Free Bayou Heat by Georgia Tribell Page B

high and low for evidence of who skewered the card to
her door. The powdery substance from gathering fingerprints appeared to be on
every surface in the place. It would take her a week to get it all cleaned up.
    Rob glanced over at her, and she watched as he ended his
conversation with Olson and moved across the room to her. She didn’t like
Detective Olson. He was too harsh, too crude and too opinionated for her taste.
Every time she was around the detective, she wanted to bolt for the nearest
exit.
    “Any luck?” she asked as Rob reached her. She crossed her
fingers, hoping it would help.
    “Doubt it. Olson says the killer has been extremely careful
not to leave any evidence. It’s not likely he got careless tonight. But they’ll
take all the evidence down to the lab for processing.” Rob stood next to her,
watching the scene.
    “This could be a copycat. Someone trying to scare me.” They
accomplished their goal, Eris thought as she moved closer to Rob.
    “Maybe,” he conceded. “Except for one thing—how would a
copycat know about the playing card with the yin-yang symbol on the back? That
particular piece of information hasn’t been leaked to the public. Nor was it
mentioned in our meeting this morning, but you knew about it.”
    “Yes.” Eris wrapped her arms around herself even tighter and
sidestepped one more time. This time she could feel Rob’s sleeve rub against
her arm.
    She knew he was correct about the yin-yang card. Everyone
working the case was sworn to secrecy and she had only spoken about it with
Orbit. She figured there were better odds of having six inches of snow in New
Orleans in July than this being a copycat. She inched closer to Rob, and this time
his arm went around her shoulder as he pulled her next to him. His hand rubbed
her arm in comforting slow strokes and she enjoyed the touch more than she
should have.
    “Pretty boy finally showed.” Rob’s words were laced with
sarcasm.
    His words pulled her from her mulling. “Who?”
    “Tarrington. I swear, with that boy-next-door look, I don’t see
how he ever plays the tough cop.”
    Eris studied Charles Tarrington’s profile. His
strawberry-blond hair was slicked back from his face and his hastily tossed on
jeans and t-shirt proved he’d dressed in a hurry. He was too cute for her taste
but she knew women who loved that look. “Not everyone is able to intimidate a
person without saying a word.”
    “It should be a requirement for those in law enforcement.”
    “I’m sure he’s good at his job.”
    Rob snorted as if she’d said the funniest thing in the
world. She was about to tell him to get off his high horse when a loud voice
carried into the apartment.
    “That’s my daughter’s apartment, young man. It’s going to
take more than you to stop me.”
    “Mother.” Eris turned her face into Rob’s shirt.
    “Evelyn honey, these men are simply doing their jobs. Don’t
give them a hard time.”
    “Father, the voice of reason in an insane world,” Eris
mumbled into Rob’s shirt, wishing she could hide.
    It was difficult enough dealing with all of this, she didn’t
need her parents added to the mix, but what choice did she have? She moved away
from the comfort and warmth Rob was providing and reminded herself it wasn’t
something she could afford to get used to. It wasn’t a dream she dared to
dream.
    Once before she’d thought she could have it all—love,
happiness, two-point-five kids and her crazy, insane family. Instead, she’d
found hurt, humiliation and estrangement from her family. She’d learned her
lesson well, mended broken bridges and wouldn’t be making that mistake again.
    “Wish I could avoid introducing you to my parents,” she said
to Rob, who was walking behind her.
    “What’s that supposed to mean?”
    “You’re about to find out.”
    * * * * *
    Rob stood at the far side of the room and surveyed the
group. He found himself fascinated at the way this family of seven interacted.
Growing up