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“You don’t think it’s any of your people?”

I shook my head. “No. There is no doubt in my mind that my guys are clear. But they know other cops. I don’t want to chance it.”

“Go to bed,” she said. “I’ll pick through this case. Do you have the serial killer file, too?”

I walked to the safe and pulled that one out, bringing it to her, too.

She took the file with a small smile and said, “Night, Black. I’ll do better with Jessamy.”

I jerked up my chin at her and walked to my bedroom.

For the first night in two nights, I was able to sleep.

But not all the way through.

I woke up four times with dreams about Jessamy being killed by her brother.

By the time I got up that morning, I had a plan.

One that included getting to the bottom of Leo Darling once and for all.

Twenty

Just caught sight of my laugh lines in the mirror. I do not remember anything being that funny.

—Black to Jessamy

Jessamy

I didn’t sleep a wink the night before.

Even worse, I couldn’t stop replaying the hurt that crossed Black’s face at my words.

I felt like a fraud.

I also hated myself, because who the hell was I to dictate Black’s life?

If he wanted to tank his career by spending time with me, how was that any different than what he wanted to do with me?

I shouldn’t be making the choices for him.

Which was why I was at his favorite diner the next morning waiting for him.

Only, he never showed.

But that was likely due to the police chase that was zipping through the small town of Sawtooth.

A work truck was weaving in and out of the road with no regard to the traffic around him.

“What is this world coming to?” I heard one of the waitresses ask.

I should really know their names.

I’d been to this diner more than enough that I should know all their names, plus the owner and the cook. However, when they treated me like shit, I had a hard time being nice and getting to know them.

Like when I’d arrived, the hostess had sneered at me and asked if I needed anything. When I’d said that I would like to be seated, she’d sat me in a corner booth where they’d been folding napkins at.

She hadn’t bothered to even clean me a spot off before leaving.