Evidence of Marriage Read Free

“Sometimes we just need to know. No matter what the consequences. I would have done the same thing, Diana. You know that.”
    She did. But that didn’t make her feel any less responsible. “I have to stop him.”
    Bryce looked from one sister to the other, worry heavy on his brow. “What are you going to do?”
    â€œI don’t know yet. But I know who might.” She forced a breath into aching lungs. Although eight months had passed since she’d given him back his ring, the pain pulsing behind her eyes made it feellike yesterday. “I’m going to take the portrait and card to Reed.”
    Sylvie thrust to her feet. “I’ll go with you.”
    Diana held out a palm as if that would hold Sylvie in place. “You have a baby to worry about.”
    â€œI’m pregnant, not crippled.”
    â€œNo, but you’re sick.”
    She gave a shrug, as if morning sickness were nothing. But the pale sheen to her skin told the real story.
    â€œAnd you don’t want that baby to get sick. Besides, you still have guests to deal with. The last thing we need is to have Lisa storming back, demanding answers.”
    Sylvie opened her mouth to protest, but Bryce cut her off. “We’ll take care of Lisa. Tell Reed to call me.”
    â€œOf course.”
    Sylvie pressed her lips together in a frown. Finally she nodded and gave Diana’s arm a squeeze. “We’re in this together, Diana. Remember that.”
    Diana nodded. They were in this together. Whether Sylvie deserved to be or not. And now it was Diana’s turn to contribute—to bring what she’d started to an end.
    Â 
    â€œT ELL ME THAT’S S YLVIE .”
    Reed McCaskey glanced up from the reportsscattering the table he and his partner Nikki Valducci had commandeered at the Easy Street Café.
    A young woman pushed through the café door and scanned the worn Formica tables and coffee-sipping crowd. From her cascading blond hair and light blue eyes to the soft line of her cheeks that made him ache to protect her, she hadn’t changed. And although she and her sister were identical, there was no doubt in his mind which twin he was looking at. He could feel her presence in the churning of his blood. “It’s Diana.”
    His day had started with being kicked out of his office in the City County Building after inmates in the sixth-floor jail had spent the night stuffing whatever they could find down the toilets until sewage had backed up in the first-floor police station. With the station so pungent it had brought tears to his eyes, he’d traded that smell for the burned-coffee-and-stale-grease aroma of the Easy Street Café. At least until the cleanup crew had a chance to do their thing. But as badly as his day had begun, it was about to get worse.
    He dropped his gaze to the reports. “Why don’t you take this one?”
    â€œSomehow I doubt she’s here to see me.” Nikki let out a pained sigh. “Aren’t you even curious about what she wants?”
    â€œNo.”
    Another sigh.
    Of course Nikki wouldn’t understand. She always had to stick her nose in everything. Especially things that were none of her business. A good characteristic for a detective—especially one as ambitious as Nikki—but not a trait he appreciated when the subject was him. “Go up to the counter and ask for some refills, will you?”
    â€œAre you kidding? I’m not going to miss this show.” Nikki leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs. Picking up her coffee cup, she took a long, leisurely sip.
    So much for keeping his pain to himself.
    â€œReed?”
    No matter how braced he thought he was, the sound of Diana’s voice hit him in the gut like a full-fledged ulcer. He kept his eyes riveted to the report in front of him. He didn’t need a close-up view. He still saw her face nearly every night in his dreams. And in his nightmares.