Darcy’s frown cleared. “Merkerson. That’s it! I’ve been trying to place the MO. He was way before my time, but we studied him briefly in school. What the hell has he been up to all these years? How has he stayed under the radar?”
“He might have been incarcerated under a false name or out of the country. Or he might have trained a junior asshat to follow in his nutjob footsteps. It doesn’t matter. We’re going to nail the bastard.” Grabbing her elbow again, Jared urged her toward the fire station.
“The hell it doesn’t matter. In just three weeks, he’s torn this town apart.”
He heard the fury underlying her words and made note of it. Personal involvement clouded judgment. One of the many reasons why spending time with her was a really bad idea. He was already feeling the effects. While his brain was working the case, his body was straining toward hers, wired and revved and hot to screw her raw.
They were about to cross the street to the fire station when he urged her into a corner diner instead.
“I missed lunch,” he explained, hoping low blood sugar, not his hormones, was responsible for handicapping his common sense. He could fix the former.
“I just ate. But I’ll grab a shake.”
Another mark in her favor, he thought. A woman who might not be counting every damn calorie she put in her mouth.
He nearly groaned as visions of other things she could do with her mouth swept through his testosterone-muddled mind. If he’d needed any proof that he was working too hard and not playing enough, he had it now. He should take the blond deputy up on her offer and ease himself down a notch.
Reaching the counter, Jared grabbed a menu from beside the register and ran a quick glance over the limited offerings. It was a burger-and-fries joint, with a couple salads thrown in for the calorie-conscious.
A waitress in a ’50s uniform with “Ginny” embroidered over her heart approached with her notepad and a smile. “Hey, Darcy. You brought the Fed with you. Bet Miller’s in a snit. I know how he gets when outsiders come in.”
“How do you know everything?” Darcy looked genuinely impressed. “I just found out that the Marshals Service was here not more than five minutes ago.”
Ginny shrugged. “Prime location for news. Welcome to Lion’s Bay, Marshal.”
“Deputy,” he corrected, his attention returning to the menu. “Thanks.”
“How are you doing?” Darcy asked Ginny with the easy familiarity of old friends.
“Better. Just had a new security system installed this morning. It’s supposed to sense heat and alert the alarm company. And I had our existing fire alarms rechecked a couple days ago to make sure everything is working properly.” Ginny jerked a thumb over her shoulder at the bulky-looking chef visible through the kitchen pass-through. “Tim joked about retiring on the insurance if the place burned. He slept on the couch last night for that one.”
“Oh, hell. Ginny, I’m sorry. I—”
Jared stepped into the conversation before she could say anything further. “Proactive, thoughtful steps, Ginny. Good job. If your burgers are half as good as your planning, I’ll order a double.”
Ginny grinned at the praise. “Big strapping man like you, absolutely.”
“Suggestions?”
“Depends. Hot or sweet?”
“Both. I’m starved.”
“One chipotle bacon BBQ double-cheeseburger and fries coming up. Everything on it?”
“Yeah. And two of whatever kind of shake Inspector Michaels wants. All to go.”
Jared paid the bill, waving off the five-spot Darcy pulled out of her pocket.
Closing the register, Ginny stepped away to make the shakes, leaving Darcy standing there with a grim expression. He gestured her over to a red vinyl booth by the window.
“So,” he began when she sat. “How often has Lion’s Bay had cause for the Feds to come in?”
One of her brows arched and she sized him up. The caveman in him beat his chest at the challenge. Damn it, he hadn’t been this interested in a woman in a long, long time.
It was a good thing she had some fire to her. When he got her beneath him, he wasn’t going to be gentle…
Fuck that. What the hell was he thinking? He was not going there.