Hostile Desires

by Melissa Schroeder

“Of course, you McGregors always like things bloody.” Will turned and winked at her. “Why is a good Campbell girl like you hanging around a scoundrel like this?”

  She smiled. “We’re going to catch us a killer. Then, I’ll stop talking to him to make you happy.”

  “Good.”

  He walked away, and she looked at McGregor. He was staring at her as if she had grown another head.

  “What?” she asked.

  “You’re Scottish.” He spat out the words as if he were accusing her of eating babies.

  She nodded. “Well, half. My mother’s side. I’m actually named for my Granny Eleanora, from Inverness. And I grew up at Oxford, because that was where my father taught. He actually got his doctorate at Edinburgh.”

  “You never corrected me when I called you a Sassenach.”

  She shrugged. “Because I am. My father is English, although from York.”

  His eyes narrowed as he watched her eat. She had seen him do this in interrogation. McGregor seemed like a happy fellow, until you put him in the box with a suspect. While he had come to the job later than everyone else, he seemed to be particularly skilled at making a suspect pour out any secrets. There was a tickle at the back of her throat that was making it difficult for her to swallow her food. Finally, she’d had enough. She dropped her chicken wing and glared at him.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Why?”

  “Why what?”

  “Why did you allow me to be antagonistic to you? And why were you such a...”

  “Bitch?”

  His lips thinned. “Not my choice of words, but okay.”

  Elle sighed, not wanting to address the issue. Guilt had gotten the best of her more than once in the last few months. It hadn’t been McGregor’s fault. She had been the one with the chip on her shoulder, not him. He had been reacting to her behavior toward him, and then she had tried to punish him for it.

  “When I found out you were from the UK—”

  “I’m Scottish.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Still. You know when big news hits, especially scandal, Scotland hears it too. It didn’t make the reports here in the US, but it was all over the UK. I had not realized you had been deployed with the Marines during my tenure with the Met.”

  “And?”

  Of course, he wasn’t going to let her off so easily. He wasn’t a man who was easy to handle, and that was one of the reasons she had avoided him. He would pick and prod into her business, or worse, ask around about her. If that started, it could end badly.

  “There was a case, a big one, that I worked on with my husband.”

  “The police officer.”

  So, he knew about that. Now she wondered how much he did know. She nodded.

  “It made the news, then it made the rags. In the end, our marriage fell apart and I left. I just...I have sort of a chip on my shoulder. It almost ruined my career. And, many of the police blamed me. They sided with my husband, of course. It was just horrible.”

  “And you thought I would too.”

  She shrugged. The memory of those days came rushing back to her, and she suddenly didn’t feel so hungry.

  “People I thought of as close personal friends refused to acknowledge my presence. Not only was I being vilified in the press, but my support system had dissolved almost overnight. When I found out where you were from, I had a knee jerk reaction. I didn’t understand it at first, but now I do. I am very sorry for it.”

  He studied her again for a long moment, as if weighing her words for their truthfulness. “And you don’t want to talk about the case?”

  She would rather walk naked into her mother’s funeral. “I would rather not.”

  He nodded. “Okay. So, on to the other case.”

  She blinked. “Just like that?”

  His lips curved, sending a flash of heat through her blood. “I’m easy, lass.”

  “So I’ve heard, McGregor,” Will said, as he returned with the burger. He looked down at her plate. “Eat, Campbell.”

  “I will, don’t worry. It’s been over a month since I’ve had these.”

  “Just make sure you do, or I’ll be talking to the Doc Keahi.”

  “I was just there today, and he filled me up with tea and biscuits, so everything is fine.”

  “That’s good.” He looked at McGregor. “Don’t let her forget about her food.” Then he left them alone.

  “So, what did the good doctor tell you?”

  “Not much. I got the autopsy and the description of the scene, which might help us more these days with profiling.”

  She sifted through the papers, then handed one to him. He set his burger down, wiped his mouth, and took the paper.

  “He covered her face,” he said. His piercing gaze rose to hers. “The killer probably knew her.”

  “Could be a she. And there is an indication of that. Or just felt badly about it. It tells me there’s a good chance this wasn’t premeditated.”

  She noticed something on the TV, and then Rome’s face. He was talking about Sam Katsu when the reporter opened up with a question about a linked case. Her heart started to sink. This was just what Del had wanted to avoid.

  “Oh, bollocks.”

  Graeme’s gaze rose from the paper, and his eyes narrowed. “What?”

  “I think they’ve heard about the cold case. The media, that is. Bastards will get in our way.”

  He turned around and looked at the TV. As he did, she could study him without him knowing. Despite her behavior the last few months, she had been intrigued by the giant Scotsman since they had been introduced. He topped six-four at least and was built like a Greek god. He’d cut his hair short, although, she wasn’t sure how much she liked that. She’d had some pretty naughty fantasies about all that long blond hair. When he turned back around, she felt heat rise in her cheeks and concentrated on her food.

  “How do you think they found out? Do you think your friend told them?”

  She shook her head. “No way. He goes over it constantly, because I saw notes that looked to be less than a year old. While I’m not sure he believed me, I did use the story of researching for a paper.”

