jaunt skipping from building to building. You don’t really have the experience to handle that type of ninja hijinks.” She thought about it. “Though you did do pretty damn good for an amateur. Maybe after a few months of working out in that training camp where I went to train for the American Ninja competition.” Then she shook her head. “Nope, you’d never leave those autistic kids you’re working with again so soon.” She grinned. “And if I get bored, I can always help you solve this case you’re working on. I’m obviously eminently qualified. How’s that for Option B?”
“Fine.” She added quietly, “But there is an Option C, you know. You can forget about me and go back to your own profession…for which you’re, indeed, eminently qualified.”
“Nah, there never was an Option C.” Her smile deepened and illuminated her face. “Not since Lynch told me about the scumbags who killed your friends. So you’re stuck with me.” She got to her feet. “And now I’m going to go down and see if Olivia can put up with me for a few days.”
“Olivia?” She frowned. “Why? You can stay here.”
She shook her head. “I’d be tempted to hover and you’d hate it. Besides, I’ll probably be seeing you all the time on this case. You know Olivia and I are best buds. We don’t get a chance to hang together, and this will give us an opportunity to catch up.” She headed for the door. “See you in the morning.”
“Well, just tell her I’m tired. Otherwise she’ll be up here checking me out. You know Olivia.” Then as Jessie reached the door she said sharply, “Wait. It will probably be before that.” She’d just remembered Harley. “I’ll have to go down and pick up the dog from her.”
Jessie’s brows rose. “Dog? She’s got a dog?”
“Not if she has her way. She has certain issues with Harley. Come to think of it, so might you. It’s probably just as well I take care of him at night.”
Jessie shook her head. “After the night you’ve had, you need your rest. I’ll tell her I’ll take care of this Harley dog.”
“I…don’t really think that would be a good idea.”
“Sure it would. I like dogs and they like me. I once had a stray beagle follow me to the finish line on a marathon race in Patagonia.” She made a face. “Very inconvenient. He lost me the race—I had to keep slowing down for him because I was afraid he’d die from exhaustion. Do you know how short a beagle’s legs are? But what could I do? He wouldn’t stop. He obviously had a mission. And when we finally dragged our butts over the finish line and the media got hold of the story, he had people standing in line to adopt him. Hell, I wondered afterward if maybe that was his mission. Anyway, Harley and I will work out just fine.” She glanced over her shoulder with a mischievous grin. “After all, how on Earth could I ever resist a dog named for a motorcycle?”
Chapter
8
Kendra’s Condo
7:05 A.M.
Next Day
Come on. We’re getting on the road,” Jessie said curtly when Kendra opened the door the next morning. “Now.”
“What’s the hurry?” Kendra grabbed her handbag before she ran after Jessie toward the elevator. “I was just coming down to Olivia’s to get you. You know she usually likes to make breakfast when she has guests.”
“I’m not a guest. I’m a victim.” She punched the button. “And I refuse to look at that smug, malicious expression on her face even for breakfast. We’ll go to Starbucks.”
Kendra’s gaze was raking her face. “Circles under the eyes. Tiredness…Harley?” She couldn’t keep her lips from twitching. “I take it he didn’t love you enough to follow you across the finish line? Don’t feel bad, maybe that only works for beagles.”
“Shut up. You’re as bad as Olivia. I could tell she wasn’t pleased when I told her I was going to take care of Harley for you, but she didn’t say anything. And the dog was fine with me while Olivia and I were sitting around talking before we went to bed. I liked him. He liked me. It was when she handed me Harley’s leash and sent him into the guest room with me that it all went to hell.” She shuddered “I’ve never heard a sound like that outside of a torture victim in Afghanistan, and he kept it up all night. When I knocked on Olivia’s door for