Page 23 of A Dark Place

It was as if it were just Holden and Asher in the room. “I’m confident that information will be uncovered soon.” Holden’s tone was just short of hostile.

“But the victims could be in danger if the real killer is still out there.”

Holden huffed out a breath, a feral smile on his face. “Agent Lackland, I would be careful whose side you form your allegiance with. You wouldn’t want to be labeled a traitor, now would you?”

Asher didn’t back down. “No, sir, I’m no traitor, but I sure don’t want to have the blood of any more innocent lives on my hands either. And I don’t want to frame an innocent man. I’m telling you if you close the case now, all of that will happen.”

???

A knock on the door distracted Asher from scouring information on the computer. It had been a horrible day with an unsatisfactory conclusion, and he still couldn’t understand why Holden would choose to wrap up a case this big. Especially with the potential killer still out there.

A second less patient knock had him on his feet and crossing the living room to open the door. He was surprised to see Olivia standing there. She held a pizza and sodas in her hand.

“I thought you could use some company after what happened today.”

Asher smiled his gratitude. He and Olivia were always in sync. When Sawyer was killed while serving his country in the marines two years earlier, they’d grieved together. Their friendship had grown stronger. He couldn’t imagine her not being in his life.

Asher opened the door wider. “You’re right.”

Olivia set the pizza down on the coffee table and glanced at the laptop where he’d been digging into Holden’s past.

“What’s this?” she pointed to the screen.

“Nothing. Just following a hunch.”

She squared off on him. “You’re checking into Holden?”

What was the point of denying it? “That’s right, I am. There’s something about that guy that sends off all sorts of warnings for me.”

“Asher. . .” She plopped down to the sofa beside the laptop and picked it up. “I agree with you about Holden. He has ulterior motives for sure, but I’m worried about you. If Holden finds out you’re looking into him, you’re going to be in more trouble than you are now.”

Asher took the laptop from her and set it on the floor. “I have to go with my gut, and it’s telling me we’re missing something important about Holden.”

She watched him for the longest time. “Yeah, I feel the same way. What did you find out?” She grabbed a piece of pizza and handed it to him.

“Not much so far. Only what we knew about his ties to Pamphili. It’s almost as if his past before he started college didn’t exist. Don’t you think that’s strange?”

Asher took a bite of the pizza and frowned. “Is that pineapple? I thought you were trying to cheer me up?”

She chuckled and snagged a slice for herself. “I happen to like pineapple, so zip it.”

He studied his partner of a couple of weeks. Bright red hair warned that she possessed a temper to match if he riled her up, and he had a habit of doing so.

When Olivia first joined the Bureau, Asher did his best to protect her until she finally sat him down and told him to stop. She could take care of herself. And she’d proven it again and again. Those green eyes flashed humor now, but she could stand her own against any agent at the FBI or any perp for that matter. She was beautiful, and he’d been attracted to her from the moment Sawyer brought her home to meet him and their father.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Do I have something on my face?” She wiped at her chin while heat rose up his neck.

He looked away. “No, you don’t. Sorry, I’m just thinking about Holden.”

She popped a piece of pepperoni into her mouth. “What do you want to do about him?”

Asher wasn’t sure. But there was more to Holden’s story than what was being told. “Someone has to know more about his past. . .” He stopped. “His wife. What if we could find a way to speak to her without getting Holden’s attention?”

“Like how?” She turned to face him. “Tell his wife we’re planning him a surprise party?” Olivia laughed at her own joke.

But it was perfect. “That’s it.” Asher’s mind started working out the details.

“What? No one’s going to believe you’re throwing him a surprise party. Everyone at the Bureau knows you can’t stand the guy.”

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