Simone walked briskly toward the police station, eager to have another opportunity to view more video of Jared Garner and his parents as Jared was being interrogated. She’d come to several conclusions about what she believed the dynamics were between the three, dynamics that had formed Jared’s character. However, before she shared her conclusions with Brad, she wanted to see the rest of the videos he had to confirm her findings.
When she arrived, Brad greeted her and led her back to his office. Today he again wore a pair of black pants, but this time a dark green button-down shirt stretched across his broad shoulders. He also wore his shoulder holster with his gun.
When she’d dressed that morning, she’d pulled on a summer dress in shades of pink, a dress that had earned her many compliments whenever she’d worn it. She’d also applied a little more mascara than usual. It was only when she was putting on a pink shiny lip gloss that she wondered what in the heck she was doing.
She was dressed more for a date than for a professional consultation. She was conscious of Brad’s gaze sweeping the length of her as she sat in the same chair as she had the day before. His gaze felt like a caress and warmed her in a delicious and slightly disturbing kind of way. Definitely not the way to keep things professional between them.
“Shall we get started?” he asked as he cued up a video.
“Ready when you are,” she replied. She tried not to notice the attractive scent of Brad as she focused on the computer screen, where the video had begun.
In the first interview she had seen of Jared, he’d been dressed in a pair of khaki slacks and a kelly green designer shirt. He’d had a wholesome appeal with his blond hair styled in a short preppy style and his smile full of straight white teeth.
In this video he was clad in an ill-fitting jailhouse-orange jumpsuit. His hair had grown out a bit, but the one thing that remained the same was the soulless look in his blue eyes. They were eyes that said the person behind them was badly broken.
There was no question that even though she tried to focus solely on the interview, she found Brad a distraction. She didn’t understand why she seemed to be so hyperaware of him.
There was a decided difference about him today. Where he had shown some warmth and friendliness the day before, he was strictly professional today. He didn’t invite any idle conversation and that was fine with her. That was the way it should be.
They watched two more taped videos and then Brad looked at her curiously. “That’s all I have to show you. Now I’m very interested in what you can tell me about what you’ve seen.”
She flipped to the beginning of the notes she’d taken on her legal pad and scanned the things she’d written down both that day and the day before.
“You do realize these are just my own impressions?” she began.
“Yes, but I consider them expert impressions,” he replied, and a hint of warmth filled his gaze.
She smiled. “Let’s see if you feel the same way after you hear them.” She cleared her throat and once again looked at her notes. “It’s obvious to me that Jared holds a tremendous amount of anger directed toward his parents. He appears calm in their presence, but his anger bubbles just beneath the surface.”
She had written down the time stamps on each video where she had seen the tells of Jared’s underlying rage. “I suspect either one or both of his parents are physically and mentally abusive to him.” She shared the times she had seen the indications and body language to support that and Brad wrote down the times on his own legal pad.
He then leaned back in his chair and looked at her with obvious curiosity. “Tell me more.”
She didn’t know if he was simply indulging her or if he was really taking in her thoughts and theories and actually considering them. He was difficult to read. “I also don’t believe Jared is the mastermind of these murders. I think probably Leo offered Jared the friendship and compassion that was lacking in Jared’s life. Jared strikes me as a follower, and I think if approached correctly, he could be reasoned with.”
“It’s difficult to get much of anything out of him with him insisting that his parents be there in the interrogation room. His father is very overbearing and his mother is just as bad. Jared seems afraid to answer any questions without their approval,” Brad replied.
“You need to try to appeal to Jared not just with questions about the crimes, but also show an interest in his life...his likes and dislikes. Show him friendship and compassion. I believe that’s what might break him despite his parents’ influence.”
Brad tapped the end of his pen on his notepad, checked his watch and then gazed at her thoughtfully. “Simone, I need to wrap this up for now, but I’d like to take you to dinner this evening and discuss all this further.”
“Oh...” She looked at him in complete surprise. Of all the things he might have said to her, an invitation to dinner was the very last thing she’d expected from him.
