Free Chasing Shadows by Terri Reed

for Sadie? Causing her too much excitement, raising her blood pressure and creating paranoia? Sadie had been more agitated the past few days. “Can you bring her blood pressure down?”
    Ms. Faust gave her a patient look. “The doctors are doing what they can.”
    Implying that Kris was the source of Sadie’s agitation. Kris glanced at Gabe. The tender concern and compassion filling his green eyes both pleased and irritated her. The man she’d known so many years ago wouldn’t have shown such understanding, but dealing with the atrocities of police work had obviously given him an empathetic side.
    And now he empathized with her.
    He’d tried to tell her that maybe Sadie wasn’t as healthy as she’d thought. So, okay, Sadie was eighty and Kris had probably been too enthusiastic in taking Grams out for ice cream, the theatre and dinner at Sadie’s favorite restaurants. But Sadie’s blood pressure didn’t explain the warning slashed across Kris’s apartment door.
    As if reading her mind, Gabe spoke, his voice crisp and authoritative. “I’d still like the address and phone number of Denise Jamesen’s relatives. And I really would suggest you cooperate rather than demanding I come back with a warrant. Makes me wonder what you’re hiding.”
    Ms. Faust heaved a beleaguered sigh. “Follow me.”
    Kris slipped her arm through Gabe’s. Gratefulness spread through her like a blanket against the chill of doubts Ms. Faust tried to instill. Gabe had enough of his own, Kris didn’t need the other woman adding fuel to this particular fire.
    â€œThank you,” she whispered.
    He covered her hand, warmth seeping in and curling up her arm.
    His voice dropped in volume. “Let’s concede the fact that Sadie’s imagination may be running rampant.”
    Indignation roared like a hungry bear through Kris. She didn’t want to concede anything. Acknowledging Sadie’s deteriorating health would be too upsetting. She tried to withdraw her hand. He wouldn’t release her.
    â€œAnd,” he continued, his voice low, his gaze intense, “someone feels threatened enough by her ramblings to send you a warning to back off. So in one way oranother, she’s hit a nerve. We just have to find out with who and why.”
    Though her indignation lessened, Kris eyed Gabe with suspicion. “How do we find out?”
    â€œFollow the leads we have for now.”
    They stopped at Ms. Faust’s office door. She gave no invitation to enter so they stood in the doorway while she rummaged through papers and files on her desk. She settled on a manila file with a green tab. Flipping the cover back, she quickly wrote out the requested info on a hot-pink sticky note and offered the slip of paper to Gabe. “I hope this will put an end to this nonsense.”
    â€œAnd I’ll take the itinerary,” Gabe said.
    With her mouth clamped tight in obvious irritation, she picked up a sheet of paper and handed it to him.
    A quick scan of the itinerary revealed nothing Ms. Faust hadn’t already stated. “This doesn’t mention the name of the cruise ship or the return date for Carl.”
    She shrugged. “That’s all I have.”
    Which was of no help.
    Gabe inclined his head. “We appreciate your cooperation.”
    â€œYes,” Kris added. “Thank you.”
    The woman harrumphed before indicating she’d like to shut the door.
    Kris read over Gabe’s shoulder as he took out his cell phone and dialed the number on the paper. He clicked his phone shut. “Busy.”
    Kris frowned. “Who doesn’t have call waiting nowadays?”
    He shrugged. “Apparently these people.” He looked at the square sheet in his hand. “Tim and Edna Jamesen.”
    â€œTry again,” Kris said, anxious to find out one way or another if Denise Jamesen had gone to visit her relatives for the holiday.
    A