LITMIR.BIZ

      Grabbing a lightweight jacket, Detective Catelyn Clark headed back to the Palmetto Deaf School. Tracy Merritt’s body had already been removed from the campus and taken to the morgue. As a homicide detective with the Spartanburg police force, Catelyn had been one of the first on the scene. She’d watched the crime-scene investigators do their job and had pitched in where she could. They’d found a baseball jacket and a flip-flop among other things that may or may not be related to the case. The flip-flop had been identified as belonging to Kelly Franklin, the missing girl.

      But still, she wanted to go over the scene one more time. Before the yellow tape was removed and the school went back to normal. Her partner, Ethan O’Hara, was away on vacation with his bride of one year. He’d return home tomorrow, but would still have a couple of days off before returning to work. He’d spend them with his wife, Marianna. The man was so happy, it was disgusting. And incredibly sweet. Longing rose up in her, and she immediately vanquished it.

      Only one man had ever tempted her to think about the possibility of matrimony, and she’d gotten burned as a result. Two years ago Joseph Santino had been on the verge of asking her to marry him—and she’d been so close to throwing caution to the wind and saying yes. Then she’d found out his true expectations of what he felt a wife should be and she’d shoved him away with both hands—and he’d left, moved to another state. Which was just as well, she reminded herself. Joseph’s actions had simply reinforced a decision she’d made long ago. She would never marry another officer—tempted though she might have been once upon a time.

      Because if there was one thing she was sure about in this life, it was the fact that two cops married to each other simply created a war zone.

      Her parents had certainly taught her that.

      And why she was even thinking along those lines puzzled her. It must be because her boss had told her who she’d be working this case with: Joseph Santino. Groaning in frustration at her inability to shove her resurrected thoughts about that man from her mind, she desperately focused on the task before her. Find who killed Tracy Merritt and arrest the creep.

      Period.

      Pulling into the gate, she flashed her badge at security. This school had seen a lot of police action lately. Just a little over a year ago, teacher Marianna O’Hara, Joseph’s deaf sister, had been held hostage in her classroom by a power hungry politician. Thankfully, that situation had ended peacefully.

      And now this.

      Briefly, Catelyn wondered if she should remove herself from the case. Being the ex-girlfriend of the main FBI agent called in to assist with the case might cause a few raised eyebrows—if they knew.

      But that was the past.

      She’d worry about him later.

      Now, she turned her thoughts to the young man who was the main suspect in the case: Dylan Carlisle. A hotheaded teen who convincingly protested his innocence.

      Yeah, right. She’d been up that road before, had the scar to prove it and wasn’t buying it this time around.

      Dylan hadn’t been arrested yet, but if the evidence continued to build, she’d have him in jail so fast his head would spin, convincing protests notwithstanding.

      At the crime scene, she pulled to a stop and stepped out of the car. The scene had been cleared by the authorities, but not yet cleaned up. Good. She’d have a chance to go over it one more time.

      The lone figure standing inside the yellow tape made her pull up and stare. He couldn’t be here already. Surely not. The figure turned and met her gaze.

      Yep, it was him.

      Sucking in a deep breath, she blew it out slowly, telling herself to calm down. Praying her voice didn’t shake at the sudden shock of seeing him, she said, “Hello, Joseph.”