The Killing Room

by Gerri Hill

  “Of course, Dr. Logan. This way.”

  The restaurant was dimly lit and the tables spaced far enough apart for privacy, but still Nicole glanced around, her eyes lighting on the enclaves and corner tables where couples sat talking quietly in candlelight. Elegant, yes. Romantic, too. She nodded politely as their host held out a chair for her. Romantic, yes indeed. It was a shame she wasn’t with someone who conjured up those feelings in her.

  “I’ve only been here a handful of times,” Cheryl admitted. “But, discreet and private, you can’t beat it.”

  “I suppose.”

  “What types of wine do you like, Nicole? They have the very best here.”

  Nicole smiled. “I’m not all that particular. You choose.”

  “You sure? I’m partial to red.”

  Nicole nodded. “I’ll be sure to have one of their famous steaks then.”

  Cheryl reached across the table unexpectedly and captured Nicole’s hand. “I’m really looking forward to getting to know you better. Irene has told me so much about you. I admire you for what you’re doing with your practice. You can’t possibly be making much money giving away time slots to the crisis center.”

  Nicole bristled. “I didn’t actually get into the profession to make tons of money. I had this crazy idea that I could help people.”

  “We all do at first, Nicole. Then reality hits.”

  Nicole stared, her reply stuck in her throat when she realized that Cheryl was serious. And that scared her. Cheryl was far too young to be disillusioned already.

  ———

  Jake stood back, waiting for the party of four to disappear before she walked to the desk. She waited patiently as she was perused, head to toe, by an impeccably dressed man in a tuxedo.

  He cleared his throat before speaking. “May I… help you?”

  Jake smiled. “Yes, you can, actually.” Jake held up her badge. “I’m Detective McCoy. I need to speak with one of your patrons.”

  His eyes widened. “Please, we cannot have a scene here, madam. If you’ll tell me who you wish to speak with, I’ll get them for you.”

  Jake tucked her badge on her belt and shook her head. “Actually, I’d like it to be a surprise.” Jake moved to walk past when he moved and intercepted her.

  “Madam, you really shouldn’t go in there. You’re not exactly dressed for dining.”

  Jake looked at her slacks, which, surprisingly, still held a crease. “Well, that’s okay, ‘cause I’m not going to be dining.” She walked on, moving quietly into the restaurant, her eyes scanning the tables, looking for a familiar figure. An involuntary smile touched her face when she saw her. Jake stopped and waited, her eyes moving once over Nicole’s date before settling on her. It only took a few seconds for Nicole to feel her presence. Then her head turned slowly, her eyes finding and meeting Jake’s.

  Jake smiled. “Hey.”

  ———

  Nicole felt her seconds before she saw her. It was eerie almost, but she knew when she turned her head, Jake would be there. And she was. A lazy smile on her face, totally unself-conscious in her slacks and dark blazer that covered a slightly rumpled shirt, her hands shoved casually into pockets.

  Hey? The professional Nicole, the Nicole that was out on a date, knew she should be upset by Jake’s presence. So… she tried to be.

  “Excuse me?”

  Jake tilted her head. “Excuse you what?”

  Nicole leaned back. “I hope there’s a very good reason for this.”

  “Well, I thought it was at the time. Now, I’m not so sure.”

  Cheryl finally spoke up. “Excuse me, but… do you know each other?”

  Jake took that opportunity to walk closer, and she discreetly showed her badge to Cheryl. “Police business, ma’am. I just need to have a word with Dr. Westbrook.”

  “Nicole? Are you in some kind of trouble?”

  Nicole rolled her eyes. “No, Cheryl, I’m not.” She slid her chair back and stood, her eyes glaring at Jake. “This better be good.”

  “Just take a second of your time, Dr. Westbrook.”

  Nicole walked away, leaving Jake to follow.

  ———

  Good Lord. The sleek black dress that Nicole wore left little to the imagination, and Jake’s eyes were glued to her backside, watching each sway of her hips, finally lowering to stare at two perfect legs—legs walking away from her.

