paused for less than a minute to talk at the end of the sidewalk, then peeled off toward their separate cars. They couldn’t have covered much ground beyond acknowledging they’d run into a dead end.
Yet they could continue digging tomorrow.
Steve returned to the living room and dropped into his chair.
No matter how much they dug, though, he should be safe. The hair was a mistake—but that was his only one.
Nevertheless, it was important that Meg keep her mouth shut about his absence last Saturday night if those detectives happened to speak with her.
An instruction he would pass on as soon as she got home.
She’d have questions, but a little fast talking and a healthy dose of affection would put those to rest. Meg was all about keeping the waters at home smooth—and she was a sucker for a little smooching.
Yeah, she’d be easy to keep in line.
And once the detectives realized they had nothing worthwhile to pursue, they’d let this go—and he’d be home free.
15
THE DOORBELL RANG on Friday morning at precisely five-fifteen, and Eve smiled.
Punctuality joined the list of Brent’s many other attributes.
As she entered the small foyer, she ran her fingers through her hair. Rising in what felt like the middle of the night wasn’t her favorite part of the radio gig—but being chauffeured by a handsome man made the pre-dawn jangle of the alarm much more palatable.
She pulled open the door and gave Brent’s crisp white shirt, silk tie, tailored jacket, and dress slacks a fast sweep. The more formal attire suited him, but she’d be willing to bet he’d exchange it in a heartbeat for jeans and a T-shirt.
Which also suited him.
“Morning.” He smiled at her, fine lines crinkling at the corners of his eyes.
“You look chipper for such an early hour.” She smoothed a hand down the tunic that hit her leggings mid-thigh and motioned him in.
“Law enforcement isn’t a nine-to-five gig.” He entered, his gaze heating up as he discreetly surveyed the casual attire that was one of the perks of a job where her audience never saw her. “I learned long ago to function on less-than-optimal amounts of sleep.”
“Well, I hope you turned in early last night to compensate for the long day ahead.”
“That was my plan, but I got called to a crime scene on my way home. I didn’t hit the sheets until after midnight.”
“Ouch.” She winced. “You should have left me a text message and cancelled this morning. I could have driven myself.”
“Not an option.” His tone brooked no arguments. “Are you ready to go?”
“Yes—as soon as I grab our coffee. Give me a sec.”
She hurried to the kitchen to retrieve the two insulated travel mugs she’d prepared, then rejoined him in the foyer. “At this hour, I figured we could both use a caffeine infusion.”
“I was going to pilfer coffee at the station, but your java is far superior to the stuff in your break room.” He took the offering she held out.
“That’s a low bar. There are days you could stick a spoon upright in the station sludge.” She picked up the tote bag that held her notes for today’s program. “I’m all set.”
He followed her outside, waited while she locked the door, and stayed close as they walked to his car. For security purposes—or were there other, more personal motives?
Perhaps both, if she’d been reading his signals correctly.
Once she was buckled into the passenger seat, he circled around the hood to the driver’s side.
She waited to speak until he started the engine. “I want to thank you for sending the patrol officers around yesterday. They did several circuits of the house over the course of the day and evening.”
“I know. I checked.” He slid his mug into the cup holder, flipped on his headlights, and pulled away from the curb. “I was going to call you last night with an update on the case, but it was too late by the time I had a free minute.”
“Did you end up talking to Steve?”
“Yes—after he got home from work.”
“Does he have alibis?”
“It appears so.”
The note of caution in his inflection put her on alert. “But you’re not buying them.”
“Let’s say I’m not convinced they’re legit, given his background.”
She listened in growing horror as he filled her in on the man’s history—and when he got to the part about the protection orders, her lungs locked. “Poor Meg. She’ll be devastated if she finds out.”
“She’ll find out.” There was a hardness in his voice she hadn’t heard before. “I’m planning