She closed her eyes, pressing her fingers to her lips as a wave of nausea swept over her. Then a thought occurred to her. “Please don’t tell me that’s what was in that box.”
He didn’t answer. He didn’t have to.
When her knees buckled, Coop caught her with one arm before she hit the porch. “Easy,” he murmured.
“This case, it’s worse than the others,” she whispered, leaning in to him. His arm was solid around her, and warm. She soaked it in, just for a moment, grateful for his quiet strength.
“I shouldn’t have brought you here,” he said gruffly.
“That’s not it.” She lowered her head onto his chest, drawing on his strength as she explained. “I’ve only sensed things from other victims. This is too close, too real. I mean, it happened right across the street from me.” She took a breath to tamp down her rising panic. “And it’s the first time I’ve held a box with a dead woman’s finger.”
His arm flexed around her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think this would hit you like that. Honestly, I didn’t think we’d get anything at all.”
“Doubting Thomas,” she murmured, a shaky laugh escaping.
“Less and less by the minute.” When her head tipped back, she found him watching her with an intensity she hadn’t anticipated.
“Stop apologizing. I know you hated asking.”
His eyes flashed with emotion she could only guess at. “You have no idea how much.”
“Will it help your investigation?”
He inclined his head slightly. “It already has.”
For a heartbeat, neither of them moved.
Then his arm loosened, not letting her go yet. The other held the bag well away from her, which was good. She’d rather not touch it again.
He cleared his throat, and the shift that followed, subtle but deliberate, set a professional boundary. He moved away, gesturing toward the steps. “Come on. I’ll walk you home.”
She drew in a steadying breath, grateful for the distance and hating it at the same time.
Coop fell in beside her, close enough to catch her if her knees buckled again. At her door, he waited as she unlocked it.
“Will you be okay by yourself after that? I could come in for a while.”
Mercy, she was sorely tempted, but she glanced at the bag he still carried. The contents more than she’d seen in her life. More than she paid for her house.
“I’m sure you want to get the money secured.”
“It’s going directly to the lab. Kedrov may have handled the money. If he left prints or DNA behind, we can bring him in.”
“Go, then,” she said gently.
“Do you have a friend or family member you can call?”
“I’ll be fine.”
He hesitated. “You’ve said that before.”
“My family is gone, and I wouldn’t trouble my friends with this, or they wouldn’t be friends for long.”
“That’s a heavy burden to carry alone.”
He hadn’t dismissed it, hadn’t looked at her like she was broken or strange. She reached out, and this time, she didn’t stop herself, laying her hand on his forearm. “I’m used to it, but I appreciate your concern.”
He searched her face, still reluctant to go. “Call me if Cheyenne broadcasts again. No matter if it’s vague or you think it’s unimportant.”
