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“Did you touch her?” Nick asked quietly.

Aurelie shook her head. “We were too afraid. But we said her name and she didn't answer.”

“She was dead.”

“I suppose. But we didn't get help. We didn't get a doctor or anything. We could have gone to town and found someone. They would have helped her.”

He wouldn't let himself ask the “why” question.

“Mrs. Harris said she was all we had and when something happened to her they'd put us in a home—probably separate homes. She wasn't mean about it, just making sure we were prepared.”

Not mean?

“We knew about that from when we were real small.” She found his hand and held it tightly. “Of course, I know what happened. Sarah and I both do. But we also know we were selfish in the end. We just wanted to get away and stay together. So we left. We left her there and made our way to San Francisco. There was money in the house and we took it and caught buses. We went to San Francisco because we thought we might be able to find our mom or dad.”

He tried to hold her but she wouldn't let him. “You led a sheltered life. You were scared and you did the best you could. No one could have brought that woman back to life.”

“No, but we could have shown some respect. Even if we called the operator and had them send someone. We could still have got away. But we wanted as much time as we could get before someone looked for us, so we just left, left her there like that.”

“It was a long time ago.”

Her grip on his hand got tighter. “But you don't get over wondering if you're flawed, Nick. If it came down to a choice, would you always save your own skin?”

“I know you well enough to remind you how much you care about other people. You couldn't help Mrs. Harris but you could try to help yourselves.”

She nodded slowly. “I don't ever want to have to make that kind of decision again.”

“You won't have to.”

“How can you know that?”

“I do, that's all,” he said. “I'm glad you told me. It explains some things.”

She drew her bare feet onto the couch, sat cross-legged and gave him a record-breaking frown.

“What?” he asked.

“Just take care of yourself, Nick. And remember what I said about locking your doors properly.”

He stared at her. “You know, you're manipulative. You're trying to manipulate me now. Why don't you tell me what you really want? You don't look ready to be here on your own to me.”

“I got shaken up,” she said. “But I'll be okay.”

“We have to hang together or it'll be a whole lot tougher to make it through,” Nick said.

“I know.”

“Isn't that better than not having anyone to keep you company when you need it?”

“Of course it is. But I'm scared. There, I've said it, I'm absolutely freakin' terrified.”

“Really?” He sat on his hands to stop himself from reaching for her again. “You sissy. Stiffen that back. Lift that chin—”

“Shut up before I jump you,” she said.

“Promise?”

She let her head flop against the back of the couch and closed her eyes. Her throat jerked and, as he'd feared, tears coursed from beneath her lids.

“Don't, Rellie,” he said quietly. “I'm only trying to lighten things up.” Even if he did manage to pepper his comments with innuendo, dammit.

“That man thinks we've got something of his,” she said. “It doesn't matter if we do or not, he's not sane. Sane people don't do what he did to me tonight. What am I saying? Of course he's not sane. Baily's dead and you know he did that, too. We're supposed to sit here and wait for him to figure out his next move.”

“We're not doing that.”

She looked at him. “We're not? How can you say that? Where is he? Does one person in this town have any idea where Colin is? Where he's hiding and watching us from? If we don't find his ruby, he's going to pick us off one by one. He's probably going to do it anyway because he can't afford to leave any witnesses behind.”

“From what Matt said before he left, he's going to come up with a workable safety plan. More important, they're going to cast a net and catch Colin.”

“I'm glad they're so sure of themselves.”

Nick wanted her to feel just as sure.

“While you were with the doc, Matt, Buck and I made a few decisions. One of them was to involve the community. We've got able-bodied people who will gladly step forward on an invitation basis. We can't risk panic or we won't get anywhere.”

“Sounds like you really are back on the friendly side with Matt,” Aurelie said. “Or Matt and Buck want to keep you close.”

He leaned closer. “Aren't you the cynic? You think my old friend has me pegged as a homicidal maniac and he's trying to get me to give myself away?”

“Guilty people often join in with searches for their own victims, or the killers of their own victims,” Aurelie said.

“If I were a paranoid type I'd be getting jumpy.”

“Thinking aloud, that's all I was doing,” Aurelie said. “And I'm probably wrong.”

“You could be right,” Nick said. “But it would have been some feat for me to be attacking…I don't even want to talk about this anymore. You've made a good point.”

“Forget I said it. Put it down to early legal training.”

He inclined his head. “We'll beat this thing. As long as we're smart, we will.”

“When you talk like that it seems possible,” Aurelie said.

“It is. Believe it.”

Nick reached for her hand again and she let him hold it. He hardly dared to hope she wouldn't pull it away again. “Listen. I'm not going to let anything happen to you, or to Delia or Sarah.” He must give her confidence. As long as no mistakes were made, Colin wouldn't get to them except through him and a police department he trusted. “We've got Matt, Buck and as many other pros as we need on our side. We can call in extra help if we need it. This town isn't going to sit back and let this man scare people into hiding in their homes.”

She squeezed his hand. “Matt will get in touch with the police on the West Coast,” she said. “That's protocol.”

“I don't think he'll follow protocol just yet. You know all too well how these cops are, they want to keep other agencies out of their jurisdiction for as long as possible.”

“Maybe I'll stay in here and not go out until it's all over,” Aurelie said.

