Explosive Attraction - By Lena Diaz Page 0,26
too.”
He blew out a frustrated breath. “It’s better than what I had before, which was absolutely nothing. Let’s go find Sandy and finish that sketch. Then you can give me your keys and I’ll get that laptop and hard drive from your office.”
“You aren’t going to my office without me. And you aren’t looking at my files without a court order.”
“Are you seriously going to force me to subpoena your files? That’s a huge waste of time.”
“I could lose my license. I have to respect my clients’ privacy.”
He shook his head, not looking happy. “Fine, I’ll have one of the guys get a court order. In the meantime, I’m still going to be the one to go get your files for you—even if I’m not looking at them yet. There’s a guy out there trying to kill you. You aren’t going anywhere near your house or your office until we catch him. You can wait here while I go.”
“It’s not that simple. I’ll need my appointment book, my files on other psychologists so I can work on referrals, my notes from recent meetings and therapy sessions that haven’t been put into the computer yet. There’s no way I’ll be able to explain where all of that is, or exactly what to look for.”
“What about your receptionist, Mindy?”
“Assistant, not receptionist.”
He raised a brow and waited for her answer.
She chewed her bottom lip as she thought about what she would need. “Okay, that will work. I’ll ask her to go by my house and get some of my notes in my home office, too. It might take a few hours for her to pull everything together.”
He looked at his watch and stood. “We can’t stay here much longer. Someone is bound to see my truck and assume you’re here with me.”
“What do you mean? Our names weren’t in the paper. And wouldn’t the bomber think I’m still at the hospital? That’s why we left while it was still dark yesterday morning.”
He gave her a droll look. “How long have you lived in St. Augustine?”
“All my life. Why?”
“Me, too, so we both know how small towns work. The bombing, the boat crash, the search for the gunman in the marsh, Daniels’s murder—it’s all over the news. By now, someone at the hospital has pieced it together, that you and I were the ones the gunman was after. They’ve told a friend, who told another friend, and so on. It’s only a matter of time until the reporters hear our names and go on the hunt. We need to get out of here, get new transportation and find a new place to stay before some overzealous reporter leads the killer straight to you.”
* * *
AFTER FINISHING WITH the sketch artist, Darby and Rafe were about to leave the police station when a man stepped in front of the door, blocking their way.
Jake. Again.
“Move,” Rafe said. “I don’t have time for this.”
“Make time. What the hell was that all about at the hospital? You almost ran me down.”
“I might ask you the same thing. Why were you hunting for Darby and me with a gun?”
Jake’s brows rose. “Hunting? I went to the hospital to see you. When the power went out, I figured you might be in trouble. So I went up the back stairs to try to find you. And protect you.” His face twisted with anger. “Is that what you thought? That I was trying to kill you? Are you really that stupid?”
Rafe narrowed his eyes at his former friend. “Are you stupid enough to think I’d believe you went to the hospital to visit me? Especially after holding your gun on me before those SWAT guys showed up?”
Jake’s hands tightened into fists. “Maybe I was being a jerk in the stairwell, but I wouldn’t have pulled the trigger. I didn’t say I went to the hospital to visit you. I said I went to see you, to discuss the evidence I collected in the warehouse. To brainstorm about the case that I’m trying to solve.” He added a few choice swearwords, letting Rafe know exactly what he thought of his suspicions.
“Uh, Rafe. Everyone’s watching us.” Darby put her hand on his arm.
Sure enough, everyone in the lobby was watching them. A couple of uniformed officers looked ready to step in, if necessary. Hell, if he and Jake came to blows right now they’d both end up in the tank, meaning Darby would have to rely on someone else for guard duty.
Since he