Page 19 of Let Her Live

Fiona and Jake exchanged a glance. They didn't want to incite any more anger from Patrick, especially since they didn't have any concrete evidence to hold against him. But they had to be thorough, and that meant following every lead, no matter how small.

"We're just trying to get to the bottom of this case," Fiona said. "If you have nothing to hide, then there's no reason for you to be upset."

Patrick let out a heavy sigh, and Fiona could tell he was trying to calm himself down. "Fine," he said. "You can talk to Karen. She'll tell you the same thing I did."

"Good," Jake said. "We'll need her contact information."

"Yeah," Patrick drawled out, "no problem. 'Cause I'm innocent, and I can prove it."

Fiona watched as Patrick leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed and a smug expression on his face. She wondered if he really believed he was innocent or if he was just putting on an act for their benefit. Regardless, she knew that they needed to follow up on Karen Sweeney and see if her story corroborated Patrick's.

"Thank you, Mr. Yates," Jake said, packing up his files. "We'll be in touch about our next steps in the investigation."

Patrick nodded curtly, his eyes narrowing as they left the room. Fiona could feel his gaze following them as they walked out of the station. She couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that had settled in her chest, and she wondered if Patrick Yates was more dangerous than he seemed. She couldn't forget the feeling of his hand flying up and hitting her face; it still stung, but she had to be strong.

In the police station hallway, Jake faced Fiona with a tired expression. They'd been through a lot today, and Fiona could tell this investigation was only going to get more difficult if it turned out Patrick was innocent.

"What do we think about this Karen story?" Jake asked her.

"I'm not sure," Fiona replied. "It sounds plausible, but it could also be possible that she'd lie to cover for him."

"Agreed," Jake said. "I'm gonna look into it, cover all our bases, and have the locals look into security footage and bank statements too, to corroborate his whereabouts after we get Karen's statement. Could take a while." Jake sighed, then glanced at Fiona's face. She blushed and looked away with tingles in her chest. "Why don't you grab us a hotel, Red? That dirtbag hit you pretty hard, and you look exhausted. I can finish up here while you get some rest."

"But you're tired too," Fiona reasoned. "I can stay and help out—"

"Honestly, it's grunt work, Red," Jake said, "and not in your job description." He grinned. "At least, not until you end up being a real field agent. You're doing a lot of extra work already. Go on, get us a room, and I'll meet you there."

Fiona nodded, feeling a mixture of gratitude and apprehension. She was grateful for Jake's concern but apprehensive about being alone with her thoughts. She couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something off about Patrick Yates, something that they hadn't been able to uncover yet. She wondered if Karen Sweeney would be the key to unlocking the mystery or if they were just chasing a dead end.

Either way, Jake was right; after the long flight and all the excitement today, she could use a shower and some time to unwind.

She had to trust that he'd be okay without her. But she knew that he would.

She just wondered if she'd be able to handle some alone time with her thoughts, especially with Mark's message burning a hole in her pocket.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

"You only have a single room?" Fiona asked the woman behind the counter, her stomach sinking. Every time she had shared a hotel with Jake, they'd had at least separate rooms within the unit, but this hotel only had single rooms. The thought of sleeping in an open space with him made her heart race with worry.

"There are two beds," the receptionist said, blowing bubblegum as she glared at Fiona through her glasses.

Fiona sighed, feeling antsy. She hoped Jake wouldn't be too uncomfortable with it.

"Okay," she resigned. "I'll take the one room, please."

The receptionist handed her a key and pointed down the hall. "Room 215. Have a good night."

Fiona took the key and made her way down the hall, her heart pounding with nerves. She wasn't sure why she was so nervous; she and Jake had worked together for some time now and had shared hotel rooms before. But something about this felt different. Maybe it was the lingering tension from the interrogation with Patrick Yates, or maybe it was the fact that Mark's message still weighed heavily on her mind. Or maybe it was that damn kiss that she still hadn't forgotten about.

She couldn't stop thinking about it, even as she opened the door to the hotel room.

It was clean and simple, with two twin beds pushed against opposite walls. There was a small TV on a stand in the corner and a bathroom attached to the room. Fiona tossed her bag onto the bed closest to the door and sat down, taking a deep breath. She wondered if Jake would be okay with the sleeping arrangements or if it would be too awkward for him as well. Either way, she took out her phone and sent him a message with the room number.

Now that she was alone and on her phone, Fiona knew she had to face the fact that Mark had sent her a message, even after she'd told him she needed space and said they'd talk when she returned to Portland.

He was far too pushy, and it only reaffirmed the knowledge that she had to break up with him for real.

She had tried today, and clearly, it hadn't stuck. Why was it so difficult?

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