“That won’t be necessary,” Finn said. “We’ve put her under our protection.”
“That’s actually a relief,” the detective replied. “Our resources are taxed here. You and your brothers have a good reputation. I’m confident that you can keep her safe – which will make my job easier.”
“What’s next for you?”
Andrews leaned back in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Leg work.”
“Meaning?”
“We have to find someone who has a grudge against Emma Pritchard – or, more likely, her father – who also has a background in chemistry.”
Well, that solved the quandary Finn was struggling with regarding Lance Pritchard. “You know about her father?”
“Son, everyone in this county knows about her father.”
“You’ve been upfront with me,” Finn said. “I feel I owe you the same. I’m worried that certain individuals won’t look at her as a victim, that they’ll only look at her as the child of an infamous child molester. She is not her father. She is not responsible for the things he did.”
“I appreciate your candor,” Andrews said. “Let me assure you of one thing: I don’t blame Emma Pritchard for what her father did. I’m also worried about her safety. We need to work together on this. I’m willing to share information if you are.”
Finn nodded. “Let’s do it.”
Eighteen
“You don’t have to take me to dinner,” Emma said from the passenger seat of Finn’s Escalade. “I’m more than happy to get takeout again.”
Finn had picked Emma up from the Daily Tribune less than an hour before, suffering the indignity of watching Grady make kissing faces at him when Emma’s back was turned in the parking lot. He knew his brother was teasing – but it wasn’t nearly as much fun being on the receiving end of that scenario. Finn was starting to rethink the torture he’d provided when James and Grady started courting their lady loves.
“Maybe I want to take you out to dinner,” Finn said. “A good meal, a nice glass of wine, that doesn’t sound good to you?”
Emma bit her lower lip. “I’m just as happy with takeout.”
Finn sighed. She was so hard to read sometimes. “Indulge me. It’s my turn to choose, after all. I promised you Lebanese.”
Emma sighed. “Where are we going?”
“I thought it might be nice to go to La Shish,” Finn said. “I love their kabobs.”
“They have really good tabbouleh,” Emma admitted. “I like their hummus, too.”
“See, this will be fun,” Finn said, reaching over so he could rub her knee. He wanted to touch her constantly. He couldn’t stop himself. “Let’s just have a good time.”
Once they were seated in the restaurant, Finn requesting a dark booth in the corner, Emma tried to relax. She hadn’t been on a lot of dates. In fact, she could count all four of them on one hand.
Dating never worked out for her. Men were usually only interested in her looks. When they found out she had an opinion to go with the beauty, they usually found something else to focus on, although her breasts were still a constant fascination. Finn didn’t seem like that kind of guy. Actually, Emma was sure he wasn’t that type of guy. Being in a public setting was still nerve-wracking.
After they placed their orders and the waitress delivered their wine, Emma forced her attention on Finn. “So, what did you find out today?”
Finn had struggled with how much information to share with Emma during the duration of the ride to the newspaper. In the end, he decided that he wouldn’t lie to her. It wasn’t even an option worth considering.
He told her about his conversation with Detective Andrews. When he was done, her face was pale. “Are you serious?”
“I need you not to freak out,” Finn said. “Freaking out is not going to do either of us any good.”
“I’m not freaking out,” Emma replied.
“I need you to trust me,” Finn tried again.
Emma leveled her gaze on him. “I do trust you.” God help her, that was the truth.
“Let’s enjoy our dinner,” Finn said. “We’ll talk more when we get back to the apartment. For now, why don’t you tell me about your day?”
“Well, for starters, your brother is a trip,” Emma said, smiling. “There were all these advertising women who were fawning all over him. I have no idea where they came from.”
“Grady has a certain effect on women,” Finn said. “I think it’s the hair.”