Free Haunting Whispers by V. K. Powell Page B

and its force surprised Rae. The form and scent of a woman had always incited Rae’s baser instincts, but she’d never been this excited without touching. Rae indulged in the sight and fragrance of Audrey Everhart a few seconds more, wishing her reason for being here was different. She’d suspected early on that friendship with Audrey wouldn’t be enough. As she sat in her kitchen, stimulated by her mundane activities, she was certain of it.
    Now she was in the untenable position of evaluating and assessing Audrey on a professional level. The conflict between attraction and work could throw her instincts off, but add to it the shredded state of her psyche, and the fact that Audrey might be withholding something, and Rae couldn’t trust any of her feelings. She’d better stick with the facts.
    “Aud—” A fair-skinned beauty exited Audrey’s bedroom wearing little more than Audrey and holding a terry-cloth robe. “I’m sorry, sweetie. Didn’t know we had company.” She flashed Rae a stunning smile. “Thought you might need this.” The woman held the robe open for Audrey and tied the sash as gently as a lover. After a hug, she turned to Rae.
    “Good morning, I’m Yasirah Mansour.”
    She offered her hand and Rae shook it with all the professionalism she could muster. Rae struggled not to immediately interrogate her about her relationship with Audrey. Under normal circumstances, she would’ve tactfully persisted, unearthing everything about the beautiful Ms. Mansour. However, now wasn’t the time for a personal digression. Sergeant Sharp’s urgent task demanded she stay on track.
    “I’m Detective Rae Butler. Sorry to disturb your morning. I need to talk with Audrey, privately if possible.”
    Yasi placed her arm protectively around Audrey’s back. Rae caught a momentary flash of something as it crossed Audrey’s face—concern, pain? “Audrey can speak for herself. However, I’d prefer to stay.”
    Audrey and Yasi stared at each other several seconds, assessing and deciding. The look relayed so much emotion Rae felt like a voyeur. Then, without speaking, Yasi poured herself a cup of coffee and disappeared into the bedroom.
    Rae couldn’t stop the unedited words that rushed out with too much emotion. “That was impressive. I don’t think I’ve ever seen two people communicate so clearly without saying a word. You’re obviously very close.”
    Audrey placed a steaming mug in front of Rae without responding to the comment. “What exactly do you need to discuss with me? It is Sunday, after all.”
    “Why does everybody feel the need to remind me of that fact? I’m aware it’s the weekend. Unfortunately crime doesn’t take a break, so neither do I.” Her words were sharp and unfriendly. Audrey’s failure to clarify the relationship with Yasirah Mansour bothered Rae more than she realized. It shouldn’t, but everything about Audrey affected her in some way. She sipped her coffee for a few seconds to regain her composure. “Sorry. I’ll get to the point. Did you visit a man named Jeremy Sutton yesterday?”
    Shock registered clearly on Audrey’s face as she turned to stir sugar and cream into her cup. Rae tried not to read too much into the obvious stall tactic. When Audrey faced her again, she looked defeated. Rae placed her hand on her back to reassure her that she could trust and confide in her. Audrey’s response was not what she expected.
    “Don’t do that. It hurts.” Audrey flinched as powerful emotions and pain coursed through her. It was the first time Rae had touched her, and she wasn’t prepared for her reaction.
    “What did I do?”
    Every nerve ending in Audrey’s body seemed to coalesce at the point of contact and beg for more. The feeling almost paralyzed her. Rae’s touch had the depth of a mother’s affection but was profoundly more sexual. She searched for an explanation. The sensations in her body overruled reason. She’d never experienced anything like this—and