  “Excuse me.”

  Jake turned and flashed Cheryl a grin. “Right. Nice to meet you.” Then she frowned. “Did we meet?”

  “Cheryl Logan. Doctor.”

  Jake lifted an eyebrow. “Jake McCoy. Detective.” Jake looked up just as Nicole turned, blue eyes searching for her own. She walked toward those eyes, then stopped short when she saw the flicker of anger in them.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” Nicole demanded quietly.

  Jake took her arm and led her farther into the lobby. “I just need to talk to you.”

  “And it couldn’t wait until morning?”

  “No, it couldn’t.”

  Jake was intercepted again by the tall man in the tuxedo. “Madam, please. If you’re going to arrest someone, could you please do it discreetly. We do not wish to make the morning paper.”

  “Arrest?“ Nicole asked.

  “No one’s getting arrested. But if you have an office or something, it’ll just take a second.”

  “Of course, madam. Right this way.”

  He opened a door and motioned them into a small office. “Will this do?”

  “Perfect. Thanks, chief.”

  The man cleared his throat. “Actually, madam, it’s Charles.”

  “Uh-huh. Good-bye, Charles,” Jake said and closed the door. She faced Nicole, a slow smile forming as she looked at her. “So, how are you?”

  “I was on a date,” Nicole said.

  “A date? With her?”

  “Yes, with her.”

  Jake shook her head. “She’s all wrong for you.”

  “Wrong for me? She’s a surgeon. She’s very attractive, and she’s single. There’s nothing wrong about her.”

  “She’s wrong for you, and do you really think she’s attractive?”

  “Does it matter what I think? Jake, you said you pulled me out of there because you had something urgent to talk about. What is it?”

  “How about, after you ditch your date, we go get coffee or something?”

  Nicole walked closer, her voice low. “And perhaps I had a very long evening planned with her.”

  Jake shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. Not with her.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean.”

  “That woman,” Jake said, her eyes traveling down Nicole’s body, “will not touch you tonight.”

  Nicole’s skin burned where Jake’s eyes touched it, and she fought to keep her breathing normal. She had a date waiting for her outside, an attractive woman who would fit nicely into her life. Yet it was this… this cop who turned her bones to jelly with only a look. Nicole crossed her arms, trying to cover herself.

  “How did you find me?”

  Jake shrugged. “I’m a cop. It’s what we do.”

  “So you’re telling me Detective, Catherine had nothing to do with it?”

  Jake laughed outright, causing Nicole to smile and relax. God, but she loved Jake’s laugh.

  “So, coffee?”

  Nicole shook her head. “Can’t.” Jake raised an eyebrow and Nicole smiled. “I’m tired, Jake. And after dinner, I’m going home, alone, and crawling into bed. So, talk now or save it until morning.”

  “Jena Nichols.”

  Nicole frowned, recognizing the name, but she couldn’t place her. “One of mine?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And?”

  “She was found this morning, dumped like the others.”

  Nicole’s shoulders sagged. “The body that was found at the Botanical Gardens?”

  Jake nodded. “I’m sorry, Nicole. But I didn’t want t
o wait until morning. The murders are escalating, getting closer together. I think maybe it’s time we get you some sort of surveillance.”

  “Jake, no. We’ve been over this. I’ll not have my practice disrupted like that.”

  “Just a precaution for now. He’s not threatened you directly. Not yet. Believe me, he’ll want you to sweat a little. But just in case, we can have an unmarked car follow you home, follow you to work, that sort of thing.” Jake’s voice softened. “Humor me, please.”

  Their eyes met, the few feet separating them not enough to prevent the heat from seeping into Nicole’s body. She couldn’t pull her eyes away, and once again, she was back in the mountains, her naked body being pulled from the water, a warm mouth settling over her breast the instant long fingers plunged deep inside her. She very nearly moaned out loud from the memory.

  She felt the rise and fall of her chest and became aware that her breathing was labored. But it was Jake who pulled away first, making a show of straightening papers on the desk. Nicole hadn’t missed the throbbing pulse in Jake’s neck or the eyes that had turned nearly black.

