Page 27 of Speak No Evil

“I’m clean, anyway,” she explained, shifting out of his reach. “Washed off all that sweaty subway grime.”

He’d showered, too, and the scent of his soap tickled her nose. Though the water would have long evaporated, his sexy beard looked darker. He wore a green polo tucked into jeans that rode low on his hips. “Sorry I took so long. There was a long line.”

She peeled open the bag and inhaled the sweet, spicy scent rising from the muffins inside. “There are three.”

“Your choice. If you don’t like pumpkin, you can have the blueberry.”

“But I love pumpkin.” How could he possibly know?

“You could have made yourself a cup of coffee.” He retrieved the slip with his jottings. “Did you read this?”

“Yes, thanks for letting me know you were out. I only just now saw it.” She rubbed her arms. Should she say something about last night? But how could she when she didn’t know herself exactly what she wanted. She’d told him about her ex, so he should be fine with her taking her time.

He walked over to the coffee maker and looked over his shoulder at her.

“I know I’m a scientist, and I do like puzzles.” She shrugged. “But I’m only an expert at a drip pot or a percolator, nothing fancy. Do you have a manual?”

“Somewhere around here.” Will laughed and stepped in to take over, pouring fresh beans into the top and filling the carafe with water. “I’ve actually got milk and sugar thanks to my sister’s visit.” Once he set the machine brewing, he took plates from a cabinet. “Did anyone come to the door while I was gone?”

“No.” She chose a pumpkin muffin for herself, peeled back the wrapping, and took a bite. “Hmm. Wonderful.”

When Will didn’t explain, she glanced up, startled by his frown. She tightened inside. Something was wrong here, but she didn’t know what. “Were you expecting someone?”

“Not at all.” He touched her cheek. “But I was worried.”

She crossed her arms. He’d told her last night she was safe. “What happened?”

“I saw your stalker at the coffee shop.” Will took his cell from a pocket and swiped to the first photo. “This is what he looks like today.”

She took his cell and studied the image. Her long-haired creep had cleaned up. “He got his hair cut and sure doesn’t look like a band groupie.”

“There are more.” He reached over her shoulder and swiped to the next photo.

The coffee machine pinged, and Will poured them both a cup. She sipped her brew, chewed and swallowed another tasty bite. As she shifted between several more photos, a realization slammed her.

She set down her muffin. “I know where I’ve seen him before. I don’t know his name, but I’m pretty sure he attended the seminar my boss and I presented on the preliminary results of our research. At the university. It was part of an annual conference on our field. There were scientists from all over the world. About a hundred, hundred and fifty people in attendance.”

“That’s a crowd.” Will studied her, his dark, auburn brows still drawn together. “What made you remember him in particular?”

“He was with the group of men who clustered around my boss afterwards asking questions.”

Will had already demolished his muffin and was leaning forward, the long fingers of one hand wrapped around his cup. “Did you notice anyone else in particular?”

She sipped her coffee, considering. “I saw T-shirt guy speak privately with a stocky older man with slicked-back dark hair. He wore a dark three-piece suit when most of the other attendees were in short sleeves.”

“Did you hear what they were asking?”

“No, my boss gave me his presentation notes to stash in the safe behind the hospitality desk. He didn’t have time to take them back to his office because he worried someone would follow him and discover where we worked. He didn’t want to leave them lying around, either. We try to keep information private and have codes and swipe cards for entry.”

“Sounds like solid security to me.” Will sipped his brew.

“I guess something about these guys raised my boss’s concerns. We have a responsibility to keep these organisms safe and out of the hands of the public. I got his presentation locked up and then went to another room to help with refreshments. According to Dr. Hepler later, these two didn’t circulate and kept him from doing so himself. He’s going to lodge a complaint to make sure no one besides researchers and government officials be allowed to attend these seminars.”

“Sounds like a good plan.”

Gwen walked to the windows. “Can people on the street see us standing at the window?”

“I doubt it. This is the twentieth floor.”

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