„Pie?“ she asked, hoping she could redirect Owen with talk of food.
„Dutch apple, Vincent’s family recipe. Why are you getting a dog?“
Kristen opened the bag and sniffed appreciatively. „I’m starving. I didn’t have time for lunch.“ Truthfully, she’d been afraid to leave the office to get lunch, which added to the general annoyance hanging over the day.
He closed the bag just as she reached in. „Dog. Now. What happened?“
„Oh, I’m getting some annoying people at the house because of all this humble servant nonsense.“ She pasted a smile on her face to keep him from worrying. „I promised the guys I’d get a dog to scare them away.“
His eyes narrowed. „That’s all? Just annoying people?“
She nodded. „Totally annoying. So how’s the new fry cook?“
Owen scowled and gave her the bag. „He quit. Hired a new one, but he’s sorry, too. So why didn’t you come by the diner all weekend? You’re not on some fad diet, are you?“
Kristen chuckled. Between Reagan’s gyros and Italian food and his mother’s ham, she hadn’t eaten so well in years. „No. Actually I’m…“ She faltered. „I’m seeing someone.“ She shrugged when a delighted smile broke across Owen’s face. „He feeds me.“
„Excellent. Excellent news. And what’s his name?“
„Abe Reagan.“
Owen’s eyes narrowed again. „The detective on this murder case?“
„Yes.“ She took the lid off the bowl of soup. „Why?“
„I don’t know. Just seems dangerous.“
No more dangerous than my own life, she thought.
Owen’s face softened. „He’s good to you?“
She thought of the night before, of this morning, of his patience and gentleness and felt her cheeks heat. „Yes. Yes, he is.“
„That’s good enough for me. Eat. I have to get back before Vincent kills the new cook.“
Kristen smiled at that. „Somehow I can’t see Vincent getting that mad ever.“
„You’d be surprised. Man has quite a temper.“
Kristen was genuinely astonished. „Vincent?“ A temper? And her mind wandered, for just a moment, considering. A stupid moment. There was no way Vincent could hurt another soul. But still, stranger things had happened.
„Hmm.“ Owen backed up to the door. „He lost twenty bucks on the Bulls’ game last night and actually said ‘darn.’ He was fit to be tied.“
He was teasing her, Kristen realized and she laughed at herself for the split second she’d imagined Vincent in the role of the humble servant. „You’re bad, Owen.“
He grinned. „I know.“ He opened the door, nearly stumbling over Lois.
„Kristen, you have another visitor.“ She looked half-amused and half-harried, and a second later Kristen knew why.
„Kristen!“ Rachel Reagan bounded into her office. „Ooh, food. Can I have some?“
Kristen laughed, the day suddenly sunnier. „Sure, but don’t touch the apple pie. It’s mine. Rachel, this is my friend Owen. Owen, this is Abe’s younger sister, Rachel.“
Rachel smiled up at him, a smile purely reserved to charm people she hadn’t yet finagled into doing her bidding. „Nice to meet you, sir.“
Owen tipped an imaginary hat. „And you. Kristen, I’ll see you soon.“
„Thanks, Owen.“ Kristen smiled at Lois who stood waiting. „The kid can stay.“
Rachel unwrapped the Reuben. „I am so hungry. I was talking to my teacher and missed lunch.“ She took a huge bite, and said between chews, „We were talking about you.“
„Me?“
Rachel nodded and swallowed. „Got anything to drink around here?“
Kristen handed her one of the bottles of water she kept in her desk drawer and Rachel gulped half a bottle before continuing. „Thanks. She loved my interview with you. She wanted to know if you would come in to talk to my class.“ She angled her head slyly. „Please?“
Kristen frowned at her because it seemed like the right thing to do. „Does your mother know you’re here?“
„Kind of. I told her I was going to a friend’s house after school. You said you practically live here, you work so many hours, so I wasn’t exactly lying.“
Kristen swallowed her smile and gave Rachel a stern look. „You weren’t exactly telling the truth either. How did you get down here anyway?“
„I came on the El.“ She looked annoyed. „I’m not stupid, Kristen. I can get downtown.“
But there were a lot of seedy places between Rachel’s neighborhood and the El stop for the ASA’s offices. Kristen shuddered at the thought of a thirteen-year-old roaming the streets by herself. „Rachel, your parents don’t let you walk around town all by yourself, do they?“
Rachel’s eyes dropped to the sandwich on her lap and Kristen realized she’d seen that same expression on Abe’s face – the morning they’d found the first body and he’d been so angry that she’d put cops on the suspect list. She’d rebuked him and he’d been embarrassed. Now, Rachel wagged her dark head. „No. I’ll probably get grounded again.“ She looked up, a gleam in her blue eyes. Abe’s eyes. And in Abe’s Kristen had seen that same gleam. „Unless you don’t tell on me.“
Kristen had to chuckle. „Actually, what’s going to happen is that I’m going to see you home and your parents will wonder why I’m with you. Then you’ll tell them yourself. You didn’t think I’d let you waltz out of here alone, did you? It’s going to be dark soon.“
Rachel’s pretty mouth pushed up in a frown. „I didn’t think about that.“
Kristen lifted a brow. „You’d better be thinking three steps ahead of everyone if you want to be a prosecutor. You have to determine all the possible outcomes and plan for each one.“
Rachel perked back up. „So will you come to my school? Please?“ She pressed her clasped hands to her heart. „I promise not to come see you alone on the El ever again.“
„I notice you didn’t promise not to take the El alone ever again,“ Kristen responded wryly and Rachel just grinned. Kristen looked at the files on her desk. They were Greg’s problem now. She was on an „overdue vacation.“
„Why not? My calendar has suddenly been freed.“
With a confident look that said she’d never really expected any other outcome, Rachel sat back and took another bite. „Extra credit, here I come.“
Kristen looked at the young girl fondly. „Don’t talk with your mouth full, Rachel.“
Monday, February 23,
5:00 p.m.
Jacob Conti sat back in his chair, brooding. „So what do you know?“
Drake shot him a concerned look. „She’s squeaky clean, Jacob. The woman hasn’t had so much as a parking ticket. She seems to be the impossible. An honest lawyer.“
Jacob turned his chair to face the wall, scowling. „You told me that before.“
„It was true when Angelo was on trial, it’s true now,“ Drake said with a patience that grated on his nerves. Drake thoroughly investigated Miss Mayhew when she was assigned Angelo’s murder trial. They’d looked for some-thing, anything to use against her then, to embarrass her, to blackmail her if necessary. There’d been nothing.
She was a sanctimonious little bitch.
He stared at Angelo’s picture hanging on the wall before his eyes and felt the sting of tears. Stupid, stupid kid. Opening his mouth that way.
The man who took his son’s life would pay dearly.
Elaine hadn’t left her bed since he’d broken the news to her yesterday. Hardest thing he’d done in his life. She’d had to be sedated and the doctor even now waited at her bedside in case she woke up in hysterics again.
„She scratched Paglieri,“ Drake said and Jacob turned his head, staring.
„What?“
„Paglieri,“ Drake said tightly. „The guy you sent over last night to bully Mayhew with a gun without my knowledge.“
Jacob turned the chair, narrowed his eyes at Drake. „I don’t need your permission, Drake. I’m still the boss here, remember?“