Heinous Read Free Page A

comfortable chair. Like Sylvia, Nina was dressed to the nines. An equally well-dressed woman stood beside Nina. The nurse, Jess had learned when Dan had made the introductions. Nina hadn’t so much as blinked at either of them.
    The senator would no doubt give all of this and more to have his daughter back. Jess couldn’t imagine the pain of having a child with a debilitating illness. Instinctively, her hand went to her belly. Being pregnant made her more aware than ever of that fear. She hoped she and Dan never had to know that anguish.
    “They’re moving Nina to the New York facility next week.” His voice was somber now. “It won’t be easy on the family.”
    “Or the patient,” Jess said, thinking aloud. New York was a long way from Alabama. Nina’s father was still looking for the miracle that would bring his little girl back. When did a parent give up on finding a miracle for their child, no matter the age? Never, she surmised. Being a parent was hard work with plenty of difficult decisions.
    She thought of Maddie Brownfield, the little girl whose mother was a cold-blooded killer. Jess had dropped by to check on her yesterday. She’d intended to visit her again today, but another murder investigation had gotten in the way. The child’s entire future hung in the balance. The possibility that she would end up in foster care as Jess and Lily had was more than a little troubling, it was unacceptable.
    The day Jess and her sister had been told about their parents’ accident was the last day she recalled any sort of childhood normalcy. As soon as Helen and Lee Harris died, Jess and Lil had been thrust into chaos—first with their unreliable aunt and then into foster care.
    “Okay, we need to mingle.” Dan placed his hand at the small of her back. “You’re supposed to be relaxing right now.”
    The man knew her too well. What she really wanted was to work. Each minute she wasted was another that Spears gained. How could she relax and pretend he wasn’t out there plotting his next move? Selecting his next victim? Lately, her every case revolved around him... and
her
.
    “I’m trying.” She gave Dan a hopeful smile. Relaxing was good for the baby. She knew this, she simply needed to find a way to put that knowledge into practice.
    “Come with me.” He ushered her forward. “The Senator will not be happy if I don’t introduce the two of you. He’s mentioned more than once that he wanted to meet you.”
    “Sure.” Jess kept her smile in place when what she really wanted to do was wince. There had been no time to change after work before coming here. The red skirt with its matching belted jacket was the closest thing to dress up apparel she owned at the moment anyway. She’d spritzed on a hint of her favorite perfume just to make sure the odor of coagulated blood wasn’t lingering, then she’d freshened her mascara and lip gloss and called it good enough.
    A number of couples, including Mayor Joseph Pratt and his wife, surrounded Senator Robert Baron. Jess stifled a groan. Pratt’s recent efforts to undermine Dan’s reputation and worse made her furious. Despite the timing, she doubted the mayor’s machinations could be blamed on Spears. Mayor Joseph Pratt had his own malicious agenda.
    To her immense relief, Pratt and his wife drifted away from the group as Jess and Dan approached. Apparently, he wasn’t happy to see them either. Senator Baron, on the other hand, seemed delighted. He immediately shifted his attention to the two of them. Baron was an attractive man nearing seventy. Tall and fit, his gray hair made him look distinguished rather than old.
    “Dan.” The Senator thrust out his hand. “I was just bragging about the incredible job you continue to do despite the recent pressures we’re all hearing about in the news.”
    “Thank you, sir.” Dan shook the older man’s outstretched hand. “I wanted to introduce you to a very special lady.”
    Baron grinned. “No need for an