Page 81 of Tell Me (Savannah 3)

“You were afraid that I wouldn’t let you in on the O’Henry case,” he accused. “That I might think it’s too dangerous and should be just the department’s investigation, without any help from my fiancée the reporter.”

“Well, yes . . . I did consider all that.”

“Nik.” His eyes were dark with worry. “This is just a case to me and a story to you. It’s not worth putting your life in any danger!”

“I told you, it started before I was assigned to report on Blondell O’Henry’s release, before I sent in an idea for a new book. It could have nothing to do with the case.”

“Fine. Great. But you have to admit that you going to the cabin where Amity was killed and finding a snake in your damned car is the direct result of your work on the O’Henry case.”

“Apparently I’m getting close, Reed. Worrying someone. Making them nervous. Flushing them out!”

“I think we should reconsider this whole deal we had. It’s too dangerous. I don’t know what I was thinking!” He slammed his door shut, then started toward the house.

“Reed—” She scrambled out of her side of the car. “Damn it all to hell!” Hurrying around the Caddy’s wide trunk, she caught up with him at the gate. “You can’t renege now.”

“I can damn well do anything I want.”

“Calm down. I’m okay.”

“No. You’re not. And it’s because of this case, so all bets are off.”

He was through the gate and cutting through the garden, letting himself in the back of the building’s large foyer. Nikki took off after him again, her boots tracking mud over the polished hardwood and up the main staircase, but she didn’t care. He couldn’t stop her now. “I never thought you’d back out of a deal,” she accused, chasing after him, leaving more prints left on the carpet that covered all three flights of the old wooden stairs.

“Then you thought wrong.”

“Reed. Wait. Just listen!” But he was already at the third floor, where the door was open and a lanky man in a brown jumpsuit and owlish glasses was crouched just inside. A few cobwebs clung to his shoulders and hair as he snapped a toolbox closed and greeted Reed familiarly.

“Hey, just finishing up.”

“Nikki, this is Monty Hemler. Monty, this is my fiancée, Nicole Gillette.” As they nodded to each other, Reed continued, “Hemler here is the department’s technical expert. He and his assistant have been searching the place.”

“Barry’s already gone,” Hemler said, explaining why he was alone. He pulled off a pair of tight-fitting gloves, then stuffed them into his pocket.

From the bathroom, there was a series of frantic barks. “Oh, had to lock up your pets,” Helmer said. “Sorry.”

“I think they’ll survive,” Reed said.

Hemler nodded. “Anyway, I was just on my way out. The place is clean. No unwanted bugs of any kind. No video, no audio. I checked the attic and even the basement, but I didn’t bother with the first- or second-floor units, just the hallways, as you said they were occupied.”

Nikki felt a wave of relief. “Good. Thank you.”

“No problem.” He flashed a smile, then picked up his toolbox and said to Reed, “As for the equipment you located outside, it was pretty low-end. I’m thinking amateur. Could be just some nerdy kid like I was who’s into electronics, only this one gets his jollies spying on people.”

“That innocent?” Reed was skeptical.

Hemler lifted a dusty shoulder. “Maybe.”

“Thanks,” Reed said, and shook Hemler’s hand.

“Anytime.”

He let himself out, and they heard his footsteps retreating down the stairs.

“See,” she said, some of her anxiety eased. “No reason to worry.”

He scanned the inside of the apartment. “Lots of reasons to worry,” he disagreed. “And I’m thinking that with you as my wife, it’s only going to get worse.”

“There’s still time to back out on the wedding, y’know,” she said, hitching up her chin. “But you can’t weasel out of the deal we had about the case. That’s set in stone.” She stalked to the bathroom and let a frantic Mikado out. Jennings, true to his lazy personality, strolled into the living area and, disdainful of the jumping dog, wound himself through her legs. She petted both animals, and Mikado calmed a bit, while Jennings, as if bored with the whole scene, wandered off toward the dining area. As she stroked the dog, something nagged at her, something she couldn’t quite call up. What the hell was it? Something she’d heard when she was dealing with the dog? That was it. When she was picking up Mikado from Ruby’s Ruff and Ready. Something about Ruby’s brothers being hot for Blondell . . .

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