A sigh. He imagined her looking across whatever room she was in to her brother egging her on. And to think, for a split second Cormac thought maybe she really wanted to see him.
“He wants to meet. Just to talk.”
“I bet he does. The answer’s still no, not as long as he’s likely to put a bullet in me.”
“He was working with that Kuzniak jerk so he wouldn’t have to put bullets in anyone! Just watch them keel over dead when they get in his way!”
“Like Kuzniak,” Cormac said.
A long silence followed. Amelia murmured, Anderson Layne found something. He discovered something.
They were supposed to be washing their hands of it.
“Cormac—”
“Mollie. It really has been good to see you. I have to go.” He hung up. Sighed. Well, at least he had her number now.
You wanted to ask her out for drinks.
It wouldn’t work out, he thought. He wasn’t that kind of guy.
He could just go on home, but Kitty or Ben—or both—would call and demand to know what was happening. Best get it over with now, in person, when they might actually believe he wasn’t hiding something. He went back inside.
They were waiting for him, and they didn’t even have to ask, just looked at him with these expectant, questioning gazes. Puppy dog eyes? Hm.
“What was that all about?” Kitty finally asked when he didn’t say anything.
“Just a call. Not important,” he said.
“You were out there a long time,” Kitty said. She might have batted her eyelashes.
“Yeah?” He found some beer left in his mug and drank it down.
Kitty added, “Is she nice?”
He rolled his eyes. “I should get going. I’ve still got some work to do. Let you guys have your fun in peace.”
“You’ll let us know if anything comes up?” Ben said.
“Always do.”
“Not likely,” he sa
id, his smile friendly enough, but the dig was there as well. The words held a lot of shared history. A lot of not talking.
“If it’s important, I’ll let you know,” he amended and waved himself out.
Chapter 22
HE’D JUST unlocked the apartment’s front door when Amelia demanded, The laptop. Turn on the laptop. My God, why do these things take so long, we should have just left it on.…
He took his time getting inside, closing the door behind him, setting the dead bolt, turning on the lights, heading to the kitchenette for a glass of water—
Cormac!
Then, he turned on the computer.
New e-mail was waiting for them.