Page 49 of The Grave Artist (Sanchez & Heron #2)

Waiting.

Selina Sanchez was not good at waiting.

This was one of the reasons she did the floor routine in gymnastics. It was ninety seconds of nonstop motion.

She was back at Ryan Hall’s, after a shower and a change of clothes at her apartment.

And she’d made the trip without seeing a single black SUV or other tail.

In fact, the only people she’d seen near here were a couple, in the deserted construction site across the street from her apartment.

The woman wore a body-hugging sweater, black miniskirt, tights and high heels.

Selina was only in the area temporarily, working a summer job in a nearby research lab, and had taken the apartment because it was cheap, convenient .

.. and available. The woman’s outfit made her wonder if she’d ended up in the red-light district. Did they even have them in Fullerton?

Ryan had texted not long before and reported that Paquito’s was open but Nando the bartender had not come in yet.

Selina knew they needed to meet with Nando soon. Word could spread that Judd had talked to the police and the bartender might take a permanent vacation from his job.

Or, worse, warn Sweeney that he was a suspect in the Roberto Sanchez murder.

Which might make the hit man decide to vanish too.

Or to pay her a visit.

She looked at her phone impatiently. Ryan had said he could take some personal time today to get to the bar, but he had a heavy caseload.

Selina wasn’t going to complain, though. At least Ryan, unlike her sister, was making an effort to help her.

But please, she thought, hurry back.

And who the hell was this Sweeney? A hired killer who specialized in making murders look like suicides.

Another thought arose. Her sister would—eventually—want to find evidence to arrest and prosecute him. But Selina had fantasized about a quicker and more satisfying resolution.

Sweeney dead.

Followed by whoever had hired him to kill Roberto.

Of course, this was the product of anger and imagination.

Could she kill two people—even if they deserved to die?

No.

Probably not.

Caliber jumped into her lap. Then launched himself off and walked to the food bowl. She remembered Ryan had fed him that morning, but it seemed he wanted more.

Why not?

She opened another of the small cans and dished out the pungent contents. Caliber dug in. As she threw the empty away, motion caught her eye.

She glanced out and it seemed to her that a vehicle was just slipping from view, as if it had been outside, or near, Ryan’s house.

Black.

And it might have been an SUV, like the one she’d seen last night.

She was going to step outside to see if she could get a glimpse when her phone hummed.

“Hey,” she said to Ryan.

“I called the bar. Nando’s there. And I’ve finagled a few hours off.”

She nearly said she loved him. But this was not the time. There’d be a transactional quality to saying it now. So, no.

“We’ll be here.”

“‘We’? You have a secret lover over at my place?” Ryan asked coyly.

“I’m busted. I can’t resist a man who wears a collar and chases a laser beam around the floor.”

“You’d be surprised what I’m capable of. See you in a half hour.”

Selina disconnected and glanced outside. No vehicles of any shade at the moment.

And while the glow from the funny repartee remained, her smile faded, and one thought rose above the others: the hunt was on.