  “So, is that a yes?” Jake finally asked, after clearing her throat.

  Nicole sighed but nodded. “Okay.”

  “Thank you.”

  Nicole pushed off the desk, putting even more distance between them. She paused at the door. “I better get back.”

  “Oh, yeah. Your date.”

  Their eyes met again, and Nicole wanted to tell Jake that Cheryl was but another in a long list of blind dates arranged by well-meaning friends. But it didn’t really matter one way or the other. What she and Jake had was in the past. And even if she were inclined to pick it up again—which she wasn’t—Jake had already made it clear that it was only business between them.

  ———

  It wasn’t until Jake was on her way home that she allowed visions of that day in the mountains to pour over her. She’d been keeping them at bay, telling herself it was just another one-time affair. Nothing she couldn’t handle. But damn, sitting on that desk with Nicole, it was all she could do to remind herself that she was on a damn case. And the only reason she and Nicole had any dealings with each other now was because of that case.

  But, she admitted, there was something there, something between them, and she knew that Nicole felt it, too. Or maybe it was just the sexual attraction that dominated in the mountains showing itself again.

  Regardless, it didn’t matter. Nicole made it clear she didn’t date women like Jake. And hell, she was on a fucking case, and she refused to cross that line. It would be dangerous to cross that line. It didn’t matter that she still remembered the sounds of Nicole’s screams as if it had been just last night that they’d touched.

  Jake drove home, oblivious to her surroundings, her mind seeing nothing but Nicole’s wet skin.

  “Jesus,” she whispered.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  “She’s a cop. She’s not your type. She’s a cop, she’s a cop,” Nicole murmured over and over. But she couldn’t get Jake out of her mind. And each time she saw her, each time she was around her, the pull was harder and harder to resist. And tonight, if Jake had made even the slightest effort to kiss her, Nicole knew she could not, would not, have resisted.

  And then there was Cheryl. It was all Nicole could do to make it through dinner with the woman. When she wasn’t thinking about Jake, she was silently cursing Irene for thinking that she and Cheryl would hit it off. They had absolutely nothing in common, and if not for the fact that Cheryl enjoyed talking about herself so much, Nicole would have been hard pressed to come up with a topic of conversation. She declined Cheryl’s offer of after-dinner drinks, but reluctantly accepted Cheryl’s business card with her home number scribbled on the back. She had no intention of ever calling her.

  As she pulled into her driveway, hand just inches away from the remote for the garage door, she paused, frowning. Had she left lights on in the house? Maybe in the kitchen, but certainly not in the living room. She stared, the brightly lit window almost mocking her. Well, obviously, she had left the lights on.

  She touched the remote and waited while the garage door opened, a frown still marring her features. Something wasn’t right. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand out, and her heart raced. Without thinking, she threw the car into reverse and backed onto the street. The motion lights over the garage had not come on. They always come on.

  “Calm down,” she murmured, as she gripped the steering wheel hard. Jake’s words were haunting her, and she was letting her imagination get the better of her. But even so, she’d seen enough movies to know that she shouldn’t go into the house. Can’t sit here in the street, Nicole.

  She revved the engine a bit, trying to decide what to do. Call Jake.

  “Of course, I could call Jake.”

  She reached blindly into the back seat and grabbed her briefcase. She’d shoved Jake’s card in there last week. She checked her watch, wondering if Jake was home already. She dialed the number for her cell, impatiently tapping the steering wheel as the phone continued to ring. After four, she was about to disconnect when Jake’s breathless voice sounded in her ear.

  “McCoy.”

  “It’s… it’s me.”

  “Nicole? What’s wrong?”

  “Well, I’m not sure.”

  “Where are you?” Jake asked urgently.

  “I’m sitting in my car, on the street in front of my house.”

  There was a pause. “Okay. And why?” Jake asked slowly.

  “Because there’s a light on inside and the motion lights didn’t come on when I drove up.”

