“Did he give us anything?” Quarles asked the question sitting on the end of Brit’s tongue.
Adam looked at Brit. “Not much. But you were right. He’s not our cop killer. The gun he had and the one used on Keith and Anderson weren’t the same.”
“Did you compare that gun to the slug that was pulled out of Cali McKay’s apartment?” Brit asked.
Adams butted against the door. “We did. It isn’t a match. But the guy is connected to the Humphrey case. We got a hit on his prints. His name is Trent Bright. Cousin to Nolan Bright. He swears he doesn’t know anything. That his cousin called him and asked him to meet him at that address. Claimed he thought you guys were trying to rob the place when you approached.”
“Was that before or after we informed him we were the police?” Quarles muttered.
Brit grabbed a pencil and rolled it between his palms. “Do me a favor. Have Ballistics compare the bullet pulled out of McKay’s apartment to the one that shot Garland.”
Adams scratched his raspy cheek. “You think Humphrey shot Garland?”
“I’m thinking it could be a possibility,” Brit said. “Maybe Humphrey, Nolan and his cousin are in this together.”
Adams tugged at his belt. “I’ll have it checked out. Now all we got to do is find a way to catch Humphrey.”
Brit pulled out the computer printout of Cali’s credit card bill. “I think I’ve got that figured out, too.”
He’d planned to wait until tomorrow, but the sooner he had Humphrey behind bars, the sooner he could see clear to what was really happening between him and Cali. The thought brought just a bit of panic marching through his chest, but Brit no longer felt so eager to deny the emotions. Instead, a part of him whispered, “March on.”
An hour later, they had everything planned. They’d managed to get four rooms at an out-of-the-way hotel. They wanted the adjoining rooms empty in case trouble broke out. And the next day they’d have the hotel posted on Cali’s bill. The thought of having to spend the next few nights watching the hotel room made Brit even more eager to get home to Cali now.
~
It was almost eight when he walked onto his front porch, juggling bags that contained strawberries, champagne, and take-out Chinese food from his favorite restaurant.
When he rearranged the bags to slip the key into the lock, he realized his palms were sweaty. He hadn’t been nervous about being with a girl in years, but he felt it now. It wasn’t just the thought of sex giving him pause. It was how she made him feel. And then there was the talk they needed to have. After considering everything, he decided Cali should take some time off from school. Humphrey had already tried to get to her at her school twice. Brit didn’t want there to be a third time.
He opened the door, and the saucy smell of the food floated from the paper bags.
“Cali?” She didn’t answer.
Emotions fluttered inside him like a trapped bird. What if he’d been wrong about her being safe here? What if he’d been wrong about her wanting to be here? The second thought sent him hurrying into the kitchen. He’d hunted her down once today. If she ran again, he wasn’t sure his pride would allow him to go after her twice.
Then the thought of losing her wormed its way into his gut, and he knew his pride could be damned. He’d go after her again and probably again, if he had to.
“Cali?” he called louder.
No answer.
He checked the extra bedroom. Empty.
Then his bedroom. Also empty.
Like it or not, she was gone.
“Shit!”
Chapter Thirty—Three
Empty. His chest ached with indecision, then the whirling sound of his Jacuzzi caught his attention. Moving to the bathroom door, he listened to the water running. He took one of those deep breaths to calm his nerves. Damn. He really did have it bad for this girl.
He started to knock then an idea stirred. His body responded to the visions playing in his head, and he practically ran back to the living room to open the champagne and wash some strawberries.
~
The knock at the bathroom door had Cali in a panic for about two seconds. Fear evaporated when Brit stepped in, but modesty took over. She pulled her knees to her chest. Thankful the jets in the tub stirred the water, making it difficult to see everything.
“You’re back,” she said.
Through the steaminess in the room, he smiled and winked. In his hands, he juggled two flutes of champagne and a plate of strawberries.