I put my hand up, wincing. “Seriously?” I sat up too. “Do we really have to do this now?”
“I’m leaving first thing in the morning. Yes. We have to do this now.”
“Rory, listen. What would be the point of harming me? Those emails I got didn’t sound like Simon.”
“You’ve met the man once.”
“Simon is not the right…profile.”
“You’re not a profiler!”
“Okay, you’re on the BAU. Do you think Simon fits the profile?”
“I know almost nothing about the guy.”
“Then please trust me on this. Even if I’m wrong, even if Simon confessed to murdering Deirdre himself, I wouldn’t have any actual proof. And he knows that. And he knows that if he did harm me, that’s just going to create endless problems for himself. Especially now when you know everything I do.”
“Did you not hear anything I said about my boss believing the threat against you was credible?”
“I thought you were convinced Davenport was behind the emails?”
“And what if Davenport is waiting on the mountain for you?”
“What, he’s just going to spend tomorrow hanging out on Blackbird Ridge in case I show up?”
“Isn’t that your theory? Someone with a sick sense of humor wants to see you busting your butt climbing up that mountain for nothing?”
“I don’t think the plan is to suffer with me.”
“You have zero idea what the plan is. Maybe your pen pal is escalating. He could have an agenda you know nothing about. Or maybe he’s making it up as he goes along. Once you’re up there on your own, you’re liable to run out of options fast.”
“I don’t think Davenport is emailing me coordinates to a local mountain top. That seems a lot more likely to come from someone in the area. Someone familiar with the mountain.”
“You mean someone like Simon Overhiser?”
It was late, and we didn’t seem to be getting anywhere. I said slowly, “Are we having our first argument?”
He was silent for a moment, then said, “Yes. I guess we are. I think this is a terrible idea, and I don’t want you to do it. I am advising you in my professional capacity not to continue with this plan. And I’m also asking you as someone trying to have a relationship with you, not to proceed.”
“Is it a deal breaker?” I inquired. Because if it was a deal breaker for him, it was definitely going to be a deal breaker for me. I was never again going to make concessions I didn’t believe in or agree with simply to pacify someone giving me ultimatums.
“No,” he said without hesitation. “Not unless you get yourself killed.”
I rested my hand against his bristly jaw. “It’s late. We can talk again in the morning. I would just ask that you trust me.”
“This isn’t about trust.” He pulled my hand down, but then kissed my palm.
I drew my hand away, but gently. “It is, though. I’d like you to trust that I’m also a professional, and that I wouldn’t be going up there unless I was confident in my understanding of the situation. And, if Iamwrong, I’d like to ask, as someone trying to have a relationship withyou, that you allow me to make my own mistakes.”
Rory opened his mouth, considered and then rejected what he wanted to say. He shook his head, turned, and snapped out the lamp.
The room plunged back into silver-limned darkness.
We resettled in the sheets and blankets. After a moment, I tentatively reached for Rory, and he reached back.
We fell asleep in each other’s arms.
Chapter Twelve