Chapter 17

Jac climbed into the car the next morning with a smile on her face. “Good morning.”

He smiled and handed her a cup of coffee. “Sleep better after I threatened you with a doctor?”

She laughed. “That was a threat? I did manage to sleep.” She sniffed the coffee. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He leaned over, lightly grasped her head, and pulled her towards him. He kissed her softly on the lips and started to lift his head. Inhaling deeply, he kissed her again roughly before resting his forehead against hers. “You are ruining my impeccable work ethics.”

Jac smiled. “Um, sorry?”

He straightened away from her and shook his head as he drove the car.

The good feelings ended when they walked into the office and saw the captain there with Brent, studying the sketch.

Brent looked over and smiled at Jac. “Good morning.”

She grinned. “Morning.” She nodded to the captain. “Hello.”

The captain studied her. “Feeling better today? Detective Jordan told me you had a touch of the flu yesterday.”

She gave Brent a quick look and then smiled. “I’m much better today, all I wanted to do yesterday was sleep.”

The captain nodded and then held up the sketch. “I hear we have you to thank for finding out there was a video. Too bad we couldn’t print a copy from the video, but a sketch works fine, great work, Miss Brown.”

She just stood there looking back at him. “Thank you.”

The captain nudged Brent. “Everyone upstairs is buzzing around now that we have a face to look for.” He grinned. “We may have to bring her in on other cases that have thrown so many variables at us.”

Reid leaned against his desk and nodded. “She’d be great at the computer while we run around.”

Jac didn’t miss him, basically saying she wasn’t doing any seeing for police work in the future. “Anytime you’re out of ideas.” She smirked at Reid.

The captain turned to Reid and then looked at Brent. “I want you two to find out who runs that dating site and have a discussion with them, they need to know what activities are being connected to their business.”

Brent nodded. “We’ll get something set up.”

The captain nodded once. “Keep me posted.”

He handed her the sketch as he walked out. She stood there waiting until she was sure he couldn’t hear, then turned to them. “I feel awful. You guys are lying for me?”

Reid laughed. “Don’t, we only tell the captain what we think he really needs to hear.”

Brent grinned. “It’s more peaceful that way.”

She studied them for a moment. “Oh. Well, don’t stretch things too far.” She held up the sketch. “If he ever wants to see that video, he’ll know there is no way this could come from it.”

Reid shrugged. “He won’t.”

“What about the others, didn’t they ask questions?”

Brent shook his head. “Sketch artist took off the glasses. And no, everyone else is just happy to have something to work with.”

She chewed her lip and looked back down at the sketch of the man that had been strangling her in her dreams the past two nights. She looked up when a hand pulled it from her.

Reid shook his head. “I think you’ve seen enough of this guy for now.” He smiled at her. “Think you can get to Mrs. Oster one more time and get us some sort of meeting?”

She nodded. “Just as soon as I’ve finished my coffee.”

Brent watched the exchange. They stood closer and were just standing there looking at each other now. He wasn’t certain if this was better than them biting at each other. “While you’re doing that, Reid and I are going to look into your packed bag idea.”

Reid looked over at him. “You didn’t get that done yesterday?”

Brent laughed. “My face was only a few inches off that keyboard all day yesterday. The longest day of my life.”

Reid laughed. “We’ll try to keep this one shorter for you.”

“That would be great.” He walked over to his desk, feeling better about getting back into work mode.

After fifteen minutes of persuading and chatting, Jac finally managed to get the owner’s names from Mrs. Oster and a meeting set up. She hung up the phone and turned around to wait for both men to be off the phones. “Alan Howard, Edward Lawson, and you have a meeting with them at three.”

Brent frowned. “I’m going over to the victims…” He gave her an apologetic look. “To Desi Sloan’s place at three, her housemate said a bag wasn’t there, one that she had set out the day before her death.”

Reid shrugged. “No big deal, Jacinda can come with me, maybe she can help me convince these two there’s a problem.”

“I can try.” She got up and wrote the two names on the board beside Love Quest. She looked over at Reid. “Do we need to look up anything on them?”

He shrugged. “I’m going to check for prior convictions, so I know who I’m dealing with.”

Brent stood up. “I’m going to go get coffee and something that looks like food. Anyone need anything?”

Jac wandered back over to her chair. “Tea and a Danish, please.”

Reid shrugged. “Just coffee, thanks.” He watched his partner walk out of the room. He looked over at her sitting at her desk. She was still going through profiles. Getting up, he walked over and closed the door, and then moved over to her and put his hands on the back of the chair. “Haven’t you looked at everyone yet?”

She frowned up at him. “Sadly, no.” He turned her chair slowly, so she was facing him. Those sexy as hell brown eyes searched his face, and when her expression changed, he knew that she realized what he was doing. She glanced quickly towards the door. “Reid, we’re in your office.”

