Free Until Death by Cynthia Eden

now?” Ivy asked him. “Because I think we need to be there when the crime scene techs sweep again for that jacket. They won’t have a whole lot of time, you know. Another ball is scheduled to occur there tonight, and there’s
no way
the mayor will let that place stay a crime scene. Too much rides on Mardi Gras, and you know it.”
    His eyes cracked open. “I’m going to the convention center.”
    Uh…
    “
You
are staying away from my case. You’re a civilian.”
    Why did he make that word sound like a curse?
    “It’s too dangerous for you to get involved in this case.” Then his hands closed around her shoulders. His voice softened. “Don’t you see that I’m just trying to protect you?”
    And don’t you see that I’m trying to help the victim?
    Their gazes held.
    “Same old Ivy,” he finally muttered. “You think your family’s money can buy your way just about any place, don’t you?”
    His words hurt. He didn’t know what she’d done—he didn’t know anything about her. “Same old Bennett,” she whispered back, aching for them both. “Seeing only what you want to see. And missing out on something great right in front of you.” She pulled away from him. “Good luck with your investigation.” Then she headed down the hallway.
    She didn’t look back.
    ***
    “I couldn’t help but overhear…”
    Bennett glanced over his shoulder as the door to the ME’s office opened. Dr. Battiste lifted his brow. “Well, I overheard because I was listening.”
    What the hell?
    “I don’t like the way you were talking to Ivy.”
    He was starting to think that everyone around him was insane. “This case isn’t some walk in the park.” No, if his gut was right…then they might just be looking at a serial killer.
    Not the fuck again.
He’d barely escaped the last serial he’d faced, and he had the scars to prove it. The bastard had nearly gutted him, and Bennett had watched as his partner died right in front of him.
    And Ivy thinks I’ll let her partner with me on this case? Hell, no.
The last thing he ever wanted was her put at risk.
    “Ivy knows how to handle the dark side of life,” Dr. Battiste said.
    She did? Since when? His head cocked as he studied the doctor. “You’re the little bird.”
    “Can’t say I’ve been called that before…”
    “You told Ivy that I was coming in today, didn’t you?”
    Dr. Battiste shrugged.
    “Why would you do that? She doesn’t need to be involved.”
    “If he’s hunting her, then she needs to know everything about this case.” Dr. Battiste’s voice was flat.
    He was missing something. Something big.
    Dr. Battiste smiled at him. “Ivy and I meet for lunch on Saturdays. Every Saturday. Since her grandfather passed, well, someone needed to fill that void for her. I’m the one who taught that girl how to bait her first fishing hook, and I’m the one who watched her cry when she learned that the fish die once they’re reeled in…Ivy doesn’t like to kill things, you see. She learned real quick how to catch and release…”
    He hadn’t realized how close those two were. Actually, he hadn’t known they were close at all.
    “You really think all she and her grandfather did was take fluff cases?”
    He didn’t—
    “I didn’t know you were that piss poor of a cop.” Dr. Battiste walked past him. “My mistake. Why don’t you try doing a little research on the Sebastian Jones murder? Go see what you turn up,
Detective Morgan.
”
    Bennett watched him go, frowning now.
    And wondering if he knew Ivy at all.
    ***
    “Why in the hell do you want to do this to yourself?”
    Ivy glanced up at Hugh’s question. They were in her den, no, the
parlor,
and she’d just pulled up a search engine on her computer. Dr. Battiste had emailed her the names of the other potential victims, and she wanted to see what she could find on them. “This?” she asked carefully.
    He sighed and shook his head. His hair was the same dark shade of her own, his eyes a