Chloe continued in her ever-so-cool voice, “Joel was with me.”
Richardson opened his mouth. Gave a little jerk. “What?”
“If you will recall, the very next day, Joel and I were at the bank together. We stopped the bank robber. Caught him in the act.” Her head turned toward Joel. “Our first case together right, darling?”
Darling?
“Our first case, but hardly the first time we met.” Now her head angled back in the agent’s direction. “You see, Joel was with me the previous night. The night that some mystery witness swears she saw Joel swinging a bat? Impossible.”
“She saw him.” Richardson’s face was going splotchy.
“She saw him only if Joel was in two places at once. I hardly think that is possible. He was with me,” Chloe repeated with a roll of her shoulders. “We were having sex. It lasted for a very long time.”
Joel could not take his eyes off her.
“He’s an incredible lover.” A faint smile. “When we were finished—or pausing, if you will—we slept in each other’s arms. Then we woke up, went to the bank, and foiled a robbery. A big day. Oh, sure, if you check the security cameras at the bank, it will appear that we arrived separately, but that was planned. Deliberate on our part. We wanted to throw off Harry’s accomplice.”
“You’re lying,” Richardson accused.
“Am I?” Her fingers were warm and soft around Joel’s. “Prove it. Give me a lie detector test. I guarantee you, I’ll pass it in an instant.”
Holy shit. Holy…
Joel tried to keep his breathing as easy and steady as Chloe’s. Hard when he felt as if he were hyperventilating. She was claiming to tell the truth, but she wasn’t. She’d just lied for him. Given him an alibi. Protected him. Now Richardson was staring at them both with angry suspicion. The agent was going to dig and dig and dig, and Joel knew he’d figure out that Chloe was lying and—
“Don’t believe me? My friend Marie saw Joel in the house with me. She can back up the story. So can my brother Reese. So that’s three witnesses who will say Joel was not attacking Donnie Adams with a bat. Three…to your one.” Her head cocked. “Who do you suppose a jury will believe?”
Richardson leapt to his feet. “Don’t even think of leaving!” He stomped toward the door. Threw it open. When it slammed shut, the walls seemed to shake.
At first, Joel didn’t move at all. She’d…she’d covered for him. He swallowed. “Chloe—”
Her hand rose. Her index finger pressed to his lips. “You don’t have to say a word, my love. I know you wanted to keep our personal relationship a secret, but I couldn’t let him throw suspicion on you.”
Uh, okay. He hadn’t really cared about keeping—
She pulled him in for a tight hug. While hugging him, Chloe brought her lips to his ear. “He has eyes on this room. He’s recording everything we say and do.” Barely a whisper. “Back me up, no matter what happens next.”
What in the hell else could happen? Some witness was out there, accusing him of murder, and Chloe had just lied to a federal agent in order to protect him. What could possibly happen next?
The door opened. Swung open so hard that it thudded into the wall.
Chloe gave a little jerk of surprise. Joel had the feeling her jerk was faked.
“Thought it would be helpful if I brought in someone who had expertise when it comes to you, Joel.” Richardson was back to being an arrogant prick. “He’s also someone I thought might be able to give me a better read on you, Chloe.”
Chloe slowly pulled away from Joel. She looked toward the doorway. He followed her glance and shock rolled through Joel.
Yep, right. Almost forgot about him. So this is the shit that comes next.
“I believe I told you that Dr. Gordon Jennings was waiting at the station.” Richardson motioned toward the man in the brown suit with the carefully cropped beard and watchful eyes. “It was time for him to stop waiting.”
Tension knotted Joel’s muscles.
“Joel.” Gordon’s voice was low. Probably meant to be soothing. It was the same low, I-care voice he’d used in their few sessions back in Texas. “I’m here because I’m worried about what you’ve done.”
What you’ve done.
Gordon advanced on him. “Is being trapped in this small room difficult for you? You haven’t been in here long but I know how small spaces stress you.”
He hadn’t even realized it was a small space. Chloe had been touching him, and