“You like her. And don’t deny it. You don’t go around sniffing some woman’s sweater you’re not attracted to.”
He chuckled and then nodded. “Okay, I’ll admit it. I like her. But more than I like her, I want to protect her. And even considering how much I like her, I’m not sure letting it go anywhere is a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“Because she’s part of a case. And because with all this other crap going on, I’m not sure I’m thinking straight,” Brit said. Since Keith had died, he hadn’t given women or sex much more than a passing thought. Until Cali. He remembered getting hard just staring at her in bed this morning.
His cell phone rang. He answered it. “Lowell.”
“De...tective?” The winded voice didn’t sound familiar. “It’s...Garcia at the school. We got...trouble.”
Chapter Nineteen
Brit clutched the phone in his hand. “Is Cali okay?”
“I think I spotted him,” Garcia said, his words jarring as if he were running as he talked. “I was making my rounds. When I got around front, I saw a white pickup leaving. I’m . . . not sure, but I think it was following a van full of teachers. I ran to my car, but by the time I got there, both vehicles had gotten away. I’m running . . . inside now to see if Miss McKay went with them.”
“I’m on my way. Call me as soon as you know if she’s there. If she’s not, find someone who knows where the hell they went, and you get me that information.”
The line went dead.
“God damn it,” Brit seethed. He looked at his sister. “Let’s go. It’s Cali.”
He drove like hell was on fire and chasing him. He called the station and got an APB put out on a white pickup around the school. He kept his phone clutched in his palm, waiting for Garcia to tell him if Cali was at the school or out to lunch. Why the hell hadn’t he told her not to leave the school?
Susan tried to ask him questions. “Not now,” he snapped and concentrated on running red lights.
Ten minutes later, he came to a rubber-burning halt in front of the school, still clutching his phone. Why hadn’t Garcia called back? Brit jumped out of his car and sprinted to the front door. It was locked. He banged his hand on the glass. Behind him, he heard Susan get out of his SUV.
His phone rang and he snapped it open. “Where is she?”
“She’s fine,” Garcia answered. “I found her in the teacher’s lounge.”
Brit let out a breath he felt as if he’d held for ten minutes. “Get someone to let me in. I’m standing out front.”
“I’m right there,” Garcia said.
When he looked up, Garcia and Cali made the corner. Brit stared at Cali’s face. She looked shaken, pale, reminding him of the first night he’d seen her at her apartment. He dropped his phone into his shirt pocket, itching to hold her instead.
Garcia opened the door. Brit pushed past him to Cali. “You okay?” He brushed his hands up and down her arms. She nodded, but didn’t look okay. “What happened?”
“Nothing. I didn’t go to lunch. I stayed here.” He felt her trembling.
He squeezed both her hands. “Stan called you, didn’t he?”
Her frightened eyes met his. “No.”
He stared at her and as clearly as he could see her face, he could see she was hiding something. What the hell was she hiding?
“What happened, Cali?”
She blinked and shook her head. “Nothing.”
Garcia walked past him, and Brit heard the door whisk open . “Can I help you?” the security guard asked someone. Brit remembered Susan. When he looked back, sure enough she stood at the door.
A cold wind entered when his sister stepped inside. “I’m with him,” his sister said.
Brit nodded at his sister and went back to staring at Cali. “You’re shaking,” he said. “Tell me what happened. You have a problem with the principal?”
“No. It’s fine.”
Brit’s phone rang. He put the phone to his ear, but didn’t answer quite yet and continued to study Cali’s washed-out expression. “Did you see Stan Humphrey?”
“No,” she said.
Frowning, he hit the talk button. “Lowell.”
“Hey, detective. We’ve pulled over a white pickup. It’s not the right license plate, but the man fits the description. What do you want me to do?”
“Hold him until I get there. And be careful. We’re looking at him for murder. Where are you?”
The cop gave an address and Brit memorized it. “I’ll be right there.” He hung up the phone and looked at Cali again. Was he imagining she was hiding something from him? Hell, with such little sleep as he’d had, maybe he was seeing things that weren’t there.