Amy Atwell - Lying Eyes

“Is this a temporary assignment?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“When you come back to Boston, you should resign. No one would question it. It’s too hard for you to work there every day after your brother-”

“It wasn’t the job. He wasn’t even on duty when it happened.”

“That doesn’t matter,” she said vehemently. “That job indoctrinates you, sets expectations until you automatically act. He wouldn’t be dead today if he hadn’t been a cop.” Her voice rasped with the bitterness that tinged her furious outburst.

“Yeah, he would,” Mickey said simply. As painful as the words were to say, he experienced a type of relief, of freedom, in saying them. And that’s when he knew he’d been angry at his brother for dying. Just like Suze, he’d blamed Brian-like it was Brian’s fault he’d gotten himself murdered in a convenience store.

No, his brother died because it was his instinctive nature to help someone in need. Just as it had been their father’s. Just as it was Mickey’s.

His sister-in-law still sounded lost, adrift without Brian to anchor her. Mickey sought words to console them both. “It’s not fair. He was a good man trying to do the right thing, and a maniac killed him.”

“Yeah, well, both my priest and my shrink have assured me that life isn’t always fair.”

“No, it’s not.” He stretched the cords in his neck to relieve the tightness there. “How do you deal with it?”

“I get up every morning and try to make it through the day without killing myself.”

Mickey understood her. He’d felt that same despair, but he hadn’t had the luxury to hide, to wait, to heal. He’d gone right back to work where he spent every day trying not to get killed.

Maybe they weren’t so different after all.

“We can’t stop living,” she said. “Brian wouldn’t want that.”

“Did the shrink tell you that?”

She gave another of those half laughs. “Actually, that was the priest.” She tried to hide a yawn.

“You’re tired. I’ll let you go. Sorry I called so late.”

“I’m not. Call anytime you want to talk. And Michael, be careful.”

Mickey closed his phone. His head dropped forward as some of the tension seeped from his shoulders. He’d avoided talking to Suze for so long. They’d each fed off the other’s bitterness and done nothing but made each other feel worse. The hard truth was there was nothing either of them could have done. It had been a tragedy, pure and simple. Brian had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. He’d used his training to the best of his ability, tried to do the right thing, but he hadn’t had time to analyze the situation unfolding around him.

Suze still couldn’t accept that Brian had no choice that night. He wasn’t the kind of person to walk away from that convenience store when someone’s life was at risk. Even if he’d known he was about to die, he would have done the same thing.

Mickey lifted his head to look around the dark workroom. The solitude was no longer so oppressive. He knew why-the void of Brian’s death was no longer an empty chasm. It was still there, filled with dark emotions-anger, loss, bitterness-but perched along the edges he could feel hope, as if Brian were there, willing him to try again.

Willing him to be happy.

Mickey thought back over the past week. As the danger had closed in around Cosmo and then Iris and himself, he’d connected with his parents in a way he’d been unable to since Brian’s death. That unrealistic guilt he’d felt about still being alive lessened the more it looked like he might actually die.

And Iris-hell, she’d made him feel hope and happiness he hadn’t experienced in years. It wasn’t just that she was sexually attracted to him-although he wasn’t complaining about that. No, he got an even bigger charge out of her watching him with those brandy eyes shining with faith. He’d screwed up that trust this morning, but he’d win her back. Failing Iris wasn’t an option.

A scratching at the back door interrupted his thoughts, alerting him that someone was outside. Mickey hunkered down behind the worktable, prepared to finally capture that elusive charlatan, Cosmo Fortune.

For her command center, Iris chose the farthest slot machine in the row that faced her storefront. Here, she had a view through the front doors to the display cases filled with her jewelry creations, yet this spot also provided potential camouflage. This was important-she didn’t want Cosmo to see her before she spied him. While Mickey stood a good chance of catching her father, she knew he could be as elusive as hell. She wanted to minimize any chance he would escape.

With that in mind, she wore blue jeans and a pink tank top layered over a white scoop neck T-shirt. Her curls were scraped back into a ponytail and stuffed under a baseball cap to further hide them. The worst part of dressing had been squeezing into her running shoes. Iris still grimaced at the feel of the flat shoes encasing her feet. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d worn them, much less run.

Still, if tonight were anything like last night, comfort and mobility were going to be more important than style. She shuddered at the memory of having to run down that apartment building’s musty stairwell barefoot.

“Drinking coffee at this hour will keep you awake all night, you know.” Officer Foote handed her the coffee shop’s logoed cup.

“That’s rather the point.” She motioned for him to give over the little packets of cream.

“Are you going to tell me what we’re doing here?”

“I’m here to meet my sisters and play slots.” She poured some cream into her cup. “You’re just following me.”

“I was hoping for the truth this time.”

She tilted her head to regard his earnest face from beneath her cap. “I don’t think that’s likely, do you?”

He took a step back. “I suppose not.”

“Buck up. I don’t think we’re going to get into any danger tonight. Just hang out at the casino with the girls.” She smiled at him. While she hadn’t liked the idea of a shadow, especially one in uniform, he did make her feel safer. But she also knew if she told him she were tracking Mickey and her father, he’d tell Hunter in a heartbeat. Mickey wasn’t going to arrest her father, but she wasn’t so sure about Hunter.

The police had a long list of questions for Cosmo Fortune, but they were going to have to wait in line behind Iris and her sisters.

“There you are!”

Iris looked up to see Cory hurrying toward her. The brunette had likewise chosen running shoes and a green jogging suit. Her long dark curls were pulled into a knot at the back of her head. “Wow, you weren’t kidding with that description. ‘Look for the young, earnest police officer near my store.’ He’s like a beacon.”

“That’s it.” Iris shooed Foote away. “Go stand over there. I don’t need you calling attention to us.” He retreated, but she didn’t trust the speculation in his eye. She turned to her sister. “Is Allie coming?”

“She said she would, but she’s got a show tonight. Second curtain went up at ten-thirty.” Cory studied her, a hint of fire in her eyes. “She’s angry with you, you know.”

“Allie?” Iris blinked. “What did I do?”

“She said she met your cousins, but you wouldn’t admit she was your sister.”

She vented a groan of frustration. “I don’t need this tonight. They came halfway around the world to meet me, and they think I’m Cosmo’s only child. They already know he’s a jewel thief, I shouldn’t have to explain his marriages to them-he needs to do that himself. Honestly, I could just kill him.”

Cory’s back stiffened. “We don’t know that Papa stole anything.”