They
came from different walks of life, none of them had similar jobs, or lived in
the same areas. They didn’t frequent the same grocery stores or other public
areas—” Ben leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. He ran a hand over
his jaw. “I’ve got nothing.”
Gemma
reached for the box. “May I?”
Ben
hesitated. Telling her about the case was one thing, but actually letting her
look at the files was quite another. She was a potential witness.
But
he didn’t have to give her all the details. She could look at the women’s
lives and possibly see something he had missed.
He
reached into the box and quickly flipped through the folders, pulling out the
pertinent papers. Ben thrust the papers at her. “Here. This is everything on
their daily lives and backgrounds.”
Deciding
not to hover while she read he excused himself to shower and grab a beer. When
he returned to the living room she was nearly done and had at some point
retrieved a pad of paper and a pen. As he sat down she flipped the last sheet
on to the stack with the others and looked up.
“Anything?”
he asked.
“Maybe.
Did you notice that all of the children were undergoing treatment for an
illness or condition?”
“Yeah.
We checked them out. None of them went to the same doctor or hospital. These
women literally never crossed paths.”
“Do
you have any notes on the kids’ treatment? The doctors and clinics?”
Ben
nodded and started rummaging again. He handed her papers as he found them.
After
he’d handed her the information on the third child she suddenly clasped his
arm. “Did the fourth child stop or diminish traditional medical treatment?”
Nonplussed,
he blinked then leafed through the folders more quickly, soon locating the
information. “Yes. He had an illness that affected kidney function and the
victim took him off many of the traditional drugs in search of a more natural
way to regulate his kidneys.”
She
stood abruptly and looked at him wide-eyed. “Ben, that’s it! All five victims
used a non-traditional approach to treat their children. That’s why the women
were targeted.”
Ben
stared at the sheets of paper spread across the coffee table. All this time
and no one had seen this connection.
No
one but Gemma.
He
finally had a solid lead. Because of one incredible woman.
Ben
jumped up and grabbed her. Arms circling her waist he lifted her free of the
ground. “You. Are. Amazing!”
Then,
because he couldn’t have stopped himself if he tried, he kissed her.
He
had intended it to be a congratulatory kiss. Just a brief contact, but the
instant her mouth touched his he knew a short kiss wouldn’t be enough.
Gemma’s
body tingled from head to toe. Every point of contact between her body and
Ben’s felt like fire touched her skin. After a brief moment of surprise at his
kiss she wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers sliding into his hair as
she sank into his embrace. His mouth was firm under hers. When his tongue
begged entrance to her mouth, Gemma opened for him. He still tasted like the
coffee he had undoubtedly consumed at the station.
Her
feet touched the floor, but he didn’t let go or break contact. Instead, his
hands started to roam. Gemma whimpered as his hands cupped her hips and pulled
her closer. Even through the heavy material of his jeans she could feel him.
She wiggled, trying to get closer, and was rewarded with a growl.
His
hands left her hips to slip under the hem of her pajama top and roam the smooth
skin of her back. Intense heat raced along her nerve endings as his hands
skimmed the sides of her breasts. When he flicked his thumbs over the tight
buds of her nipples she was sure she would combust. He kneaded them with sure
fingers to the point that she was clutching at his arms to stay upright.
Sensation spiraled through her until her knees felt like Jell-O. The kind that
hasn’t
came from different walks of life, none of them had similar jobs, or lived in
the same areas. They didn’t frequent the same grocery stores or other public
areas—” Ben leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. He ran a hand over
his jaw. “I’ve got nothing.”
Gemma
reached for the box. “May I?”
Ben
hesitated. Telling her about the case was one thing, but actually letting her
look at the files was quite another. She was a potential witness.
But
he didn’t have to give her all the details. She could look at the women’s
lives and possibly see something he had missed.
He
reached into the box and quickly flipped through the folders, pulling out the
pertinent papers. Ben thrust the papers at her. “Here. This is everything on
their daily lives and backgrounds.”
Deciding
not to hover while she read he excused himself to shower and grab a beer. When
he returned to the living room she was nearly done and had at some point
retrieved a pad of paper and a pen. As he sat down she flipped the last sheet
on to the stack with the others and looked up.
“Anything?”
he asked.
“Maybe.
Did you notice that all of the children were undergoing treatment for an
illness or condition?”
“Yeah.
We checked them out. None of them went to the same doctor or hospital. These
women literally never crossed paths.”
“Do
you have any notes on the kids’ treatment? The doctors and clinics?”
Ben
nodded and started rummaging again. He handed her papers as he found them.
After
he’d handed her the information on the third child she suddenly clasped his
arm. “Did the fourth child stop or diminish traditional medical treatment?”
Nonplussed,
he blinked then leafed through the folders more quickly, soon locating the
information. “Yes. He had an illness that affected kidney function and the
victim took him off many of the traditional drugs in search of a more natural
way to regulate his kidneys.”
She
stood abruptly and looked at him wide-eyed. “Ben, that’s it! All five victims
used a non-traditional approach to treat their children. That’s why the women
were targeted.”
Ben
stared at the sheets of paper spread across the coffee table. All this time
and no one had seen this connection.
No
one but Gemma.
He
finally had a solid lead. Because of one incredible woman.
Ben
jumped up and grabbed her. Arms circling her waist he lifted her free of the
ground. “You. Are. Amazing!”
Then,
because he couldn’t have stopped himself if he tried, he kissed her.
He
had intended it to be a congratulatory kiss. Just a brief contact, but the
instant her mouth touched his he knew a short kiss wouldn’t be enough.
Gemma’s
body tingled from head to toe. Every point of contact between her body and
Ben’s felt like fire touched her skin. After a brief moment of surprise at his
kiss she wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers sliding into his hair as
she sank into his embrace. His mouth was firm under hers. When his tongue
begged entrance to her mouth, Gemma opened for him. He still tasted like the
coffee he had undoubtedly consumed at the station.
Her
feet touched the floor, but he didn’t let go or break contact. Instead, his
hands started to roam. Gemma whimpered as his hands cupped her hips and pulled
her closer. Even through the heavy material of his jeans she could feel him.
She wiggled, trying to get closer, and was rewarded with a growl.
His
hands left her hips to slip under the hem of her pajama top and roam the smooth
skin of her back. Intense heat raced along her nerve endings as his hands
skimmed the sides of her breasts. When he flicked his thumbs over the tight
buds of her nipples she was sure she would combust. He kneaded them with sure
fingers to the point that she was clutching at his arms to stay upright.
Sensation spiraled through her until her knees felt like Jell-O. The kind that
hasn’t
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