LITMIR.BIZ

       Chapter Three

      Breathe.

      Jodi kept repeating that reminder to herself.

      She couldn’t keep taking in those short bursts of air that could cause her to hyperventilate. She needed normal breaths because that was her best bet right now at staving off a panic attack.

      Gabriel certainly wasn’t doing anything to put her at ease. He was seated at his desk at the sheriff’s office building on Main Street in Blue River, and he was on his umpteenth phone call since they’d arrived two hours earlier. Jameson and Cameron were in the squad room, and they were doing the same thing.

      Obviously there was lots to do now that this was a murder investigation. In addition to the calls and fielding questions from his deputies, Gabriel also kept glancing up at her.

      Not that he had to glance far.

      Jodi was pacing across his office while she tried to keep herself together.

      What Gabriel wasn’t doing was questioning their suspect. The bald kid who’d fired shots at them. Maybe a kid who had committed the murder, too. And had also left the knife on the porch. But Gabriel wouldn’t have a chance of confirming any of that until the kid’s lawyer arrived. Whenever that would be.

      Gabriel finally finished his latest call, and immediately started making some notes on his computer. “You should go home,” he said. And since Jodi was the only other person in the room, that order was obviously meant for her. “I can have one of the reserve deputies drive you and stay with you until this is all sorted out.”

      “I’m staying here,” she insisted.

      Then, she huffed, a little insulted that Gabriel had thought she couldn’t take care of herself and needed a deputy. His doubt about her abilities probably had to do with that look that kept crossing her face, the one indicating she was about to have a panic attack. Jodi hated that it was there. Hated that it felt as if she might lose it at any moment, but that wouldn’t stop her from defending herself if someone came after her again.

      “What did the ME have to say about the body?” she asked.

      His eyebrow came up, maybe to show her that he was surprised that she’d known he was talking to the ME. She hadn’t heard anything the ME said, but she had been able to tell from Gabriel’s questions who’d been on the other end of the phone line.

      “He’s a white male in his mid-to late thirties,” Gabriel answered after a short hesitation. “There was no ID on him. Cause of death appears to be exsanguination from multiple stab wounds to the torso.”

      Breathe.

      That felt like a punch to the chest. Because just hearing the words caused the memories to come. Memories of her own blood loss from stab wounds.

      Mercy.

      She’d lost so much blood that night that her heart had stopped for a couple of seconds. The medics had brought her back, but it could have gone either way. She could have ended up like the dead man in the Becketts’ house. Or like Gabriel’s parents who had died on their kitchen floor.

      “Is this never going to end?” Jodi said before she could stop herself.

      Gabriel cursed, got up from his desk and took hold of her arm. Good thing, too, because she suddenly wasn’t too steady on her feet. He put her in the chair and got her a bottle of water from the small fridge in the corner.

      “This is why you shouldn’t be here,” he insisted. “This is too much for you.”

      “It’s too much for all of us.”

      He certainly didn’t argue with that, but he did sit on the armrest and stare down at her. She saw it all in his eyes. His own battle with the nightmarish memories. His unease at her being there.

      Except it was more than unease.

      Oh, no. It was that attraction again. Anytime they were within breathing distance of each other, the heat returned. Thankfully, they were both in a place to shove it away. It wouldn’t stay gone. But for now, they could keep it at bay.

      “How do you think he got the knife?” Jodi pressed.

      Gabriel lifted his shoulder. “Maybe he found it. I would say it’s a duplicate, but there’s the problem with only a handful of people knowing about the broken tip. Of course, a handful is more than enough for the info to leak and get to the wrong person. If so, he could be just some nutjob copycat.”

      All of that made sense, but it didn’t exactly soothe her raw nerves. Too bad Gabriel didn’t have a theory that would clear her father’s name.

      Gabriel gave a heavy sigh. “Look, I don’t know what happened, but if this guy confesses to sending the threatening emails and committing the murder, then maybe this will put an end to it.” He added another shrug when she stared at him. “Well, for everyone but your father.”

      Yes. Her father would get a different kind of ending. This wouldn’t do a thing to get Travis out of jail.

      Jodi looked away from him at the exact moment she felt Gabriel’s hand on her shoulder. She didn’t jump out of her skin as she usually did from an unexpected touch. In fact, it felt far more comforting than it should.

      And that’s the reason she stood and moved away from him.

      That got his attention. Something she hadn’t particularly wanted to get right now. Gabriel was giving her the once-over with those lawman’s eyes, and he was obviously waiting for an explanation.

      “I just have trouble being touched sometimes,” she settled for saying.

      A lie. She had trouble with it all the time.

      He drew his eyebrows together. “Uh, have you gotten help for it?”

      She nodded. That wasn’t a lie. She’d attempted to get help by seeing a string of therapists. “In my case, help didn’t work.”

      He kept staring at her, clearly still wanting more. She’d already told him far more than she’d spilled to anyone else, and Jodi didn’t want to get any deeper into it. He probably wouldn’t understand that the only thing that eased the demons was the knowledge that she could now defend herself.

      Thankfully, she didn’t have to add more because there was movement in the doorway. Jodi automatically reached for her gun, but it was just Cameron.

      Cameron had lawman’s eyes, too, and he slid a glance between Gabriel and her. The corner of his mouth lifted a fraction and for just a second. A dimple flashed in his cheek.

      “You two always did have a thing for each other,” he drawled.

      Heaven knew what Cameron had seen or sensed to make him say that or to make him give that half smile, but it caused Gabriel to scowl. Unlike most people, Cameron didn’t seem to be affected by that particular expression from the king of scowls. Probably because he’d had a lifetime of scowls tossed at him. After all, Gabriel wasn’t just his boss, but they’d been friends since childhood.

      “Do you have a reason

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