.”

Stilwell closed his laptop and got up from the room’s little desk. He walked toward her but she held both hands up to keep him away. He stopped.

“Tash, what’s going on?” he asked.

“What’s going on is that my life has suddenly changed and I don’t like it,” she said. “I don’t want it. As long as that guy is out there, I have to look over my shoulder. And you don’t seem to care. You’re on to the next interview and the next case.”

“That’s not true. Come on. First of all, you don’t have to look over your shoulder. There’s no chance he’s coming after you. He’s on the run, Tash. He’s out there hiding, and going after you makes zero sense. Why would he do it? Before, he needed you to get to me. That doesn’t work anymore.”

“Then, if I’m so safe, why did you take me off the island?”

“Because I thought it would be good for us to get away and be together. And, yes, I have to do things over here. I have to see the shrink before I can go back to work. I told you that.”

“And you have to do your interview. What else?”