LITMIR.BIZ

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pivoted, resisting the urge to hit out, yet in a way, he also understood Chang’s reaction. He’d known Jessie Hanson for years. Hell, he’d even made love to her. And he’d doubted her, too. Well, the fat was in the fire, so to speak, and someone had to let Jessie know.

      “Hey, Stryker.”

      Jack looked up.

      “Want to take a ride?”

      Understanding dawned. “You going to see her?”

      Stone nodded.

      A slight smile crossed Stryker’s face. “Something tells me she’d rather hear it from you. Besides, I’m going to swing by the mayor’s house on my way home. They’ve already taped it off as a crime scene, although I hate to think of what valuable clues have been lost. I just hope to hell her cleaning lady was as delayed by the blackout as we’ve been.”

      Relieved that he was going to see Jessie alone, Stone added, “I’ll meet you there as soon as I’ve talked to Jessie.”

      Jack grinned. “I won’t hold my breath.”

      * * *

      “Well, for goodness’ sake,” Brenda said as they pulled into the driveway of Jessica’s home from their evening out. “Look! Someone’s here.”

      Stone’s wine-colored car looked black under the streetlights, but Jessica recognized it just the same. And when she saw him get up from her porch swing and start down the steps to meet them, she started to panic.

      “Why, isn’t that Stone Richardson?” Brenda asked.

      When Jessica didn’t answer, Brenda turned to tease. But the thought died as she saw Jessie’s expression.

      “Honey, what’s wrong?”

      Jessica undid her seat belt and got out of the car without answering. Stone met her halfway.

      “It’s bad, isn’t it?” she asked.

      Stone nodded.

      Jessica covered her face with her hands and moaned. Brenda was there within moments, her voice trembling as she took Jessica in her arms.

      “Jessie, honey, talk to me. Tell me what’s wrong.”

      Stone answered for her. “Olivia Stuart was murdered. The autopsy report proved it without a doubt.”

      Brenda’s arms tightened around Jessica’s shoulders. She heard him, but she just couldn’t believe it. Even when Jessica had warned her what was taking place, she hadn’t really believed it would prove to be true.

      “Oh, my God,” Brenda whispered.

      Jessica tore free of her sister’s grasp and started toward her home. It didn’t make sense, but she had an overwhelming need to get inside. There, she’d be safe.

      Stone grabbed her as she started to run past him. His hands were firm upon her arms, but his voice was gentle as he did what he could to ease her panic.

      “Let me go!” Jessica cried.

      “Jessie, look at me,” Stone urged.

      She glanced over her shoulder at Brenda, her eyes wide with shock. But Brenda hadn’t moved.

      “Jessie…” Stone’s voice was calm, his warning less than urgent. It was more a tone one would take with a child who wouldn’t listen.

      She took a deep breath, telling herself that it would be all right, and looked up. Stone was watching her. Waiting.

      “I’m all right.” She stepped backward out of his grasp. “Sorry. For a moment there, I guess I just panicked.”

      A car turned the corner of the block. The headlights swept across them, then it continued up the block to a house at the end of the street. Stone held out his hand.

      “Let’s go inside.”

      Jessica started up the steps, with Stone and Brenda right behind her. Her hand was on the doorknob when she remembered that it was locked. Muttering beneath her breath, she began to dig in her purse when Stone appeared at her side, the trusty lock pick in his hands.

      “Allow me,” he said with a grin.

      Once more, the lock gave to his skillful intrusion, and he stepped aside for the women to proceed. Brenda eyed him thoughtfully as she passed by. Stone managed a smile, but couldn’t bring himself to fully meet her questioning gaze. When he’d been learning about police protocol, they had left out the part about wooing women of the same family. Now he knew why.

      Jessica flipped on the lights as she entered. Stone shut the door behind him. They were inside. Together. And it seemed that no one knew what to say or where to start.

      Finally it was Jessica who broke the ice, and her question ended the odd stalemate by bringing the true problem to the fore.

      “Am I in any danger?”

      “I don’t think so,” Stone said. “However, there’s a possibility that the word has already been leaked about someone having a premonition about Olivia being murdered instead of dying from a heart attack.”

      Jessica glanced at Brenda.

      “Don’t look at me,” Brenda said quickly.

      “It wasn’t your sister,” Stone said. “It was one of ours.”

      “That detective,” Jessica said. “The one who laughed in my face.”

      “He didn’t exactly laugh,” Stone reminded her.

      “Well, he did everything but laugh,” she said, and then sighed. “It doesn’t really matter, I guess. What does matter is finding out who killed Mrs. Stuart. I always liked her.”

      “Everyone liked her,” Brenda said.

      “Someone didn’t,” Stone said.

      Jessica blanched. That panicked feeling was coming back, and she needed to change the subject. She glanced at Brenda and tried to smile. “Who wants coffee?”

      “I’ll make it,” Brenda offered.

      “That’s a relief,” Stone said, and was rewarded by Jessie’s offended glare. He grinned. Right now he would have done anything to get her mind off the business at hand.

      Brenda disappeared down the hall, leaving Stone and Jessica alone.

      “So, what are you thinking?”

      In her typical straightforward manner, Jessica gave him an answer he wasn’t ready to hear.

      “That you could have called to give me this information.”

      He looked startled. “Well, yes, I suppose I—”

      “Then, why didn’t you?” she asked.

      Stone froze. Why didn’t he call? His gaze swept her face, then her body, trying to find an answer she would believe.

      There was a smudge on the leg of her slacks, and her hair was as flyaway as the expression in her eyes. Along with the stitches just visible beneath her bangs, the small, bare spot surrounding them made him ache to hold her. She was so small, and looked so fragile and afraid. And as he stood, caught within the power of a blue, megawatt stare, he knew.

      “Because I wanted to see you.”

      He’d shocked her. He could see it in her eyes.

      Startled, Jessica took a small step back.

      His voice lowered and he followed her retreat. “Because I wanted to hold you.”

      Her heart started to pound. How dare he tell her these things now?

      “You’ve said all this before. Besides, you know it’s easy to say when my sister is just down the hall.”

      He paused in midstep. At that moment, he realized

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