Page 44 of Wicked and Claimed

“What’s your next move?” she asked as she booted up her laptop and tried to act like his about-face wasn’t flustering her at all.

“This morning, I’m going to see if I can speak to the mother of the victim abducted on Christmas Eve. The girl’s father, when I talked to him last night, was a mess. He wants to help, but he wasn’t there, so he can’t add anything. Instead, he’s going to do his best to bolster his wife so she can tell me everything she remembers.”

Haisley’s heart hurt for the woman. “I’m sure she’s beating herself up for not stopping the kidnapping. Just like I’m sure the police grilled her, and every time she has to answer questions, she relives the tragedy.”

“Exactly. And there’s no way to be gentle.”

Not when they needed cold, hard facts and time was of the essence. “Unfortunately.”

“I’m also going to talk to two of the girls who managed to escape, see how closely their stories match and make sure Detective Dipshit didn’t overlook something crucial. The other one who got away is still out for the holidays. Then this evening, I’ll head back to the mall. Two of the teenagers who work at the food court’s pastry shop will be working. I have permission from their manager to ask them questions. She’s very concerned about the situation over there and has refused to let any of her female employees go to that restroom without an escort.”

“Good for her.”

“Sad it has to come to that, but yes.”

“Anything else you need from me?” As soon as the words left her mouth, Haisley wished she could snatch them back. She’d left herself wide open for one of Nash’s flirty suggestions that would be so tempting and damn near impossible to refuse.

But he surprised her by keeping things aboveboard and professional again. “The list of facility employees I have is dated December first. Can you see if Benedict has something more recent? I want to see if anyone has left their job in the last thirtyish days and find out why.”

“Actually, Mila told me yesterday afternoon she’s working on that. I’ll get with her as soon as she’s available and forward it to you.”

“Thank you. See if you can also find out if there’s any employee handbook for the people who work for the mall itself, especially management and maintenance. The general manager and I played phone tag yesterday. By the end of the day, it started to feel intentional. From what I gather, he’s a slimy little bastard who cuts corners. No one likes him.”

“Got it. I’ll also find out why Mr. Benedict hired him and what his qualifications are.”

“Good call. I think that’s it.”

Haisley frowned. Seriously? Not a single innuendo-laden comment or a double entendre from Nash? Not even a wink? If he had behaved this way yesterday, she would have been convinced that their New Year’s Eve kiss was alcohol-fueled, but that sober Nash wasn’t interested at all. The thought made her chest tighten.

“Yeah. Um, do you need me to go with you to the mall tonight?” As soon as the words were out, Haisley winced. OMG, that sounded desperate. “I mean you’re going to be talking to teenagers and?—”

“I’d rather not have you near the mall.” His voice dropped. “Bad shit is happening there. I already hate that your job has involved you in this mess. Unless it’s necessary, I don’t want you in deeper.”

“But you’re in.”

“Like I said, I don’t fit the victim profile, and I’m trained for this.”

“But it’s dangerous for you, too.” The words slipped out before she could stop them.

“Ethan will back me up.”

“He’s a fukboi. How can you take him seriously?”

“Since we started renting a house together, I’ve gotten to know him better. He’s more serious than you think, and he’s damn good at his job. I did some digging. His dad and three uncles are all local legends in Vegas for taking down a mob boss terrorizing the city. He learned from the best.”

She trusted Nash’s judgment since he obviously knew Ethan better, but she was miffed that Nash had flatly refused to spend any part of the evening with her. And yes, she realized she was being contradictory. But the fact that he suddenly didn’t seem interested in her except as a partner in this case rattled her more than she wanted to admit.

“All right. Um…maybe you could call me after your interviews tonight to tell me what you found?”

He chugged back the last of his coffee, trashed the disposable cup, then shrugged. “Unless it’s something earth-shattering, there’s no reason for me to disturb your evening. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow.”

Now she was downright annoyed, a twinge of hurt pride mingling with her exasperation. “You’re right. I guess…I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

Nash pushed away from her desk and gave her an impersonal salute. “Talk to you then.”

With that, he sauntered out the door. Haisley watched his fine ass retreat until he disappeared.

Shaking her head, she sighed, trying to ignore the confusing ache in her chest at his abrupt departure. He’d given her exactly what she asked for—a purely professional relationship. She hated every second of it. What was wrong with her? Or maybe the better question was, what the hell was up with him?

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