“Don’t cry on my shoulder. You’re the reason they’re gone. You wanted it. You could’ve spared the boy and you didn’t.”

Because he’d hated Colton almost as much as Colton ’s father. That boy was all Emily had lived for. “It was the only way our plan could work, and you know it.”

“No. You could’ve taken the money just like you did. Chasing five hundred thousand dollars would be a lot less of a motivation than chasing your child’s killer. You might’ve signed your own death warrant and mine, too.”

“Oh, quit sniveling. You were able to pay your bills, weren’t you?”

“And you paid for a new life. I hope you’re happy with it.”

“Up yours.” He disconnected, then sat staring at the flickering TV. Damn Pam Wartle. And damn Sebastian Costas. Sebastian and Colton were all Emily could ever talk about. Sebastian never would’ve treated me this way… Sebastian will pay for it. He wants Colton to have whatever he needs… I’ll ask Sebastian for a list of stocks. Maybe he can help us with some investments… You ever touch Colton like that again, and I’ll tell Sebastian…

She’d always acted as if Sebastian was tougher, smarter and more dependable than he was. She was proud her son was turning out so much like his father because she’d been in love with her ex. She’d probably been sleeping with him the whole time.

So why the hell hadn’t he shot Sebastian, too? He could’ve called him up and had him come over to find Emily and Colton, then placed a slug in his head. The bastard deserved it.

Malcolm smiled as he imagined Sebastian’s reaction had he been invited to that party-his shock and horror, his heartbreak when he saw his son lying in a pool of blood, his righteous but impotent anger as he faced the barrel of Malcolm’s Glock.

But it was just a dream. Malcolm hadn’t killed Emily’s ex. He’d told himself it was smarter to work quickly and efficiently, smarter not to include anyone else. The fewer victims, the better his chances of pulling it off.

Too bad. Not killing Sebastian had been a mistake. Now he had to worry, watch his back. And he couldn’t have that if he planned to start a new life with Mary.

He needed a clean slate, no one chasing him from the past-which meant he had to deal with Sebastian once and for all.

“Where were you last night?”

Jane’s hand froze, her coffee cup halfway to her mouth. The few hours she’d slept had been restless. Between the knowledge of what she’d done with Sebastian, skipping her workout routine and Kate’s absence at the breakfast table, it had already been an odd morning. Getting a call from Jonathan made it even more unusual. They spoke at the office whenever they passed each other, but he’d never called her before. And he’d certainly never questioned her whereabouts.

Trying to play it cool, she put her mug down. She didn’t want anyone at TLS to become aware of the fact that she’d slept with someone involved in her first case. Sleeping with Sebastian wasn’t a conflict of interest, but it wasn’t very professional. She was embarrassed by her own actions, and by the neediness that had caused them. “I went to bed early. Why?”

“At your place?”

His apparent confusion surprised her. She’d missed a call from him late last night, but she hadn’t thought much about it. If he was on an important case, either one of his own or one for TLS, he worked around the clock. She’d figured she’d touch base with him when she got to the office. “Of course. Where else would I sleep?”

“I don’t know, but you weren’t at home.”

“Yes, I was,” she argued. “This morning I saw that I missed your call, but I had my phone turned off when you tried to reach me.” At least that much was true.

His voice grew firmer. “Jane, I dropped by.”

Damn! What was he doing coming to her house? He’d never done that before. “When?”

“Just after midnight.”

“What was so important that you’d visit that late?”

“I was worried about you. I was at The Last Stand using the Internet because my laptop battery is on the blink. Then, out of nowhere, this guy showed up, asking for you. I said I was the only one there, but he demanded I tell him where you live or call you for him. He was angry that your business card doesn’t have your cell phone number.”

“Who was it?” she asked.

“Said his name was Luther. Wouldn’t give a last name.”

Latisha’s father. As long as she wasn’t facing his pit bulls, she could relax. “I know who he is.”

“You do?”

“Of course. He’s connected to my case.”

“He wasn’t too happy when he left. On the off-chance he managed to find you, I drove over to make sure you were safe. But you didn’t answer the door.”

“I must’ve been sleeping too deeply to hear the bell.”

“Come on, Jane. Your car was gone. I was worried enough to cruise the lot several times.”

She was making this worse by the second. Jonathan was a private investigator, someone trained to notice details. She should’ve known better than to bullshit him. She should just tell him the truth-or as much of the truth as she was comfortable revealing. “All right, I was with someone,” she admitted. “But please, don’t tell David or anyone at TLS. I don’t want to deal with this at work.”

There was a long silence. “Secrets make me uncomfortable, Jane.”

“This isn’t a secret. It’s my private business. There’s a difference.”

“If you’d told me you were out with someone when I first brought it up, it would’ve ended there.”

She rolled her eyes. “Jonathan, it’s nothing, really. I lied because…because it’s none of your concern. I can see whomever I want.”

“Jane, that guy who came here last night was dangerous. I’m pretty sure he was on drugs, and I know he was packing a gun. You have to watch out for yourself, especially if you’re coming home late.”

“He doesn’t know where I live. My number’s unlisted, so he couldn’t find me even if he wanted to.”

“There are ways…”

“For people like you. We’re talking about a pimp from Oak Park.”

“Don’t underestimate him,” he said. “Maybe it isn’t my concern, but if he’s someone you met through The Last Stand…you should be cautious. The people we come into contact with aren’t typically the type of people you’d want to date.”

“I know. But some of them are worth risking a relationship. You met Zoë through TLS.”

“True, but her child had been abducted. That’s not the same.”

“Of course it is,” she said. “She has to rebuild her trust just like Skye and me and anyone else who’s ever been violated. You think I don’t know that I have to be careful? I understand the risks we face. That’s the problem. That’s why last night was the first time I’ve been with a man in five freakin’ years!” Her voice was getting shrill but she couldn’t seem to gain control of it. “Can’t I shake off the past just once and spend the night with a guy simply because I want to? Can’t I forget about danger for a few minutes and act as if I don’t have to doubt every single person I meet?”

Finally, she caught herself. This wasn’t what she wanted to tell Jonathan. This wasn’t what she wanted to tell anyone. “I’m sorry,” she said. “Ignore me. I…I made a mistake, that’s all.”

“Jane?”

“What?”

“You’ll get beyond Oliver.”

She didn’t realize she was crying until the tears fell from her chin. Frustrated by her inability to stanch the emotions last night had churned up, she swiped an impatient hand across her wet cheeks and tried to swallow the lump that threatened to choke her. “Yeah, I will.” She continued to backpedal, pretending to believe she’d eventually recover, but she had no idea if she really would. Relationships were complicated enough without throwing her background into the mix.

Jonathan’s voice lightened, as if he hoped to tease her out of her current mood. “I hope it was fun, at least.”

She wasn’t even tempted to smile. “It should’ve been.” She couldn’t imagine he’d want to challenge that candid an answer, so she went right on. “I’ll give Luther a call, see what he wanted.”