Page 96 of Liar's Point

“Good morning, Emmet. I thought that was your truck down there.” She closed the door behind her and strode into the kitchen, setting down a pair of shopping bags. She looked dressed for work and not at all surprised to see him here.

Emmet shoved his feet into his boots, and she started unloading the bags.

“You want coffee?” she asked.

His stomach growled in response.

“I’m good, thanks.”

She lifted an eyebrow skeptically and turned to put a pod into the Keurig. She took a mug down from the cabinet and eyed his wallet and holster on the breakfast bar.

“How is she?” Kate asked.

He stepped over to the kitchen. “Groggy from the meds. And pretty out of it.”

Out of it enough to kiss him.

That had been the pain meds, definitely. Those pills made her loopy.

The coffee machine groaned and gurgled, and Kate leaned back against the counter, watching him. She wore a black skirt and pale blue blouse, and he tried to remember what she did for a living. Something in real estate? Damned if he could remember.

The coffee finished, and she unpacked a carton of creamer from one of the grocery bags.

“You’ve been to the store already?” he asked.

“This is from my place. I wanted to save her any errands today.” She poured creamer into her mug and then put the carton in the fridge.

“So.” She leaned against the counter again. “What the hell happened, exactly? And don’t give me the same bull Nicole did.”

Emmet had overheard their phone call last night, and Nicole had downplayed everything, probably to keep her family from worrying.

“We don’t know for sure,” he said, because he wasn’t on board with Nicole’s push to sugarcoat everything. “But what didn’t happen was some guy didn’t accidentally run a red light.”

Kate’s eyebrows shot up. “It wasn’t an accident?”

“No.”

“I knew it.” She shook her head. “I told her it was just a little too weird that someone nearly ran her down after she’s been so paranoid lately.”

“Paranoid?”

She eyed him over the coffee cup. “She didn’t tell you?”

His stomach clenched. “No. What?”

She took a sip, then set the mug aside.

“Nicole told me she thought someone was maybe following her home,” Kate said.

Emmet’s blood ran cold. “Who?”

“She didn’t know. She just said she felt like someone was tailing her around the last few days. I told her it was probably some sleazebag she once busted trying to mess with her head.”

Emmet gritted his teeth. Every word of this was news to him. Why hadn’t Nicole told him?

“So, did anyone get a license plate or anything at the scene last night?” Kate asked.

“No.”

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