dark.
“I need to go home,” Jane whispered. The house was buzzing with whispers and quiet laughter, but overall, the spirit of the game was in full effect and the creaking floorboards were louder now than the voices.
“Don’t go home.” Jake stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. “Please?”
Jane closed her eyes. She couldn’t see his face and didn’t want her eyes to adjust to the dark so she could. She wanted him to keep holding her hand, and keep treating her like she mattered.
She wanted him to kiss her.
She wanted him to wrap his arms around her, pull her close, and kiss her so that if Isaac wandered into the room, she wouldn’t even notice.
Jake dropped her hand. “I can take you home, if you want.” His voice was flat.
“No…don’t.”
He stepped forward, his face close to hers again, his cheek brushing hers. “That’s my girl.”
If she turned her head just a fraction, she would kiss him.
And Gemma’s heart would break.
Jane kept perfectly still.
“Do you want to go find our hostess, or sit in the living room like civilized Americans drinking Dr. Pepper and talking about work?”
Jane felt like her spine was frozen. She couldn’t turn her head, not even if she wanted to. “I haven’t played sardines since junior high youth group.”
“Then let’s go find Heather.” Jake grabbed her hand again and led her around the kitchen.
He twined his fingers through hers. A jolt of electricity sped from her fingertips through her whole body. The room was unbearably warm, but she couldn’t let go…or she wouldn’t be able to follow him around in the dark.
“I went to Michelle Smith’s old school,” Jane whispered. She didn’t want Jake to be her rebound boyfriend. He was too good of a friend for that. She had to talk about the case before her panic made her ruin a good thing.
“What did you learn?”
“There’s at least one family there that might want to see harm come to her.”
“Really?” Jake stopped.
Jane kept going and bumped into him.
He put his arm around her waist and led her to a far corner. He kept his voice low and his mouth near her ear, but not quite so intimately close as before. “What’s the motive?”
She took one step too many and bumped him with her knees. “They lost a lawsuit for back tuition and fees. The court ordered they pay up. Including legal fees, they owe her one hundred thousand.”
Jake let out a low whistle. He tightened his grip on her waist. “Well done.”
“I also learned that the security guard on duty that night is now on administrative leave, and that the room is monitored, so whatever he did…for example, if he left his post…has been recorded.”
“Interesting. Does he have any ties to the victim?”
“Nothing I’ve found yet. I’m still waiting to hear back from his girlfriend. She works security there too.” Talking about the case in whispers didn’t help calm her down. Every word he whispered felt like code, and every word she said felt like a promise.
“Have you worked out her connection to the protesters yet?” Jake couldn’t get any closer. She could feel the bristles of his unshaved face on her cheek.
“Not yet. I need to get ahold of the reporter too. Remember her? She and a cameraman were everywhere that night. They must have seen something. Maybe even recorded it.”
“I’ve got that contact. Let me get in touch with her.”
Jane’s heart flipped. He could know the kind-of-famous, and very pretty, news reporter. Why not? It didn’t matter to her.
“You’re going to crack this open, Jane.” He pulled her around so they were face-to-face.
Her heart beat so hard she knew he could hear it. His nose bumped hers.
“Jane…” He leaned forward, just enough to bridge the hairsbreadth distance between his lips and hers, but she turned her head.
He leaned his forehead on hers. “You hardly knew him. You hadn’t seen him in six months.” He wrapped his other arm around her. Both arms
“I need to go home,” Jane whispered. The house was buzzing with whispers and quiet laughter, but overall, the spirit of the game was in full effect and the creaking floorboards were louder now than the voices.
“Don’t go home.” Jake stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. “Please?”
Jane closed her eyes. She couldn’t see his face and didn’t want her eyes to adjust to the dark so she could. She wanted him to keep holding her hand, and keep treating her like she mattered.
She wanted him to kiss her.
She wanted him to wrap his arms around her, pull her close, and kiss her so that if Isaac wandered into the room, she wouldn’t even notice.
Jake dropped her hand. “I can take you home, if you want.” His voice was flat.
“No…don’t.”
He stepped forward, his face close to hers again, his cheek brushing hers. “That’s my girl.”
If she turned her head just a fraction, she would kiss him.
And Gemma’s heart would break.
Jane kept perfectly still.
“Do you want to go find our hostess, or sit in the living room like civilized Americans drinking Dr. Pepper and talking about work?”
Jane felt like her spine was frozen. She couldn’t turn her head, not even if she wanted to. “I haven’t played sardines since junior high youth group.”
“Then let’s go find Heather.” Jake grabbed her hand again and led her around the kitchen.
He twined his fingers through hers. A jolt of electricity sped from her fingertips through her whole body. The room was unbearably warm, but she couldn’t let go…or she wouldn’t be able to follow him around in the dark.
“I went to Michelle Smith’s old school,” Jane whispered. She didn’t want Jake to be her rebound boyfriend. He was too good of a friend for that. She had to talk about the case before her panic made her ruin a good thing.
“What did you learn?”
“There’s at least one family there that might want to see harm come to her.”
“Really?” Jake stopped.
Jane kept going and bumped into him.
He put his arm around her waist and led her to a far corner. He kept his voice low and his mouth near her ear, but not quite so intimately close as before. “What’s the motive?”
She took one step too many and bumped him with her knees. “They lost a lawsuit for back tuition and fees. The court ordered they pay up. Including legal fees, they owe her one hundred thousand.”
Jake let out a low whistle. He tightened his grip on her waist. “Well done.”
“I also learned that the security guard on duty that night is now on administrative leave, and that the room is monitored, so whatever he did…for example, if he left his post…has been recorded.”
“Interesting. Does he have any ties to the victim?”
“Nothing I’ve found yet. I’m still waiting to hear back from his girlfriend. She works security there too.” Talking about the case in whispers didn’t help calm her down. Every word he whispered felt like code, and every word she said felt like a promise.
“Have you worked out her connection to the protesters yet?” Jake couldn’t get any closer. She could feel the bristles of his unshaved face on her cheek.
“Not yet. I need to get ahold of the reporter too. Remember her? She and a cameraman were everywhere that night. They must have seen something. Maybe even recorded it.”
“I’ve got that contact. Let me get in touch with her.”
Jane’s heart flipped. He could know the kind-of-famous, and very pretty, news reporter. Why not? It didn’t matter to her.
“You’re going to crack this open, Jane.” He pulled her around so they were face-to-face.
Her heart beat so hard she knew he could hear it. His nose bumped hers.
“Jane…” He leaned forward, just enough to bridge the hairsbreadth distance between his lips and hers, but she turned her head.
He leaned his forehead on hers. “You hardly knew him. You hadn’t seen him in six months.” He wrapped his other arm around her. Both arms
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