Page 6 of Heat of Justice

chapter 3

Kim did not allow herself to lean her elbows on the metal table and press the palms of both hands over her burning eyes. They felt dry. Gritty. She did not want to appear tired, weak, or even worse, unhinged in any way in front of the cool-eyed detective. She maintained her posture, even though what started off as a low-level line of tension behind her eyes early that morning and plagued her throughout the day now threatened to erupt into a vicious headache. The harsh fluorescent lighting affixed to the ceiling in this room did not help. She had barely slept, skipped breakfast and lunch, and was still looking ahead to some kind of food in the future. Dinner… Maybe. Hopefully! She could feel it all catching up with her. Her right hand shook a little as she took a sip of water to steady herself.Goddammit!The detective noticed.

“Are you alright, Ms. Reed?”

“Of course, I’m alright.”

A flicker of warmth and compassion in Miller’s eyes made Kim want to snap at her even worse. Total self-preservation, she knew. She was running on fumes at this point, aware that a good-looking woman offering even a hint of comfort might undo her completely. Even upon the first encounter, this one here inspired confidence and respect in equal measures. Something else, too... Kim would have had to be dead not to notice the way her khaki trousers highlighted slender muscles in her legsor the subtle rise of small but apparently firm breasts under her maroon shirt. Rolled-up sleeves afforded a glimpse of smooth skin and sinewy muscles in her forearms, and the three buttons open at the collar revealed a slender, graceful neck. For all her physical elegance, Detective Miller also projected plenty of self-assurance and power. The black handgun in a holster clipped to her belt no doubt helped with that… But if anything, it was her eyes: alert, steady, and sparkling with quiet intelligence, which achieved it even better. Annoyed at herself for noticing these details, even under such dire circumstances, Kim took a calming breath of her own.

“I don’t work on the defense side of things anymore. I’ve switched to family law,” she offered. “From time to time, I do pro bono work for a women’s rights association, through which I met Cassie.”

“Is your client married? What’s her situation?”

Her situation is that she’s dead!Though Kim was tempted to scream this out loud, she knew it would not get her the help she required any quicker… especially if she was forced to go into the real so-called‘crazy stuff’later on. Frankly, she did not see how it could be avoided. How would Detective Miller react to that? Hopefully, well enough, as she seemed experienced. But it was hard to be sure. Kim swallowed her frustration and gave her a bit more useful information for now.

“She’s been married twice to the same guy.”

“Twice?”

“The first time, she initiated divorce proceedings after she caught him screwing around with another woman. Literally. At home, in their bed. When she freaked out, he just laughed and invited her to join them.”

Miller pursed her lips but did not comment on that specific point.

“Please, continue,” she invited.

“Six months later, believe it or not, the son of a bitch got her to take him back. He apologized, told her she was the love of his life, promised it would never happen again, and convinced her to remarry. That’s when the violence started. Before then, he was just an unfaithful jerk. Bad enough, but not life-threatening. The second time, he became a vengeful drunk. He said he was going to make her pay for the divorce.”

“And now you think he killed her?”

“Correct. Cassie was terrified of him. It took her three years to work up the courage to try and get some help.”

“What was the trigger for her finally doing it?”

“He broke her wrist. Smashed her nose. She ended up in the ER, claiming it was all just an unfortunate accident, of course. But she caught the attention of a nurse who discreetly put her in touch with the women’s association. By the time she finally came to me, Cassie was one hundred percent determined to leave her husband. For good, this time.”

“Good,” Miller muttered, showing personal opinion for the first time.

“I helped her to set up a bank account, so she could start to save a bit of money from her job as a bakery assistant. Not surprisingly, he controlled the finances. If she needed anything, she had to ask him. I gave her a burner phone, and my private number, so she could reach me in an emergency. Detective…” Kim leaned forward intently. “Cassie would never just miss an appointment with me.”

“Has it occurred to you she may just have cut loose and run away?”

“Yes, it has. And no. She wouldn’t.”

“You seem very sure of that.”

“Totally. It’s not her type.”

Miller held her gaze, eyes hot and probing. She was intense, to say the least, and Kim struggled not to respond to that vibe.Amazed to find herself so uncharacteristically drawn to the woman, and instantly annoyed, she blamed the reaction on her own fatigue. It was a long time since she’d allowed herself to look at another woman. Even longer still since one registered enough on her radar to be tempted to do something about it. All of a sudden, it also struck her as a painful eternity. Meanwhile, Miller’s captivating blue eyes never left her face, searching deep, as if she were hoping to penetrate all the way into her soul. Kim shivered in spite of herself.

“Please, help me,” she murmured.

“Believe me, I’d like nothing better,” the detective replied, and she sounded sincere. “But you do need to be honest with me, and I don’t think you are right now. Not totally.”

Ah, damn.Kim did her best to stay composed.

“I am telling you the truth,” she stated.

Miller only fixed her more intently.

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