Page 10 of Cooper’s Passion

5

Anita had to hand it to him. Cooper was disarming, although, given the circumstances, he had every right to be angry, yet he wasn’t. Being arrested and handcuffed hadn’t phased him at all. Rather, he was asking her out for a drink. She studied his face. His grin made him look even younger and more handsome than when she’d thought he was a brutal killer. The fact that the chief of police had vouched for him made her pounding heart settle back into an even rhythm.

Maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing to have a drink with him. After all, she’d accused him of being a murderer, and she owed him an apology.

“All right,” she finally said. “I’ll buy you a drink.”

He smiled broadly. “Perfect. Do you mind if we swing by my flat so I can slip into a clean shirt? I live only a few blocks from here.”

Anita hesitated. “I can wait in a bar for you.”

“And ditch me?” Cooper shook his head, laughing. “Besides, my flat’s on the way to the bar. We’re practically passing by it anyway.”

She reminded herself that Chief Donnelly had confirmed that Cooper was working for him, and that had to mean that he was one of the good guys. Why did she always have to see the worst in people? Was that why she rarely dated? Because she expected every guy to turn out to be a criminal, or at the very least a total jerk?

Anita took a deep breath. “Sure. Otherwise, other people might wonder too why you look like you slaughtered somebody, and call the cops on you.”

He grinned. “Don’t want that to happen twice in a night.” He pointed past her. “This way.”

They started walking next to each other.

“So how come you knew about the dead body?” Cooper asked.

She wasn’t surprised that this was his first question. She didn’t know what to say. If she told him that she was on the trail of a serial killer, he would probably think that she was crazy. Hell, her own father thought her theory was crazy. It was best to keep things simple.

“A woman from Elko County went missing six weeks ago. I spoke to somebody at SFPD to find out if she’s turned up here. I got word tonight that a woman matching her general description was found dead in North Beach.”

“So you think it’s her?”

“I don’t know yet. I’m planning to look at the body tomorrow.”

Cooper nodded. “Good, you should definitely do that. We found no ID on her, and if you can identify her, it’ll help us in our investigation. Tell me why you thought she’d show up here.”

Anita shrugged, not wanting to divulge too much. “A hunch. It’s hard to explain. There were a few clues that she might have come to San Francisco. I guess we’ll find out tomorrow if it’s her.”

“I guess.” Then Cooper gestured to a small older building that looked like it was divided up into six units. “This is where I live.” He pulled his keys out and unlocked the entrance door. He held it open for her, so she could enter ahead of him. “Second floor. Sorry, no elevator.”

“Don’t worry, I’m fit,” she said, looking over her shoulder as Cooper followed her. “I’ve walked up a lot of hills this past week.”

“Is that how long you’ve been here? A week?”

Arriving on the second floor, Cooper went to one of the two doors and unlocked it. He pushed it open and ushered her inside.

“Yes, I got here a week ago.”

“Excuse the mess, but the place is undergoing some major repairs.” He pointed to the ceiling. “A pipe burst in my upstairs neighbor’s flat, and it flooded my bathroom and kitchen.”

Anita glanced around. The condo had a large living/dining area with big windows overlooking the city. There was one bedroom as well as the kitchen and bathroom. The entire place looked like a construction site. Furniture was piled up in the living area, and floorboards had been removed to expose pipes. She peered into the bathroom, where the sink, tub, and toilet had been ripped out, and the tiles had been removed as well.

“Don’t tell me you’re living here right now.”

“God, no.” He walked into the bedroom, leaving the door open. “I’m staying at my uncle’s house in Buena Vista until this mess is repaired.”

Through the open door, she saw him take off his shirt and toss it into a hamper. His naked torso was a beautiful sight to behold. Cooper was muscular, his arms flexing as he reached into the closet to pull out a fresh shirt. He slipped into the shirt, before walking to his bed where he pulled something small from the drawer of his nightstand. He slipped it into his pants pocket and turned around. Had he just put a condom in his pocket? Their gazes met, and Anita felt heat shoot into her cheeks. Slowly, as if this was a striptease in reverse, Cooper buttoned the casual shirt without breaking eye contact.

Anita cleared her throat and ripped her gaze from him, not wanting to drool at such male perfection. Her mind was doing cartwheels. Was Cooper preparing for the eventuality of having sex? No, she’d probably seen wrong. Maybe he’d put a handkerchief into his pocket.

“So, Buena Vista. Where’s that?” Was her voice shaking? Was it obvious that she was nervous?