Twin Targets. Marta Perry
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a thing to indicate that anyone was in the library. The man must move like a cat.
“I beg your pardon?” She tried to sound cool and collected, but her pulse skittered. If he knew she planned to attend her sister’s funeral, she didn’t doubt his reaction.
“I couldn’t help but notice the Web site. You do realize that we need to know where you are at all…” His voice trailed off as he looked more closely at the directions on the screen.
Then he switched his gaze to her, his face uncomfortably close. “Brownsville. You told me you didn’t know where your sister lived. Funny. I was actually on the verge of believing you.”
She felt her cheeks warm. “I did not know where Ruby lived. I told you the truth.”
He flicked a glance at the computer. “Then how did you find out about Brownsville?”
“I’m a librarian. I know how to do research. You people may have kept any report of Ruby’s murder out of the papers, but you missed the funeral announcement.”
“You had to know where to look.”
She blew out an exasperated breath at his stubbornness and pushed her chair away from the desk. And away from him.
“Go ahead, check for yourself. Page back through my search. You’ll see exactly how I got there. It took me over an hour to find the answer you could have given me in a minute if you weren’t so wedded to your secrecy.”
He didn’t take her word for it. He leaned over the computer and hit the back arrow, flipping backward through the pages she’d searched on her way to finding out about Ruby’s funeral.
Finally he stopped, apparently satisfied, eyeing her.
“Maybe I am wedded to secrecy, as you say. But you of all people ought to know how important it is.”
“Ruby is dead.” Her throat closed on the words, and she had to fight to say more. “It doesn’t matter now who knows where she was.”
“Maybe not.” His tone softened. “I’m sorry. You could have asked me about the funeral.”
“Would you have answered?”
That gave him pause. “I don’t know.” It sounded honest. “If my chief said it was okay, I would have. You deserve to know that.”
Some of her annoyance at him drained away. “Thank you.”
He jerked a nod toward the computer. “Those directions. You’re not planning on going to the funeral, are you?”
“I am.” She planted her hands on the arms of her chair, shoving it back as she stood. “I am going to my sister’s funeral tomorrow.”
“Jade…” He shook his head. It was the first time he’d called her by her first name, and it startled her. “You can’t do that.”
“Yes, I can. And I’m going to.”
He glared, and she had the sense that he was counting to ten. “Stop and think about this. Ruby knew people in that town…people who had no idea she had a twin sister. If you walk in there cold, they’re going to think she’s come back from the dead.”
Her heart winced at the words. She hadn’t thought about that, and the idea added an extra layer of hurt. “I’m sorry about that, but it doesn’t change my mind. Whether it makes people talk or not, I’m going to my sister’s funeral.”
“Have you forgotten that the shooters were after you, too?” His anger rushed toward her in waves. “It would be better to stay as far away as possible from your connection to Ruby. I’m sure my boss would say the same.”
“Those men are out of commission now.” She had to steady herself, because remembering was like revisiting a nightmare. “And they already knew about my connection to Ruby.”
He frowned, those level brows drawn down over his dark eyes. “Even so, we ought to play it safe. We don’t know why those two were after you. Or even why they were after Ruby.”
“What do you know?” And what, if anything, are you willing to tell me? “Surely by this time you must have found out something.”
A curtain seemed to draw across his eyes. “I can’t discuss that with you.”
“No, of course not.” Anger lent strength to her words. “You don’t want me to know a thing. You don’t even want me to say goodbye to my sister.” Her heart twisted. “Well, I’m going to Ruby’s funeral, and the only way you can stop me is to arrest me.”
His silence, lasted for the space of a long breath. And then…
“If that’s how you want it.”
“You…” Surely he wasn’t really going to arrest her.
“If you’re that determined to go, you’ll go. But I’m going with you.”
“I don’t want you.”
“I don’t doubt that.” His words held a determination that told her arguing would do her no good at all. “But that’s the offer. Either I go with you tomorrow, or I really will detain you.”
She was astounded at the strength of her desire to throw something at him. She didn’t do things like that. Ruby was the one who gave in to impulse, not her.
And if she did, he’d probably arrest her for assaulting a federal officer. Then she’d never get to the funeral.
“All right.” She bit off the words. “Have it your way.”
“I intend to,” he said, and it was as much a threat as a promise.
The sun rose slowly, almost reluctantly, bathing miles of snowy emptiness with a cold, clear light. Jade glanced across the front seats of the truck at Micah. He’d picked her up in the predawn darkness, and they’d driven for miles without a word between them.
Her first impression of his vehicle had been right on target. The truck was an older model, but spotless inside.
Micah had shed his parka, revealing a woolly V-neck layered over a dress shirt and tie. The chocolate-brown of the sweater echoed the color of his eyes. He drove quickly and competently, managing the occasional patch of black ice or drifted snow without incident.
A twinge of guilt pricked her into breaking the silence. “You must have had to get up in the middle of the night.”
He shrugged. “No big deal.” He shot her a cautious look, as if wondering whether it was safe to talk after the way she’d responded to him yesterday. “I’m sorry for forcing my presence on you. I do know you’d rather be alone, but it might not be safe.”
“Do you honestly think someone is after me?” Even now, she found the events of the past few days incredible, still felt half convinced that she’d wake and discover it all a bizarre nightmare.
“Probably not, but it’s better to take precautions.”
She didn’t know whether to be reassured by that or not. But he was wrong about one thing. “I know I didn’t want you to come. But I’m glad I’m not alone today.”
“There’s not much anyone else can do when you’re burying a loved one, but it’s still better to have people around. When…” He let that trail off.
She twisted in the seat to see him better. “When what?”
He hesitated for a moment. “I was going to say that when my father died, I don’t know how I’d have coped without my mother and brother.”
She’d never known a father, but someone like Micah had probably had the sort of childhood she could only imagine. “How old were you?”
“Eighteen. My dad was a cop, killed in the line of duty.”
“I’m sorry.” That explained