  “Okay.”

  “You believe me.”

  He frowned. “I don’t know him, but I know you. You’re a good judge of character.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “You slapped me down enough. I know.”

  She snorted. “There is that.”

  They ate in companionable silence, as they both read through the reports. The noise level started to rise, and she winced as a particularly loud heavy metal song came on.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She looked up with a frown, and wiped her mouth. “What do you mean?”

  “You’re wincing.”

  “I didn’t realize I was. Loud noise...I’m afraid I’m starting to get a migraine. I have an issue with noise when they start to hit.”

  “How long have you been up today?”

  “Since just after three. But I am going home after this.” She took a sip of wine, then set it down. “Katsu wouldn’t tell you where he got the gun?”

  “I didn’t interview him. That was Carino, because we were trying to keep it under wraps. A lot of bloody good that did. Either way, the kid has been through the system a few times, so he asked for his lawyer right off, then he passed out and was rushed to the hospital.”

  “Damn.”

  Before she could say anything else, Will was at their table. “So, they say your team is looking over the Jenny Kalani killing.”

  She nodded and opened her mouth, but McGregor shook his head.

  “Looks that way,” McGregor said. “But we can’t talk about it.”

  A twitch formed above Will’s eye, and for the first time ever, Elle witnessed irritation in his expression.

  “Just tread carefully, McGregor. A lot of people will see this as an attack on HPD.”

  “Why would they think that?” Elle asked.


  Will looked at her. “Because you might question their integrity.”

  “That’s just nonsense. We have greater chances of solving the crime now because technology has moved forward. It isn’t judging anyone’s work from the original case.”

  She felt something brush over her foot, and realized it was McGregor’s boot. She glanced at him, and he shook his head slightly.

  “Just be careful where you tread,” Will said, before leaving them alone.

  “That was a bit ominous,” she said.

  “Aye. I have a feeling a lot of the older cops are going to be bugging us for details, so we need to be careful. We already have a leak. Second of all, while I like Will, he was a cop here in Honolulu at the time. If there was a real cock up of the investigation, he might know the cop involved.”

  The ramifications of what they were doing hit her. She sighed and nodded. “Bloody hell, this is going to get difficult. I’ve met a few of them here over the last few years.”

  “We both need to remember to be very careful about who we talk to. This could get ugly really fast.”

  * * *

  Graeme walked her to her car. His mother had raised him to be a gentleman and it was getting dark. Add in that they were just a few streets from one of the worst parts of town, and he couldn’t let the doc go off on her own.

  “You really didn’t have to walk me to my car.”

  “My mother and my four older sisters would disagree with you.”

  She stopped walking and stared at him. “Four? And older?”

  He nodded. “And they were mean to me.”

  She chuckled, the sound of it dancing over the wind to him. He rarely heard her laugh, so even a chuckle enticed him.

  “I doubt that. I bet you were the baby boy, the golden son.”

  He made a face. “They dressed me up in their clothes and used me as a mannequin.”

  Now a bubble of laughter floated up out of her throat, and he stood transfixed. It was so light...so teasing, that he felt something shift through him. She was an attractive woman who had always fascinated him, but a happy Elle Middleton was a bit too much to resist. Soon, her smile faded, and Graeme realized he was staring at her.

  “Is there something wrong?” she asked.

  He shook his head and looked down the street. His fingers itched to brush back the single curl of hair that was dancing in the wind.

  “No. Just I don’t hear you laugh that often.”

  “Yes, well, if you deal with death as much as we do, it’s hard to find those light times.”

  He cocked his head. “But don’t you think we should find those times? It makes the days easier to bear.”

  She said nothing for a long moment. “Yes. Yes, you are definitely right about that.”

  She started walking again, and he stepped quicker to keep up with her. She wasn’t a small woman. Small boned, but she topped five-ten at least. Long, lean, with curves in the perfect places. He shouldn’t be thinking of her that way, but it was hard not to. When she had been dismissive of him, it was easier to ignore. Sure, he still had the thoughts, but he thought there was no chance of a romance. Now, though, she was smiling at him and being nice. It made it hard not to fantasize.

  The night air carried her scent to him. It wasn’t a perfume, but more of a rose soap against soft skin kind of smell. They reached her car, and he found himself trying to figure out a way to extend their night together. It was crazy, but this had been the first time since they’d met that she’d been nice to him, and he wanted it to last.

  “Well, I’ll go over Doc’s notes some more then get them to you. You will probably be able to get more done on the profile of the person. I can help with that because I am certified in forensic psychology.”

  “Yes.”

  She looked up at him, and he couldn’t seem to think of anything other than kissing her. It was insane, but just these few moments that she had been nice to him, and those walls had come tumbling down.

  “McGregor, is there something wrong?”

  He shook his head. “Why don’t you call me by my first name?”

  She shrugged. “Everyone calls you McGregor.”

  “But you call others by their first names on the team. Even the boss. You call him Del.”

  She sighed. “I guess it was one way to keep my distance.”

  “So, if you finally call me Graeme, I know you don’t want to keep your distance?”

  She sucked in a breath, then her lower lip quivered. If he hadn’t been concentrating on her so closely, he would have missed it.

