"Miss Pente? Are you aware enough to answer some questions for us?” asked a man in a highly-tailored brown suit. The dark brown of his Gucci tie was almost too much.
"You're not a cop, are you?” It wasn't subtle, but she didn't particularly care for souls who beat around the bush.
"FBI. I'm Agent Skylark.” He sat in a twin chair across from her. “I'd like to ask Mr. Walds to step outside while we speak."
"No,” she replied quickly. “I don't know you and I'm tired of the unknown."
"From what I've learned, you haven't known him very long either.” Agent Skylark studied her, his eyes traveling up and down.
"That's not your place to judge, that's mine.” She was done. Not a huge fan of law enforcement, she did the best she could. The feelings were left over from the death of her parents, but she tried to push past them. “Here's the scoop. I don't know anything. Take the flower petals, the note, and the hair, and see what you can find. Dust my doorknob, do the voodoo you need to do, and then please leave.” Standing, she nodded at Devin. “Can you stay until they go?"
"I… yeah. But I do need to go to work shortly.” Devin looked a little taken aback, but he flowed with it. Good man.
She crossed the room, entered her bedroom, and locked herself in the bathroom. Turning on the faucet, she splashed water on her face. The cool water refreshed her.
Was there really someone out to get her? Well, they could bank on this. She wasn't going down without a fight.
Chapter Three
The cake tasted heavenly!
Strawberries layered with cream and frosting, delicate, spongy ladyfingers coated with candied sauce, held on a base of angel food cake, and surrounded by white chocolate icing. The man made a great choice. This was a perfect dessert.
Her mouth was on yum overload, and her senses could only feel one thing. Pleasure.
Halfway through the second piece, the delight began to give way to heaviness, and by the time she was three-quarters through, Kathryn Marie couldn't go on.
Pushing the plate aside, she put her head down on the table and wept.
The poinsettia was on the small table and she couldn't help thinking about all the loneliness and loss in her life. When she could take no more, she lifted her head. Picked up the plate, washed it, and then tucked the rest of the cake safely away.
A stray thought fumbled through her brain. Maybe she'd invite him over later.
That gave her pause. Did she like him? Yes. There was a sensibility-a warmth and generosity of heart. Her hormones kicked her. There was the chemical attraction too.
Walking over to her easel, she picked up a fresh piece of paper, secured it to the board, and looked over her paints. The one she wanted, blue, was all gone. If she really wanted more, she'd need to go to the store. She did have work commitments to keep. There was the piece she had to do for the Children's Ward at Scripps Green and the pencil studies for the Liver Transplant Art Auction.
The clock read noon. She needed to work. There was an entire day to get through and she was a woman of her word, especially when it came to commitments.
Routine would be the only thing that could keep her frightened and grief-stricken thoughts away. Slipping back into the clothes she had previously discarded, she felt ready to go. Grabbing her purse and keys, she locked up tight and headed for her car.
Maybe she'd buy a present for Devin.
An emotional pang hit her. Even this was hard.
Her sister had helped her pick out the Jeep when they were in high school. Granted, it had seen better days, but it still had the base stickers and all the usual growing up bumper stickers of support on it. GO NAVY! HONK IF YOU LOVE SEALS! KISS ME I'M SCOTTISH! Well, that one was partially scratched out. Boys had actually kissed her and her father hadn't been thrilled. Never make a Navy man mad. They have a multitude of modes, but their thoughtfulness and action could blow your socks off.
She smiled. Okay, there were too many good memories not to get lost in.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement. A man in a gray SUV, whose eyes were focused on Kathryn Marie's actions, gave her the heebie-jeebies.
Jumping in her car, she hurriedly locked the door, clipped the belt, and turned the engine over. Shoving the Jeep into gear, she peeled out, but the SUV that had been so close to her apartment followed her.
Leading the driver on a merry chase, she drove through all of Coronado's favorite speed traps, but no cops were there to take the bait.
Fear laced into her like cold spikes. She didn't want to drive to a store and embroil a friend, or go where she would have to force someone to listen to her. What she wanted was someplace safe!
Her hands were turning the wheel. Mind and body finally shared the message, but she knew the direction she was going. They were heading to the Amphibian Base.
Devin hated leaving her. But it was work and as much as he bent the rules, he'd never break them. Respect for what one did came from who one was. That was a Dad-ism. He had a ton of them rattling around in his head.
He was glad he'd insisted she program his cellular number in her phone. With good reason, she was upset and he wanted to be there for her. It was a good sign she was willing to accept his help. Liking this woman, however big or small the complications, was worth it. That wasn't something he'd felt with other women. Kathryn Marie was special.
There was a creative quality that appealed to his soul and then there was the philanthropic aspect. His mom had been like that, and he admired her giving ways. On top of that, his heart had kicked him. She'd really caught his eye. He'd felt it in her art the first time he'd seen it in her sister's office. In person, the volume of that passion was louder and more tangible. Coupled with the fact she was a SEAL pup, there was a solid platform for building forward.
Man, he was thinking Big Picture-marriage, children, and the future. Holidays spent together, forevermore. The realization didn't startle him. On the contrary, suddenly it felt right.
Rolling up to the gate, he presented his ID. The guard saluted him, and Devin drove his Porsche through. It bumped over the lethal tire blades groove, and he drove the requisite 25 mph through the base. When he reached the EOD building, he pulled into a slot and killed the engine.
Time to work. He was ready.
The key to being successful in any discipline-know the science and the mechanics inside and out. Understanding how something works and why provides an opportunity to improvise if a variation or unknown variable were to come along.
Devin could roll with the punches. It definitely made life more interesting. Especially, when the woman-you-want-to-date shows up at work.
He opened the door of his classroom and stepped out into the hallway of the stark, utilitarian building. He looked left, then right, before spotting her standing at the far end by the door, beneath the exit sign; her back to the wall.
One of the men had come into his class and told him she was waiting outside in the hall. Devin had gone to full alert in a heartbeat. “Kathryn Marie?” He was moving before he was even aware. His buddies and the entire class had followed. Hey, he couldn't fault them. He hadn't ordered them to stay.
The door opened and Kathryn Marie's knees grew weak with relief as she saw Devin step through and turn toward her.
Her fingers still hurt from holding the steering wheel so tightly. Now, she was wringing them-she had to calm down. She took a step toward him, and another. And then he was there in front of her.