“I’d definitely like to pick your brain a little bit more about things,” he added. “So, would you let me take you to dinner this evening?”
Of course, he wasn’t asking her out for a real date. It was more of a professional consultation over a meal. “How about we meet at my sister’s restaurant, True?”
“That sounds good to me. A couple of the Chicago PD officers took me there to eat when I first got to town and the food was fantastic. Shall we say around six?”
“Six sounds perfect,” she agreed. She didn’t even try to analyze why her heart fluttered just a little bit at the thoughts of the night to come.
“Great, then I look forward to it.” He stood and she did as well. He walked her out and then they said their goodbyes. He disappeared back into the police station and she headed back home.
He had given her no clues to indicate that dinner would be anything but a professional collaboration, but that didn’t stop her from feeling just a little bit giddy at thoughts of sharing dinner with him.
What was wrong with her? Why was Brad Howard affecting her in a way she hadn’t felt for a very long time? Surely it was only because he was treating her like an intelligent woman whose opinions mattered.
That was what had been lacking in her relationship with Wayne Jamison. Wayne had often dismissed her thoughts and opinions. It had been vitally important to him that he be the smarter, the funnier and the more respected of the couple.
Eventually she had just grown tired of being dismissed by him. She was a strong, independent and smart woman and she deserved a man who respected her on all those levels. However, at this time in her life, she wasn’t even sure a man like that existed.
At quarter till five she showered and got ready for her date. No, not a date, she corrected herself firmly. It was nothing more than two professionals sharing a business dinner.
So, why then did nerves twist her stomach so tight? Why did she feel so excited about the night to come? She pulled on a pair of black slacks and a forest green blouse that somehow made her think of Brad’s eyes.
There was no question she felt a physical attraction toward Brad. What living, breathing woman wouldn’t? It was just a reminder that she’d been alone for too long. There were several men at the college who had invited her out over the past year, but she’d declined all of them. Maybe it was time she began dating again.
She missed being in a relationship. She was tired of eating alone each night. She wanted somebody to share special moments with, to do something as simple as share a beautiful sunset or talk about the ordinary events that made up a day. She wanted a snuggle bunny at night, somebody who could take her breath away with a single kiss.
Maybe that was why she felt a bit vulnerable to Brad Howard. She was just lonely and he was giving her a little bit of attention. He seemed to be actually interested in hearing her opinions and it felt good.
Even though it wasn’t a date, she took extra care with her makeup and made sure she looked nice. She needed to take special care if they were meeting at True. She certainly wanted Tatum to be proud of her whenever she visited the restaurant.
She arrived at there at exactly six o’clock. She stepped inside and immediately saw Brad seated at the bar. For several moments he didn’t see her and she took the opportunity to watch him.
He looked bigger...stronger than the other men at the bar. It wasn’t in his physique, but it was the way he wore his confidence. He appeared to command the space around him more than any of the other men seated there.
While she found that appealing in theory, she wondered if that confidence could be arrogant. If it could be demeaning and hurtful.
At that moment he turned and saw her. A wide smile curved his lips and her heart fluttered way more than it should. He stood from the stool, threw a few dollars on the bar and then hurried over to her.
“Have you been waiting long?” she asked.
“No, not at all,” he assured her. “Our table is ready if you are.”
“I’m ready,” she replied.
He took her by the elbow and led her through the main dining room. As they walked, she looked around for her sister but didn’t see her anywhere.
Their table was a two-top in a corner in the back of the restaurant. It was semi-secluded, the perfect place for a romantic interlude, or in this case, the perfect place to talk about all things murder.
The minute they settled in, a waitress arrived to take their drink orders. She ordered a glass of white wine and he ordered a scotch and soda. Once the drinks had been delivered and dinner orders had been taken, he offered her that smile that warmed her from head to toe. “So, how was the rest of your afternoon today?”
“It was fine. I have a lecture tomorrow evening at the college, so I spent some time going over my notes,” she replied. “What about you?”
