Page 377 of Cold Case, Warm Hearts

He didn’t know why she needed that qualifier but didn’t mind if she wanted neutral ground. “There’s a place on the corner of Broadway and Ninth. It’s called Luce Del Sole. I’ll call for a reservation and let you know?”

She nodded. “I’ll be there. Just tell me when.”

“Thanks, Addie.”

She sifted her stance. “How do you know I’ll be there to spend time with you, and not so I can build a profile that pins murder after murder on you?”

She worried he’d lump her in with the police? He didn’t even do that with Hank. “My circle might be small, but you’ve always been in it.”

“Why now?”

“You’re here.” He wasn’t sure how to explain it. “You’ve always felt to me like a ‘once in a lifetime’ sort of thing.”

Her expression softened, though he wasn’t sure she was aware of it.

Jacob lifted his chin. “I’ll let you get back to work.”

She crossed to him and kissed his cheek. Jacob didn’t move. He just enjoyed the closeness. The memories wrapped up in the present.

She practically stopped his heart, if he was willing to entertain yet more sentimental thoughts about her. Usually that only happened at three in the morning, daydreaming while he stared out of his windows at the city skyline.

Not the dawn. Looking at the dawn was too painful.

“Soon.”

“Yeah.” He choked the word out. “See you soon.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Addie tried to tell herself the cabins were on her way back to the office. The truth was, she was nowhere near the highway route she’d take downtown.

Instead, she’d turned onto the freeway that ran east.

The conversation she’d had with Thea Ackerman’s aunt at the retirement home had been a bust. The woman had declined quickly after her niece was murdered. She was unlikely to recover. Still, they’d had a nice conversation. Addie had asked her plenty of questions but hadn’t learned anything to help her investigation.

Eight miles later she saw a bright sign for Second Chances Rental Cabins.

Addie hit her turn signal and got off the freeway.

She stopped at the bottom of the off ramp. Instead of checking the way was clear and turning, her foot didn’t move off the brake.

She stared across the street at the on ramp to get back on the freeway—in the wrong direction. She’d end up heading toward eastern Washington, farther away from Benson.

Who knew where she would end up?

A car behind her honked, long and loud. Addie hit the gas and turned toward the rentals. The car sped up and overtook her.

She didn’t look to see if they flipped her off. Otherwise she’d be tempted to pull them over just for being a turd—if this car had lights and sirens, which it did not. Yet. Or she could call the license plate into the police. Not exactly the professional impression she wanted to give the cops about her.

Addie didn’t overthink about where she was going. The signs were nice. She liked the idea of second chances. Was this what she thought it was?

Years ago, after their abduction, they’d been brought out here. Locked in cabins the killer had retrofitted with all kinds of terrifying things she still had nightmares about. Had someone seriously turned the whole place into a resort of vacation rental cabins?

Why anyone would want to sleep in a killer’s playground, she had no idea.

Everyone who lived in town knew where it went down. There had been so many people there when she and Jake were rescued. Cops. Feds. Reporters. Spectators. Her mom. What kind of person knowingly stayed here now?

Maybe they were super cheap to rent, and people ignored the history. The owner might have burned them all down and rebuilt them from scratch.

---