Page 11 of Relentless
“What are you thinking over there?” she asked, not lifting her eyes from her crossword.
“Huh?” Not his most articulate response.
“Is your leg okay? Do you need any Advil?”
He frowned. “I’m fine.”
“Then why are you staring at me?” she asked.
Had he been staring? He’d been watching her as his mind wandered so he supposed he had. “Sorry. I wasn’t really paying attention to what I was looking at. My thoughts got away from me.”
She flickered her gaze up to his. “Did they go anywhere interesting?”
They hadn’t until she asked that question. The second she finished speaking all sorts of images flooded his brain. All sorts ofveryinteresting images.
She held his gaze as he inclined his head but didn’t answer further. Nor did he look away. Her breathing shifted subtly, and her lips parted a fraction. He cursed the injury he’d just been acknowledging gratitude for. He didn’t know exactly what was going on in her mind, but her thoughts definitely weren’t G-rated. And he couldn’t do a damn thing about it. Not without breaking the moment with his awkward movements.
He was about to throw caution to the wind and go to her when her phone interrupted. They both startled at the loud ring, and he hid a smile when it took her another ring to respond.
She glanced at the screen then frowned. Her expression obliterated any lascivious thoughts from his mind, and he instantly came alert.
“Hey, Roddy,” she answered. He watched her as she listened. She blinked and looked out the window toward the lake. “No…when?… I’m so sorry to hear that… No, I appreciate you letting me know. I didn’t know him well, but you know how it is when we’re on assignment. Did he have any family?… Well, that’s not much of a blessing, but it’s a little bit of one.”
She listened for a few more seconds before she and the caller, Roddy, hung up. He continued watching her as she stared at the lake. Then abruptly, she rose and walked to the window. Folding her arms across her chest, she disappeared into her own mind.
“I’d ask if everything is okay, but I’m guessing it’s not,” he said, wishing like hell that he could get up and go to her. His leg was feelinga lotbetter, but he wasn’t moving with any alacrity or grace.
For a moment, he thought she wouldn’t answer. Then on an exhale, she responded. “That was a friend of mine from the agency. A doctor I worked with died in a car accident two weeks ago. I didn’t know him well. We only worked together twice, but he was a nice guy.”
The hairs on Ethan’s neck stirred. He had no idea how many people Kara had worked with over the years. He didn’t know if, statistically, it was outside the norm for two of them to die in such short proximity. But he had to wonder.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” he said.
She remained at the window for a long, quiet moment. Then, with a shake of her head, she turned to him. “Thank you. Like I said, I didn’t know him well. I know he was close to retirement and was taking time from his practice to work with us. He had no family. I’m not sure if that’s a blessing or not. But he didn’t leave anyone behind.” She paused then a sad smile touched her lips. “I’ve always hated that saying, ‘leaving someone behind.’ As if it was a choice to leave or stay.”
“What was his name?” Ethan asked. The question wasn’t innocent, but he hoped it sounded that way.
“Sunil Shah,” she answered, retaking her seat and picking up her coffee. It had to be lukewarm by now. And he hated that he couldn’t offer to reheat it for her. Or get her a new cup. “He grew up in Mumbai but moved here for medical school and stayed,” she added.
“Where did he settle?”
She scrunched her nose a touch. A look he recognized as one she did when trying to remember something.
“Raleigh, North Carolina. I think,” she answered. “I feel like I should know that, but he wasn’t one to mingle socially. He was very nice. Just quiet and someone who tended to stick to himself.”
Silence fell between them, and he bit back the questions clamoring at the forefront of his mind. It was possible that he was looking for something where something didn’t exist. Truthfully, there were too many unknowns for him to determine if the timing of the deaths was suspicious. But there was one way to find out, and a plan to investigate was already taking shape in his mind.
“What’s the temperature going to be today?” he asked, rather than pursue his own thoughts. There’d be time to dig into them later. And right now, Kara needed something to take her mind off the death of another colleague.
She tapped a few buttons on her phone. “High of eighty-five.”
“Have you ever driven a boat?”
Her eyes darted to his, curiosity making them shine in the morning light. “Once or twice. But I wouldn’t say I have any great skill.”
He grinned. “You don’t need it. Not with my boat. Why don’t I ask Brad to bring it over and we can head out for the day? I can’t join you in swimming or anything. But it’s a good way to laze about.” And whilehemight not be able to get in the water, she could. Seeing her in a bathing suit was not a bad consolation prize.
She studied his face then a slow grin spread across her own. “I’ll go grab your phone from your room and you can make the call.”