Not such a bad idea.
“I'm not Superman, but I'm close.” He laughed, and so did she. “I can look after you.”

“I've done a good job of looking after myself,” she said. “I like it when a man opens a door for me, but if one doesn't show up I can do the job myself. Do you understand, Nick?”

He raised her hand to his mouth, keeping his eyes on hers, and rested her knuckles against his lips. “I understand you very well.”

She didn't look away. “How are we going to cope? You and me? With each other?”

Nick turned her hand over and traced the lines on her palm. “There's always that, isn't there?”

“When we crossed the line, we made sure there always would be, yes.” Her hair, completely dry, shone blue-black. “We could make a promise to put our personal issues aside until the crisis is over.”

“Yes. And that's what you want to do?”

“I said we could do that,” Aurelie said. “Or we could try.”

“I don't want to.” He couldn't help himself, he had to say it.

Aurelie stood, her hand still in his. “Then I'm scared for us.”

Nick pulled her until she bent over him. He kept on pulling, raised his chin, watched her mouth come closer. She could choose to stop this anytime she felt like it.

Aurelie didn't feel like it. Their lips met, softly, then urgently, and she overbalanced onto his lap.

Nick's lap didn't offer a soft landing.

Stretching around to hold him irritated her wounds, but it didn't matter. Not now.

They kissed every way a man and woman could kiss, or so Aurelie thought until he showed her a few more variations.

Breathless, they fell, face-to-face, on the couch, their arms and bodies entwined and Nick stopping Aurelie from falling off. And he kissed her some more.

“We'd better stop,” he said at last. “You're injured.”

She pushed her face beneath his chin and nipped at the skin over his collarbone.

“Seriously, sweets, you're damaged.”

Rising over him, she took his face in her hands. “Watch who you call damaged. Thanks to the good doctor, I'm not feeling much pain but I am feeling…strong. Do you feel strong?”

“Very strong.”

“Think about this, Nick. If we mess up, really mess up, there won't be any picking up the pieces.”

He pushed his fingers into her hair and held it back. “I think you're a dramatist.”

That wasn't the answer she wanted. “So you believe we can fool around until you get bored, then go back to being pretend brother and sister?”

“Oh, no, I surely don't,” he said. “I don't think that at all. I do think that if you don't go to bed now, on your own, and I don't get out of here, your new home is going to be the site of some serious sex.”

As he suggested, keeping up the kidding around would only lead to one thing. She sat up beside him, turned away. It was up to her.

“Damn you,” she said.

He ran a finger down her back. “What did I do to deserve that?”

Aurelie looked over her shoulder at him. The corners of his mouth turned up but his eyes were very serious. “Tread lightly,” she told him.

“And carry a big stick?” he asked softly, his brows flickering upward in the middle. “I want to kiss you again.”

No, he didn't, she thought, but he'd take whatever he could get. She sighed and swiveled toward him again. He leaned to kiss her and put a hand on her breast.

Aurelie winced.

“Hey.” Nick sat straight. He removed his hand from her breast. “That hurts?”

“I hit most things when I fell,” she said.

He stopped her from getting up. “Show me.”

“No!” She forced a laugh. “What a line.”

Gently, he pulled up her T-shirt. The expression on his face changed from concern to anger. “I'll kill him,” he said. “Anyone who would do that shouldn't be walking around.”

Aurelie tugged the T-shirt from his fingers and he grimaced at her. “Sorry. I've got a temper, too. He's got to be stopped.”

She settled her forehead on Nick's shoulder and he put his arms around her. “Do you want to stay tonight?” His stillness didn't surprise her. He hadn't expected her to make the moves.

“You know I do.”

A jarring buzz sent them jumping away from each other. “It's the intercom,” Aurelie said.

Nick blinked and cleared his throat. “I wouldn't have expected one here. I'm glad there is.”

Aurelie went to the wall box and pressed a button. “Yes?”

“Rellie? For God's sake, open up. I can't find Nick anywhere.”

Nick mouthed, “Sarah?”

She nodded and said, “Come up.” She buzzed the door open and glanced around the room. It looked as if someone was moving in, nothing more.

Nick watched her, she felt it and looked at him. “This is not wrong,” he said quietly.

Hoover roused himself and gave a halfhearted bark.

“It feels wrong,” Aurelie said, listening for Sarah's footsteps on the stairs. “But you're right. What's taking her so long?”

Suddenly intensely anxious, Aurelie left the room and ran down to the open front door. The light at the bottom of the stairs cast a dull glow.

Aurelie put a hand to her stomach. “Sarah?” The door had clicked open and stood cracked, but that was all. “Sarah?” She threw open the door and hurried outside.

Sarah stood a few yards away looking at Nick's Audi. Aurelie couldn't see her face. “Nick's here,” she said, her mouth dry. “He came to help me get my stuff upstairs.”

“I didn't see his car when I drove in,” Sarah said in a tight little voice. “Your Hummer hid it.”

“Hey, Sarah,” Nick said, jogging to join them.

“You said you were going home,” Sarah said.

“I intended to,” he said. “I ended up at the cop shop instead. It's been quite a night. You'd better come inside and hear all the news.”

“Oh, Nick.” Surging toward him, Sarah hugged Nick.

“Thank God you're okay. I went to Oakdale and I was so scared when you weren't there.” She pressed her lips to his cheek and closed her eyes.