“I’m going to question Jean some more. I’ve got to use anything I know about her to get her to tell me the truth. I need to find out what’s going on and why. So far, the robberies have been petty, but I worry that they’re a prelude to something larger. In one job, four innocent people were killed during his escape.”
Gemma was quiet for a moment as her visions of talking with him about having their baby were replaced by scenes of him with Jean. She brought herself back to the present. “You want us to stay apart and make the town believe we’ve broken up, don’t you?”
“I think that’s the best for now.” He gave her a crooked grin. “I thought about picking a fight with you, one that was so bad that you’d throw me out, but I decided not to risk it. I was afraid you’d not forgive me, then where would I be?”
“The same place you were a few weeks ago,” Gemma said. She glanced at her watch. She could feel the beginning of nausea rising in her. If she didn’t leave soon, she’d be throwing up, and that was not the way she wanted him to find out about the child they’d created. “I need to get back to work.” She got up and started toward her car, but he caught her arm.
“You’re angry at me.” He seemed to be astonished at the idea.
“I understand about your work and what you need to do.” She thought about what he’d just said. “How would you have picked a fight with me?”
“Forget I said that,” he said. “Why don’t we go somewhere out of town and have dinner and talk about all this?”
Gemma had a grim vision of herself throwing up at the table. “I’ll take a rain check. I really do need to go.”
“Work!” he said. “I could pick a fight with you about how much you work.”
It was her turn to be astonished. “But I thought you liked hearing about all I was finding out about your family. Didn’t you?”
“I did. I do,” he said. “Although the part about Tris has been hard to take.”
“Tris? What does he have to do with the robberies?”
“Nothing that I know of.”
“Then why did you bring him up?”
“It’s just that I was surprised when he said that you’d told him about my case. He knew many details I’d not even told my deputy. Maybe I should have made you cross your heart not to tell. And of course there’s the two of you and that damned Stone! It would have been easy to pick a fight.”
Colin was smiling, but Gemma took his words seriously. She’d never before been accused of betraying anyone’s trust. “But I thought—” She could feel her face growing red. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have told about your case. I was in the wrong. I apologize.” The nausea was growing stronger and she took a step toward her car.
“Gemma, I’m the one to apologize. It was okay to tell Tris. I do. It’s just that—”
When he cut off, she turned to look at him. “It’s just that what?”
“Nothing. Forget about it.” He stepped beside her. “I’ll see you in a few days.”
“I want to know what you were going to say.”
He looked away from her. “Nothing. I don’t listen to gossip.”
“What gossip?”
Colin ran his hand over his face. “It’s just déjà vu, that’s all. You spent an entire day with Tris, but I understand. Jean was always out with other men too. I pretended to be above it, but it did hurt.”
“Déjà vu? Hurt? Other men? What in the world are you talking about?”
“You and Tris, that’s what!” he said, as though it were a given.
“What about Tristan?”
“Gemma, I don’t want to fight. I asked you to come here so I could tell you the truth, not to argue. You and I have to stay apart for a while because I need time to get all the information out of Jean that I can. And I’m concerned that you may be in danger of some sort of revenge. Plus, there’s your knowledge of that Stone.”
“Of course,” Gemma said. “I understand completely. You’re telling this month’s girlfriend that you need to spend time with last month’s girlfriend. And, by the way, while you’re with her, I’m to stay away from other men. The only question is whether you and I are on for next month. Or do you have someone else picked out?”
“Gemma! By everything that’s holy you’re being unfair! Do you have any idea what I have to put up with because you spend so much time with Tris? His house is very isolated, and half a dozen people told me you were out there with him at night. And he drove you home. Were you too drunk to drive?”
She wasn’t about to tell him the real reason for not driving. “If this is what you think of me, it’s a good idea that we stop seeing each other. I’m sure your family will be pleased to see you back with your beautiful lawyer girlfriend. And since you seem to forgive her for everything rotten she does to you, I’m sure you two will be very happy together. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to go back to work.”