Page 85 of A Step You Shouldn't Take

“Will you two stop bickering?” Kim was already pointing out the window. “Stop here. There’s a guy at the side of the road with his head… Actually, carry on. He’s wearing an old military uniform, so he won’t be in your precious database. Wait. Over there. A woman with a child.”

Juanita and Isabella Diaz, we found out. Run over by a drunk driver in the eighties, and they’d been standing there ever since. We huddled in the cool air while Wyatt made his phone call, and this time when he hung up, he nodded grudgingly before a slow smile spread over his face.

“Okay, I believe you now.”

“About fucking time,” I said.

“But you know what this means?” He grinned at Kim. “This is huge! With your abilities, we’ll be able to solve every murder that comes across our desks. We can give you the right questions to ask, and—”

“Oh no. No, no, no.” She shook her head. “Solving murders is your job, not mine. I plan weddings.”

“But you’ve got this extraordinary skill…”

“I’m also good at picking out bridal gowns and selecting the perfect flowers for every occasion.”

“Don’t you want to see murderers get punished?”

“Of course I do, and don’t you dare lay a guilt trip on me. I didn’t ask for this gift. In fact, I’d rather not have it.”

“But when the world finds out…”

“Who’s going to tell them? You? Because I’ll deny everything and you’ll look like a fool. I admitted to what I can do for one reason and one reason only: to get justice for Emma Cullen and ensure the man who drugged me can’t hurt any more girls. Once that’s over, I’m going back to my world, which is ivory, white, and silver and doesn’t involve dead people.”

Kim turned on her heel and climbed into Wyatt’s truck, then slammed the door behind her so hard the hinges rattled.

And all I could do was smile because that was the moment I officially fell in love with Kimberly Jennings.

CHAPTER 25 - KIMBERLY

“IT WON’T DO up!”

I held the phone away from my ear to save my eardrums from Tara Bowman’s shrieks. “The designer can adjust the seams a little. That’s why we have this final fitting.”

“Not this much. There’s, like, two inches of gap.”

Oh, great. Now we had sobbing.

“I’m coming, okay? Give me half an hour and I’ll be there.”

Eight thirty on Monday morning, and a simple dress fitting had gone horribly awry. Silently, Reed slid a bottle of Tylenol in my direction. After Wyatt’s efforts yesterday and now this, I was tempted to swallow the whole darn lot.

“Problem?” he asked.

“At work? Nothing unusual, sadly.”

No, my bigger worry was the investigation. Tim was still on the loose, a problem compounded by Emma’s disappearance and now Wyatt’s involvement. We’d barely spoken after I threatened him yesterday, and while I was positive Reed would take my secret to the grave, I had no such confidence in Wyatt.

The two men had come up with a plan last night. We knew the culprit must work at the British embassy, and thanks to Lil Shawn, we also knew he had a tattoo. So starting today, they’d follow each man to the gym, the swimming pool, a sports game, anywhere he might take off his shirt, and eliminate them one by one.

The other possibility was a further line-up with Maria, but none of us had confidence in her ability to recognise Tim now more time had passed, especially since we knew he kept changing his appearance. No, finding the tattoo was our best hope. It wouldn’t be the fastest process, but Wyatt concurred with Reed’s opinion that getting information from the embassy in a formal manner would be an impossible task. They didn’t share.

I stared out the kitchen window at the frost twinkling on my back lawn. If only it were summer. Solving the mystery would be so much easier if the sun was out and everyone was wearing short sleeves.

“Want me to make breakfast before you go?” Reed offered.

“No time.”

“Coffee? I can put it in a to-go cup.”

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