MacNeill gave her a tired smile. “I always pay attention to that kind of an itch. Do what you have to.”
“Like I said, I’m going to back to the four sites and go through my entire process all over again. I must be missing something.”
“Well, if it’s there, you’ll find it.” MacNeill stood up. “Be sure to keep me in the loop. I have a nasty feeling our firebug isn’t finished yet.”
“I have that same feeling,” she agreed.
After the captain left she pulled up the lab reports on her computer and went over each one in great detail. She had a feeling there was something sinister underlying the whole thing, something more than just arson for the pure enjoyment of the blaze. It also bothered her that no one was harassing them to get this settled so they could get their claim paid and rebuild.
She needed to touch base with Dan Kessler, too. She had the feeling they were missing something and she didn’t know what it was. It would be great if he could go back to each of the sites with her. He had a very keen eye for things and almost a sixth sense. Randi had worked several cases with him and they had developed a comfortable professional relationship with a healthy respect for each other. She suspected that he was open to something more personal. He was a very sexy god looking guy that women fawned over, but she knew that was the sure kiss of death to a professional situation. Wouldn’t that just give the good old boys something to hoot and holler about.
Besides, her heart had never recovered from Noah. She had locked it in a box and thrown away the key, pretty sure she’d never take it out again. She was a one-man woman and he had been that man. His return here had opened all that pain up again, leaving her struggling to protect herself from more hurt and agony. She could do it. She had to do it.
Meanwhile she was glad to have the professional partnership with Dan that they’d settled into. He’d been working arson for some time before she came on board and his experience was always very valuable to her. Maybe he could help her find the answers that were alluding her, although he seemed just as exasperated by the situation as she was. He was, however, ready to toss her conspiracy theory. He kept reminding her they’d found nothing to support it.
It should be so simple but it wasn’t. Frustrated she leaned back in her chair, put her feet in their ankle high soft leather boots on her desk and closed her eyes. She hoped by doing so she could clear her brain and some of the pieces of this puzzle would start to make sense.
Instead an image flashed across her personal video screen of a lean, muscular man with hair the color of rich tobacco and eyes that were pools of melted chocolate. He was naked, his cock rising proudly from that dark nest of curls, and his lips were curved in a hungry smile.
Holy fucking shit!
She sat upright abruptly, her feet slamming to the floor hard enough that she nearly fell out of her chair. This could not be happening to her. No, no, no. She had worked hard six years ago to scrub Noah Cutler from her memory cells but apparently some of those stubborn babies had retained the imprint of him.
In spite of herself Randi wondered where Noah was staying? She’d left right after Jimbo hauled out the big birthday cake for Jeff and everyone s had sung an off-key and slightly off-color version of the traditional birthday song. Noah had still been there, hanging with some of his old friends. Had he reconnected with some woman? Gone home with her? Had he thought about Randi while he was—
Damn! I need to get a grip on myself.
She needed to focus on the case again and avoid Noah as much as possible. Or at least keep her shield up whenever she happened to run into him. And would she? Run into him? San Antonio was a big city with the ambience of a small town. Everyone seemed to know everyone and connect everywhere somehow. She’d just have to be prepared and deal with it.
Meanwhile she sent the lab reports to her tablet, where she also had the photos stored. She picked up her cell and texted Dan that she was going to revisit the sites if he was available, stuffed everything in her messenger bag and headed out to the parking lot.
*****
Noah tipped back his bottle of beer, took a swallow and gave his friend a long look across the booth where they were just finishing a late lunch.
“Okay,” he said, setting the bottle down. “Out with it.”
Jeff gave him a lopsided grin. “Out with what?”
“Whatever you’ve been dying to ask me since I walked in here.” He chuckled. “For a detective you don’t make a very good interrogator.”
“Not so, my friend.” Jeff took a drink of his own beer. “The hallmark of a good detective is to fix his target with a steely-eyed star, say nothing and wait for him to spill his guts.”
Noah burst out laughing. “And does that really work for you?”
“Sometimes. Come on, spill.”
“Spill what?” Noah knew exactly what his friend was waiting for.”
“Okay, you want me to put it into words? I saw you and the lovely Randi sneak out of my party. I may have been celebrating but I’m not blind.” He paused. “Although it didn’t seem like you were gone all that long.”
Noah shrugged. “Just grabbing a quick cup of coffee with an old friend, in a place where the noise was under two hundred decibels.”
“Uh huh. Tell that