He nodded. “Yeah, we are.” He scowled. “I don’t have a closet here.”

She grinned at him. “Anyone could walk in.” He nodded again, not taking his eyes from her mouth. “Brent…”

“Will stop and talk to every person he sees along the way, he loves people.”

She smirked at him. He was leaning down on the arms of her chair, his eyes moving all over her face. When his hand gently stroked down her cheek, she smiled at him. “Reid…” Her own voice was a whisper.

He slowly lowered his head and brushed his mouth against hers. Lingering for a few seconds longer, he straightened up. He sighed. “I should arrest you for interfering with police investigations.” He moved his hand to the back of her head and kissed her roughly.

“I was behaving.” She whispered breathlessly as he released her.

He ran his hand down her cheek again. “I know, and it was distracting the hell out of me.”

She laughed. “Then you better arrest yourself first.”

He touched his thumb against her bottom lip before he stood up. “I might have to.” With a grin, he walked back over and sat behind his desk again.

Brent came back in and looked from one to the other. Reid had a hard time keeping a straight face when his partner’s eyes were filled with questions.

Jacinda smiled at him. “Did you find anything out from Ms. Thomas’s accountant?”

He handed her the cup. “Nothing too interesting unless you like numbers. The financial statements are in the folder, other than a few bad investments, there’s nothing.”

“Mmm.” She sipped the tea and then smiled at him again. “Thanks.” Getting up, she wandered over to the table that seemed to be growing with papers but no answers. “I’m just going to take a read through it and see if anything pops out at me.”

Brent set the cup on his partner’s desk. “A neon sign giving up the killer’s name would be great.”

She laughed. “I don’t see things in that sort of way, Brent, sorry.”

He shrugged. “Was worth a try.”

Reid watched her read through the reports. She was chewing her lip again. Every time he saw her do that, he wanted to stand ready with his gun and search, he smirked. Probably because she found something every time she did that, whether she realized it or not.

He sat back, glancing over at his partner. From how Brent watched her, he also felt that anticipation when Jacinda was studying things.

Jac looked up at him suddenly. “Web businesses are almost as pricey as real ones.” She glanced back down to the pages in her hand. “Three rather large amounts have been given to Edward Lawson of Love Quest dating in the last two months.”

Reid pulled out his notebook as he got up. He looked over her shoulder as she pointed out the amounts to him. “We’ll be sure to ask Mr. Lawson why that much and what exactly it was used for.”

Brent sighed. “See, now she’s cheating, I didn’t know the name of the owners when I got that.”

Jac looked over and grinned at him. “Well, there is another name that’s jumping out at me. Do you want to check into it?”

He nodded and got up to get the papers from her. She pointed out the name to him. He smiled and looked down at her. “No neon sign though?” She shook his head. “Oh well, I prefer the old-fashioned way.”

Reid laughed. “I prefer any way that gives us this guy.”

***

By the time it was time for them to go to the meeting, Jac was happy to get out from in front of the computer. She’d looked at almost every male profile from Love Quest and was so tired of seeing faces inside a blue heart frame.

Climbing into the car with Reid, she turned to tell him she never wanted to look at another dating profile again when he reached over and pulled her closer to him. Before she could say a word, his mouth came down on hers, and every thought she had in her head was gone.

When he lifted his head, she smiled at him. “That is so much nicer than you growling at me.”

He grinned. “I don’t growl.”

She leaned forward a few inches and lightly kissed him. “Yes, you do.”

He hesitated for a moment as if he was going to kiss her again but straightened away from her. He studied her for a moment. “If something doesn’t happen with this case today, I will be growling a lot.” He bared his teeth at her playfully.

She laughed. “Let’s just get there, I’m curious to see what these men are going to say when we tell them what’s going on.”

***

Mrs. Oster smiled over at them again. “It’s going to be a little while more.” She grimaced. “They’re a bit behind today.”

Reid shrugged. “That’s fine, we’ll wait.” Really, he had no choice. He wasn’t sure what he was hoping for here, but if it turned up anything further, it would be better than the walls they had been slamming into one after the other.

She smiled. “Okay, good, because you really have to put a stop to all this, it’s just awful.”

Reid nodded. “Oh, we will get to the bottom of it.” He looked down at Jac and smirked. Mrs. Oster still believed the motive was an STI, and neither wanted to frighten her by telling her otherwise.

Jac sighed and glanced at the clock. She had already looked through most of the magazines on the table, he doubted if she read anything in the choices there. It was now three twenty, and he was getting antsy.

Jac got up and went over to the desk. “Is there a bathroom I could use?”

Mrs. Oster smiled and pointed down the hall. “First door.”