  “No, I just—”

  “Say my name, Eleanora.” He liked the way her formal name sounded on his tongue.

  Her eyes softened. “Okay, Graeme—”

  He bent his head then and kissed her. Just a brush of his mouth against hers. The simple touch sent a wave of fire through his body. He never took his hands out of his pockets. When he pulled back, she said nothing for a moment.

  She looked as shocked as he did.

  “What was that for?” she asked.

  He shrugged. “I’m not really sure.”

  “Don’t do it again.”

  “Why not?”

  “Why not?”

  “Yes. Why not?” Her voice had risen, and he fought a smile. That reaction told him he wasn’t alone in his feelings.

  “Because we work together, and we are working this case together. Add in the age difference—”

  “How old are you?”

  She blinked. He knew she used that to gather her thoughts. “Excuse me?”

  “How old are you? Thirty? Two years is no big deal.”

  “I’m almost forty.”

  “Really? You don’t look that much older than I am.”

  “Either way, I am much older, so with that in mind, it just doesn’t work.”

  “Is it because I’m a cop like your ex?”

  “No. It’s not that.”

  “You know the one thing you didn’t mention in that list of things?”

  “What?”

  “That you aren’t attracted to me.”

  She frowned. “If there’s a heterosexual woman who says you aren’t attractive, she’s blind as a bloody bat.”

  Delighted by her answer, he rocked back on his heels. “Is that a fact?”

  She sighed. “I will not let you use that as a way to trip me up. You know you’re attractive.”

  “Just as you are.”

  “And I will not let you use flattery to try to gain my acceptance. This just isn’t a good idea.”

  “It was just a kiss, Eleanora.”

  She straightened her shoulders. “And that is all it will be.”

  He slid his hands out of his pockets and held them up. “Hey, I won’t pressure you. I just wanted to let you know how I feel. What we do about it is up to you.”

  She opened her mouth, but her mobile rang. “Yes?”

  Her frown turned darker.

  “I understand. I’ll be there in just a few minutes. I’m still in Honolulu. Graeme is with me.”

  She hung up and looked up at him. “That was Del. Katsu was attacked by someone at the hospital. He’s in a coma.”

  Chapter Six

  The moment they stepped into the TFH conference area, Elle realized their mistake. Walking into headquarters together after working hours was sure to raise a few eyebrows. Still, there had been no way around it, unless one of them had stood outside, and that seemed silly. Elle hadn’t planned it that way, but they had driven in separate cars, with him right behind her, all the way. Del, Marcus, Drew, Cat, and Emma were there. They all turned to face them both.

  “Out on a date?” Del joked.

  “They don’t date,” Emma said. “Don’t you remember how much they hate each other?”

  Cat snorted, but said nothing. Emma had gotten better at picking up on sarcasm, but she still had issues with it. The team called her Beautiful Mind for a reason, and they all tried to protect her feelings.

&nb
sp; “We were going over the case. I was talking to Doc Keahi about the case, and met up with Graeme at McPherson’s to talk it over,” Elle said.

  Emma gave her a sharp look, but said nothing else.

  “Other than that, you didn’t say anything to anyone else, did you?” Del asked.

  She shook her head, then looked at Graeme. He was shaking his head too.

  “Once a Marine, always a Marine. I follow orders,” he said.

  “Well, somehow they figured out the connection,” Del said. “The mayor and governor knew also, so I am assuming it came from their people. They leak like a freaking sieve when it comes to secrets.”

  “You didn’t have a choice, Del,” Marcus said. “If you didn’t tell them and it leaked, there would have been hell to pay for it.”

  “So, can we talk about this in the open now?” Cat asked.

  “I think we still need to go with our no comment. The one person I want to bring in on this is Rome. He will have some questions, and I’m sure he’s going to be pissed,” Del said.

  “I’m going to call the hospital and see if I can talk to the doctor about Katsu’s condition,” Elle said.

  “Leave the report here, so we can go over it,” Del said.

  “Do you want to scan them?” she asked. “I thought it might be easier to get it out to everyone. I know that we have to be careful with digital copies, and I know that everyone is really busy. Still, someone might see something in it I missed.”

  “I highly doubt you miss anything, Elle,” Adam said.

  “Still, if anyone sees anything, it might help.”

  “You got it,” Adam said.

  She nodded and pulled out the files, leaving them on the table, then she hurried toward the elevators.

  “Elle, wait up,” Emma said, racing toward her. “Care for some company?”

  “Sure. Come on.”

  As they walked to the elevators, she had her mind on the case and nothing else, but once the doors opened and they stepped onto the lift, she realized that Emma wanted to talk. She was quiet, and when Emma was quiet, something was on her mind. She wasn’t working on this case, so Elle knew that she didn’t have work on her mind.

  “Is there something wrong?”

  “I’m...just the wedding is driving me nutters, and Del is trying to be sweet. But he makes it worse when he starts talking about forever and his mother coming here. I can’t seem to keep anything down, and I think I have anemia again. I’ve lost my appetite, and every now and then, the room spins when I stand up. I suffered this after the tsunami, but that was because good food was scarce, and then I was living on the street.”