Free 3 Mascara and Murder by Cindy Bell Page A

pointless," Nick corrected her. "The goal is to solve the crime. If Bekki happens to find the evidence or the truth before we do, we shouldn't be fighting her, we should be inviting her along with us. So , if you think I'm going to arrest her for finding out more information in a single morning than your entire crew of officers has discovered since the investigation began, you're mistaken."
    Detective Williams was silenced by his words. She only nodded a little. She didn't want her superiors finding out that she had bungled the case so badly, and what Nick was saying was actually true. Bekki had found out a lot more information along the way than she had.
    “As for me,” Nick smirked as he pulled Bekki closer to him. “I'm still on vacation.”
    “Okay,” Detective Williams nodded with defeat. Bekki retrieved her purse from the reception desk, and they headed out the front door.
    “And you couldn't have told me all of this before having me led away in handcuffs?” Bekki asked as they reached Nick's car.
    He turned so swiftly to face her that she leaned back against the car. His hands laid on opposite sides of her, resting on the roof of the car as he studied her surprised expression.
    “I thought you were dead Bekki, do you know that?” he stared hard into her eyes. “When I woke up and couldn't find you, I thought that the Windwards had you erased,” he explained. “So , maybe hauling you into interrogation wasn't the best thing to do, but I wanted you to hear me,” he frowned as he stepped back slightly from her. “I never want to wake up feeling that way again. When I tell you that someone is dangerous, I want you to believe me.”
    “I do,” Bekki said quietly. She couldn't imagine waking up feeling as if Nick was dead or abducted, so she could understand his frustration.
    “So just,” he smiled faintly as he met her eyes, “don't do that to me again, okay?”
    “Okay,” Bekki nodded a little. He leaned forward in the same moment that she leaned upward and their lips collided in a savory but short kiss.
    “Now we've got a puzzle to solve,” he said and opened the car door for her.
    Nick drove Bekki back to her house. The entire time Bekki kept stealing glances in his direction. Nick was a hard one to figure out sometimes. One minute he would be gentle and patient, the next he would be rather severe. But at no time did he make her feel unsafe, and that was the biggest difference between him and Trevor. Trevor. She had almost forgotten about him with all of the chaos. Her heart started pounding as she wondered if he would be waiting for them at the house. Would another near-fight ensue if the two of them saw each other again? Bekki had made her intentions clear, but Trevor didn't seem interested in listening to them. He had always been a take what he wants type of guy, but she couldn't understand why it was suddenly her he wanted. When they pulled into the driveway and Trevor's car wasn't there she breathed a quiet sigh of relief. She and Nick stepped inside the house and Nick got them drinks from the kitchen while Bekki began spreading out the pieces of the letter across the table.
    "I see why you enjoy this," Nick said with a chuckle as he sat down across from her. "All the thrill of solving a crime, and none of the paperwork," he grinned as he took a sip of his water.
    "You have to do paperwork?" she asked with surprise as she carefully lined up the ripped paper.
    "Oh yes. In fact, I have three file drawers dedicated to you," he grinned when she glanced up to see if he was being honest or just teasing her.
    "I'm honored," she murmured. "I think," she quirked a brow and then looked back at the paper.
    "This looks like it's addressed to Phillip," she said quietly. Nick leaned over to help line up a few of the papers. Bekki couldn't hide a smile. Working side by side with him was much nicer than having to hide everything she was up to from him.
    "Here, this one goes there," he mu mbled and slid a piece