The Shelter of His Arms (Harlequin Heartwarming) by Dawn Stewardson Page A

moments.
    “Okay. I’ll check in with you later.”
    “Thanks, but you don’t have to.”
    “Following up is in my job description.”
    “Ah. Well...I wouldn’t want you not doing your job.”
    Her tone made him suspect she was smiling, although that might only be wishful thinking.
    “Talk to you later, then. Bye.”
    “Bye, Travis.”
    After pressing the End button he began thinking about paying Evan Reese yet another visit. However, that wouldn’t be a wise move. He was too mad to face the guy.
    Besides, leaning on him obviously hadn’t helped matters. Instead of scaring him off Celeste, it had only made things worse.
    He was still mentally kicking himself about that when he reached Manhattan North Homicide. And it didn’t improve his mood to find that Hank wasn’t there, ready and willing to discuss the situation.
    According to the other detectives in the squad room, he’d left shortly after Travis had headed for Reese’s place.
    After fishing out his phone, he was about to press the speed dial for Hank’s number when Len Espizito, C.O. of Homicide, materialized.
    “My office, Quinn,” he said, turning on his heel.
    Travis stuck the phone back in his pocket and followed the lieutenant, wondering what was up.
    It didn’t even occur to him that the problem was Evan Reese until Espizito shoved his door shut behind them and said, “Okay, let’s hear your version of the visit you paid this Reese character.”
    “You mean the one yesterday or the one this morning?” he asked, buying himself a few seconds to think.
    “Which do you figure I mean?” Espizito snapped. “The guy phoned me ten minutes ago, screaming police brutality.”
    “What? I didn’t touch him.”
    “Maybe not, but did you threaten to?”
    “I told him to leave Parker’s sister alone. That was basically it.”
    “Then you headed directly to the sister’s apartment? On your own?”
    He shrugged, glad he’d already known that Reese had followed him. Otherwise, Espizito would have caught him even more off guard.
    “Did you?” he demanded.
    “Yes.”
    “And Reese says you were at her place last night. And that since it was after he called her it had to have been late.”
    Crap. Instead of implying he’d merely talked to Celeste on the phone, he’d specifically told Reese he’d gone there. As a way of emphasizing how upset she’d been. But it looked as if he shouldn’t have gotten specific.
    “Is that true? Were you there alone with her last night, too?”
    “Lieutenant, the guy had called and scared her. Hank was already on his way home, and I just wanted to—”
    “Don’t give me any crap, Quinn. Reese said it’s obvious you like her. Do you?”
    Travis mentally kicked himself once more. His partner realizing he found Celeste attractive was one thing. But it must be written all over him for a stranger to have picked up on it.
    “Do you?” Espizito repeated.
    “No. She seems like a nice woman, that’s all.”
    “Ballantyne was in earlier. And I asked him about the Parker case. According to your own partner, this nice woman— who, by the way, he mentioned is a looker—could be our killer.”
    “She isn’t.”
    “No? You’re sure of that? Even though Ballantyne isn’t?”
    “Sir, there was a blond woman in the hall outside Parker’s apartment the night he was killed and Celeste Langley is blond. Along with a few million other women in the city. Hank just doesn’t like to rule anyone out too fast.”
    The C.O. shot him a skeptical glance, but all he said was “Regardless of that, this has bad news written all over it. Your being in an attractive female suspect’s apartment. Alone with her. Repeatedly.”
    “Twice is hardly repeatedly. And I only—”
    “I don’t care if you’re as innocent as a day-old baby. You know the drill. We avoid situations that could appear compromising. And consider the mileage someone intent on causing you trouble might get out of this. Do you want Internal Affairs climbing