“We had a little bit of excitement. An anonymous phone call came in telling us Leo had been spotted at a McDonald’s restaurant. Several squad cars descended on the place, but there was no Leo. The officers showed his picture around and none of the staff or customers had seen him.”
“Do you get a lot of false alarms like that?” she asked, disappointed that yet another day was drawing to an end without one of her father’s murderers in custody.
“Unfortunately, we do. Anytime we have a case where we’ve set up a TIPS line and have shown the suspect’s picture all over the news and on social media, we get a lot of calls. We check out each and every single one, but unfortunately, they are mostly crank calls.”
“It just seems like it’s been forever since the murders occurred and there’s still no justice for my uncle and my father. I still can’t believe they’re really gone. I always dreamed of my father walking me down the aisle on my wedding day and being a terrific and loving grandpa to my children.”
To her horror, tears suddenly burned in her eyes and her ever-present grief closed up the back of her throat. She quickly looked down at the tablecloth in an effort to gain back her control.
To her stunned surprise, Brad reached out and grabbed one of her hands in his. She looked up at him and instantly wanted to fall into the soft pools of compassion his eyes offered her.
“We’re going to get him, Simone.” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “I swear we’re going to get him, and both Leo and Jared are going to spend the rest of their lives in prison for the murder of your father and uncle.” He gave her hand another squeeze and then released it.
She quickly managed to get her emotions back under control and took a sip of her wine. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to get all emotional on you.”
“Please, don’t apologize. Even getting the two of them in jail won’t take your grief away, Simone. I wish there was something magical I could do that would accomplish that. I’d love to see your beautiful eyes without the grief that shines so sadly from them. Unfortunately, it’s my experience that only time will help.”
He’d called her eyes beautiful and had made her heart flutter once again. She tried to ignore that and looked at him curiously. “Do you still grieve for your mother?”
“To me, grief has been a funny kind of animal. When the crime first happened, my grief for my mother was like a hard rock concert. It was all bass and cymbals crashing in my head. Now it’s more like a nighttime lullaby that isn’t sung every night, but occasionally it whispers through my head on a wave of soft notes.”
“That’s nice,” she said. “But I’m still in the rock concert stage.”
“I know, and I hate that for you.”
She took a sip of her wine and then set the wineglass back down. “I just feel like I can’t even start the healing process until the murderers are put away where they can never hurt anyone again.”
She would do anything she could to help Brad get the two teenagers in jail. She needed to think about what exactly she could do to hurry this case along. She definitely would do anything to stop the horrifying nightmares that tortured her at night.
By the time dinner arrived, all talk of grief was gone. Instead, the conversation revolved around more pleasant topics. They talked about favorite sports—he was a baseball fan and she loved football. They spoke about favorite music and what they enjoyed watching on television—she liked jazz and he liked old rock and roll, and they both enjoyed watching crime dramas.
Someplace in the back of Brad’s mind, he knew they should discuss the case and her insights more, but right now he was just enjoying watching her relax.
She looked beautiful in her slacks and the forest green blouse, a color that only seemed to emphasize the bright blue of her eyes. He was grateful that as their conversation had continued her eyes had lost some of their sadness.
“This is the best steak I’ve ever eaten,” he said as they continued with the meal.
“They get great reviews on their steaks, but I’ve never eaten one.”
“You’re not into steak?” he asked curiously.
“It’s okay. I just like chicken better,” she replied.
“I’m assuming your sister is an amazing cook. Do you enjoy cooking as well?”
“Absolutely not,” she replied and then laughed.
It was the first time he’d heard her laughter and he loved the low, slightly throaty sound of it. “That was pretty definite,” he said with a laugh of his own.
“Tatum always enjoyed puttering in the kitchen. I’ve never particularly enjoyed being there. Normally my schedule stays fairly busy, so it’s easy for me to grab lunch out and order in for dinner,” she explained.
“Why psychology?” he asked.
