Free Unforgivable by Laura Griffin Page A

himself get talked into a round of beers tonight wasn’t going to help.
    “Heads up,” Jonah said, looking over Ric’s shoulder.
    He turned around to see Mia step through the door and fold a coat over her arm. She wore jeans and Ugg boots and a thick white sweater that in no way accentuated her amazing body. And yet she looked hot. How was that possible?
    Her gaze scanned the line of bar stools and came to rest on him.
    “Shit,” Ric muttered as she crossed the bar. She had that look in her eye, a look he recognized. Dr. Voss was on a mission.
    She stopped beside their stools. “Detective Macon, Ric.”
    “It’s Jonah.” He sent Ric a look, then started to offer Mia his seat.
    “No, don’t get up.” She turned to Ric. “I saw your truck outside. Could we talk for a minute?” She glanced around the crowded bar, which, as usual, was packed with off-duty cops and emergency workers. El Patio was one of the few watering holes in town that didn’t cater to the college crowd. That plus the fact that it was located near the police station made it a hangout.
    The bar erupted as the Eagles threw an interception. Mia watched Ric patiently, oblivious to the excitement. Not a football fan, evidently. And he could tell she wanted to talk to him in private.
    “Let’s go outside,” he said. “They’ve got heaters.”
    “That’s fine.”
    Jonah gave him a look. Are you crazy? The ball’s on the five-yard line. Ric ignored him as he picked up his beer and led Mia to the patio. It was mostly smokers tonight because of the cold. He stopped at the outdoor bar to order a Bud Light while Mia claimed a picnic table that had just been vacated.
    Ric slid the beer in front of her, then straddled the bench and sat down facing her. She was frowning at her phone.
    “Everything okay?” he asked.
    “You know Vince Moore?”
    “Yeah.”
    “He’s called twice tonight. Maybe it’s something about the case.”
    “It’s not.”
    “How do you know?”
    “I’m the lead investigator. He’s calling to ask you out. Do yourself a favor, and say no.”
    She watched him warily as she tucked the phone back inside her purse.
    Ric sipped his beer. He needed a change of subject. “How’s Sam?”
    “Vivian picked him up this afternoon,” she said, not really answering. Ric figured the kid was fine—it was Mia he wasn’t sure of.
    “Anything more on the man from the zoo?” she asked.
    “No.”
    She bit her lip and looked away. Ric set his beer on the table and waited. A breeze kicked up, and he smelled something sweet and feminine underneath the cigarette smoke wafting over from the next table. Mia’s perfume. He recognized it from months ago, although he hadn’t even realized she wore perfume until just that moment.
    “I want to ask you something,” she said, “even though it might sound weird.”
    “All right.”
    “Do you ever dream about your cases?”
    He took a second to answer. “It’s happened before, I guess. Why?” He watched her, hoping she wasn’t going to launch into some discussion about psychic detective work. She’d never struck him as the type to believe in all that crap, but maybe she did. He couldn’t picture it, though. Mia was a scientist.
    “The case you brought me—”
    “From Friday,” he confirmed.
    “Yes, the Ashley Meyer homicide. I went into work today and looked at the evidence again.”
    Ric wasn’t surprised she’d been at work on a Sunday. She worked the same kind of hours he did—endless. He waited for her to get to the point as she peeled the label off her beer bottle and made a little pile of scraps on the table. She started to say something, then stopped herself.
    “What’s on your mind, Mia?”
    She looked up at him. “Did I ever tell you I got my start in Fort Worth? I spent a year at the crime lab up there right after grad school.”
    “I think you mentioned it once.” And if she hadn’t, he’d known anyway. He’d checked out her background when they’d worked