Gillian flopped down on her bed. None of this rambling provided solutions to her dilemma. However, she continued to believe that the men who’d taken advantage of Daryl weren’t the type to buddy up to an honest cop. Now the question of the hour—was Mitch Valetti an honest cop? Correction—an honest ex-cop? Everything in her screamed yes. The God’s truth—she didn’t know.

So, was she willing to take a chance on her intuition?

Before the night erupted into a bright, sunny day, Gillian resorted to playing eenie, meenie, miney, mo. In choosing mo, she elected to stay where she was in the vicinity of an active, bustling police station.

Two could play the game of snoop. It should be easy to subtly pump Mitch’s friends who ate at the café. Plus, he might keep trying to get her to go out with him. That didn’t mean she had to see him outside the café. If he had something up his sleeve, sooner or later he’d have to show his hand.

Feeling better for having come to a decision, Gillian arrived for the early shift at work exhausted but with a plan in mind.

Too bad Mitch Valetti didn’t cooperate. Not only didn’t he come in to eat that day, neither did he appear the next day. Or the day after that.

Christy Jones came in every noon hour for lunch, acting as if Gillian were personally responsible for Mitch’s truancy. Gillian thought it more likely that Christy’s husband, Royce, was the one deterring Mitch. Royce and company stopped in for food and coffee at varying hours, clearly hoping to catch Christy with Mitch.

“Where’s Mitch been keeping himself?” Flo asked Ethan Knight on the fourth day of Mitch’s absence.

Gillian slowed her pace and perked up her ears. It almost seemed as if Ethan aimed his reply at her, along with a triumphant smirk. “Regan and I bought him a pup from the same breeder who sold me Taz. Pups are a lot like kids. You can’t just take off on a whim and leave them home alone.”

Flo grunted. “You tie Taz to one of the trees out front while you eat. Can’t Mitch do the same?”

“Gee, Flo. Does Bert know you’re hankering after another man?”

As Gillian worked at a nearby table, she recognized Ethan’s attempt to subvert Flo’s line of questioning. She jumped to the older woman’s defense. “Flo only wants to warn Mitch to stay away or risk being torn limb from limb by Royce Jones.”

Ethan slanted a frown at Gillian. “Royce has a beef against Mitch?”

Bert carried two plates of food out of the kitchen instead of placing them under the warming light for Gillian to collect. “I thought you must’ve put a bug in Mitch’s ear, Ethan. We’re all on the lookout for him. I tried phoning him that first day when Royce was in here blowing off steam. I got a recording saying Valetti’s phone’s out of service. Royce has a screwy notion that Mitch is making moves on Christy. He’ll cool off by and by, I expect. Until he does, it’s better if Mitch keeps his distance.”

“Hmm. Royce has a history of letting his temper get away from him.” Ethan rubbed his jaw. “Thanks for alerting me, Bert. I’ll raise Mitch on his cell phone. I don’t think he’s had his house phone reconnected since his surgery. Flo, I owe you an apology…even though you know I was only teasing you about Mitch. All the same, I had you pegged as trying to do a little matchmaking.”

“And so I was.” Flo kept one eye on Gillian as she ran off to deliver the meals Bert had brought out. “Mitch is a good man, Ethan. Right now he’s lonely and at loose ends. He lost Amy and his best friend at the same time. I happen to think a good woman might be what he needs. Gillian’s sort of in the same boat. She has so much time on her hands she’s volunteered to work double shifts, for pity’s sake. Why not get two needy souls together?”

“What do you mean Mitch lost his best friend? I’m his best friend,” Ethan stated flatly.

“Yeah. Used to be you and Mitch were joined at the hip. Now you’ve got a wife and four kids to take up your free time. I’m not saying you aren’t still his friend, Ethan. But you’ve got to admit the dynamics of your friendship are different.”

“Why that woman?” Ethan glared across the room at Gillian’s slender back.

“Why not her?” Flo challenged.

“I got bad vibes that first day she waited on me. Like she’s trouble disguised in an attractive body. Well, okay…for example, that’s not even her real hair color.”

Flo laughed. “If that’s what you’re basing your suspicions on, Ethan, you’ve got some nerve. If it’s a crime for a woman to color her hair, you’d better jail half the females in town. Me included.”

“It’s more than that, Flo. Darn it, I can’t put my finger on anything specific. Except I ran a make on her. Nothing showed for a Gillian Stevens.”

“See there.” Flo did her own smirking.

Ethan shook his head. “You don’t understand. I mean nothing showed. It’s like the woman doesn’t exist.”

Bert snorted and headed for the kitchen. Before reaching the door, he turned and shook a finger at Ethan. “Anyone tell you that cops are naturally paranoid? Lay off the poor kid, Knight. She’s the best damned waitress Flo and I have hired in five years. And if you’ve got nothing concrete, you’d better think twice before dumping this on Mitch. Flo and I figure Amy’s elopement shook him way more than he lets on.”

Ethan’s mouth opened as if he meant to say more. Then not only did the object of their discussion return to their midst, but the front door opened and Mitch himself strolled in, wearing a wide grin. It became patently obvious to everyone watching that his welcoming smile was for the sole benefit of Gillian Stevens.

“Hey, gorgeous,” he teased. “You miss me?”

Gillian’s stomach did handsprings before settling again. Oddly enough, she had missed him. But she wasn’t nearly ready to admit any such weakness. “Dream on, cowboy,” she mocked as she sailed past on her way to pour coffee for a table of customers. “Anyway,” she said, making a face at him over her shoulder, “your friend there—” she indicated Ethan “—said there’s someone new in your life.” Sliding a pencil behind her ear, Gillian continued to walk.

Mitch spun on his former partner. “What lies are you spreading?” Though his tone remained light, there was an aggressive undercurrent.

“I meant the dog,” Gillian exclaimed, stopping mid-stride. For a minute there, she thought Mitch was ready to scrap with his best friend over her. Daryl rarely if ever came to her defense, regardless of provocation. She considered what it would be like to have a protector. She couldn’t deny that Mitch’s action lit a sexual fire deep inside her.

Her suspicions of him made it a foolish reaction. However, at that moment, if Mitch Valetti asked her out again, Gillian knew she’d live dangerously and accept. After all, her life couldn’t be any more on the line than it was now, with people chasing her, wanting her dead. If by some bizarre coincidence Valetti was connected to their efforts, at least she’d be taking charge of her fate.

As long as she remained careful. As long as she never dropped her guard.

ETHAN KNIGHT tossed his tip on the counter. He told his new partner to go on back to the station, that he’d catch up. “Got a minute, Mitch?”

“Sure, Big E. Time’s a plentiful commodity with me right now. What can I do you for?”

“I see you haven’t lost your sense of humor.” Ethan smiled with his mouth, not his eyes. “Walk out with me to where I left Taz? What I have to say is private. I want to, ah, discuss a case.” His gaze slid from Mitch to Flo’s new waitress, who’d leaned around the counter to give Bert special instructions on an order.

Mitch’s stance showed resistance to Ethan’s suggestion. Staring at his friend, he capitulated with a shrug, his limp more pronounced during their exit.

Gillian sent a glance at them as they left. What case? She’d felt Ethan’s eyes boring into her back. Did his need for secrecy involve her? A current of fear rattled Gillian’s equilibrium. The fear was accompanied by a vague disappointment that Mitch wasn’t staying around to order lunch.