She set her fork down and took a drink of her wine. “When I was in high school, I was stalked by a boy. His name was Bill Jacobs. I was in my junior year and he had already graduated. I dated him for a month and then broke up with him because he was too controlling. After that, whenever I went out with somebody else, Bill was always there. Even when I went out with my girlfriends, we’d spy his car following several car lengths behind us. It was creepy and it went on for a couple of months.”
“Did he ever get violent with you?” Brad asked. The idea of anyone ever hurting her certainly didn’t sit well with him.
She took another drink of her wine and then shook her head. “No, it never escalated into anything like that, although I was afraid it might. Eventually it just stopped and I never saw him again, but I was always intrigued by what drove him. Then when I got to college, I took a course in psychology and realized that was my true passion...to try to understand the human mind.”
“It always amazes me how events in our childhoods form the people we become,” he replied.
“And that’s definitely what drew me to psychology,” she replied.
“Did you ever think about going into private practice?”
“I considered it, but I really enjoy teaching. It’s very rewarding to think I’m educating young minds and maybe some of my students will go on to become good therapists or whatever.”
He smiled at her. “I have the utmost respect for teachers.”
“And I have the utmost respect for law enforcement,” she replied.
For a long moment their gazes remained locked and Brad felt a surge of emotions fill him. It wasn’t just physical attraction. It was more than that. It was a desire to get to know her better, a need to protect her and do everything in his power to make her happy.
It scared the hell out of him. It had been a very long time since he’d felt this kind of interest in a woman. And she was definitely the wrong woman for him to feel this way about.
She broke the eye contact and he cleared his throat. “So, what dessert do you recommend?” he asked.
“It depends on what you like. My favorite is the raspberry torte, but honestly you can’t go wrong with any of the desserts here,” she said.
When the waitress arrived to clear their dinner dishes, he ordered two of the tortes and two cups of coffee. Once their desserts arrived, he felt the need to distance himself by taking the conversation back to the interview videos he’d played for her.
“Have you had any more thoughts about Jared?” he asked.
“I spent part of the afternoon going over my notes, and I stand by what I told you,” she replied.
He hated that her eyes darkened. “So, maybe it’s time I take a different approach in the interview room. Be more friendly with the kid and try to build a relationship with him despite his parents’ presence. I’ve been playing bad cop and what you’re suggesting is that I need to play good cop.”
She smiled. “Maybe honey is better than vinegar in this particular case. I have a feeling he’s been fairly lonely for most of his life. He had to have been to hook up with a friend like Leo.” She placed her napkin on top of the table. “Could you please excuse me for a minute?”
“Of course.” He stood as she did and watched as she wove her way through the tables to disappear into a side alcove where the restrooms were located.
He frowned thoughtfully and picked up his coffee cup. Maybe she was right. He was definitely not getting anywhere with Jared playing the tough cop. Still, he had to admit it hurt his ego just a little bit to realize it took an outsider to see things he and his team might have missed.
He’d been the one conducting all the interviews with Jared and his parents, and there was no question that so far he’d felt as if he were spinning his wheels.
Funny, it was much easier to think about a serial killer than to examine all the inappropriate emotions that Simone stirred inside him.
Maybe the real problem was that he was just a lonely man and he would have reacted positively to any attractive woman he spent a little bit of time with. Once he finally got back home, maybe he needed to make more of an effort to have a little social time, to maybe pursue a dating life once again.
He was about to take another drink of coffee when a commotion near the restrooms drew his attention. He was surprised to see Rob and Marilyn Garner, who had apparently just been seated at a table, and Simone.
Simone looked like a deer in the headlights as Rob rose from his chair and pointed his finger in her face. “My son is innocent and you need to mind your business, you Colton bitch,” he yelled.
Brad jumped out of his chair and hurried toward them. He didn’t hear what Simone said in return, but Rob took a step closer to her and his finger became a fist.
“You’ve just stirred up a lot of trouble for yourself, missy,” Rob raged. “You’d better watch your back, you hear me?”
