“A few days or so—before this case. I should have told you sooner, but I just didn’t know when the right time would be. I had to do it today because it’s been weighing on my mind heavily for the last few days. I was really afraid you be pissed. I just—”
“Jack.”
He stopped and looked into her eyes, nodding. “Yeah, sorry.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry about.”
She wasn’t sure what else to say but she felt she had to say something because the longer they sat in silence, looking into one another’s eyes, the more she wanted to kiss him. It was an urge that seemed to come out of nowhere and before she was aware of what she was doing, she leaned forward. Better sense took over in the last moment and she ended up barely getting his lips, kissing him instead on the very corner of his mouth.
He smiled at her as he pulled away and she did her best not to grin when she noticed him blushing. “It was a sweet gesture,” she said. “And if you still have his number, I might just reach out to him.”
“I do. So just ask when you think you’re ready. He knows the ball is very much in your court now.”
Another silence fell between them and this time it was Jack who seemed to notice it first. He got to his feet. “I better get back to the interrogation room,” he said. “I’m afraid the longer I’m gone, the more likely Nelson will be to confuse other agents about the real story of what happened.”
“Yeah, good idea. Oh…and Jack?”
He looked back at her and she caught bit of hopeful mischief in his eyes. She could tell he wanted her to kiss him again—and this time more than just a side-of-the-mouth peck. “Yeah?”
“I called Emerson today. I’ve got an appointment to meet with him about starting his experimental treatment next Wednesday.”
His smile was instant. It lit up his face. Hell, it lit up the entire room. “That’s great news, Rachel.”
“Yeah, I’m hoping so. Look…maybe give me a call in a day or two. Let me know how this all plays out.”
“Sure thing,” he said as he made his way to the door. And when he opened it, they stared at one another for a handful of seconds, moments that made Rachel wonder just how long this little spark had laid dormant between them.
When he closed the door behind him, Rachel settled back down on the couch. And for the first time in a very long time, she smiled as she thought about her father.
***
Over the next two days, she received updates about the Nick Nelson case via texts from Jack. They learned how he’d managed to get a copy of the waiting list by saving it to a USB one day while he’d been at Life Fulfilled under the guise of cleaning the windows. He also got very detailed about how he’d staked each victim out and that he was prepared to do so until either he died or he ran out of people on the list.
His claim of having colon cancer was true. They had his medical records on file and Nelson’s doctor’s statement that Nelson might have about two years to live if he continued with his treatment but the cancer would eventually kill him. Because of that, there was much debate about what sort of facility Nelson should spend his final days in.
It was on the evening of the second day that Jack actually called her. Paige was getting ready for bed, Grandma Tate was out at the local library testing out a book club, and Rachel was sitting on the back porch with a glass of white wine. She was worried that things might be odd between them after the tense moment in her living room two days ago, but as they started talking it seemed they didn’t miss a beat.
After basic catching-up, Jack veered into Nick Nelson’s case. “It’s just as well that you aren’t here for this,” he said. “The debate about if he goes to a standard prison but a safer ward or to a medical and psychiatric facility is a heated one. It’s getting a little out of hand. But because of this debate and his admission of killing three people, the finer details of how he was caught are pretty minor.”
“That’s good. And thanks for managing all of that.”
“Of course.”
“Now, what about Alex Lynch? Have you heard anything at all about the progress of the hunt for him?”
“Funny you should ask. I was talking to one of the guys who are organizing that hunt, working with the US Marshals today. I painted it as simple curiosity, given that you’re my partner and Lynch is sort of connected to you. He said the last update they got was yesterday afternoon, right around lunchtime. They suspect he’s in Georgia. They’re following some leads and he’s still on the run.”
“Georgia. That’s good. That’s a good distance away. But they don’t know where he’s headed?”
“Not that I know of. And the way this guy talked, Georgia is just speculation. The Savannah branch got a few calls about a man they believed to be Lynch but nothing has been confirmed yet. You should also know, though, that Anderson is still having the occasional car swing by your place just to keep an eye on things.”
“That’s sweet of him, but unnecessary.”
“I don’t know that I’ve ever heard anyone refer to Anderson as sweet.”
“Thanks for the updates, Jack. Don’t be a stranger. Feel free to swing by anytime you like.”
“I might just take you up on that. How about you? Your two-week leave is rapidly only becoming one. You think you’ll be coming back?”