Free Kansas City Cover-Up by Julie Miller Page A

about five months before Dani died.”
    “She’s beautiful,” Olivia whispered on a sigh that was almost reverent.
    The kindness of hearing someone else mourn the tragedy of Dani’s death soothed the wounds inside him. But just when he should have been remembering the sweet vanilla scent that had been Dani’s, his nose filled with the citrusy freshness emanating from Olivia’s short hair. There was something electric about this woman, an excitement at noticing the feminine details behind the gun and badge, an anticipation of trading words and opinions—an unexpected jolt of purely male interest that hit him every time they were together. The visceral impact of these encounters which heated his blood and stirred things behind his zipper reminded Gabe that he’d moved beyond the grief he’d felt with Dani’s death.
    But he curled his fingers into a fist behind Olivia’s back and dropped it to his side before he gave in to the impulse to touch that sable-colored hair. His grief might have abated, but the guilt sure as hell was still there. “Yeah. She was.”
    Olivia touched a fingertip to the glass. “Is this the engagement ring that was stolen?”
    He nodded, forcing himself to forget the untimely attraction and remain as focused on the investigation as she was. “That, some gold hoop earrings and a wristwatch from a discount store.”
    “Was the jewelry expensive?”
    “Not enough to give the Rockefellers a run for their money, but probably enough to feed a junkie’s fix for a few weeks.” Gabe plucked the picture from Olivia’s fingers to put it back in its drawer. “I know what you’re thinking—Dani wasn’t murdered for the diamond she was wearing—”
    “I have to consider every possibility.”
    Gabe closed the drawer. “You only have to consider the right one.”
    “The right one?” Olivia planted her hands at her hips and tipped her face to his. “Just because it’s
your
theory, that makes it right?”
    He mirrored her stance, watching the green fire of temper take over the color in her eyes. “Factually, I know you have to explore every possible motive and suspect—but what do you think I’ve been doing for six years? Your father and his partner never found the thief they were looking for because he didn’t exist. Dani was killed to cover up a story.”
    “That’s only one possibility. I have to revisit and rule out any other—”
    A soft knock and the door opening ended the argument. A platinum blonde, wearing a designer suit that cost as much as his monthly salary, entered with a friendly smile that faded when she saw the two of them together. “Gabe, I... Sorry. Didn’t know you had company.” Gabe’s boss, the slightly older woman who’d inherited the newspaper, but earned her CEO status and his respect with her business and management skills, tucked the small box she carried under one arm and walked right up to Olivia. “Hi. I’m Mara Boyd, publisher of the
Journal.
”
    The two women shook hands. “Detective Olivia Watson.”
    “Detective? Has something happened?” Mara tipped her bright blue eyes to his. “Has there been a break on Dani’s murder? You know I want that story. She was our girl. Nobody gets to scoop us. Will you be able to write it? You deserve to have that vindication, but if it’ll be too much, I’ll assign it to someone else.”
    Olivia stepped in front of him, as though she meant to protect him from the verbal barrage. “Let’s solve it first.”
    “Of course.” Mara’s gaze dropped back to Olivia. “But you being here is good news, right?”
    “I hope so.”
    “Yes.” Gabe closed his hands around Olivia’s shoulders and scooted her to the side. He could fight his own battles. Not that talking business with Mara—or even something so personal as Dani’s murder—was ever an issue. “Detective Watson is exploring the possibility of a link between Dani’s murder and a death that occurred yesterday.”
    “Are you talking about Ron