Free She Can Tell by Melinda Leigh Page A

probably the first time in years you’ve been able to fasten the neck on that shirt.” Quinn crossed his arms over his chest. “You used to be Mr. Disgustingly Healthy. What the hell happened?”
    Neither the pretzel, the iced tea, nor his friends’ nagging was helping the burn that was working its way up into Mike’s chest. “Christ. Are you two going to tag-team me? I have enough stress.”
    Quinn’s eyes zeroed in on the hand Mike was unconsciously pressing to his sternum.
Shit.
Mike shoved his hand into his pocket. Truth was, it was getting bad enough he’d actually considered calling Quinn last week, and that was before Troy Mitchell went ape-shit.
    Quinn lowered his voice. “I haven’t forgotten your, uhm,
aversion
to the hospital. I’ll see you in Claire’s office, and we’ll arrange the test in an offsite facility. You trust me, right?”
    Mike squirmed. He was only slightly less phobic about going to Quinn’s wife’s family practice.
    “I’ll get him there if I have to ambush and drug him,” Sean volunteered with a feral smile that indicated that he’d enjoy a kidnapping.
    “This week.” Quinn gave his younger brother a nod before turning back to Mike. “In the meantime, lay off the coffee, eat regular meals, and try to close your eyes at some point.”
    Mike’s sigh was his admission of defeat. Neither Quinn nor Sean would give up. They were a pain in the butt that way. The Wilson brothers were also the closest thing he had to family.
    A woman called Quinn’s name, and he went back into the house, leaving Mike and Sean alone on the deck. A breeze rustled through the trees. Leaves tumbled along the back lawn.
    “Now tell me about this favor,” Sean said.
    “I need you to put in a security system for Rachel Parker.”
    “No problem.” Sean sipped his beer.
    “I don’t think she has any money.”
    Sean shrugged. “Also not a problem. We’ll work something out.”
    “And Troy’s bail hearing is tomorrow. He’ll be out by lunch.”
    “Then I’ll shift some things around in the morning and be at her house in the afternoon. We can get a basic system up and running in a couple of days.”
    “Thanks.”
    The sound of a car door slamming signaled the arrival of another guest.
    “Who else is coming?” Mike asked.
    “Just Jack and Beth and the kids.”
    Guilt flooded Mike. Through the sliders, he watched the happy chaos as Jack and his new family entered. Jack’s fiancée, Beth, rose up on her toes to kiss Quinn on the cheek. She was small and delicate, her pregnancy barely showing on her tiny frame. The thought of her in a killer’s hands was a shaft of guilt that skewered Mike like a shish kebab.
    Jack looked up, saw Mike and Sean, and headed for the deck. As he opened the door, his German shepherd, Henry, bolted through the opening. The big dog greeted Mike with the usual slobbery enthusiasm before turning his attention to the smells emanating from the grill.
    “Don’t even think about it, Henry,” Sean warned, closing the grill lid.
    Leaning on his cane, Jack limped over and sank into a patio chair with a grimace. “How’ve you been, Mike?”
    “Fine. You?” Before Jack could respond, Mike reached into his pocket. “Excuse me.” He pulled out his not-vibrating phone. Pretending to read the display, he backed away. “I have to go. Sorry.”
    “Hey, you didn’t eat yet,” Sean yelled, but Mike was already jogging back to his truck. What he needed was a few hours of solid sleep, not the living reminder of how his failure to catch the Riverside Killer had almost cost Beth her life. But he’d just turned onto the main road that led toward his small house in town when his phone vibrated for real. He glanced at the display. Alarm rushed through him. Lying had its price, and fate was going to make him pay up.

    Rachel shivered in the damp evening air. All business, Mike finished writing her statement in his notepad. Had she misread him that morning? God knew her people skills