Free The Shelter of His Arms (Harlequin Heartwarming) by Dawn Stewardson Page A

things they did.
    Not that Bryce had heard the stories firsthand. He was an estate lawyer, had nothing to do with the police. But the criminal lawyers in his firm would talk and...
    And what if Travis Quinn’s “concern” was nothing but an act to make her trust him? So she’d confess to the killing?
    What if he wasn’t actually off the case at all? If he’d merely told her that as part of a ruse?
    She eased out of his arms, the thought that he might be trying to trick her making her cold all over.
    “It’s going to be okay,” he said softly.
    “Not if I get charged with murder it isn’t. Travis, I didn’t do it.”
    “I know.”
    “Then why does your partner think I did?”
    “He only figures it’s a possibility.”
    “But why? Because Steve had a female visitor on Saturday night and I was home alone? With no one to vouch for the fact? What kind of evidence is that? Doesn’t he need a motive? Some reason I’d have wanted to—”
    “Look...I just can’t go into the whys. I—”
    “Oh,” she whispered, suddenly realizing what must have happened. “You know about the survivor clause in my mother’s will, don’t you? That’s it, isn’t it?” she added when Travis didn’t say a word.
    “But how could Hank think I’m the kind of person who’d—”
    “Celeste, when you’re a detective...” He paused, shaking his head. “I can’t go into the whys,” he said again. “I was bending the rules by saying anything at all. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.
    “It was just...well, I decided you had to know in advance that you might have a problem. On the off chance it materializes.”
    Was that the truth? Had he simply wanted to warn her? Exhaling slowly, she recalled what he’d said about rights.
    Until a suspect has been read her rights, nothing she says to a police officer can be used in a court of law.
    Didn’t that mean he couldn’t be trying to trick her? Because even if she confessed, he wouldn’t be able to use... But he’d know for sure that she was guilty. And all he’d have left to do was come up with proof.
    Of course, there wasn’t any. Because she hadn’t killed Steve.
    Sometimes, though, innocent people got railroaded.
    She gazed uncertainly at Travis, her intuition telling her he was on her side but her brain warning her not to risk making a dreadful mistake.
    “I’ll be back in a sec,” she said at last, pushing herself up from the couch and heading for her office.

CHAPTER SIX
    Tuesday, October 5, 4:12 p.m.
    C ELESTE FIRMLY CLOSED her office door, then grabbed her cordless and the card Travis had given her. Along with his cellular number, there was an office number on it. She punched that one in, then held her breath.
    “Manhattan North Homicide,” a man answered. “Detective Ovner speaking.”
    “Detective Quinn, please.”
    “Sorry, he’s not here. Can someone else help you?”
    “No, I need to talk to him. Do you know when he’ll be there?”
    “Just a minute. I’ll check.”
    She waited, her heart beating fast, until Ovner picked up again.
    “Detective Quinn’s on leave for a couple of weeks.”
    “Oh.”
    “You sure no one else can help you?”
    “No. Thanks, but it’s not urgent.”
    Just as she clicked the phone off, she realized the call hadn’t actually gotten her anywhere.
    If Travis had come up with a devious master plot, he was smart enough to have covered all the bases. He wouldn’t have left things so she could trip him up with a simple phone call. But there had to be some way of determining where he really stood.
    Closing her eyes, she began to systematically review everything he’d said from the moment he’d arrived. When she got to his suggestion about talking to a lawyer she felt as if a light had just been switched on inside her head.
    An attorney who intentionally violated lawyer-client privilege would be risking disbarment. So even though Travis had offered to recommend someone, he couldn’t possibly have been hoping the