Page 9 of Hawk and the Cougar

“You and the professor didn’t have some kind of altercation?” the detective asked.

She remembered his body pressed against hers and his rough kiss, and the way he’d hugged her close when he’d saved her life by pulling her from the SUV’s path.

“No,” she replied.

“We have a witness who says Professor Hawkins assaulted you.”

“Assaulted me?” Liz recalled threatening to report him for attempted rape. The reaction had been a bit dramatic. She’d been angry. “Your witness is mistaken.”

“He didn’t shove you against his truck and take liberties?” Lyons asked.

Her heart rate jumped. What was she supposed to say?

“He did not assault me in any way. What’s this about?” she demanded. “I thought you were here to investigate someone trying to run us down, but you’re acting as if he’s the criminal. Did your witness see the SUV try to mow us down? Or the way he saved me from being hit by the SUV? The car hit Professor Hawkins’ truck. Have you seen it?”

“We saw it,” Detective Lyons said.

“What did your witness say about that?” she demanded.

“They saw the SUV and reported it to us immediately,” he said.

“Professor Hawkins didn’t report it?” she asked, then realized how bad her question made him look.

Detective Lyons nodded. “Yes, he did report the incident.”

Liz relaxed a notch.

“So there’s no one you know of who would threaten you?” Detective Carlisle asked.

She frowned. “I work for Leland Industries, a clothing manufacturer. Who would try to kill me?”

“You didn’t recognize the men in the vehicle?” Detective Carlisle asked.

“I didn’t see anything but large figures.”

“Why didn’t you report the incident, Ms. Williams?” Detective Lyons asked.

“Professor Hawkins advised me to go directly home. He said he would talk to you.”

“Surely, you knew we would need to speak with you,” the detective said.

“And here you are.”

Detective Lyons held her gaze for a long moment, then flipped closed his notebook. He pulled a card from within his jacket pocket, then rose. Detective Carlisle followed suit, and Liz stood, as well.

Lyons handed her the card. “If you think of anything else, give us a call.”

She took the card. “That’s it?”

He looked at her. “Is there something else you can think of?”

“No.”

He nodded. “If there is, don’t hesitate to call.”

She escorted them to the door. Lyons went out first, then Carlisle.

Carlisle paused in the doorway. “You sure there’s nothing you want to report about Professor Hawkins?”