going?”
“Midtown,” I said. “North side.”
He made a left and navigated his way carefully through the already-drifting snow, staying off the main drag, where traffic was knotting up. We took the Prockney Tunnel up to the Midtown shelf. It took a good half hour to get through the traffic to the other side. I was getting twitchy as hell.
“Who is Josh?”
Price’s question made me jump. I pushed my hair back over my ear. For a second I debated telling him a lie, just on principle. But he was about to find out anyhow. “He’s my sister’s ex-fiancé. They broke it off about six months ago.”
“Ex-fiancé?” He sounded like he was interviewing a witness. Maybe he was. I kept myself from squirming like a first-time nude figure model in a classroom of artists.
“Yeah. My sister is still in love with him.”
“Why did they break up?”
I shrugged. “Josh got cold feet or something. He wanted to see other people.” I snorted. “I’m not sure he actually ever did. Taylor was a wreck. She lost about twenty pounds and looked like she’d just been raised from the dead.”
“But they stayed in touch?”
“Josh kept calling and talking to her. He didn’t want to marry her, but he didn’t want to let her go either.” I shook my head. I’d thought my sister should lose his number and cut him off completely, but despite her anguish, she was too much in love to do that. “I know he was worried about how she was taking the breakup. Maybe he was afraid she’d do something stupid. Or maybe he’s just a selfish bastard.”
The trouble was, I liked him. I always had. Up until the point he broke my sister’s heart, I thought he was about perfect.
“Was he mixed up in anything illegal? Maybe drugs?”
Yep, Price was doing his cop thing. For Taylor’s sake, I chose not to mind. But accepting his help meant he was going to get a lot more access to my family and to me , to things I didn’t want him to know. I was going to have to be extra careful.
Before I could answer, the phone rang. It was Taylor.
“Where are you?” she wailed. My sister was not a wailer. She did not lose control. Usually she had ice water running through her veins.
“Just coming out of Prockney Tunnel,” I said in a soothing voice. “The snow has slowed everything down. I should be there in ten minutes.” It would be closer to twenty, but she didn’t need to know that.
“Ten?” she said, and she started crying in great gulping sobs. “Can’t you come faster?”
“Taylor,” I said sharply. “Go somewhere away from the blood. Make yourself some tea.” I didn’t think she’d drink it, but it would give her something to do. I considered telling her to leave the apartment and go down to the building lobby, but I doubted she’d go.
“Tea?” she repeated stupidly. “I don’t want tea. How can I make tea when Josh is probably—” She started crying again, and she sounded like she was on the verge of hyperventilating.
I was shocked when Price pulled the phone from my hand. “Hello?” he said before I could grab it back. I could hear the startled silence from Taylor. “This is Detective Clay Price. I need you to take a deep breath and hold it for the count of six. Ready? One-two-three-four-five-six,” he counted off slowly. He sounded like he was talking to a child. “Good. Now again. One-two-three-four-five-six. That’s very good. Once more.”
He did that about ten times. I tapped his knee and pointed where I wanted him to turn. He was keeping her busy, and that’s what Taylor needed—something else to concentrate on. When she had stopped her hysterical crying, he tried to focus her in another direction.
“Now, Miss Hollis, I want you to get up and go in the kitchen. Find the tea.” She didn’t object because he didn’t have to ask again. I don’t know if she was hypnotized by his voice or what, but she simply obeyed.
“Have you found it? Get the kettle and fill it.” A minute later he said,
“Midtown,” I said. “North side.”
He made a left and navigated his way carefully through the already-drifting snow, staying off the main drag, where traffic was knotting up. We took the Prockney Tunnel up to the Midtown shelf. It took a good half hour to get through the traffic to the other side. I was getting twitchy as hell.
“Who is Josh?”
Price’s question made me jump. I pushed my hair back over my ear. For a second I debated telling him a lie, just on principle. But he was about to find out anyhow. “He’s my sister’s ex-fiancé. They broke it off about six months ago.”
“Ex-fiancé?” He sounded like he was interviewing a witness. Maybe he was. I kept myself from squirming like a first-time nude figure model in a classroom of artists.
“Yeah. My sister is still in love with him.”
“Why did they break up?”
I shrugged. “Josh got cold feet or something. He wanted to see other people.” I snorted. “I’m not sure he actually ever did. Taylor was a wreck. She lost about twenty pounds and looked like she’d just been raised from the dead.”
“But they stayed in touch?”
“Josh kept calling and talking to her. He didn’t want to marry her, but he didn’t want to let her go either.” I shook my head. I’d thought my sister should lose his number and cut him off completely, but despite her anguish, she was too much in love to do that. “I know he was worried about how she was taking the breakup. Maybe he was afraid she’d do something stupid. Or maybe he’s just a selfish bastard.”
The trouble was, I liked him. I always had. Up until the point he broke my sister’s heart, I thought he was about perfect.
“Was he mixed up in anything illegal? Maybe drugs?”
Yep, Price was doing his cop thing. For Taylor’s sake, I chose not to mind. But accepting his help meant he was going to get a lot more access to my family and to me , to things I didn’t want him to know. I was going to have to be extra careful.
Before I could answer, the phone rang. It was Taylor.
“Where are you?” she wailed. My sister was not a wailer. She did not lose control. Usually she had ice water running through her veins.
“Just coming out of Prockney Tunnel,” I said in a soothing voice. “The snow has slowed everything down. I should be there in ten minutes.” It would be closer to twenty, but she didn’t need to know that.
“Ten?” she said, and she started crying in great gulping sobs. “Can’t you come faster?”
“Taylor,” I said sharply. “Go somewhere away from the blood. Make yourself some tea.” I didn’t think she’d drink it, but it would give her something to do. I considered telling her to leave the apartment and go down to the building lobby, but I doubted she’d go.
“Tea?” she repeated stupidly. “I don’t want tea. How can I make tea when Josh is probably—” She started crying again, and she sounded like she was on the verge of hyperventilating.
I was shocked when Price pulled the phone from my hand. “Hello?” he said before I could grab it back. I could hear the startled silence from Taylor. “This is Detective Clay Price. I need you to take a deep breath and hold it for the count of six. Ready? One-two-three-four-five-six,” he counted off slowly. He sounded like he was talking to a child. “Good. Now again. One-two-three-four-five-six. That’s very good. Once more.”
He did that about ten times. I tapped his knee and pointed where I wanted him to turn. He was keeping her busy, and that’s what Taylor needed—something else to concentrate on. When she had stopped her hysterical crying, he tried to focus her in another direction.
“Now, Miss Hollis, I want you to get up and go in the kitchen. Find the tea.” She didn’t object because he didn’t have to ask again. I don’t know if she was hypnotized by his voice or what, but she simply obeyed.
“Have you found it? Get the kettle and fill it.” A minute later he said,
Similar Books
