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They could do this all night—Heather was almost convinced of it.
“You know what? You two figure this out. I have to go. I need to pick up Frankie—in Oklahoma.” A ninety-minute drive one way. She didn’t have time for this. “Hope, answer his questions. Miguel, don’t strangle my baby sister. I’m trusting one of you to at least act with restraint tonight. Adults—you are both adults, even if Hope doesn’t always look like it. She does it on purpose.”
“I thought Norm was bringing Frankie home.”
“Someone blew up the science lab. Again. It seems it’s been an annual tradition since you, Cara, and Cashie did it that first time. I’m taking Eden and Iagan with me. We’re swapping Iagie for Milan tonight. You…are to go straight home. Check in when you get there.”
“Yes, ma’am. See, dude, told you my big sister was responsible for me,” Hope said, smirking at him. “Someone definitely needs to get my car, Heath. Since I just had to leave it there. And I’ll need a ride home after my shift.”
“I’ll have Cashlyn and Sam swing by to get you, they get off at eleven. Stay inside the building until they get here. I’ll have Cara and Summer get your car. And for heaven’s sake, behave for once, will you?”
“I’m not sure I know how.” Hope shot her a smile. “It’s a Coleson thing, remember?”
“How can I forget? I’ve been getting the rest of you out of trouble for decades, after all. It’s kind of what I do.”
“And you do it so well, too.”
“Of course, I do. I have had plenty of practice. Far too much practice.” Heather reached out—and smacked Murdoch’s hand. He was still recording. Probably to show his wife what Hope had done today or something. He was weird that way.
“You’re welcome,” her sister told her seriously.
“It wasn’t a compliment. And, Hope, Miguel…was Nick’s best friend, you know. That matters. Be good. Help him, ok? Or I’ll actually clobber you for real next time.”
“Yeah, that’s what you’ve told me before. You have never clobbered me yet.”
“There is always a first time, Hope. There is always a first time.”
28
Miguel bit back what he really wanted to say.
Big, dark brown eyes in a milk-pale face were watching him, the instant her sister took off. The kid—woman—leaned down until their faces were less than six inches apart, and smirked. Then shot him a snotty smile.
A beautiful smile. No denying that. One she shared with her older sister. But where Heather had power in that smile—this girl just pissed him off.
Well, Miguel didn’t fall for that shit. He didn’t appreciate her toying with him this long at all. She should have just said who she was and helped him out, damn it.
“Well, ask your questions then. Some of us have more important places to be. Like in the lab and everything. I need the overtime.”
He had to let her go. If nothing else, the only thing he really had on her was the posted no underage loitering. And if she was as old as she said… “You could have told me who you are.”
“Would you have believed me?”
She shrugged a skinny shoulder. Hell, she was thin. That fact was reinforced when he wrapped his fingers around her narrow wrist and freed her from the cuff. And with that face, it was no wonder he’d thought she was younger than what she was. But now that he looked closer, without the helmet hiding half her damned face, he could see it. Around the eyes—there were secrets in eyes like those. Hurts.
And now that he knew the connection, she did resemble her older sister a great deal.
“Let’s be honest. You didn’t follow procedure.”
Now that was where she was wrong. Dead wrong. “Yes, I did. You just didn’t hear me.”
“Whatever. Ask your questions. I have places to be.”
This time she settled in the chair like the adult she professed to be. But she still seemed to be moving. He hoped she’d enjoyed the joke at his expense. He suspected it would get around the precinct soon enough. Plenty of idiots had been watching, after all.
“What do you want to know?”
“Dead teenager. Ten or so weeks ago. Name Ricardo Ahu?—”
