'Well, this is an unexpected turn of events,' Jack said into her ear. 'Me and the boys were set for a night of blissful sighs and ear-shattering yodels.'
'So was I,' Eryn said dryly. She pulled herself onto the vanity and leaned back against the mirror. The glass was cool against her spine, and the water she'd splashed her face with earlier dripped from her chin to her chest. Neither one did anything to ease the overheated condition of her skin. 'But he's suspicious, and I really had no other option.'
'An innocent man had no reason to be suspicious over anything you said.'
'I don't think he's the killer.'
'Is that intuition or frustration speaking?'
'Both, if I'm at all honest.'
'If there's one thing you've been, it's bluntly honest.'
Amusement touched Jack's deep voice. 'And I have to say, it's shocked some of the boys here.'
'They need to stop huddling in that van with you and get out in the real world more.'
'I keep telling them that, but I think they're enjoying the voyeurism aspects of our job.'
'Well, I guess it's cheaper than renting pornos. Where's Grey?'
'Still in the room.'
'He's waiting for me to come back.' She said it as a statement rather than a question, simply because she sensed it was true. Though why he was so confident she would come back was beyond her. They might share a connection that went deeper than the usual sexual link of shifters, but they were still strangers.
'Looks like it,' Jack agreed.
'You uncovered any more facts about him yet?'
'We're checking files for unsolved murder cases.'
'He didn't say it was unsolved,' she interrupted.
'No, but I'm guessing from his tone it was. And given what he said about money, it'll probably be a high society murder, which at least narrows the search field.'
'Anything else?'
'No. The man's identity has been wiped clean.'
Just like his scent. It had to be deliberate. 'There's been no information or help forthcoming from military, FBI or CIA?'
' 'They're looking into it' is the latest response. I'm not holding out hope that they'll be much help.'
'So you don't think Grey's one of their men?'
'No. But he's somebody's.'
She hoped that 'somebody' was on the side of good.
Hoped Grey was. She had a feeling he'd be a dangerous man to be on the wrong side of.
'So, what do I do now? Leave?'
'I don't think that's an option, given what you told Grey.'
She grinned. 'Meaning I have permission to go forth and fornicate?'
'You have official approval to do what you have to do to maintain cover.'
'Hot damn.'
Jack laughed. 'Who said undercover work wasn't fun?'
'Not me.' She hesitated. 'What about Gantry and Harrison?'
'Gantry's still a no show. Harrison's talking to a pretty brunette.' He stopped. 'Grey's on the move.'
'Where?'
'Heading down the stairs.'
Her pulse raced with excitement. 'Towards the restroom?'
'No.'
Damn, she thought, disappointed.
Jack continued, 'He's headed towards the back booths.
Seems to be angling toward Harrison.'
'What?' Had Grey known Harrison was the man she'd been talking about? If so, how? And what the hell did he intend to do? Warn Harrison off?
'He's just brushed by Harrison and is moving on to the men's room.'
Coincidence? Something within her suspected not.
Suspected Grey's brief encounter with Harrison had been intentional. Though she had no idea what it meant.
'And Harrison?'
'Still talking to the brunette.' He hesitated. 'Hang on, he just headed to the restroom.'
'You got camera's or listening devices in there?'
'No.'
'That's a bit slack.'
'People pissing, farting and shitting is not something we need to hear or see. Especially when those people are men.'
'Meaning you have devices in the women's room?'
'Well, no. Not for lack of trying, though.'
'You're sick, you know that?'
'I try my damnedest.'
She grinned. 'You think Grey and Harrison know each other?'
'Until we know more about Grey, we won't know.'
'But Harrison is who he says he is?'
'Yep.'
'You going to have security check out the men's?'
'Who's the cop here?'
'That a trick question?'
He chuckled softly. 'You sure you're happy where you are?
I'd love to have you on my team.'
'Being cooped up in a van with sex-starved men is not my idea of fun.'
'We could make it fun.' He paused. 'Security's just gone in.'
Footsteps approached the restroom door. She turned on the tap and scooped up some water. 'I'm about to get visitors,' she informed Jack. 'I'll let you know when it's safe to talk.'
Three women pushed through the door, all noise and energy. Eryn splashed the water over herself, closing her eyes and ignoring the three of them as they visited the toilets, washed their hands, and redid their makeup. They were there for a good ten minutes, laughing and chatting like giddy teenagers, though at least one of them was close to forty.
Eryn blew out a relieved breath when they finally left.
'Talk to me, Jack.'
'Harrison's just come out of the men's room, and Grey's still in there.'
'And the security officer?'
'Reports that Grey was chatting on the phone when he walked in, and Harrison was in one of the stalls. Neither man said anything to the other.'
'Did security stay in there until Harrison walked out?'
'No. But Harrison came out a few minutes after the security guy. Looks like it was nothing more than a coincidence.'
Somehow, she wasn't buying that. 'I might go chat some more with Harrison. Where is he now?'
'Up at the bar, getting a drink.'
'And the brunette he was chatting up?'
'On the dance floor with another man.'
'Good. I might do some more probing, see if he can remember anything about the five victims.'
'Just be careful.' ' 'Subtle is my middle name.'
'Somehow, I doubt that.'
