Fatal Exposure Read Free Page B

her up. Still breathing heavily, he pulled out his badge and held it up.
    “Put your hands behind your back and face the fence,” he ordered, taking out his handcuffs.
    “What?”
    “You heard me.” He wasn’t taking the chance that she’d run again.
    “You have no right—”
    “You ran from the police. You assaulted an officer. I don’t need another reason than that. Now turn around—unless you’d rather I haul you in.”
    Her gaze flicked to his shield again. Even in the dim light trickling from a nearby row house, he could see her jaw go tight. But she turned and held out her hands.
    Wary of another trick, he slapped on the handcuffs, the delicate feel of her wrist bones causing a startling burst of heat in his blood. Forget that she’s a woman, he reminded himself as she whirled around. She was a possible suspect in his brother’s death, the last one to see him alive, not a potential date.
    He picked up the backpack she’d dropped and searched it, unearthing the small, semiautomatic pistol she’d hidden inside. Still keeping one eye on her, he removed the magazine. “You have a permit for this?”
    Her gaze skidded away.
    “Right.” Stupid question. He stuffed the gun in his jacket pocket and shouldered the bag.
    Her eyes returned to his. “So what do you want?”
    “Information.”
    “You always tackle people you want to question?”
    “You always climb out the window when someone knocks on your door?”
    Her mouth pressed into a line.
    “I’m here about Tommy McCall,” he added.
    “Never heard of him.”
    He ignored that blatant lie. “I suggest you remember fast, or I’ll haul you in for questioning.”
    “On what grounds?”
    “On the grounds that you have information about his death.”
    “I told you. I don’t—”
    “Your choice.” He pulled out his cell phone and punched in a number, calling her bluff.
    She held his gaze. Several tense seconds ticked past. “Fine,” she bit out at last. “You want to waste your time on useless questions, ask away.”
    He pocketed the phone with a nod. “Let’s take this inside.”
    Her jaw dropped. “You expect me to let you into my house?”
    “You expect me to believe you won’t run if we stay out here?”
    “How can I? You’ve got me in cuffs.”
    “I’ll take them off inside.”
    Her lips tightened again, distrust flickering in her shadowed eyes. Then she huffed out an angry breath. “All right, but I’m telling you, you’re wasting your time.”
    Her staccato steps rapping the pavement, she led the way up the alley and back through her garden gate. Parker hugged her heels, unwilling to give her an inch of space. He wouldn’t put it past her to try to escape again, even wearing the cuffs. They crossed a tidy, fenced-in patio and entered her house through a mudroom door. Once inside, he snapped on the overhead light.
    He continued trailing her into the kitchen, his gaze still glued on her rigid spine. They came to a stop, and he spared a glance around, noting the empty soup can on the granite counter, the time flashing on the microwave. A wrought iron table occupied one corner, one of its chairs overturned. A stack of newspapers covered the glass.
    The top one showed the photo of her.
    “All right,” she said. “Undo my hands.”
    “You promise to answer my questions?”
    “I said I would.”
    He tossed her backpack onto the pile of papers and pulled out the handcuff key. He reached for her wrists and unlocked the cuffs, trying to ignore the alluring fragrance of her skin and hair. Then he stepped back, his impatience mounting as he waited for her to do her part.
    But she took her time, righting the chair, taking off her peacoat and draping it over her bag. At last she turned to face him, and for the first time, he got a close look at her in the light. She was even more attractive than he’d expected with her wary green eyes and delicately winged brows, that long tumble of auburn hair. Her mouth was evocative and full,