“Thank you.” Jac wandered down the hallway and went in.

Reid turned from the odd painting; which he’d been studying off and on since they’d got here, to see Jacinda come walking quickly towards him. She sat down sideways on the chair. Her face was pale, and she was shaking.

She leaned closer to him and whispered. “Reid, I just saw him.”

He gave her a puzzled look. “What like a flashback?”

She shook her head quickly and took a shaky breath. “No. He just went down the hall and around the corner.” She hissed. She placed a shaking hand on his leg. “I can’t be here.”

His whole body became tense. He took her hand and stood up. He smiled over at the older woman behind the desk. “We’re just going to go down to that little café and get a drink.”

She nodded and smiled sweetly at them. “I’m sure you’ll be back in plenty of time.” She winked at him. “I’ll stall them if you aren’t.”

“Thank you,” he said quickly as he hugged Jac under his arm. When they were out of sight, he stopped and looked down at her. “Are you sure?” Her whole body was quaking as she nodded. “Okay.” He rubbed his hands up and down her arms a few times, then hugged her to him for a moment. “Let’s get you out of here and get Brent.”

She nodded again and walked tight against his side. She kept taking deep breaths, and he tried to stay calm. His first priority was to get her to safety. Nothing could happen to Jacinda, to do otherwise was not an option.

He pulled his phone out and hit a button. Walking quickly, he kept her tight against him as he constantly scanned every person they saw. “He’s in this building. She saw him in a hallway. How far away are you? Where is everyone else?” He nodded. “Call Alec and see if she’s close by. I’m putting her in the car. Be here in five or less.” He hung up the phone, stuffing it back in his pocket. He looked down at her, she was even paler. “Hey, it’s okay. We’ve got him.” She looked up at him and nodded as the elevator opened.

Moving quickly, he got her through the lobby and out to his car. Opening it, he gently nudged her into the passenger seat.

He kissed her lightly on the mouth a few times and then squatted down beside her. “I’ll wait here until Brent gets here.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

He looked at her for a second. “Don’t be. I wouldn’t expect you to be able to be near someone that has done something like that.” He kissed her quickly again as he spotted Brent running across the street.

He straightened. “Close the door, lock it, and stay here.”

She nodded and did exactly what he had told her to do.

***

Brent took the stairs two at a time, trying to keep up with his partner. He grabbed his arm when they got to the top of the stairs. “Jac going to be all right?”

Reid nodded briskly. “Yeah, it just scared her half to death, almost coming face to face with him.”

“Can’t blame her there.” Brent took a deep breath and then motioned towards the office doors. “Let’s get it done.”

They both spun around when the elevator opened, and Detective Alec stepped out. The tall blonde smirked at them before her face went deadly serious, and she pulled the gun from her jacket. “Let’s play, boys.”

Reid shook his head as he looked back towards the office door. With his hand on his gun, he pushed the door open. Mrs. Oster looked frozen in her chair, and he couldn’t blame her there, the three of them standing shoulder to shoulder made one hell of a fierce-looking wall. “Which office?” He asked her quietly. She pointed down the hallway that Jac had gone down.

“End on the left.”

He nodded and motioned to Mrs. Oster as Brent headed towards the hall. “Go over and stay in that corner out of the way.” He made sure she’d moved before he followed his partner.

When they reached the door, he looked back to see Alec standing like an Amazon warrior by the end of the hall. Personally, if he were a criminal, he’d just give up the minute he encountered that cop. There wasn’t a nice, compassionate bone in her body.

“Ready?” Brent whispered.

He jerked his chin towards the door as his partner stood to the side and held his hand over the doorknob.

***

Sandy was waiting for them when they reached the station. She practically pulled Jac from Reid’s car and shoved her into her own.

Jac didn’t want to go into the building. Just following Brent and seeing that man in the back of his car was close enough for her. She could hardly remember any of the drive back to the station; she’d never felt so afraid before.

Reid held her hand all the way to the station. His emotions were angrier than she had noticed before, but he was able to keep his concern for her strong enough that his hand was more comforting to her than she could express. He didn’t even get the chance to kiss her, as Sandy had whipped open the passenger door as soon as the car was stopped. He told her quickly that he’d come to her place as soon as they wrapped things up and give her an update.

She had been drowning in tears by the time Sandy got her home. “Go take a hot shower, and I’ll put the kettle on.” She hugged her again. “I can’t believe what you’ve been putting yourself through lately.”

Jac sniffled. “It’s like all the tears I held back every day while doing this, want out now.”

Sandy nodded. “That’s healthy, to a point. Now go drown some of it under hot water, and we’ll sit here and breathe a sigh of relief together when you’re done.”

Jac smiled. “Thanks.”