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He straightened.
“Katya found the box outside the shop and assumed it was a delivery.We recovered video footage of her putting it down next to the cash register.All of this happened when we were taking down the Halloween decorations at my shop.In the video we recovered, a customer came up after Kayta had put the box on top of a few others at the register…then I appeared in the footage and moved everything to the storage room.I never even looked inside the box she’d found.Neither did she.”
“Don’t lie for him.”But his heart was pounding, way too fast.
“I’mnot,”she gritted.“That box wasn’t his.It was sent tome.My shop.Only I never even opened it.If I had, hell, I don’t even know if I would have understood its significance.A cross.Two pearl earrings.A gold bracelet.I would have thought it was a mistaken delivery but…”
But if what she was saying was true… “No mistake.”All the vics had looked like Lark.
“I think the killer sent that stuff to me deliberately.Me, not my brother.I don’tthinkI caught his attention by going on the news.I think I’ve had his attention for quite some time.”
Sonofabitch.If this is true…Ice spread through his veins.
“Ahem.”Memphis.
Only this time, Oliver didn’t look his way.Neither did Lark.Oliver and Lark kept right on staring at each other.
“And here I said I wouldn’t go for a fourth time,” Memphis muttered.
Oliver ignored him.
“As soon as I figured this out, I called the Ice Breakers,” Lark informed him.“I started working to get a meeting with them.”
“You didn’t tell me,” Oliver snapped.
“I’m telling you right now.”
Fuck.Fuck.“If this is true—”
“It’s true.”
His fist slammed into the table.“Then the sonofabitch has had you in his sights all along.”And I left you on your own.You’ve been unprotected, and he could have taken you at any time.
Ifit was true.If she wasn’t just a desperate sister trying to save her brother.If this wasn’t part of some strategy to provide reasonable doubt.If, if, if…
But looking into her eyes, he stopped thinking about all of the “if” situations.He just thought about…
Lark.
In danger.
Unprotected.
Screw this.
“Judging by your expression,” Memphis said, voice quiet and a bit sly, “I think I should now consider you an honorary Ice Breaker?”
Oliver kept his attention on Lark.“I’m an FBI agent.I follow evidence wherever it may lead me.”
“Uh, huh.Great for you.But youwillbe looking into this case more, yes?”Memphis pushed.
“Yes,” he hissed.
“Fantastic.”Memphis slapped his hands together in a clap.“Glad to have the team together.”He raised his voice and said, “Uh, waitress, can you bring us something to drink?Because I think this night could go long.”
Oliver slowly slid his gaze over Lark’s face.There had been no tells to indicate she was lying.No stutters in her voice.No hesitations.Her gaze had held his.No nervous motions.No twitches.
His stare darted down.And he noticed that her left hand had curled in her lap.
