What He Explores (What He Wants, Book Twenty-One) Read Free

Dani, Nora, and Katie and being wrong about it. They’d be dealing with even more criticism now that the real killer, who’d they missed the first time, had escaped from jail.
    This would be a great little package for them to sell to the public and the media – the girl they’d saved (me) from the murderer they’d almost let get away (Professor Worthington) had turned out to be a murderer herself.
    And then something dawned on me.
    “Professor Worthington,” I said, the blood draining from my face. “He must have killed Jason Cartwright.”
    Noah nodded gravely. He’d already figured it out.
    “But why would he want to kill Jason?” I asked. “That doesn’t make sense.”
    “He’s a madman,” Noah said.
    “No.” I shook my head. “No, it’s more than that. Professor Worthington doesn’t do things for no reason. He has a reason.” And it probably has something to do with me. The words hung in the air between us, unspoken, but both of us were thinking them, both of us knew they were true.
    Professor Worthington had been there, I realized. At my school. He’d been there, right after I was. He’d probably been following me. My stomach turned and for a second, I was afraid I was going to throw up.
    “His motive doesn’t mean a damn thing, Charlotte. Do you really think the police are going to be rushing to hold a news conference where they have to admit that a murderer they let escape has killed an innocent civilian?”
    “No.” I closed my eyes, the hopeless reality of the situation washing over me. “But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t talk to them. I have nothing to hide, Noah. They said Jason was stabbed, there will be forensic evidence.”
    “Like your DNA all over his office?” Noah shot back.
    “That’s not – ”
    I was cut off by the sound of my cell phone ringing from the depths of my bag, which I’d set on the counter.
    Noah and I went for it at the same time.
    He was faster and bigger.
    He got to it first.
    “I don’t recognize the number,” he said, glancing at the caller ID before answering the phone. “Hello?” he barked. And then his face softened. “It’s your mother,” he said, handing me the phone.
    “Charlotte?” she said when I got on.
    “Yes, Mom, it’s me.” I rolled my eyes at Noah. Who the hell else would have been answering my phone? It was a little thing, but I was already annoyed at her and after the stress of the morning, my fuse was short.
    “Charlotte,” she said. “Oh, thank God.” I could hear voices and street noise in the background.
    “Where are you?” I pressed. “Where have you been? You know, you really should have called me, Mom, to let me know that you were okay. You can’t just –”
    “Charlotte,” she wailed. “Charlotte, I’m in trouble.”
    I froze. Professor Worthington. “Why?” I demanded. “What’s wrong?”
    “I lost my purse,” she said. “Well, I didn’t lose it, exactly, I know where it is, I just can’t get to it. So this nice woman here let me use her phone, but now -- ”
    “Mom, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Slow down and start from the beginning.”
    Noah was crossing the room now, and he took the phone out of my hand, pressed it to his ear.
    “Pamela,” he said. “Where are you?” He listened for a moment, his eyes hooding in confusion and then understanding. “Just stay there. I’m coming to get you.” He ended the call.
     “Is she okay?” I asked. “Where is she?”
    “She’s fine. She’s at the Union Square Farmer’s Market.”
    “Did someone take her purse?”
    “You could say that.”
    “What are you talking about?” I demanded. “Where the hell was she last night?”
    “Your mother, Charlotte, was on a date.”

----
    N oah drove the two of us to Union Square. He’d wanted to go alone, but I’d convinced him I’d be safer with him than alone in the apartment.
    Not that it had taken much convincing.
    Maddox the security guard was obviously useless – he