Page 60 of Shadow Sabotage
“That was supposed to be a compliment,” I remarked, giving her a side-eye.
“Yeah, well, it’s not. I was wearing my poker face. It’s supposed to be foolproof. How could you tell I was dying to say something?”
I glanced at her again. “Have you ever actually won at poker?”
She slapped my arm. “Yes!”
“Must be some bad players,” I said, laughing. “Because you’re the easiest person to read that I’ve ever met.”
“Tell that to Travis,” she said, smirking. “I took two hundred bucks off him last month.”
“Maybe I’m just exceptionally good at reading people,” I said, winking.
“Well, then, tell me what you read off of Leslie Evans.”
I turned back onto the main drag of Wildwood. “She’s scared her son is a suspect. I think part of her is scared he did it, despite the supposed alibi.”
“That’s the impression I got, too.” Claire drummed her fingers on her knee. “She didn’t bat an eye when you mentioned snowmobiling.”
“Nope. There was no emotional reaction at all.”
“Oh, there was an emotion alright.” She shot me another annoyed look.
I grinned. Jealous Claire was fun. “Okay, but not a noteworthy one. She didn’t connect the comment to the case.”
“You didn’t push her very hard on Tony.” There was an edge of reproach in her voice.
“Setting her at ease, remember?”
“You sure it wasn’t because part of youlikedthe fact that she was looking at you like a cougar who’d just cornered a lost little lamb?”
I snorted. “So I’m a lost little lamb now?”
“Maybe in wolves’ clothing,” Claire muttered.
I pulled my car into a parking spot and turned to face her, delighted by the utter irritation on her face. “Youarejealous.” The satisfaction it gave me was astonishing.
“I am not! Why would I be jealous of some vapid, lonely housewife looking to score?” She waved her hand and looked away.
“Exactly.” I touched her chin, bringing her eyes back to mine. “You asked why I knew you were fighting to stay quiet in there.”
She nodded.
“It’s because you wear your heart on your sleeve. Everything you feel, you feel deeply. Too deeply to mask. You’re authentic. Real. You don’t play games. And that makes you more special than a thousand woman like Leslie Evans.”
Claire’s eyes grew big. She held my gaze in silence.
“Don’t ever lose that,” I said softly. “That honesty. You can learn to wear a poker face during an investigation. I’ll even teach you how. But don’t ever let it define you.”
Her throat bobbed. “I won’t.”
“Good,” I said, dropping my hand.
She took a quick inhale and turned, facing the front. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, like she couldn’t quite catch her breath.
I wanted to explore that.
But movement caught the corner of my eye. From where we were parked, I could see the men from the mayor’s breakfast slowly dispersing, filtering through the café doors with handshakes and final words before walking to their cars. Mayor Evans was the last, and just like Claire had said he would, he walked down the street from the café to his office.
