Page 8 of Wired Justice

“Jealous?” Jake sounded almost cheerful. “Because I think I made it clear I wasn’t interested in her.”

If only she were quicker at repartee!Sophie’s tongue felt thick and her throat choked with inarticulate exclamations that didn’t clarify her confusion about Jake and his behavior one bit. “Son of a yak!” she muttered. She loaded her backpack into the rear area, secured Ginger on the back seat, and took her place in front beside her partner. He started the rental, and they roared out of the South Hilo Police Department parking lot with more throttle than necessary.

The open road leading out of Hilo led toward a campground in the Waimea area, where Julie Weathersby had stayed before Volcanoes National Park, where she’d disappeared. The wind blowing through the open vehicle gradually swept the awkwardness away. Sophie enjoyed the plethora of bright flowers, tall grasses, and overarching tropical trees as they drove.

“I wish I didn’t get drawn into these situations,” she said, and the wind whipped her words away.

“What?” Jake shouted.

Sophie glanced into the back seat of the Jeep. Ginger’s eyes were slitted shut as the breeze ruffled her fur. The dog looked totally content. If only life were even an eighth as simple for her as it was for her dog.

“I wish I didn’t keep getting into these things. Body dumps. Missing people. So much violence.”

“That’s the nature of the job. You could always go back to working behind a computer.” Jake’s gaze was compassionate. He felt sorry for her. It was not acceptable.

“I’m well aware of that, Jake Dunn. I have chosen this path, and for some reason I am here to help find answers, help people who cannot help themselves. I thought I was going to be a tourist for once, that’s all. I feel like my walkabout has been hijacked. First by the body dump, then by you and this case.”

“I’m sorry.” His hand landed on her leg for the second time. She removed it with both of hers and set it back on the steering wheel.

“That’s quite enough of that. We are not a ‘thing,’ Jake. And I don’t know why you said we were.”

Jake was silent. Sophie sneaked a glance at him, and his profile was stony. She couldn’t leave it alone. “I don’t understand why you said that we were a couple.”

“I was just trying to get Freitan off my back.”

“But it did not slow her down a bit.”

“No, it did not.” Jake’s knuckles gleamed white on the wheel. “That was awkward. I apologize if I made you uncomfortable.”

“Yes, you made me uncomfortable. I accept your apology. Freitan was inappropriate.” Sophie hated how stiff and wooden she sounded.

“Would it be so bad?”

“What?”

“If we were a couple. A thing.”

Sophie glanced at him. That muscle in his jaw looked like a cable. His gunmetal eyes were glued to the road. His arms were so tight she wondered that he didn’t break the steering wheel. She glimpsed a smear of blue ink on the inside of his arm near the elbow. Was that where she’d written her number?

“It would not work. We . . . irritate each other.” Sophie’s heart was pounding so hard she felt it in her temples.

“And yet . . .”

“And yet, what?” She turned to face him.

“And yet. That’s all I’m saying.” He refused to look at her.

She flounced around in the seat, fiddled with her seatbelt. “I would never be one of your . . .bed buddies, Jake.”

“Nor would I be one of yours. I told you that when you propositioned me. Remember?” His eyes seared her. Gray was just the wrong word for them. They were definitely silver. Silver with blue.

“Oh. That. I was drunk.” That awful prickling on her chest and neck had returned. “Drinking lowers inhibitions. Everyone knows that. That’s why I don’t drink.”

“And sometimes they call booze a truth serum. Dutch courage. Drinking gets you to tell what’s really going on. Were you telling the truth that day on Maui, Sophie, when you asked me to have sex with you?”

Sophie couldn’t breathe. All this air whipping around, and she couldn’t breathe. “I can’t be in a relationship right now. I told Alika the same thing.”

“That slick asshole. I knew he was making a move.”

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