to look at the goods being raffled.”
“Some fabulous spa gifts!” Lucia said.
“A trip to the Bahamas at Atlantis!” Robert said. “Okay, she’s my sister. I don’t have to be polite. Really, she bit me as a baby!” he teased.
“Atlantis?” Jeremy asked.
“Go buy tickets!” Raina said.
Finally, the others began to rise. Axel stayed.
“Finish your chicken.”
“Cornish game hen.”
“Whatever.”
She smiled. “I’m telling the truth. I’m just not hungry.” She hesitated. “Axel, is this normal? I feel as if, well, not as if she’s still with me. She isn’t. But somehow ridiculously suspicious. As if anyone I look at—right down to the waitstaff—might be a murderer.”
He shrugged. “I’m suspicious by nature. Hard to say what is and isn’t normal with a killer on the loose. But if you’re really all set with your food, I think I will chat with a few people and see what I can find out.”
“I am finished. I’m off to view the baskets and goods. Go mingle. I know you’re here to meet the people involved in the project. People who know the Everglades,” she told Axel. “Go do it. I do want to throw some tickets into that Atlantis/Bahamas basket! Oh, and Clive is great with the dog and likes being back there, but I don’t want to leave Titan forever. So, if you need me and can’t find me, just cut through the wing, stage left, to get to the green room. That’s where I’ll be.”
He smiled. “Sounds good.”
She stood, allowing him to do so, too. They were alone there for a minute. The others had moved on to talk with friends or view the raffle goods.
She turned quickly, heading for the back of the room.
* * *
The woman selling the raffle tickets was an old friend of her mother’s and she chatted with her for a few seconds before moving on so others could buy tickets. Then she walked along the length of the tables. She smiled, grateful her performance had gone so well. Her donation of five hours of in-home dog or cat training was doing well, too. The little basket with tickets was filled to the brim.
She wasn’t sure she could teach another dog how to “harmonize” in five hours. And of course, during that kind of training, she’d really be training the pet owner—teaching him or her how to train their own pet. Animals responded best to positive reinforcement. Especially rescue pets; they just needed to be loved.
“Hey, Raina.”
She felt someone close behind her as she was putting her tickets into the basket for the Atlantis trip and glanced around.
It was Tate Fielding.
“Hey!” she said. She hadn’t felt uncomfortable around Tate before, even when they’d broken up after briefly dating. They’d stayed friends. But it felt like he’d made a little bit too much of an effort to kiss and hug her when she’d come offstage.
“Hey again,” she said, smiling to take the slight reproach away.
He grinned at her. “You really want that Atlantis trip.”
“I might as well put my tickets toward the prize I’d really like to win.”
“We all offered free legal consultations,” Tate said lightly. “People do love their dogs, though. Your donation is doing well.”
“Yes, people have long had strong relationships with dogs,” Raina replied, smiling. She had the odd feeling he had sought her out purposely.
“So, you’re seeing the government guy now?” he asked her.
“I...we ran across one another.”
“There’s more to that last murder than they’re telling everyone. And then there was that murder a few months back. I guess that’s why he’s here, not that Miami-Dade County doesn’t have its fair share of murders. And the county has a damned good homicide department, too.”
“You don’t practice criminal law. You do civil cases,” Raina reminded him.
“I do civil cases, but my firm has members who practice criminal law. Jordan is going in that direction.”
She laughed. “Keeping the scum of the earth on the streets?” she asked.
“Ouch! Jordan would take offense at that. You know people are accused of crimes they didn’t commit.”
“Of course.”
“And sometimes an attorney fights for the rights of his client. People who commit murders wind up out in a few years, and some silly white-collar crime can result in the same sentence. Jordan has gotten involved with several groups making sure innocent men and women aren’t rotting in jail.”
“That’s great,” Raina said. “The innocent shouldn’t suffer.”
“So, has he talked to you about the investigation?” Tate asked, giving her his signature charming grin.
She frowned, wondering why it seemed everyone wanted to know what Axel was doing. Was