  “Fuck!”

  “Do you think I should go check it out?”

  “Are you crazy? Get out of there! Now!” Jake yelled into the phone.

  “Jake, I could have left the light on myself. I’m probably overreacting.”

  “Listen to me, Nicole. Get the fuck out of there. Just drive away.”

  “Jake, really, I think it’s okay.”

  “The hell it is! I’m on my way.”

  “But you don’t know where I live.”

  “Of course I do.”

  As Jake disconnected, Nicole was sure she saw a shadow cross the windows of her house. Her throat closed completely as she shifted into drive and sped away.

  ———

  Jake ignored the traffic laws as she sped down the interstate, hands gripped tightly on the steering wheel. Nicole could be right. Maybe they were overreacting. She could have accidentally left lights on, the motion lights could be out. But, better safe than sorry.

  “Right?” Jake looked in the mirror, smiling slightly at the sight of Cheyenne as she hung out the window.

  ———

  Nicole parked two blocks from her house, wishing she’d thought to lower her garage door again. She jumped when her phone rang.

  “Hello?”

  “Where are you?”

  Nicole let out a sigh of relief. “A couple of blocks from my house.”

  “Good.”

  “How do you know my phone number?”

  “I’m a cop. We know these things.”

  “I see. And where are you?”

  “Speeding down the interstate, trying not to attract attention.”

  “How much longer, Jake?”

  “Ten minutes.”

  “Okay. I can do ten minutes.”

  “What’s wrong? Are you scared?”

  “Cold.”

  “Cold?”

  Nicole rubbed her bare arm and smiled. “You saw what I was wearing tonight.”

  “Oh, yeah. I saw. I’ll be there before you know it.”

  Nicole started her car again and put the heater back on. The residential area was quiet, even though it was barely after nine o’clock. Nicole glanced into her rearview mirror and gasped. Someone was walking quickly toward her car, a dark figure, all in black. Her heart was pounding as she shifted into drive and sped away. When she looked in the m
irror again, she expected to see the man running after her but he had stopped.

  “The hell with this,” she whispered as she continued driving, thinking she would go all the way to South Golden Road before she stopped. But then she saw Jake’s Land Cruiser rounding the corner and felt an instant wave of relief. She pulled her car to the side of the road, hoping Jake would recognize her. She did.

  Jake pulled up next to her, noting the wild eyes, the pale skin. “What happened?”

  “Someone… I thought I saw… I mean, I did see… there was someone… oh, shit.”

  “It’s okay, Nicole.” Jake got out and quickly walked over. “Just park on the street here. Ride with me.”

  “Okay. Good. Because I don’t mind saying, I’m plenty scared.”

  “Don’t be scared. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  When Nicole was safely seated in Jake’s vehicle, she relaxed a little, accepting the wet kiss from Cheyenne.

  “Thank you,” she murmured, as she wiped slobber off her cheek.

  “Want to tell me why you’re as white as a ghost?” Jake asked, as she drove off.

  “When I was parked, I looked in the mirror and there was a man walking toward the car. Not exactly strolling, but not quite running. I panicked.”

  Jake reached over and took her hand, squeezing once before releasing it. “You did the right thing. It could be nothing, but Nicole, you’ve got to take this seriously.”

  “I know. And I’m thinking that your surveillance idea is a really good one.”

  Jake smiled, but her eyes were scanning the dark street, looking for movement. She slowed when she approached Nicole’s house. It was dark. Except for the lights over the garage door.

  “It’s closed,” Nicole whispered.

  “What?”

  “The garage. I left it open. And the light is off in the house now.”

  Jake pulled into the driveway and stopped. She took a deep breath before asking the question she knew she had to ask. “Nicole, are you… are you sure there was a light on inside?”

  Nicole glared at her. “Jesus Christ! Of course I’m sure there was a light on. You think I imagined the living room lit up? Just imagined that these lights weren’t on out here? Or I imagined the shadow that walked across the window? Or the damn man running behind the car?” she asked loudly, her voice rising with each word.