Page 19 (1/2)

"Of course not," Kimmy blurted out just as Aidan muttered, "Never seen her before in aze from Kimmy to meet my hard stare I raised an eyebrow at him He crossed his arme What do you want?"

I frowned Her attitude hadn’t been fantastic before, but she hadn’t seemed hostile "I’m here about a ot one"

I just stared, cop face holding steady "Have you seen him?"

"No," she said, flatly "I told you I’d call you if he came in" Her eyes darted to Aidan, and then she turned on her heel and walked back to the bar

"She was lying," Aidan said

"Thank you, Captain Obvious" But were you lying? "What was that about?"

"What hat about?"

"The way you were looking at her?"

"Suspiciously?" he asked

I frowned at him, not entirely sure I believed him I turnedfor a ot antsier Any second I ht burst out and ask him exactly what he meant by "proht be--just because he was on the job I needed to focus Out there somewhere, maybe in this bar, was the man who killedhair, the muscles she was so proud of I missed her twisted sense of humor, and her unspoken but clear support of me and the choices I made in my life God, I was an idiot My partner, the closest person I’d had to a friend in years, was dead And here I ondering if the guy I’d used to drown s for ot up from the table and muttered, "Keep an eye on Kimmy," to Aidan I walked toward the crowd at the other end of the bar The dance floor and tables on the far side of it were bathed in shadows,it difficult to make out a lot of detail on the patrons No one reseiven her actions, she ht have lied about that, too I walked back across the bar, pausing to elbow one guy who got a little too close When I reached Aidan, one beyond the irritable funk I’d arrived in I ell into pissed territory

"Let’s go," I said

"You sure?"

"Yeah, he’s not here"

"He ht be Later"

Kimmy stood at the bar, and she watched us as she poured a beer from the tap

"I don’t think so"

…

As we drove, my emotions were jureatched hi as he steered, the way his jaw tensed like he was thinking about sorip on the wheel My instincts told me to trust hi it

We drove in silence, and e got to my house I unlocked the door and left it open behind ht words The door clicked shut, locking I turned, aze drowned asp, I stepped away frohtly athim

Realization hit me

"You lied to ure out what kind of otherworlder he was and the whole tiht in front of my face

"Oh?" He didn’t sound surprised