Page 7 of Dead Man's Alibi

“ButI keep picturing her lying on the ground, reaching for the phone, hurt and alone and incapable of asking for help.”

His eyebrows rose a little bit.“She’s been doing great.I don’t think you need to worry about that.”

Jill tapped her temple.“Writer’s brain.Worst-case scenarios are my life.”

Something in Cal’s expression changed ever so slightly, that kind of distracted air about him she wasn’t used to.

Then he focused back on her.“Why don’t you just call and check in on her?”

Jill wrinkled her nose.“She told me I can only call once an hour, and I just did ten minutes ago.”

He chuckled.“So youknowshe’s fine.”

“She was fine ten minutes ago, Cal.Who knows what can change in ten minutes?”

She expected a smile or a laugh, but he kind of frowned.

She looked down at her list of questions, then at his furrowed brow.“Is everything all right?”

He looked out the window.Shook his head.“Yeah, it is, but I’m a little distracted by some news I got this morning.Sorry.”He refocused on her.“You’ve got courtroom questions, right?”

She did, but… “We can always reschedule if there’s something else you need to do.Grandma is insisting I leave her alone at least three times a week.So, until I figure out what to do besides come to the diner or the library and pretend to work, I’ll be in town a few times a week.”

“That won’t hold you up?”He gestured at her computer.“Deadline-wise.”

Jill looked down at her laptop.Her own brain was the holdup right now, but she didn’t have a precise deadline yet.She’d had an offer on the book, but her agent was still dealing with the nitty-gritty, including delivery dates and a publishing schedule.“No.I can write around the courtroom scene for right now.Or I can even try to write it and send it to you to go over and correct.”

“Yeah, that sounds good.Let’s do that.”He was already getting to his feet.

He pulled his wallet out of his pocket and started to put a twenty on the table.

“Cal, you didn’t even order anything except coffee.”

He waved it away like it was nothing.“Next time.”Then he strode out of the diner, all that distraction he’d come in with now focused on whatever it was that was bothering him.

She frowned after him, hoping it didn’t mean more trouble for the Bennets.

Chapter Four

Honor’s Edge Investigations Office

Nate sat athis desk, trying to put everything together he thought might give Hayes the information he needed to cross Nate off the suspect list.

In between looking over at Sam.

Who perpetually had a scowl on her face, even as she made phone calls, typed up what he assumed were emails.She was focused on work or pretending to be.Sometimes she’d get up, go into the back room, and return with a mug of coffee.

She did not offer to bring him any like she usually did.

And, still, that ring he’d bought her was a little gold glint on her finger.

Nate didn’t know how to navigate this bump in the road.He understood why she was so… scared.Because nine out of ten times, angry Sam was just scared Sam.

Not that she wanted to hear it.She wanted to stomp and fume and give him the silent treatment.She wanted to be angry athimrather than admit that she was just terrified.

Which might have pissed him off if he didn’t know she did all that just to keep from crying.

She’d tried to hide that that’s what she’d been doing this morning in the shower, but he’d seen the red eyes and the attempt she’d made to have makeup cover it up.