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“I think she’s told us what she knows about her.”
Georgia folded her arms over her chest. “I hear a but in there.”
Alex rose, shifting his stance. “No but. She’s open about Deidre. It’s her own past she guards closely.”
“Do you blame her?” Georgia challenged. “She was married to a monster. She’s likely carrying some guilt and shame.”
“Why?”
Georgia flicked a loose strand of hair from her eyes as if it were an annoying bug. “How long were they married?”
“Not very long.”
“My guess is that Latimer didn’t go postal on her all at once. I bet he slowly turned up the heat and she kept taking it. She’s ashamed she kept taking it. I know I would be.”
Deke nodded. “I saw the scars on her hands.”
Georgia drummed her fingers against her arms. “She was stabbed, and then she finds a friend stabbed. God, she must be freaking out at the idea that Latimer is still alive.”
“She was spooked.” Alex rarely second-guessed himself, but he again wondered if he should have dumped such explosive theories in her lap and simply left.
“My attacker was killed two years ago,” Georgia said. “I still have nightmares, and I sure don’t like to talk about it. I can’t imagine what she’s feeling.”
Deke seared his sister with his gaze. “You’re sharing all your worries with your therapist, right?”
Georgia wrinkled her nose. “I don’t like her.”
Alex faced his sister. “I don’t like a lot of things, but that doesn’t mean I don’t do them. You still seeing her?”
A sigh leaked through clenched teeth. “Yes. I see her. I just don’t like it.”
Deke studied her a beat longer, clearly determining if he should believe her. “So, when are you going to share with us?”
She laughed. “Never.”
Alex twisted his gold cuff link. “Why not?”
“You two aren’t the warm and fuzzy types.”
“Would you tell Rachel?” Deke asked. Rachel had lived the nightmare with Georgia, nearly died with her, and, in the end, saved her.
Georgia shrugged. “She and I talk.”
Deke’s gaze softened. “I didn’t know that.”
“Exactly. By the way, I think she wants to marry you. She’s scared of giving up her independence, but if you ask again, I bet she says yes.”
Deke’s gaze sharpened. “How do you know?”
She shot him a look.
“Right. Thanks.”
“Anytime. But don’t screw this one up, Deke. I like Rachel.”
Deke grunted. “So do I.”
Georgia snapped her fingers, as if suddenly remembering. “That John Doe who was shot and burned. Ballistics just came back. The bullet that killed him was fired from the nine-millimeter Beretta you found at the scene.”
Alex rubbed a thumb and index finger together as he thought. “Left the murder weapon at the site. Why?”
Georgia shrugged. “That’s your gig, bro.”
Deke looked at Alex. “I’m calling the lab and doing some leaning regarding the DNA on that victim as well.”
“Lean away, brother,” Alex said.
“Show them who’s boss, bro,” Georgia coaxed.
“Smart-ass.” Clutching his file, Deke left.
Georgia leveled her gaze on Alex. “I thought you kinda liked Leah.”
Alex studied his sister, unwilling to admit to any feelings. “What makes you say that?”
“I know you well enough. You wouldn’t have asked her out just for a case.”
He didn’t answer.
She shook her head. “Alex, I’ve no doubt you can lock away the emotions and do your job, but you need to be careful. One day you’re going to look for the key to those emotions and you won’t be able to find it.”
Thoughts of Philip stalked Leah all afternoon as she finished her afternoon appointments by five. She moved to the front desk, where a large tabby cat named Felix lounged. He was Dr. Nelson’s cat and visited from time to time.
Leah scratched Felix between the ears and handed the last chart to Gail as an elderly couple with a fifteen-year-old terrier left through the back door. Glancing out the window, she searched the lot for any signs of a car that didn’t belong or a person who stood a little too long in one spot. She saw nothing.
Gail accepted the chart. “How is Misty doing?”
Leah could almost hear the wheels in her head screeching and groaned as she forced her thoughts to change direction. “Surprisingly well. The Smiths are committed to giving her insulin shots each day and keeping her on a modified diet.”
“They do love that dog. I’ve been here ten years and remember when they brought her in as a puppy. They lost their son last year and I think losing Misty is just too much for them right now.”
“I can’t imagine losing a child.” She smoothed her hand to her flat belly. Philip had talked about having a baby often. Though she hadn’t had the strength to leave at first, she’d known for damn certain bringing a child into the mix would be dead wrong.
As the Smiths drove off, she spotted a black truck parked in the lot of the strip mall across the street. The windows were tinted, making it impossible for her to see inside. Had the truck she’d seen at the park have tinted windows? That was the kind of thing she should remember. Details were important when she documented her days in her journal.
Gail’s dark brows rose and she rested a hand on her full hip. “You’ve never had a pet?”
Leah pulled her gaze from the truck. “I had a black Lab as a kid. She was a great dog. She died right before I left for college.”
“That’s a long time ago. I’d think by now you’d be ready for another dog. You know Dr. Nelson would be fine with you bringing it to work.”
“I know. And maybe I will one day.” She’d avoided pets since Philip. She’d feared what he’d do to it if she had one. And now Alex thought Philip could be alive. Shit. She couldn’t dare risk loving anything now.
“A few new kittens arrived. All strays. Six or seven weeks and very cute. They’re in the kennel in the back.”
Knowing she wouldn’t take any of them, she said, “I’ll check them out.”
“While you’re back there, have a look at the post-op cases. We have the broken leg, two neuters, and a female Dr. Nelson is going to spay in the morning. The owner dropped the dog off while you were in surgery. She’s sweet, and I know she could use a walk.”
“Sure. I’ll have a look.” Leah headed back to the kennel, where she found her patients. Most were still dazed from surgery and lying in the corners of their cages. The dog, however, saw her, barked, and tucked its tail.
Leah moved to the cage and, taking a leash from the wall, opened the cage and took it from the wall. She checked the dog’s chart. “Charlie, how’re you doing?”
The dog’s tail relaxed at the sound of her name but she kept barking. Laughing, Leah hooked the leash to the dog’s collar and took her out the back door. “You don’t have anything to worry about, Charlie.”
The afternoon air was warmer, the sun bright, but a snap of cold in the air triggered a shiver. She led the dog to a patch of grass behind the clinic. The dog sniffed and calmly looked up at her.
Leah shivered. “Come on, girl, let’s get the job done. I’m not wearing a fur coat.”
The dog wagged her tail and then dropped on her hind legs to pee.
“Bless you.”
To give the dog extra exercise, she led her around the front of the building. She glanced toward the parking lot and noticed that the black truck was gone. “It was a damn truck in a parking lot. You don’t need to freak out because it had tinted windows. Alex is wrong. Philip is dead.”
The dog looked up at her and wagged her tail.
