Page 26 of Ruthless Cross

"I could use a story that has nothing to do with me. I could also use a coffee and maybe something to eat. I know you're eager to get back into Arthur's house, but I need a little break. Maybe I can meet you there later."

"Or we could have a late lunch/early dinner. I'm hungry, too. It has been a long time since breakfast. I can tell you my story while we eat."

As much as she wanted to put some distance between herself and Flynn, she was also interested in learning more about him. "All right. Where do you want to go?"

"You're the chef. You pick."

"One of my favorite restaurants is not far from here. Do you like seafood?"

"Love it. Where's the restaurant?"

"It's in Malibu. Is that too far?"

"Not at all. Why don’t I drive? We can pick up your car on our way back to Arthur's house."

"That's fine. And this is my mother's car. She and Arthur picked me up in the limo last night. I haven't been to my apartment since then."

"Where's your place?"

"Manhattan Beach."

"Not too far from me. I'm in Santa Monica."

"I guess we both like being near the water."

"I love it. I surf three times a week."

"You're a surfer and an FBI agent? That's an interesting combination."

He flashed her a smile that warmed her like a blast of sunlight. "I like being a contradiction. Predictability can be boring."

"Then you're going to have a boring dinner, because I'm pretty much the poster child for predictability."

"Somehow I doubt that," he said, opening the car door for her. "I have a feeling you have hidden depths, Callie Harper."

As she slid into the passenger seat, she thought he might be right, but she'd buried parts of herself so deep, she didn't think they were ever coming back to light.

Chapter Seven

They didn't talk muchon the way to Malibu. Despite asking him to share his story, Callie seemed more interested in looking out the window. Clearly, she needed time to decompress after leaving her mother at the hospital. Even though she was torn up inside about lying to her mom, he believed she'd done exactly the right thing.

He'd witnessed firsthand Juliette's attempt to throw herself off the balcony. While her efforts had been clumsy and confused, she might have succeeded if Callie hadn't pulled her to the ground. And worse than leaving her mom at the hospital would be having to deal with her killing herself. Hopefully, Juliette would get the help she needed. But he had a feeling he would have to solve this case without Juliette's input, because he had no doubt that she was having a breakdown. She wasn't faking anything to get out of questions. She was truly out of her mind at the moment.

Not that that meant she was innocent. Her breakdown could be because she felt guilty for having Arthur killed. There was no way she could have done it herself. But she could have paid someone else to do it. She had a history of instability. Who knew to what lengths she would have gone if she thought Arthur was cheating on her?

But that was all speculation. And he dealt in facts. He just needed to find some.

When they arrived at the restaurant, he turned his car over to the valet and ushered Callie into the restaurant. It was a little before five and there were only three couples in the room, all over the age of seventy.

"Are you feeling old?" Callie asked with a light smile as they sat at a beautiful table overlooking the water.

"We're definitely in the early-bird-special crowd tonight," he said, smiling back at her, thinking once again how pretty she was, even exhausted and overwhelmed. There was still a beauty to her features, to her big, dark eyes, to her unblemished skin and sweet pink lips. He cleared his throat, directing his attention to his menu before his thoughts got the better of him.

"Callie, oh my God, I was just thinking about you," a woman said, as she approached the table. She wore a white chef's coat, her brown hair pulled up in a high ponytail. "Veronica told me you were here. I couldn't believe it. I heard about what happened to your stepfather on the news this morning. I was going to text you, but I didn't want to bother you."

"Thanks. It's been a rough day." As the chef's gaze darted to his, Callie added, "This is Flynn MacKenzie. My good friend Melissa Haven. She's the chef here."

"Nice to meet you," he said, noting that Callie had omitted the fact that he was an FBI agent.

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