item?”
“It really bothers you doesn’t it?”
“Yes it bothers me. You can learn a lot about people and the things they keep. You don’t keep anything.”
“I suppose that's good. I’d hate to be judged by the junk I collect.”
“I think having nothing reveals as much.”
Her eyes narrowed. What did he think? That she was empty? Lonely? Uncreative? What?
“Even hotel rooms have more decor," he continued.
"Oh for Pete's sake," Tess said throwing off the blanket and stalking towards the kitchen. She grabbed the small round bowl with a reddish blue fish swimming inside. "Here. Meet Buster. How's that for decor?" she said handing Jack the bowl. "Better?”
“Much better thank you.” There was that dumb dimple again.
"Thank goodness for that. Now if you'll excuse me…" She hurried out of the room with one hand over her mouth and the other over her stomach.
~~~~
She was sitting on the floor of her bathroom with her head propped against the side of the tub when he poked his head in.
"Tess. I'm sorry -"
"Maybe you could just go now."
He shook his head as he sat next to her on the floor. "Sorry. I'm sticking."
She groaned. How much worse could this get? Why wouldn't he leave? "Maybe you could wait in the living room then," she said as she felt a new wave of nausea hit her.
"Maybe." He pulled her unruly curls out of her face as she leaned over the bowl. "But I think I'll stay."
She was mortified and yet grateful at the same time. When the worst was over, he helped her to her bed.
"I'll get more tea," he said when she was settled.
She shook her head. "No. I give up. I'll just lay here and die."
His lips twitched. "Water then. You need to keep hydrated."
"I'll pass."
"What should I tell Deputy Dan when he shows up to check on you?"
She thought about correcting Jack by telling him Daniel was police not sheriff's department, but it was more work than it was worth. "Just wake me."
"Tess, now isn't the right time, but I think maybe I'll need your services after all." He sat on the edge of the bed, adjusting the blankets around her.
"It seems like whatever Asa had planned will be postponed," she said remembering their agreement from the previous night.
"Probably, but that's not why I'll need your help."
“You're not going to confess to murder are you? I don't think I can handle that right now.”
"I broke into his computer."
It took a moment for the meaning of his words to compute in her brain. “Wait. You are confessing-”
“I didn't murder him.”
“You did something and I'm not in the right frame of mind to represent you, so keep it to yourself.” It was difficult to hold her eyes open, so she closed them and willed sleep to take her away.
“I want you.”
“You had your chance,” murmured as she let the fog surround her consciousness.
She thought she heard him laugh. “I'm talking about wanting you to be my lawyer.”
Oh right. Tess gave her head a shake. She was going to embarrass herself even more if she didn't stay focused. She forced her eyes open. “What did you do?”
"I used Asa's computer and emailed some of the files on it to myself."
"Last night?"
Jack nodded.
Tess rolled her eyes and moaned. "That's not very smart."
He tensed. "I didn't murder him."
"I'm sure the police will believe you when they find your prints on his computer and track the email to you."
"Look, if I was going to kill him, I wouldn't have left my prints. I'm not stupid."
"The point is that he's dead and your prints are on his laptop. And you stole information from it."
"Asa didn't care."
"He caught you?"
"I wasn't being sneaky. I didn't care if he caught me or not."
Tess gaped at him. She didn't remember him being so audacious. "What did he say?"
"You know Asa. He laughed. He liked that he was getting a rise out of me.”
"What did you do?"
"I got mad. We argued."
A memory of two men arguing flashed in Tess' mind. Had it been Jack and Asa? If she heard them, someone else
“It really bothers you doesn’t it?”
“Yes it bothers me. You can learn a lot about people and the things they keep. You don’t keep anything.”
“I suppose that's good. I’d hate to be judged by the junk I collect.”
“I think having nothing reveals as much.”
Her eyes narrowed. What did he think? That she was empty? Lonely? Uncreative? What?
“Even hotel rooms have more decor," he continued.
"Oh for Pete's sake," Tess said throwing off the blanket and stalking towards the kitchen. She grabbed the small round bowl with a reddish blue fish swimming inside. "Here. Meet Buster. How's that for decor?" she said handing Jack the bowl. "Better?”
“Much better thank you.” There was that dumb dimple again.
"Thank goodness for that. Now if you'll excuse me…" She hurried out of the room with one hand over her mouth and the other over her stomach.
~~~~
She was sitting on the floor of her bathroom with her head propped against the side of the tub when he poked his head in.
"Tess. I'm sorry -"
"Maybe you could just go now."
He shook his head as he sat next to her on the floor. "Sorry. I'm sticking."
She groaned. How much worse could this get? Why wouldn't he leave? "Maybe you could wait in the living room then," she said as she felt a new wave of nausea hit her.
"Maybe." He pulled her unruly curls out of her face as she leaned over the bowl. "But I think I'll stay."
She was mortified and yet grateful at the same time. When the worst was over, he helped her to her bed.
"I'll get more tea," he said when she was settled.
She shook her head. "No. I give up. I'll just lay here and die."
His lips twitched. "Water then. You need to keep hydrated."
"I'll pass."
"What should I tell Deputy Dan when he shows up to check on you?"
She thought about correcting Jack by telling him Daniel was police not sheriff's department, but it was more work than it was worth. "Just wake me."
"Tess, now isn't the right time, but I think maybe I'll need your services after all." He sat on the edge of the bed, adjusting the blankets around her.
"It seems like whatever Asa had planned will be postponed," she said remembering their agreement from the previous night.
"Probably, but that's not why I'll need your help."
“You're not going to confess to murder are you? I don't think I can handle that right now.”
"I broke into his computer."
It took a moment for the meaning of his words to compute in her brain. “Wait. You are confessing-”
“I didn't murder him.”
“You did something and I'm not in the right frame of mind to represent you, so keep it to yourself.” It was difficult to hold her eyes open, so she closed them and willed sleep to take her away.
“I want you.”
“You had your chance,” murmured as she let the fog surround her consciousness.
She thought she heard him laugh. “I'm talking about wanting you to be my lawyer.”
Oh right. Tess gave her head a shake. She was going to embarrass herself even more if she didn't stay focused. She forced her eyes open. “What did you do?”
"I used Asa's computer and emailed some of the files on it to myself."
"Last night?"
Jack nodded.
Tess rolled her eyes and moaned. "That's not very smart."
He tensed. "I didn't murder him."
"I'm sure the police will believe you when they find your prints on his computer and track the email to you."
"Look, if I was going to kill him, I wouldn't have left my prints. I'm not stupid."
"The point is that he's dead and your prints are on his laptop. And you stole information from it."
"Asa didn't care."
"He caught you?"
"I wasn't being sneaky. I didn't care if he caught me or not."
Tess gaped at him. She didn't remember him being so audacious. "What did he say?"
"You know Asa. He laughed. He liked that he was getting a rise out of me.”
"What did you do?"
"I got mad. We argued."
A memory of two men arguing flashed in Tess' mind. Had it been Jack and Asa? If she heard them, someone else
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