He chuckled. “You already know that, Quinn. Like you changed your look overnight. Show up for work in that red dress. Wow, then tonight. That black dress is some concoction.”
“So I did a makeover. No big deal.”
“It is a big deal. St. James is one intense guy. I’ve seen him in court go for the jugular and then calmly clean off his claws like a big jungle cat.”
“Are you saying that if I wanted to go after St. James, I may not be able to handle him?”
“I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
She looked at him and his face was earnest in the semidarkness. All trace of teasing and humor aside.
She reached out and squeezed his forearm. “Thanks for that brotherly advice, but I’m not afraid of St. James.”
“I sure hope you know where to pet him to make him purr instead of growl.”
“Either way. I can handle him.”
Eric chuckled. “When you say it in that tone of voice, I believe it,” he said as he pulled up to the police lab and let Kate off with the evidence. Eric would bring the kits and they’d restock them with the items they’d used tonight.
She went into the lab, properly cataloged and stored all the evidence, so that she could begin analyzing all the data later.
She made her way through the lab area and up into the police department. She stopped at the detectives’ area and found out that Danny Hamilton was in Interrogation Three.
When Kate walked into the observation area, Jericho was already there, still in his tuxedo.
She zeroed in on his mouth, that mouth that only hours ago had shown her the gateway to heaven. She wanted nothing more than to feel that sculpted mouth pressed to hers.
He stared at her, his eyes sizzling brown coals. Her breathing increased, her mouth tingling. His eyelids drooped, his hooded gaze dropping to her lips, and the tingling turned into an ache. She licked her dry lips and heat flashed in his eyes.
“Kate,” Captain Davis said, nodding to her. “Looks like we pulled you out of a party, too.”
“Jericho—Mr. St. James and I were at the same function for DA Roth.”
“Oh, so you know that Mr. St. James is the one running for the position backed by DA Roth.”
Kate’s gaze went to Jericho. “You’re running for DA?”
“Yes. It was announced after you left.”
“I see.”
“Danny, we just want to know if you had a beef with Mrs. LePlante,” Tom Sanders said from behind the one-way glass.
“She was a mean lady. She was always hitting me,” Danny said sullenly.
“Did you hit her?” Sienna asked gently.
Kate moved to the one-way glass and her heart tightened in her chest to see the scared look on Danny’s face.
Danny shook his head but wouldn’t look at Tom or Sienna. “I didn’t like her.”
“But did you hurt her?”
“Shouldn’t he have a lawyer?” Kate blurted.
“Whose side are you on, Ms. Quinn? I thought you worked for us,” Captain Davis said.
“Danny’s a little slow.”