Page 10 of Liar's Point

He wore blue scrubs that matched his eyes and well-worn running shoes. He rested his hands on his hips and stared down at her with an intense look.

“I’m sorry about last night,” he said.

“No biggie.”

His frown deepened, as though he knew she was lying.

“I caught a double traffic fatality right as I was walking out the door,” he said.

“I know. I read your text.”

He glanced around, then touched her elbow and guided her toward an alcove with a pair of water fountains. She shook off his hand.

“I’m really sorry, Nicole. There was nothing I could do.”

She tipped her head to the side. “Well, that’s not completely true. You could have called me.”

“I tried. You didn’t pick up.”

“I mean before I waited around at the restaurant feeling like an idiot.”

“I’m sorry. By the time I got free—”

She held up her hand. “You know what? Forget it.”

“No. Listen. By the time I got a minute to call you—”

“I said forget it.” Her cheeks flushed, and she pictured Cynthia down the hall, eavesdropping on every word.

“Nicole.” He took her hand in his. “I sincerely apologize.”

He gazed down at her with those serious blue eyes, looking genuinely sorry.

The thing was, she knew that he was sorry. Their first date together, they’d spent the whole night bonding over their mutual frustration with their crazy work schedules and lack of time for a personal life. He’d told her he’d had this whole epiphany about it on his forty-third birthday, and he’d resolved to change things.

“Will you let me make it up to you?”

She rolled her eyes. He’d said that last time.

“Please?”

“I’ll think about it.” She tugged her hand away. “Anyway, I didn’t come here to talk about this. I’m here about a case.”

His remorseful look vanished, replaced by cool professionalism.

“The benzodiazepine overdose.”

Nicole didn’t know the clinical term for it. “She had a bottle of pills spilled all over her car. Did you finish the postmortem?”

“Yes.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. “Well, was it Xanax? Brady wants a rush on the tox report. If there was fentanyl in her system, we need to know sooner rather than later.”

He gazed at her for a long moment. “Come with me.”

“Why?”

“I need to show you something.”

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