Deception with Murder (A Rilynne Evans Mystery, Book Two) by Jenn Vakey Page A

pretty good idea he knew what it meant if she hadn’t found the box yet. She sat back and crossed her arms, enjoying his inability to form words.
    “Anyway,” he finally said. “You’re the only person I have ever seen use different color duct tape to color code your boxes by room, then list everything in the box on the side. It must have taken you forever to pack.”
    “Only about two days really. It helped that I still had all of my boxes from when I moved a few months ago. I just had to put everything back in the box that was already labeled,” she explained. She reached out and gently pushed the fishbowl on the table, making the candles dance on the water. “It makes it much easier when I’m unpacking.”
    He just shook his head in disbelief. “Other than your amazing bathtub, how’s the house?”
    “It isn’t quite as convenient. I had gotten used to being so close to the station. Now it’s too far for me to run unless I leave an hour before my shift. And lets face it, when do I ever get enough sleep to leave an hour early in the morning?”
    “Good,” he said bluntly.
    She looked up at him, shocked by his frankness.
    “You know how I feel about you walking alone at night,” he explained. “How many times do you need to be kidnapped off of the street before you start to be more careful?”
    “Hey,” she said defensively. “You know that wasn’t really what happened. Well, not technically.”
    He rolled his eye. “Knowing that it was going to happen before doesn’t change anything. It was still an abduction.” He gave her the same stubborn look he always did when their conversation turned to her having allowed Nicole Benson to snatch her. As much as she wanted to push the subject, just to see how agitated she could get him, she decided to let it go there.
    “So how did you ever find this place?” she asked, looking around. “I would never have thought to stop in. It honestly looks like a closed down store of some kind.”
    “This is where my brother brought me when I graduated from college,” he said. “It’s been my favorite place since.”
    “Ah,” she said, peering up at him from the top of her glass. “I imagine it really goes over well on dates?”
    He smiled slyly. “Actually, I have never brought any girls here.”
    “Really?” She didn’t hide the shocked tone in her voice. While it was completely stunning, she didn’t like just how pleased she was with his response. “This would be the ultimate date place. Sure to put any girl in the, well…” she trailed off, uncomfortable with where the conversation was going.
    He studied her face, as if searching for something. “This place holds importance to me. I wouldn’t soil it with memories of girls just passing through. Besides, it’s not like I have much time for dating these days.”
    Rilynne suddenly felt a spinning sensation passing through her. She quickly shook it off as the waiter appeared with their meals.
    She was just about to slide her knife into her steak when she heard her name. Spinning around quickly, she saw Detective Wilcome and his wife, Sherri, being seated just a few tables over. She waved kindly and turned back to Ben.
    “I told Wilcome about this place last year when he realized that he had completely forgotten about his anniversary. I guess they really enjoyed it,” Ben explained when he saw how shocked she was. He did not appear to share the same concern that there would be a conversation awaiting her at the office tomorrow. Instead, he seemed to be amused with the look that had settled on Rilynne face. “He’s going to think we’re involved in a clandestine tryst, isn’t he?” he finally asked.
    Rilynne nodded and started to laugh quietly. “Most definitely. Even more than he already does now.”
    “He already does?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “Really?”
    “Does it really surprise you? I think he started to lean that way after you were abducted while leaving my apartment early in