She jerked her head downward in what he took for assent. He dropped his hand from her mouth, resting it on the swell of her hip instead, still holding her in place. She drew in a long breath, but didn't try to break free. She relaxed in his arms briefly, letting her head fall back against his chest.
"You're trembling,” he said quietly.
She stiffened in outrage. “You scared me half to death!"
Raj chuckled, shifting his grip and turning it into a caress, enjoying the feel of her soft curves beneath his hands, the warm weight of her br**sts against his arms. “What are you doing here, Sarah?"
She made a move then, but he only held her more securely. “I was just curious,” she insisted. “And, I'm worried about Trish—"
"Sarah, Sarah,” he chided. “You're lying again."
He let go of her as she spun around to glare at him. “What are you doing here?"
He raised an eyebrow at her. “I'm cooperating in an active police investigation. You, on the other hand, were told your services were not required. And yet, here you are."
He felt more than saw the heat of her blush. “At least I wasn't sneaking around in the shadows, spying on people,” she muttered, refusing to meet his gaze.
Raj gestured at the wide open space. “I was hardly sneaking. You simply didn't notice me, for which I am deeply wounded."
He expected a smile, but instead she looked up at him with eyes filled with fear. “She didn't see him either,” she whispered. “He was just . . . there."
"Who?” Raj asked suddenly intent. He stifled a sudden irritating urge to reach out to her, to pull her close and reassure her that nothing could harm her as long as he was with her. He wanted answers. “What do you know, Sarah?"
She stared at him with haunted eyes, searching his face, looking for . . . What? Raj wondered.
"Nothing,” she whispered. “Nightmares. They don't mean anything.” Her voice caught on the final words.
He did reach out for her then, but she beat him to it, taking hold of the front of his jacket with both hands and gripping the leather like a lifeline. She was trembling again and he wrapped his arms around her in confusion.
"Tell me their names, Raj,” she demanded unexpectedly, raising her head enough to give him a searching look. “The other women. Tony wouldn't tell me—"
Raj frowned. “Why do you need their names, Sarah?"
She choked out a harsh laugh and lowered her forehead to his chest. “Because I need to know whether or not I'm going crazy.” Her voice was muffled against his sweater, but he could hear the desperation in her voice. It troubled him more than it should have, but it made his decision easy.
"You know about Trish; she's been in the papers."
Sarah looked up at him in surprise, as if she hadn't expected him to answer her plea. She nodded.
"There are three other women, Estelle Edwards, Martha Polk and Regina Aiello."
Her face seemed to crumple, a sob escaping her lips, as she hid her face once more against his chest. “Regina,” she said softly. “I'm so sorry."
"Sorry for what, Sarah? Tell me what's going on."
"Nothing,” she said, stepping back from him to stand on her own, even as one hand stroked the front of his sweater, wiping away the wetness of her tears. “Regina's mother is someone I know. She's been worried, and when I heard about this case . . . I don't know what I'll tell her now."
She was lying again, damnit. “We need talk about this. Your place, now,” he said impatiently. “I'll follow you—"
"No.” She met his angry gaze, the gold flecks in her hazel eyes glinting in the street lights. “It's late,” she offered as an excuse. “I shouldn't have come at all. I don't know what I thought I'd find here."
Raj studied her silently, debating. She knew something, or thought she did. On the other hand, she hadn't even known the names of the missing women, beyond Trish Cowens, so whatever she thought she knew didn't get to the heart of whoever was doing this. Probably. And he still had to meet with Jozef tonight.
"All right,” he said, unsmiling. “Tomorrow night then."
She stared back at him, as if not quite trusting his easy surrender. “So we're good, right?"
Raj smiled then, a slow curving of his lips. “Oh, yes, Sarah. We're very good."