Free Her Anchor by Viva Fox Page B

admitted honestly.  “Like I really don’t know.  I always thought…”  She trailed off, shrugging. 
    “That he was the one?”  Tom nodded.  “I always hear that from women.” 
    “So I take it you’re not involved with anyone?”  Tom made a face, shaking his head no. 
    “My relationship with women is…”  He searched for his words.  “Awkward, to say the least.  I’ve never been very good with them.” 
    “Really?”  Laura was surprised.  “I took you for a total ladies’ man.” 
    “Hardly.”  He laughed.  “You and I just seem to have a decent connection.”  He smiled, looking somewhat uncomfortable. “Maybe it’s the job, right?” 
    “Maybe,” Laura agreed chuckling to herself.  “I have to say it’s what first drew me to Steve.  Not many women want a cop for a wife.  Or a girlfriend.” 
    “I can imagine.”  She was sure that he did.  Women didn’t really like men who were cops either.  It was a dangerous business. 
    By the time they left the restaurant, Laura was feeling calmer.  She still didn’t have any answers on her case, but she felt better about Jones.  Maybe they really did just have a connection that she was missing.  It was ok. 
    She slipped into Jones’s car.  On the front seat, she saw a receipt she hadn’t noticed on the first trip.  She picked it up. 
    “Sorry about that,” Jones apologized.  “I’m a man.  Typically messy.  Just throw it anywhere.  I’ll clean it up later.” 
    As she was putting it aside, Laura noticed it was for a bagel place on Wilson Road.  She knew that name.  She just couldn’t place why.  She also caught note of the date and time on it.  It was from 6:04 in the morning.  Why so early?  She figured it was just the cops’ life. 
    But then she realized the date.  It was the same date that they had found Sandra Wilks body.  And Wilson Road was the road which lead into the park. 
    Laura felt a sudden chill on her spin. 
    “What is it?”  Tom looked over at her. 
    “Nothing.”  Laura dropped the receipt into the cup holder.  “Not a thing.” 
    “It’s nice to really talk to a woman.”  Jones nodded as he drove back towards the hotel.  “I don’t get to do that very often.” 
    “I’m sure you don’t.”  Laura wondered if what she was suspecting was real.  Had she had a killer in plain sight in front of her all this time? 
    It made sense.  He had covered all of the cases.  If a body was found, he was one of the first ones on the scene. 
    He’d pulled into the hotel parking lot.  But he’d parked in one of the darker corners…away from the streetlights.  Earlier he’d been parked only a few feet from the doorway. 
    “Laura, what are you thinking?”  Jones looked over at her.  “You shut down on me after you found a receipt.  What is that receipt making you think?” 
    Laura looked up at him. 
    “Nothing.  It’s your car, your receipt.” 
    “So if I want to buy bagels at a store that’s only a mile from where we found a body last week that’s my business?” 
    “Yes.” 
    “And what time did we find the body?” 
    “I…I don’t know.” 
    “Sure you do.  What time did they find the body?”  Laura let out a shaky breath.  She hadn’t even brought a weapon with her.  It was back in her hotel room. 
    “The call came in at 7:15.” 
    “Right.”  Jones was smiling at her.  “I’m not good with women, Laura.  Because I hate them.  At the end of the day, I really hate them.  I was the youngest of four children-three girls.  My mother was so disappointed that she had a boy.  I broke her streak.” 
    She couldn’t be hearing this.  She couldn’t be sitting in a car with a man who was about to come clean to murders. 
    “Do you think she paid me a bit of attention?”  Jones brought one hand down on the steering wheel.  “Of course she did.  She or my sisters.  I grew up hating them-all of them.” 
    “So you…”