Nothing was out of the ordinary. Nothing was sticking out for her. Frustrated, Dawn headed back into Jinx's bedroom. As she neared the bed, the floor creaked beneath her feet again. She stilled and glanced down. Those wooden slats... Now her gaze started searching the floor, following the wood all around the room. And right there, near the wall to the right of the bed...
The slats there appeared brighter than the others. Newer? As if they'd been replaced recently?
Dawn hurried toward those slats. She knelt on the floor and pulled with her nails, trying to get a grip on a slat. It came up immediately, so very loose, nearly popping her in the face, and she stared down to see that a small dark space was under the slat.
A perfect hiding place. She reached inside and touched a metal box, one that felt cool beneath her fingertips. She pulled it up. Fireproof safe. She'd seen the kind in department stores. The key was still in the lock. Thank you, Jinx! She turned that key and the lid slowly lifted. Jewelry was inside. Rings. A heart-shaped necklace.
When she saw the necklace, Dawn stilled. Obviously, it was the kind of gift that a lover would give, but...there was something about it... The heart wasn't some simple design. It had vines snaking across the front of it. Thorns. A hard-edged, unique piece. One that would fit Jinx's style perfectly.
It was the same design that Dawn had seen sketched in Jinx's art room-in her tattoo sketchbook. She was making a tattoo to match this necklace.
The floor creaked behind her. Oh, shit. She knew that spot. She'd made the wood creak just like that when she walked across the room. Dawn sucked in a deep breath, then she lunged up to her feet. She threw the safe out of her hands and grabbed for her gun.
The man who'd been in the room rushed toward her.
Her gun pointed dead center at his chest. Her breath panted out-the quick pants seeming too loud in the silence of that room.
"You really want to shoot me?" Tucker asked her.
She'd locked her knees, but seeing that it was him-relief swept through her. She lowered the gun. "What are you doing here?"
He motioned behind him to the closet that she'd left open. "Following you."
Her gaze shot toward the window. "The cops out there-"
"You seriously think I can't manage to get past two rookies? And that's all they are. Freaking amateur hour out there. You aren't safe with them."
Her mouth had gone dry. She still gripped the gun in her hand. "I thought... You said you were supposed to stay away from me."
"I was."
"Then why are you here?"
He took another step toward her. "Because I need to be with you. I lost you before..." His lips twisted. "Saved you, lost you...all at the same time, and that shit gutted me. You were the one thing that I needed most in my life, and then suddenly, you were gone. Everything was gone." His hand lowered and curled around hers-around the hand that still gripped the gun. "I can't have that happen again. I won't. You are my priority."
"Your job-"
"You matter more."
She could see it in his eyes, the emotions he'd been holding back from her. She wanted to throw her arms around him. Wanted to hold him tight, but...
Not there. Not in Jinx's apartment. Not in a place that still carried her friend's scent. A place that was full of memories-good and terrifying. Not there. "I think I found something." She made herself step away from him. "Come with me..."
She led him back into the art room and grabbed for the sketches she'd seen before. "I found a heart necklace in Jinx's safe...and I'm sure I saw the same sketch for that necklace in here..."
* * *
MACEY HEADED TOWARD the coroner's lab. She'd stopped by the police station to talk with Samantha-she'd wanted to know more about the interrogation with Tucker. Samantha had been worried, saying the police captain seemed to just be focusing on Tucker, and if you focused too much on the wrong man...
You missed the killer right in front of you.
The lab doors swung open. Detective Torez rushed out, nearly hitting Macey.
"Oh, sorry!" He grabbed her arms, then quickly let her go. "Didn't mean to...um, collide with you."
She frowned at him. Samantha had told her that Torez had been questioned and released, but she hadn't expected to find him there. "Were you talking to Dr. Bradford?"
///
"No. Julia isn't in there." He rubbed the stubble along his jaw. "Was hoping to find her. Anthony called and asked me to meet him down here so we could figure out what's happening with the case..."