Page 7 of Dark Terror
It was, and Cara nodded her agreement.
“Anyway, I don’t make it a secret that my father was a mean drunk.” Doni scooped some eggs onto a plate, then added buttered toast. “He got off on knocking Mom and me around.”
“Oh. I’m sorry.” How awful to grow up in a home like that. Her parents had been the best, and she couldn’t imagine her dad raising a hand to her or her mom.
Doni shrugged. “No reason for you to be sorry.”
“Is that why you help women in trouble?”
“Yeah. Women in those situations often don’t know where to turn for help. Honestly, I get great satisfaction from helping them get away from a man like my father who thinks nothing of hurting women and children. Anyway, my mother and Gabe’s are sisters, and I spent as much time as possible at his house. His dad would give us cooking lessons. It was his parents who taught me how a family should really be.”
“So they’re nice people?”
“The best. Sit.”
Cara plopped down at her kitchen table. Doni slid the plate in front of her, then joined her with her own breakfast. Not sure her stomach was ready for food, Cara took a tentative bite. “Oh my God.” She took a larger bite. “These are amazing.”
“Two secrets to making scrambled eggs Uncle Louis taught me. Make them in a saucepan, not a frying pan. Heat distribution’s better, or something like that. But the real trick is adding a little goat cheese, which you happened to have. Gives them more flavor and makes them creamier.”
“Believe me, this is how I’m going to make my eggs from now on.” They really were delicious, and as she ate, her stomach began to feel better.
“Glad you’re enjoying them. Get Gabe to cook for you sometime. He can make dishes like you see onIron Chef. Real fancy and mouthwateringly good.”
“Ah, he’s just the detective assigned to interrogate me, not someone who’ll be cooking for me.” Doni was confusing her by implying there was more to her and Gabe’s relationship than that.
“Hmm,” was all Doni said, further confusing her.
The doorbell rang, sending Cricket into a barking frenzy. Cara’s heart skipped several beats. No one ever showed up at her house this early in the morning. What if…Killers don’t ring the bell, asking to be let in, dummy.Right, stupid to think the killer was on her doorstep announcing his arrival.
Doni stood. “That’s Gabe. I’ll let him in. He’s going to take you to work.”
“Why?” Cara asked but got no answer. She was perfectly capable of driving herself to the library. Cricket raced from her to the door and then back to her.
“Good morning,” said the man who’d grown more interesting since she’d seen him the night before as he followed his cousin into the kitchen.
Today he wore a white button-down—rolled up at the sleeves—and black cargo pants, his look totally doing it for her, especially if she listened to whatever part of her was screaming,I pick him. Then her gaze fell on the gun holstered at his waist and the gold shield clipped to his belt.
He’s a cop, and cops die, Cara.She tore her gaze away before he saw the interest in her eyes, because she knew it was there. Who would look at this man and not want him? But she refused, absolutely, positively refused to be that woman, the one like her sister-in-law whose heart had been broken when David was killed.
“Morning,” Cara said, lowering her gaze to Cricket, who was sitting at her feet and staring up at her. She frowned at the dog. What was she supposed to do with him while she was at work? As she stared at him, an idea came to her.
“Do you know who the woman, ah, the victim was?”
Gabe shook his head. “Not yet. She didn’t have any identification on her, and so far no one with her description has been reported missing.”
“I would think she probably lived within walking distance of the park. What if we took Cricket back there and see if he’ll lead us to where he lived?”
“That’s a great idea,” Doni said.
“It is,” Gabe agreed.
Cara smiled, pleased that her idea was a great one, getting a return smile from Gabe. “Well, okay. Give me a minute, and I’ll be ready to go.” Gabe smiling at her like that threw her off-balance. How was she supposed to rid herself of her attraction to him when he did that? She tore her gaze away from him, and only by force of will walked calmly out of the kitchen instead of running.
In her bathroom she put her hands on the counter, stared hard at herself in the mirror, and gave herself a stern talking-to. “He’s a cop, Cara. That right there should kill any attraction you have for him.” She sighed. “But he’s so hot.”
Yeah, he was, and there was no getting around that fact. “Fine then, here’s the deal. You can look and appreciate, but that’s it. Okay?” She nodded at her reflection. “Okay, that works.”
She ran a brush through her hair, put on lipstick, grabbed her purse from the top of her dresser, and then headed down the hallway.
