Page 17 of Cold Threat

Beth had just bent over to put a plate in the bottom rack of the dishwasher. She slid it in and then stayed where she was for a moment. When she straightened up, she turned and met River’s gaze.

“I don’t blame you,” she said. “But I have to admit that I did at first. Tony was supposed to have a safe job. A behavioral analyst for the FBI. Not a field agent. I mean, I knew he had to travel to different locations sometimes, but he wasn’t supposed to be in harm’s way.” She sighed deeply and looked down. “I couldn’t figure out why he was out there that night. The Salt River Strangler threw victims into that river. What in the world would possess him to go there? I figured it had to be your fault.” She looked up and stared into River’s eyes. Then she reached over and put her hand on River’s arm. “I forgot that Tony makes his own decisions. Good or bad, no one can force him to do something he doesn’t think is right. For whatever reason, he felt he was supposed to be there that night. With you.” She smiled slowly. “Besides, I realized something very important after I met you last night.”

“And that was?”

“That my son would never have gone there with you if therehad even been a hint of danger. He would have kept both of you away. I believe he cares more about you than he does himself.”

Beth let go of River’s arm and took the cup from her hand. Not sure what to say to that, River reached for another plate in the sink and ran it under the faucet. Did Beth think she and Tony were a couple? Surely not. River didn’t want her to misunderstand.

“Beth, Tony and I are just friends. You understand that, right?”

Beth was silent for a moment before softly saying, “Are you certain about that?”

River was about to repeat her denial of anything beyond friendship, but the words seemed to stick in her throat. Did she have deeper feelings for Tony? Was she trying to suppress them?

“Our partnership is so important,” she said finally. “I don’t want anything to put that in jeopardy.”

“I completely understand,” Beth said. “But there’s something else to consider. Sometimes if we wait too long to acknowledge what’s in our hearts, we may lose something much more valuable than a good working relationship.”

River had no idea how to respond to that. She went back to silently rinsing the dishes until Tony strode into the kitchen. “Ready to go?” he asked her, a smile on his face.

He looked so handsome in his black coat and jeans it took River a moment to answer. She felt her face grow warm. “Sure. We’re finished here.”

She headed for the coat closet in the hallway, Beth’s words echoing in her mind.Sometimes if we wait too long to acknowledge what’s in our hearts, wemay lose something much more valuable than a working relationship.

CHAPTER

TEN

After retrieving the coffee his mother had prepared for them, River and Tony headed outside. Mom was right. The air was so cold it almost took Tony’s breath away.

“I should have warmed up the SUV before we came out here,” he said. “Sorry.”

“It doesn’t matter,” River said. “It heats up quickly. Besides, we have your mom’s coffee to keep us warm.”

Tony smiled and took a sip from his cup. He loved Burlington and was excited to share it with River. Maybe someday, when he retired, he’d come back here. It wasn’t a tiny town. Around twenty-five thousand people, but it was connected to West Burlington, Middletown, and Gulfport, Illinois, making it seem larger. Situated on the banks of the Mississippi River, Burlington was full of history and charm.

After a couple of minutes, he turned on the heater and the air blew out, filling the car with warmth.

“There we go,” he said. He’d just put the car in gear when several flakes of snow drifted down. Although he loved snow, this time it felt a little ominous. Was his father seeing this? Was he worriedthat the Snowman might strike tonight? Tony had to admit that he felt some concern as well.

He turned on the wipers and the back window defroster. As he pulled out of the driveway, River said, “It’s starting to snow.”

It was said as a statement of fact, but the seriousness in her tone made it clear she was thinking the same thing he was.

“It doesn’t mean anything will happen tonight,” he said. “My dad’s had this case on his brain for a long time. I’m sure he worries anytime it snows.”

“I realize that,” River said, “but can’t you feel it? Like there’s something in the air?”

“Yeah, it’s called snow,” Tony said dryly. “Look, let’s enjoy the tour and lunch with my sister. After that, we’ll buckle down and work on the profile for my dad. It’s all we can do right now. If this guy is really preparing to kill someone, we have no way to stop him. No way to find him yet.”

“So, knowing that, right now, someone may be planning for Christmas, walking around, breathing, but by tonight may be dead ... that doesn’t bother you?”

He looked over at her. “That’s not fair. You know me better than that.”

River sighed. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I said that. I guess I’m tired of thinking about murderers, rapists, and arsonists. It would be nice to just take a vacation, you know? I mean, what if we could have come here just for fun? No serial killers involved.”

“You really do need a break, don’t you?”

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