Simone stumbled backward. Brad grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away. “You need to sit down right now, Mr. Garner,” he yelled at the obviously angry man, and then he quickly led Simone back to their table.
She was visibly upset. Her face was ashen and her entire body trembled. “I...I came out of the restroom and saw them. I just asked them if they would sit down with me sometime and let me ask them a few questions. He...he just exploded.”
Dammit, how had this happened and why in hell had she approached them in the first place? “Simone, you shouldn’t have talked to them.”
“I... I just wanted to...” Her voice trailed off.
“Simone, you need to stay away from those people. Rob Garner is a loose cannon and there’s no telling what he might do if he sees you as a potential threat to his son,” Brad said.
Her cheeks finally began to refill with a touch of color. “I’m so embarrassed. I was just so...so shocked by his reaction.” She reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and he couldn’t help but notice that her hand still trembled.
“I almost feel sorry for Jared growing up with that man,” she finally said.
“Still, you shouldn’t have talked to them.”
Before he could say anything else, Tatum Colton appeared beside their table. She placed a hand on Simone’s shoulder. “Simone, are you okay?” she asked worriedly.
“I’m fine,” Simone replied, although her voice still held a slight tremor.
Tatum frowned. “Some of the staff told me what just happened. I’m going to get security to ask the Garners to leave.”
“Oh, please don’t do that, Tatum. It will just make another scene, and besides, Brad and I are finished, so we’ll be leaving,” Simone replied.
“I didn’t even realize you were here. Why didn’t you tell me you were going to be here this evening?” Tatum asked. Her gaze shot to Brad and then back to Simone.
“We were just having a...uh...consultation together.” Simone’s cheeks dusted with a blush. “But we’re ready to leave now. Right, Brad?”
“Definitely,” he agreed. They had pretty much finished up with their dessert and coffee, and there was really no reason to linger any longer. Even if Simone had wanted to linger for another cup of coffee, which he was sure she didn’t, he would have wanted to get her out of here as soon as possible anyway.
He wanted to get her as far away as possible from Rob Garner. He wanted to yell at her for speaking to them at all, for insinuating herself into a place where she didn’t belong. But she looked so shocked, so utterly vulnerable at the moment, the last thing he wanted to do was come down too hard on her.
He paid their tab and then together they left the restaurant. They stepped out into the evening air and simply stood on the sidewalk away from the crowd waiting to get into the restaurant.
She still appeared traumatized. Once again, she tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and he noticed that her hand still trembled. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he finally asked. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to his side.
She stayed there for a long moment and then stepped away from him. She nodded. “I’m all right, just still a little bit shaken up and shocked.”
“Simone, you can’t try to talk to them again. It should be apparent to you now that Rob Garner is not the kind of man to mess with,” he replied. “I don’t want you to go anywhere near him again.”
“I was very civil when I approached them. All I asked was if they’d be willing to sit down with me and have a short chat.”
“I’m sure you were civil, but Rob Garner is not,” he replied. “And I know you want to help, but you need to step back now and leave it all up to us.”
She released a deep sigh. “Oh, well, aside from that, it was a lovely evening and I really enjoyed having dinner with you.”
“I enjoyed it, too,” he replied. “Can I take you home?”
“No, I’m fine to get home on my own,” she replied and offered him a beautiful smile. “Thank you again, Brad, and I hope you’ll keep me updated on the case.”
“Of course I will.” He already wanted to see her again. Not as professionals meeting to discuss Jared Garner, but rather as a man and a woman getting to know each other better.
And that was why he shouldn’t see her again. The timing and circumstances were all wrong for him to be distracted in a romance that ultimately would go nowhere.
They said their goodbyes, and as he watched her walk away from him, he thought about how Rob Garner had yelled at her, basically threatening her life.
It made Brad worry for her. He hoped she stayed as far away from Rob as possible. He wanted Rob to forget all about Simone. But the truth of the matter was he had no idea what Garner might do now that Simone was on his radar. And that scared the hell out of him.