Their gazes held a few seconds longer as if she wanted to say more, but she didn’t. She gestured for him to follow as she led the way up the grand staircase and along the upstairs corridor to the left.
“Wait.” She turned in the other direction. “I should check on Edward before I call it a night. I’ve been pacing the floor downstairs waiting for you. I haven’t checked on him since he went to bed.”
Braddock waited while CJ walked quietly to the double doors leading to what was obviously the master suite. She pressed her ear to the door and listened.
“He’s up,” she said, moving away from the doors. “In the shower. I could hear the water running.” She hesitated. “You think I should go in there? Make sure he’s okay?”
“Is there reason to be concerned that he might black out?”
She shook her head. “The blow stunned him but no concussion, just a nasty contusion and a laceration. Probably just rattled him and then he was overcome by the smoke.”
“In that case, I’m sure he’s fine. You should get some sleep. I’ll keep my ears open. If I hear him up during the night, I’ll check to see if he needs anything.”
“Okay.” Moving more slowly than before, she wandered along the corridor until she reached the guest room. From the size of the place, there were probably several guest rooms.
He settled into a comfortably upholstered chair while she went into the en suite bath and changed. When she’d climbed into the big four-poster bed, he tried to close his eyes to prevent staring at her.
The task proved impossible. He surrendered and allowed himself to stare. She lay on her side facing him, her blond hair splayed across the pale blue pillow. Beautiful. She really was beautiful.
He dropped his head back on the chair and closed his eyes.Focus on the case.Go over the details.
“Braddock?”
His head came up. “Yeah?”
“I can’t sleep.”
He sat up straighter. “Do you want the television on? That usually puts me to sleep.”
She sat up. “Can we just talk?”
He shrugged. “Sure.”
To his surprise, she climbed out of the bed and came over to sit on the footstool in front of him. The nightshirt hit midthigh, but when she sat down, it slid higher. His throat went bone dry.
“If I have to go back to Baltimore before this case is completely wrapped up,” she said softly as she stared straight into his eyes, “will you promise me that you won’t give up until you finish it?”
“You have my word.” The thought of her going back to Baltimore sat like a stone in his gut. He’d known, of course, that she would be going back. It shouldn’t matter. But somehow it did. “When are you going back?”
“I have about two more weeks. Then I won’t have any choice without creating major complications.” She sighed. “I wanted to make sure Shelley’s killer was brought to justice. But it seems like the more bodies that pile up, the less evidence we have. Unless this thing with Nash pans out, we’re basically back at square one.”
“Like I said before, even the most brilliant killers make mistakes,” he reminded her. “We just have to find the one he’s made. It’s there ... we just don’t see it yet.”
She met his eyes again. “Will you hold me?”
“Definitely.” He opened his arms as she climbed into his lap, then closed them around her. It felt natural holding her this way. Touched him deeply that she trusted him so completely, that had been a long time coming.
“I just need ... you to hold me.”
He would gladly do that for as long as she wanted.
Chapter Forty-Nine
44 Ledge View Drive
Monday, August 9; 9:15 a.m.
Carter Cost had lived in a mansion on a hill. He’d driven a BMW, the high-end model that cost more than most folks made in three years.
