“Just luck?” Nate said, shaking his head at her. “You thought that the audition was interesting enough to check out, and yet you randomly left it to follow one coach home just in case that was also interesting? And you happened to be right?”
“I couldn’t find any other coaches,” Laura said.
“Bullshit,” Nate told her. “You could have gathered information from every single actor there, got the names of a dozen coaches. A hundred. You already told me you didn’t know the killer was going to strike there, so why did you have to follow the one coach you found? You would have had no idea she was in danger.”
“Exactly,” Laura said. “I had no idea. I just followed my gut.”
“That gut again!” Nate exploded. Laura glanced around. A couple heading to their car a few rows away were looking at them in alarm. “How is it you have this magical gut feeling that always leads you to make decisions you can’t explain, and yet you always get to the right place at the right time?”
“Isn’t that what gut instinct is?” Laura sighed. “Not rational, just a feeling? I can’t explain how I know these things.”
Except, she could. Of course, she could. She just couldn’t bring herself to. Not now. Not while she was still reeling from the thought that Nate was going to die.
She couldn’t lose him twice.
“You have to tell me what’s going on, Laura,” Nate said, reaching for her again. She stepped back out of his reach.
“Don’t,” she said, fear of that feeling of death forcing it out of her mouth.
“Are you…” Nate’s tone dropped. “Are you afraid of me, right now?”
“Nate, don’t,” Laura said, using the moment and the fact that he was weakening to turn away and start walking again towards the car. “Not right now. I’m so tired.”
“Then, when?”
“When we’re back,” Laura said, steeling herself. She didn’t know if it was a promise she would keep. But she knew that she couldn’t say anything else to put him off. He wouldn’t accept an outright refusal. If she could just keep putting him off indefinitely… “We’ll talk when we’re home, after we’ve had a day or two to rest.”
“I’m holding you to that, Laura,” Nate said, his tone dangerous. “Don’t think I’m not. I’m only giving you this because you’re my partner, and I care about you. But I swear to God, if you don’t tell me everything…”
Laura opened the car door and got in, blocking out his voice for just a moment before he opened the other door and sat beside her.
“Laura,” he said, and she knew he wanted her to confirm that she’d heard him. That she knew what was at stake.
Their partnership. Their friendship. Everything they had, unless she told him the truth.
“Okay,” she said, and Nate started the engine, leaving her only to stare out of the window in search of the airport, trying not to think about how the hell she was going to get out of that promise.
EPILOGUE
Laura answered her phone in the taxi on the way home from the airport in Washington, D.C., familiar sights finally flashing past the windows of a cool and dull morning. Marcus’ name flashing up on the screen made her grab it fast, afraid that he was going to tell her something had happened to Lacey.
Or hopeful, even though the hope was painful when it was snatched away, that it might be Lacey herself on the other end of the line.
“Laura, you’re awake,” Marcus said, by way of greeting.
“Of course, I’m awake,” Laura said, trying not to let too much irritation creep into her voice. It was like he forgot she had a professional job, sometimes. Yes, she might end up sleeping in late with a hangover when she was off-duty, and back when she was drinking. But not on a workday, and not at all now that she was sober.
“Look, are you available today?” Marcus asked.
“What for?” Laura asked, instantly on the alert. Marcus was snappy, irritated, and that put her on edge. Had something bad happened? Had she messed up in some way again, without even realizing it, and Marcus was about to take it out on her in person?
“I want to see you,” he said. Then Laura heard a short, sharp sigh down the line. “I want you to see Lacey.”
“What?” Laura said, almost exploding up off her seat. If she hadn’t been in a taxi already, she would have grabbed her bags and started walking in the direction of the house where Marcus and Lacey lived, even if it would have taken her hours to get there. “Really?”
“Yes, really. I…” Marcus paused, and then his tone indicated that he was giving her the truth. “My lawyer says it’s better if I show a little flexibility, for the benefit of the judge. So that’s what I’m doing. I’m letting you see her, just for a couple of hours.”
“Wait, the judge?” Laura said, feeling as though her head was spinning.