He gave Cali’s arms another squeeze, then looked at Garcia now standing beside him. “They’ve pulled over a white pickup. I’ll call you when I know something.” He looked back at Cali. “Remember, don’t leave until I get here.” He wanted so bad to lean down and kiss her, but he didn’t.
When he turned around, he met Susan’s gaze. “Let’s go.” He placed his hand on her lower back and guided her out. Crawling into his car, he prayed the man driving the pickup was Stan Humphrey. Damn, but he wanted to catch this bastard.
~
Cali watched Brit and the brunette walk out. It didn’t matter. It didn’t matter that he had a beautiful woman with him. He was just a cop and she was just a case. And the fact that Stan had been spotted in the parking lot, that her mother had warned her not to go out to lunch, that she’d smelled smoke when Tanya had come in, insisting she go out to lunch, it didn’t matter either. Because the dreams were only her subconscious.
It was totally logical. She could almost hear Dr. Roberts’ calm voice explaining it. “You always go out to lunch on an in-service day. Stan probably knew that. You knew Stan would know. Therefore, it was logical that you turned Tanya down. It wasn’t your mom telling you this—it was your subconscious warning you. And you listened to your subconscious because it was logical. Not because you believed your mom was communicating with you.”
But logic could go fly a kite in a hail storm because Cali didn’t feel better. Not about the dream, because she hadn’t remembered today was an in-service day. Not about the beautiful woman with Brit because she hadn’t realized he had a girlfriend.
Cali had seen the woman checking her out, too. And though Cali hated to admit it, she’d done her own checking—the old compare and contrast and she-has/I-have inventory. The brunette, with long hair that hung past her shoulders, had looked older than Cali. Some men liked older women and longer hair. The brunette had larger breasts. Men liked larger breasts. The brunette was taller and seductive, wearing a snug pair of black jeans and a snugger red sweater that hugged her slightly bigger breasts. Cali was a sweet girl with a Charmin face. The brunette was exotic looking.
If it had been a competition, hands down the brunette won.
But it wasn’t a competition. Brit Lowell was just a cop trying to protect her. He’d even said as much this morning when she’d asked him. And he hadn’t tried to kiss her because he hadn’t wanted to kiss her. And as soon as she got that through her thick skull, and quit doodling hearts on paper, the better off she’d be.
~
“Stay in the car,” Brit told Susan as he pulled up behind the squad car and a white pickup.
As he got out, he spotted a dark-haired man talking to Officer Wolowitz. Brit eyed the pickup; it was the right make, the driver had the right hair color and height. Hope stirred in his chest. But then the man turned around and Brit saw his face and his hope shattered. Not the right man. Not Stan.
After leaving a message on Cali’s machine that it hadn’t been Stan, Brit drove Susan back to his place. She asked a few questions, and he answered her with as little information as he could.
He parked in the driveway, and bet himself he wouldn’t make it out of here without his sister interrogating him about his concern over Cali. Not that he had anything to hide. He remembered his gut telling him that Cali was keeping something from him. And now his gut shouted out another bit of wisdom. He couldn’t let this attraction go anywhere. Not when there was the least bit of doubt about her relationship with a suspected murderer.
But damn it, nor was he going to let Humphrey get to her.
Susan slid out of the seat, then turned and faced him.
“I might not be home until in the morning,” he told her.
Her frown deepened. “You’re not sleeping enough, brother.”
“I’m going to get some sleep,” he said, hoping this afternoon would go just like it had yesterday. That he could hang with Cali at the hotel and get some rest.
“You’re going to kill yourself going like this.”
“I’m fine.” He waved her off with his gotta-go tone because he wanted to stop at the station to visit with Duke and Mark and see how the interview went with the gang member.
He also planned to talk to Adams about putting a man on Cali. Stan seemed adamant to get to her. He knew Adams would balk, but someone had to take care of her. And maybe he wasn’t the right person to do it.
“She’s really pretty.” Susan stood outside the SUV’s open door.
“Yeah.” His mind went back to the panicked look on Cali’s face. What had upset her? What was she not telling him? He jammed the car into drive and took off.
~
“I can’t do that,” Adams said. “We’ll work the case, but I can’t afford to put a man on the girl. Especially when the school already has security.”
Brit leaned forward. “He’s broken into her apartment, her car, and her mother’s house. Now, we’re almost certain he was at the school again today. He’s wanted for three murders.”