Free Justification for Murder by Elin Barnes Page B

don’t think you should be so flippant about it. This is serious.” Emma refilled the glasses. “Why don’t you come and stay with us for a while?”
    “And lose my handsome cops out there watching over me? No way.”
    “Maybe you can bring them along.”
    They toasted to the idea. Emma’s phone rang.
    “Sorry, Sofia is with the baby-sitter, so I have to check.”
    Saffron nodded and started thinking about the man with the Timberland boots and the shiny knife. The weather was still hot for October, but she felt a shiver. Emma was right: she should take this more seriously.
    “Crap, my baby-sitter has an emergency back home. I have to get back.”
    “Okay, no worries.”
    “I wanted to spend the evening with you, but I can’t reach Bob. It went to voice mail, and I know he had back-to-back calls with Asia tonight.”
    She hung up and dialed the number for a taxi.
    “Why don’t you come?”
    “No. I’m going to stay in, watch a sappy movie and catch up on email.”
    “Read them, but make sure you don’t answer any.”
    Saffron gave her a puzzled look.
    “I don’t think you are in any state to do real work,” she said, pointing to the empty glass in her hand.
    “I think you’re very right,” Saffron poured another one.
    “What?” Emma asked speaking into the phone. “The taxi’s going to take twenty minutes. Can you believe that?” she said to Saffron, not covering the phone with her hand.
    “What happened to your car?”
    “It’s in the shop. They told me it would just take a few hours but then called me to say they needed to change something or other and it had to be there overnight.”
    “Take my car if you are sober enough to drive.”
    “Are you sure? What are you going to do tomorrow?”
    “I can always ask my new friends for a ride. I have some police business to take care of in the morning anyway,” she said, trying to sound smug but already slurring the words a little.
    “You are the best, thank you.”
    Emma kissed her on the head. They hugged, and she headed toward the door.
    “Remember to lock up behind me,” she shouted back and took Saffron’s spare car keys before closing the door.
    “I love you too, Emma,” Saffron responded and smiled. “You are the best friend in the world,” she said, even though she knew Emma wouldn’t hear her.

CHAPTER 19
    T yler Warren opened the bottom drawer of his desk and pulled two new shirts. One was white with thin blue and burgundy stripes. The other was black with that sheen that only new shirts seem to have. He chose the black one. Without bothering to close the blinds in his office, he stripped from the waist up and put on the new shirt. Nobody bothered to look. This had become routine in the last few months.
    He splashed on some cologne and headed for the bathroom. He thought of shaving but decided that the five-o’clock shadow gave him a more masculine look. His hair was still held in place by the morning’s gel and his eyes were bright, even though he was tired. His tanned skin masked the dark circles but intensified his few crow’s-feet. He grabbed his jacket and, satisfied with his look, left the office. His Omega said it was 7:30. He barely had thirty minutes to make it from Palo Alto to San Francisco. He was going to be late.
    The Tesla weaved between traffic while Warren listened to a TED podcast on the potential of regenerative medicine. Thirty-five minutes later, Interstate 280 turned into King Street—he had finally reached the South of Market district. He took a left on Third Street and stopped by the W Hotel’s front door. He handed the keys to the valet and headed directly for The Living Room bar and lounge.
    The place was bathed in a soft blue light with brighter colors emanating from the shelves filled with designer alcohol bottles. The patterns proyected on the walls changed in tune with the house-lounge music.
    I’m getting too old for this place
, he thought.
    He looked around. The place was pretty full with