straight. “Could immigration be wrong?” Her voice was calm. “Do you know if AFIS has ever made a mistake?”
The thought had never come into Joshua’s mind. With no answer coming to his lips, he shrugged. “People make mistakes. Not computer databases.”
“I never had this happen before.”
Joshua smiled. “What? You never had a murder victim that had been killed before?”
“What do I do?”
Joshua stood up and placed his hands on her shoulders. When his eyes met hers, he had to force himself to keep his mind on track in order not to be pulled into thoughts of kissing her. “Do what you do best. Investigate the case.”
“Call Neal Hathaway,” she said.
“And ask him what? Why didn’t you report your wife’s first murder?” He shook his head. “If it were me, I’d call the police investigating the second Ilysa Ramsay’s murder to find out how sure they are that they have the right victim.”
They turned back to the laptop. Joshua was aware of her hair brushing against his cheek when they squeezed together to read the article.
“Deep Creek Lake,” she said. “That’s the second address we have the the Hathaways. It’s Neal Hathaway’s summer home.”
“According to this article, that’s where his wife was murdered.”
“Deep Creek Lake. I’ve never been there.” She turned to him. “Sounds like a great excuse for a road trip.”
“There’s a wonderful mountaintop resort there that I know you’ll love.” He moved in closer to her. “It’s got a breathtaking view of the lake and mountains.” She smelled sweet, like lilacs.
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “I’d love to see it sometime.”
“I’d love to show it to you.” Her eyes pulled him in. “They have a rose garden maze. We can get lost in it ... alone ...together ...”
“What exactly do you have in mind?” Her mouth was close to his. “The two of us ... at this mountaintop resort ... alone ...”
He hesitated. That’s exactly what I have in mind ...What am I doing? I’ve only just met this woman.
He pulled back. “Before you go packing, let me do something in this case.”
“Besides looking handsome.”
His cheeks felt warm. “I’ll look into the Ilysa Ramsay murder.”
“You’ve already done that. I gave you a bootleg copy of the case file.”
“I’m talking about the second Ilysa Ramsay murder,” he told her. “I’ll search the Internet for details about that murder. Maybe there are similarities—”
“Other than the victims being the same person,” she giggled.
“I’m glad you have a sense of humor.”
She sat back down on the desktop. “Most people say I’m crazy.”
“Are you sure they’re not talking about your cat?” Joshua closed the laptop. “I’ll take up the case now. I’ll do the background work on the murder in Deep Creek Lake. Then, we’ll get together and call the investigator there to compare notes. That way, we can talk intelligently to him about the case, instead of sounding like a couple of ninnies.”
She blinked up at him with a mocking expression on her face. “Do I look like a ninny to you?”
Joshua wanted to call her adorable, but instead he took advantage of her being so close to him. He took her face into his hands and kissed her. As if she feared the kiss would end before she wanted, she placed her hands on his. When he started to pull away, she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him back.
“The pizza—” he tried to remind her before she pushed him back down into the chair.
“Irving and Admiral will take care of it for us.”
With five teenagers at home, Joshua had managed to keep order in his home with the rule of no sleepover guests of the opposite sex. Since he did little to no dating, he had never had to deal with the issue of wanting his own friend to stay the night.
It was as if Cameron had read his mind before he could issue the invitation. They were eating ice cream on the back porch when she announced,
The thought had never come into Joshua’s mind. With no answer coming to his lips, he shrugged. “People make mistakes. Not computer databases.”
“I never had this happen before.”
Joshua smiled. “What? You never had a murder victim that had been killed before?”
“What do I do?”
Joshua stood up and placed his hands on her shoulders. When his eyes met hers, he had to force himself to keep his mind on track in order not to be pulled into thoughts of kissing her. “Do what you do best. Investigate the case.”
“Call Neal Hathaway,” she said.
“And ask him what? Why didn’t you report your wife’s first murder?” He shook his head. “If it were me, I’d call the police investigating the second Ilysa Ramsay’s murder to find out how sure they are that they have the right victim.”
They turned back to the laptop. Joshua was aware of her hair brushing against his cheek when they squeezed together to read the article.
“Deep Creek Lake,” she said. “That’s the second address we have the the Hathaways. It’s Neal Hathaway’s summer home.”
“According to this article, that’s where his wife was murdered.”
“Deep Creek Lake. I’ve never been there.” She turned to him. “Sounds like a great excuse for a road trip.”
“There’s a wonderful mountaintop resort there that I know you’ll love.” He moved in closer to her. “It’s got a breathtaking view of the lake and mountains.” She smelled sweet, like lilacs.
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “I’d love to see it sometime.”
“I’d love to show it to you.” Her eyes pulled him in. “They have a rose garden maze. We can get lost in it ... alone ...together ...”
“What exactly do you have in mind?” Her mouth was close to his. “The two of us ... at this mountaintop resort ... alone ...”
He hesitated. That’s exactly what I have in mind ...What am I doing? I’ve only just met this woman.
He pulled back. “Before you go packing, let me do something in this case.”
“Besides looking handsome.”
His cheeks felt warm. “I’ll look into the Ilysa Ramsay murder.”
“You’ve already done that. I gave you a bootleg copy of the case file.”
“I’m talking about the second Ilysa Ramsay murder,” he told her. “I’ll search the Internet for details about that murder. Maybe there are similarities—”
“Other than the victims being the same person,” she giggled.
“I’m glad you have a sense of humor.”
She sat back down on the desktop. “Most people say I’m crazy.”
“Are you sure they’re not talking about your cat?” Joshua closed the laptop. “I’ll take up the case now. I’ll do the background work on the murder in Deep Creek Lake. Then, we’ll get together and call the investigator there to compare notes. That way, we can talk intelligently to him about the case, instead of sounding like a couple of ninnies.”
She blinked up at him with a mocking expression on her face. “Do I look like a ninny to you?”
Joshua wanted to call her adorable, but instead he took advantage of her being so close to him. He took her face into his hands and kissed her. As if she feared the kiss would end before she wanted, she placed her hands on his. When he started to pull away, she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him back.
“The pizza—” he tried to remind her before she pushed him back down into the chair.
“Irving and Admiral will take care of it for us.”
With five teenagers at home, Joshua had managed to keep order in his home with the rule of no sleepover guests of the opposite sex. Since he did little to no dating, he had never had to deal with the issue of wanting his own friend to stay the night.
It was as if Cameron had read his mind before he could issue the invitation. They were eating ice cream on the back porch when she announced,
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