Page 38 of The Protégé

She angled her head, studying me. “So you have researched me.”

“You’re an interesting woman.”

A hint of blush bloomed on her cheeks. I smiled and made her even more flustered.

She shrugged. “It’s my job to tell the truth.” Her eyes flashed with defiance. “The media is dangerous with its ability to distort. I just want the truth, even if it’s bad.”

At that moment she appeared even more beautiful to me. A person who valued the truth was someone I admired and respected.

“I agree.”

“When I received a tip today, I had to go check it out. What are your thoughts on this?”

“I think you’re onto something.” I leaned into the table, and her floral scent teased me. “The deceased got a loan and bought a life insurance policy. Sounds counterproductive. If you need a loan, you shouldn’t have the extra income to pay for the monthly policy. Do you know if he was experiencing financial issues?”

“Yes. His wife had a medical condition that required surgery and their health insurance wouldn’t cover all the costs.”

“Do you have a copy of the policy?” he asked. “I’ll look and let you know.”

“I got a copy from his wife. Why are you helping me?”

“You’re working for me, and this seems important to you. I prefer you to focus on what I need. If I can help you, it benefits me too. Besides, I also want to know the truth. Sounds like an elaborate scam, but I need more details.”

“Thank you.”

I shouldn’t have volunteered to help her because I had a full plate already, but I couldn’t help it. I should have left her house now. There were things waiting for me to do, but I couldn’t get myself to leave.

I should push all inappropriate thoughts about her out of my mind. It was making me unproductive, but being with herrelieved my anxiety. It was all the excuse I needed to spend time with her.

The passionate way she spoke about the case made me want to help her. She wasn’t doing this for money. She was doing it because it was the right thing to do. If there was everan injustice done to me, I’d want someone like her to be on my side.

The case intrigued me. I had more thoughts on it, but I didn’t want to share them with her until I was certain my suspicion was correct.

“Why wereyouin that area today?” she asked.

How much info should I give her? I’d never shared what I did with anyone.

“I was doing some charity work. Was heading home when I spotted you.”

That wasn’t a complete lie. I was helping society remove filth. That was my charity, my contribution. What I took from him was going to be sold, and the money would be donated to local charities. I didn’t want Elena to be involved in this darkness.

Though she appeared like she enjoyed investigating unsolved cases, the world I dwelled in and the monsters I knew were too dangerous for her.

“Thank you for coming to my rescue,” she said.

“You’re welcome.”

“You carry a slingshot in your car?” She flicked me a curious gaze.

I had a box and several bags of important tools for my escapades. Preparation was key to a successful and quick escape. But she didn’t need to know all the details.

I was her boss. If she knew who I truly was, she’d quit before even starting.

I lifted a shoulder. “It’s a childhood hobby that I still love.”

To my surprise, she smiled. “Can you teach me sometime?”

“You want to learn how to use a slingshot?”

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