Free Target by Lisa Phillips Page B

know that.”
    Jenna took a dainty sip of water. “Just because y’all don’t say y’all, doesn’t mean I can’t say y’all as much as I want to.”
    Caisey grabbed her plate and Grams’ and took them to the kitchen. Who said she had to wait around? Jake trailed in with his dishes and she bumped his shoulder at the sink. “Doing okay, kid?”
    He bumped hers back. “Sure.”
    “Need anything?”
    He shook his head. “Don’t worry. You’re not slacking on your godmother duties.”
    “Good.”
    And then Caisey was alone in the quiet kitchen, listening to the animated conversation still going on between Jenna and Grams at the dining table.
    Home was a pocket of safety. But one day the evil in the world would cross their doorstep. Despite her daily fight against it, there was nothing Caisey could do. She didn’t want crime to touch her family, but it could. She knew that as well as anyone. She did her job, but was it enough? As soon as one conviction was brought down, another criminal rose up. It was relentless.
    Wasn’t there something she could do, something to stem the tide of evil and protect her family? Caisey braced her hands on the counter and hung her head, praying if there was something that she would know what it was.
    There was nothing worse than feeling inconsequential.
    “Caisey, your phone is ringing.”
     
    **
     
    Liam led Andrea past the officers and into the building where she worked. The security guard’s jowls were red and his hairline was damp with sweat. He hefted himself over to them and stuck out his hand. “I’m really sorry about this, Ms. James. I know this is a hard time for you. I’m sorry about your sister. Really sorry.”
    Andrea gave him a pleasant smile and squeezed his hand. “Thank you, Steven.”
    It took a considerable amount of pulling, but she extricated her hand from his. Liam gave the guy a look, letting the security guard know he hadn’t missed it. Liam produced his badge. “Special Agent Conners.”
    The guard’s eyes widened and then maxed out. “Uh…um.”
    Liam led Andrea down the hall to the elevator where she leaned back against the mirrored wall and folded her arms. “That was rude.”
    “That guy has a crush on you.”
    “That doesn’t mean I should be rude to him. Steven is nice.”
    “Maybe.”
    Liam didn’t know why she didn’t put her accountant brain to the task and come up with the fact a serial killer was stalking her. What if it was Steven? She didn’t know what the killer looked like. Liam had seen the Chloroform Killer and there was no way Steven was him. But still, the thought should at least cross her mind.
    Instead she smiled. “So cynical.”
    Liam shrugged. “It’s better than being dead.”
    Andrea’s lips pressed together.
    He blew out a breath. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
    She looked aside. “Thank you for apologizing.”
    The lights on the fifteenth floor were all on and a crowd of police officers and FBI agents moved in and out of the rooms. Andrea’s office was at the end of the hall, full of the same team of technicians who had swabbed, tested and catalogued her apartment. She pushed out a long breath.
    “You okay?”
    Instead of answering, Andrea stepped over the debris that looked like papers, what had been a glass-topped coffee table, and pieces of stuffing from her chairs. She moved to the desk and looked around. “This is just mean.”
    “Is there anyone you can think of who might have done this?”
    “You mean someone this angry at me?” She motioned to the room. “There’s only one person I can think of.”
    Yeah, there was only one person Liam could think of, too.
    “Knock, knock.” Caisey strode in and stopped short. “Whoa, I wasn’t expecting this.”
    “Me either.” Still, he shot his partner a look and then glanced back at their charge. “Are you okay, Andrea?”
    “I had my laptop at home with me, so I don’t think this is about work. I challenge anyone to get