What Janie Saw(116)

                “All we have now is speculation, but it seems he was under orders from his girlfriend.”

                “Who is...?”

                “We’re not sure. But we’re hoping when we figure that out, all the pieces will fall into place.”

                “Why was Brittney killed? Have you figured that out yet?”

                “I think it has to do with drugs. She saw something or someone she wasn’t supposed to, but until we find her killers, we can’t say what.” He sat the last plate on the table and bowed. “Dinner is served.”

                As she took her seat, she wondered out loud, “Can we make it through a meal without talking blood and gore and death?”

                He reached over and took her hand, aiming the palm toward him, and gently traced her fingers with his own. Heat started to pool in her heart.

                “I’m willing to try,” he said.

                So they talked art and animals and favorite movies.

                When the meal was over, they loaded a movie into the DVD player and sat on the couch. He carefully put his arm around her. For the next two hours, all he did was hold her, the warmth of his body mingling with hers until she didn’t think she could ever be cold again.

                The DVD ended and the TV automatically switched to the news. Janie reached for the remote. What she was feeling didn’t call for background noise.

                He was tightening his fingers around her shoulder, drawing her closer.

                But before she could hit the off button, the news anchor said, “New developments in the Brittney Travis case.”

                Both she and Rafe turned around, the mood broken, and settled back to watch.

                The picture from Amanda’s art book was displayed, plus the two numbers from the license plate she’d drawn, as well as the type of vehicle she’d identified.

                “This time we utilized the press. Which means you can relax a little,” Rafe said. “Not completely, not until we find Chad. But we hope we’ve given the girlfriend and Chris, the ones we haven’t identified, a false sense of security.”

                “This doesn’t give me a sense of security,” Janie muttered.

                “Then let me give it to you,” he offered. This time, he reached for the remote, aimed it at the TV and clicked it off.

                That’s when her phone rang.

                Janie bit her lip. But the caller ID announced Katie’s name. Katie knew that she and Rafe were alone; she wouldn’t call if it weren’t important. Janie shrugged and answered the phone.

                “Tonight you just might be an aunt!” Katie sang. “We’re on our way to the hospital.”

                * * *

                THEY SPENT HOURS at the hospital. The nurse who’d worked on Tommy was still there. She merely raised an eyebrow at Rafe’s presence and tried to make Katie comfortable.

                Rafe paced in the hallway with Luke and stopped by to check on Tommy until fatigue drove him home.

                Janie promised to stay at the hospital and sleep.

                Monday dawned cold, gray and dreary. Fitting for the funeral of a young man who should have had more time to enjoy life. Rafe wondered if becoming a father would have turned Derek around.