Page 313 of Cold Case, Warm Hearts

When she finished eating, she wiped her mouth with a napkin and sat back in her chair. “I owe you an apology.”

“For what?”

“For doubting you.” She avoided looking his way. “When you came into O’Brian’s Mug, I should’ve known better than to assume you were on a date.” She twisted her hair around her finger and bit the corner of her lip.

He stood and walked around the table. Bending down in front of her, he tipped her chin, so he could look into her eyes. “That was my fault. I should’ve called and told you ahead of time I was meeting with her. Don’t blame yourself.”

She clutched the front of his shirt and held on.

A tear slipped past her defenses, and he brushed it away with his thumb. “I never meant to hurt you.”

Her hands released their death grip on his shirt, and she brushed the wrinkles out, sending shock waves through his system. He rested his hand on top of hers. “You have no idea what you’re doing to me.”

She bit her lip. “I’m sorry.”

“We should get back to work.” He stood and pulled her up with him.

When they’d resumed their spots at their temporary command center, she snatched up the list and waved it at him. “Who should we speak to first?”

“Let’s split the list down the middle. We can each call half of the donors and see if they remember who they gave their donations to.”

An hour and numerous phone calls later, Emily looked up from the computer and her gaze found his. “I may have found a connection.”

Pete kneltbeside Jamie and brushed her hair off her forehead. She’d been so beautiful, but now she was lifeless. Itbrought him sadness. He wished he could bring her back, so he could spend more time with her and relive watching her life seep slowly away as her blood was shed.

He hadn’t thought he’d grow up to be a killer. It wasn’t his fault. Not really. If the good senator hadn’t chased his father away, hadn’t left him feeling so inadequate that the only solution he could find was the business end of a shotgun, things might’ve been different. If he’d grown up in a healthy functional household, maybe he would’ve grown up to be a healer. A doctor. He smiled at the thought. He was intelligent. His IQ was 185. What good had his superior intellect done him? Happiness eluded him. Nothing he accomplished filled the emptiness inside.

Murder was a release, but the thrill it gave him was short-lived. If someone didn’t stop him, he’d keep at it. He couldn’t stop himself.

Emily Davis would die next. He wouldn’t settle for anyone else. It had to be her. There was a way around all the security measures she had in place. He was certain of it. He needed to find the weakest link and exploit it. It wouldn’t be long now. Pete could almost feel her in his arms.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Emily stared at her notes. John Cunningham was a state trooper, but it was evident from talking to the list of donors from the 2021 campaign that all the contributions made on July 3rdat Senator Martin's gala were received by him.

Wade lifted the notepad from in front of her and studied it. “We need to go further back. Let’s check donations from previous years. Call Senator Martin’s office and find out when her gala was held in 2019 and 2020. We might need to go back further, but let’s start there. I’m going to let my lieutenant know where this investigation is leading, so he’ll be prepared if we need to check out John.”

“I hope it isn’t him.”

“Me too. He saved me from a bullet yesterday.”

“What!?”

“That drug raid I mentioned. A guy got the drop on me. If it wasn’t for Cunningham’s quick trigger finger, I would’ve taken one in the vest.”

“At least you were wearing your vest.”

“Always.” He handed her notepad back to her. “It’s a shame the guy died. We weren’t able to question him about Parsons’ whereabouts.”

“Do you think Parsons is involved in the murders?”

“It’s hard to tell. Jamie disappeared after he was released. That makes him look guilty.”

“But it could be someone trying to set him up to take the fall.”

“Yes. It could.” He frowned. “Let’s keep following the Cunningham angle and see where it leads us.”

She gave him a mock salute.

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