Free Abducted by Janice Cantore

good after all the drama of the day. “No, I didn’t mean that. You cover crime; have you covered him in the course of your crime reporting?”
    “I’ve seen him in court, and I’ve written a few paragraphs about him. He defends people with money. Everyone deserves a competent defense, but I hate it when it seems like rich people can buy their way out of a conviction.”
    “I agree.”
    “And Caswell can be personally nasty, the kind of guy a reporter wants to dig dirt on, if you get my drift.”
    “Yeah, I’m familiar with the dirt you dig.”
    That brought a laugh from Trejo, followed by an innocent look. “Who, me?” He brought a hand to his chest. “Only the bad guys need to worry about me, not decorated, honest, truth-seeking supercops like Carly Edwards.” He grinned, and Carly suddenly felt self-conscious under the reporter’s regard. “But I’m surprised you don’t know more about the esteemed attorney.”
    “Me? I’ve never had to hire a defense attorney.”
    “Yeah, but he’s worked for cops, usually really dirty ones.”
    “Let’s not talk about dirty cops. I hope I’ve seen all of them I’m going to see in my career.” She changed the subject. “How did you sneak into the hospital today? It seemed like I was showing my badge at every corner. And I know they were trying to keep the press contained in one area so patients and visiting family were not disturbed in any way.”
    “A good reporter never divulges his tactics.” He stuck his chin in the air.
    The arrival of their meals saved him from answering in more detail. There was a brief silence between them as they arranged their food. Once set, Trejo switched back to his original topic of conversation: Carly. “I don’t really want to talk about me, Edwards. I want to know about you.”
    “I thought we finished with that subject. I’m happy to be back on patrol. End of story.” Carly took a big, sloppy bite of her chili dog.
    “Ha-ha, not what I meant. Are you seeing anyone right now?” He watched her while she chewed, and she struggled not to choke when she swallowed.
    “That’s a little off the wall, isn’t it?” Carly ran a napkin across her mouth.
    “I don’t think so. I didn’t become a hard-hitting reporter by beating around the bush. I believe in calling them as I see them. We’ve been palling around in court now for about a month. I think you’re cute and smart and interesting. If you’re not dating anyone, can we go out sometime?”
    When she didn’t answer right away, he continued. “I apologize if my timing is bad, but I’m not sorry I told you how I feel.”
    She found the sparkle in his eyes more than a little disconcerting and was startled at how flattered she felt by his interest. If forced to, she would admit that lately, every time she walked into court, she looked for Alex. His lighthearted banter always dispelled the boredom of waiting. He was funny and upbeat, like the old Nick. Her face flushed hot, and she knew the cause was guilt about Nick.
    “You did catch me by surprise. I think you’re a nice guy—I mean, for a reporter.” She grinned to lighten the mood. “But I am kind of involved with someone right now.” Her grin barely hid the churning in her heart. Why does it sound like I’m trying to convince myself I’m already spoken for?
    “Nick? Your ex?”
    “Yeah. We’ve been talking about reconciliation.” Are we really? she wondered. It had been two months since their last official “date.” He’d developed an infection about then and had to spend the night in the hospital for IV antibiotics. Talk about invasion of the body snatchers. Nick’s been pulling away since then.
    “Well, I’m not completely discouraged. I mean, I don’t see a ring. You think maybe we can hang out once in a while outside of court?” He held both hands up in front of him when she looked at him in surprise. “As friends, as friends!” he clarified.
    Carly laughed a little nervously, wanting time