Chris Redding - Corpse Whisperer

“Oh, Zach. Nice of you to come.”

“Is Grace here?”

“Yes, why?”

She studied him as a lover would study another for signs of cheating. He didn’t look away from her. He owed her no explanations. She lied to him on a regular basis, but he wouldn’t do the same. “I’m looking for her. I’ll drop in when I’m done.”

“Thanks, Zach, but I just want to rest.”

“Of course. You need anything?”

“No. I hired a nurse for the night.”

“Good.”

Zach waited until she was inside her house with her nurse before he took Grace’s steps two at a time.

She answered his knock, but didn’t let him in. “Go away, Zach. I don’t appreciate being a sideshow freak for anyone.”

“You aren’t.” He put out his hands to touch her, make her believe him. She stepped away from him. “I’ve never stopped being a cop. I always need to know what I’m dealing with.”

Disgust screwed up her face. “What you’re dealing with? I’m human Zach and I still have feelings.”

He cursed himself for using the wrong word. Talking had never been his forte. He sighed. “Grace, listen. I just want to help.”

“Then tell me who you think would try to kill Dolores.”

“You mean, you? The person shot at you.”

“Okay, then who would kill me?”

“Your friend, Mark.”

Her face scrunched up. “Mark?”

“He’s in love with you and can’t have you.”

“He just thinks he’s in love with me.”

“Can we have this conversation inside?”

She let him in, but not before thinking about it. “Okay.”

Perched on the edge of her couch, she looked at him, eyebrows up.

He clenched his fists. Had last night meant nothing? “You can’t fault me for wanting to know about you.”

“Why not? It’s an invasion of my privacy.”

“I wanted facts. Facts about this talent you say you have. It’s what I do. Investigate.”

“And what did you find out? What facts have you brought to light?” Bitterness tinged her voice.

He slumped onto the chair. “Nothing really. That reporter didn’t like you.”

“She thinks I made up a story to tell her.”

“So you told her the truth.”

She stood and paced away from him. “Look, the killer is still out there. And we’re in here splitting hairs. You can either help me or get out of my way.”

She was obviously determined to do this her way.

“So what’s our next move?”

“We keep an eye on Dolores’ house. The last time the person killed her the day she came home from the hospital.”

She had no idea how bizarre her words sounded to him. As if Dolores had been killed more than once. “There isn’t a better view from here. We just can’t see the front door.”

“There’s a cop out front, right?”

“Yes, but he could get called away at any moment if he’s needed somewhere else.”

She frowned and wrapped herself in her arms. Zach wanted his arms to be there, but he knew he had ground to make up. She wanted him to believe her. He’d get nowhere until he did. This whole idea was a tough sell. He considered her worth the try to stretch his imagination.

There were people in his family that said they had powers. He avoided them if he could. He wasn’t willing to avoid Grace. “Grace, I won’t apologize for doing something that is a part of me. I investigate. I have a curious nature and I needed to know about you. I wanted to make sure that Dolores wasn’t going to get ripped off.”

She nodded and seemed to be mulling that over. “I guess I can’t blame you.”

“You haven’t committed any crimes so I couldn’t do an official background check so I used the internet.”

“Why didn’t you read them and forget them? You printed them out.”

He stood and walked so he was within her personal space. She had to know how he felt. “Because there is something about you, something that draws me to you. And I haven’t felt this kind of attraction in a long time. Maybe not ever.”

Her eyes widened liked saucers. “I’ll probably move on after all this.”

His heart went heavy. He brushed a hair from her face, his fingers only grazing her cheek. He saw her flinch only because he was looking for it. Like dealing with a skittish colt, he’d have to take it slowly. Maybe she’d rethink moving on. “I guess I’ll deal with that if it happens.”

He reached out to her again still with some hesitation. Would she see the colors? His finger traced her jaw line and she didn’t pull away. Instead her eyes closed, her face leaning into his touch.

A murmur escaped her lips. “We can’t do this now.”

“I know, but I’m going to kiss you.”

He brought his lips to hers as lightning sent a sizzle through him. He’d kissed many women, some of them expert kissers. Right now his knees wanted to buckle. Instead, he dug his fingers into her hair as if it were a lifeline.

She responded by grabbing his shirt front and pulling him closer. No room for the Holy Spirit here.

Just as he was settling into the rhythm of her lips, she nudged him away. “I heard a car,” she said, her voice sandpaper.

His cop radar went on overload. The kiss still burned his lips, but the hair on the back of his neck stood.

“Damn. We’ll revisit that,” he said, glancing out the window.

He raced down Grace’s steps with her close behind. “It’s Mark.”

Sure enough her squat friend climbed out of a compact car. “What’s up guys?”

Grace’s breath slowed. She was out of breath more from Zach’s kisses than from the trek down the steps.

Mark eyed them both.

Her hand went to her probably swollen lips. “Where have you been?” Her breathy voice held no venom. Guilt tinged her consciousness even though rationally she had no reason. Mark had no claim to her.

She just didn’t need to rub it in his face.

His gaze went to Zach who had moved closer to her. He couldn’t have been more obvious about possessing her than if he’d peed on her leg.

“Police station,” Mark said, more to Zach than to her. He looked like a kid daring Zach to tell on him.

Grace stepped away from Zach’s overbearing presence. Mark didn’t need this, nor did she. “You went in?”

“Sure, I got nothing to hide. They let me go finally. What have you two been up to?”

“Nothing,” she said, more quickly than she should have.

Mark faced Zach. “So you’ve moved in on her already.”

“Mark, it isn’t what you think,” Grace said.

“Oh, I can just imagine. I’m out of here.”

He slammed the car door and squealed his tires on the way out. Grace had never seen him so upset. “Has he been drinking?”

“I didn’t smell anything,” Zach said.

She rubbed a hand through her hair. What a mess she was making. Of her life. Of everyone’s around her. Zach’s arms hung at his sides, as if the crisis were over now. Was it just beginning?

He wasn’t here because he believed her. He was here because of his attraction to her. Not that she could deny there were feelings inside of her for him. She couldn’t act on them. She couldn’t get distracted.

She’d cost someone’s life once already. Her mind wouldn’t take that again.

“You better go check on Dolores,” Grace said.

Zach nodded. “Not until you’re inside, with the door locked.”

She trudged up the steps, wanting only sleep, knowing it would have to wait. Besides, with the sun up, she’d never sleep.

Her phone rang. Mark.

“I’m leaving town. I’ll be in touch,” he said.

“You okay?”

She didn’t want him to leave on this note. They’d been friends for too long to ruin the friendship now.