attorney to the nth letter of the law. Not to mention the fact most people would feel the way the cops did that morning. That I either killed poor Jennifer or know who did.”
“Okay, then.”
He walked toward her and took her into his arms.
“Where were we?”
She smiled as he kissed her, pulling back a little. “Well, I like where we were, and we’ll get back to it. But let me reward Titan.”
“Good plan. That is one great dog.”
She stepped past him, hurrying to the kitchen to get one of Titan’s favorite biscuits from a cupboard. She brought it back to the hallway and got him settled again.
Then she returned to the bedroom.
Axel was stretched back out on the bed, naked. His flesh was bronze against the pale blue of her sheets, caught in just a hint of the moonlight filtering in the edges of the drapes.
He leaned on an elbow, grinning as he waited for her.
“Well, that’s cheesecake if I’ve ever seen it!” she told him.
“What!”
She lifted the ribbons on her dress, letting it drift to the floor.
“Well, now. That’s straight out of a James Bond movie or the like,” he told her.
“And your problem is? I like cheesecake.”
“And I’ve been fond of every Bond girl. You getting back in here?”
“Of course. I’d never waste all that cheesecake!”
She made a flying leap for the bed and landed in his arms. They rolled, laughing, and then the laughter faded as he looked into her eyes, and his next kiss was very passionate, leading to much, much more.
She slept in his arms, and she thought she slept deeply. When she awoke, he was awake, and she felt he had slept, too.
But maybe not quite so deeply. He had been listening. Listening all through the night.
“Do you have work today?” he asked her.
“I do, but my schedule is easy, and I can switch anything around if necessary,” Raina told him.
“Switch things around. Come with me to Andrew’s.”
“Okay. Is there a reason I shouldn’t work?”
“No. I’m just happier if you’re with me. And I want to chat with Jeremy. Maybe we’ll take the horses over to the tourist area. It will be fun. Andrew will appreciate it.”
“Okay.”
“You can see Big Ole Mac.”
“Okay. Alligator wrestling,” she said. “Are you going to wrestle Big Ole Mac?”
“Not in this lifetime. Wait till you see him.”
She smiled. “I have seen him. I’ve gone out there many times during the years.”
“Good. You enjoy it?”
“I do.”
“We’ll stop by the hotel on the way. I can shower there.”
“You can shower here.”
“That might take too long.”
“What’s the difference?”
“You’d be too tempted. You’d come in.”
“Wow. What humility!”
He glanced at his watch. “Okay, why not.”
He headed for the shower. For a minute, she had decided not to follow him, but then she grinned and did so, pushing him aside as she entered.
“I told you,” he said.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m just trying to save time.”
“I see.”
“Want your back washed?”
“Are you trying to wash it?”
“I really can’t stand a dirty back.”
He turned. She used liquid soap on his back, caressing it as she did. She smiled as he turned around, slick and clean, and drew her into his arms.
“I didn’t mean to be so time-consuming,” she whispered.
He laughed softly.
“Time is what we make of it,” he assured her.
Moments later, she thought he had a talent for making really good use of time.
* * *
“It’s her,” Andrew said, quiet and thoughtful as he shook his head.
Raina and Titan were out with the horses. She couldn’t resist seeing them first. Either Axel would head out soon or she’d come in. One way or the other, he did want to ride out to the village. He was pretty sure he’d find Jeremy out there, and Jeremy might remember what had gone on in the past better than he did, if nothing else.
“They’re still out there looking for more pieces. But thankfully, with the skull, they were able to match dental records through the cold-case department almost immediately,” Andrew said.
“But still no cause of death, right?”
Andrew shook his head. “You think it will be the same, though, don’t you. Okay, I understand, but it’s crazy. I mean, just taking people and quickly severing their throats? That doesn’t sound like any serial killer I’ve ever heard of. I know you’re FBI and went through all kinds of classes, but I’ve been to a few myself even if I am just tribal police.”
“There’s no ‘just,’ Andrew, and you know it,” Axel said, shaking his head. “Seriously, think about it. Serial killers—drawn by