Terri Reed - Chasing Shadows

She nodded, her expression a bit apprehensive, as if his opinion mattered.

Flustered by that thought, he flipped through the stack of images. More of Africa, others looked to be in an Eastern European setting, while a few were definitely South American. All third-world communities. Impressed by both the pictures and the fact that she’d gone to these places, he said, “These are great.”

“Thank you.”

Her pleased smile zinged through him, creating a wave of unexpected yearning that tightened his chest. He moved away from the photos and back to business. “So, what did you have to show me?”

Her eyes gleamed with excitement. She rushed to the workstation and picked up several pictures. “Check these out.”

Gabe studied the images. The first two were of Frank as he walked away from the camera toward the dark alleyway. The second showed the man in the shadows, his face unfortunately obscured by darkness. The third showed Frank handing over the envelope. The fourth was of the man emptying the contents into his hand. And the fifth was a zoomed-in shot of a dozen pills in various shapes and sizes.

Gabe raised an eyebrow. “Looks like Frank’s into drug trafficking.”

“See, I knew there was something off about him,” she gloated, looking quite delighted with herself.

Gabe liked her enthusiasm but he couldn’t let her think she’d done a good thing. The thought of her getting hurt made his shoulder muscles tighten. “Yes, you were right. But you took a risk.”

The enthusiastic light faded from her blue eyes. “Didn’t we have this discussion already?”

“Never hurts to reiterate. Besides, this doesn’t mean he had anything to do with Carl and Lena. We still haven’t established anything has happened to them.”

“When will you?”

“Soon.” He hoped. Then he could stop torturing himself with her company.

He moved toward the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking Christopher Columbus Park. The fountain shot water in the air and a woman with a dog jogged along the winding paved path. Beyond the park, the blue water of the Atlantic sparkled in the winter sunlight. Sails ruffled in the morning breeze. Die-hard sailors in this cold weather. He shivered.

Kristina halted beside him. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Very.” So was she.

“On summer evenings I can watch the performance artists,” she stated softly. She turned her gaze on him.

Gabe found himself staring into eyes darker than the ocean and alive with intelligence. She regarded him frankly, with no guile or coyness.

So unlike the woman she’d been.

He could like this new person. He didn’t want to. He couldn’t risk that kind of pain again. “I should go.”

She nodded slightly, opened her mouth as if to speak but then seemed to think better of it.

“What?” he asked.

“Would you mind if I took your picture?” she asked.

A dry laughed escaped him. “I don’t know…”

She moved to her camera and detached it from the tripod. “You don’t have to do anything. Just be.”

“Just be?” How did one “just be”?

She held the camera to her eye, the round dark lens trained on him. The soft snap of the shutter was the only sound as she moved around him. He wasn’t sure if he should move or stay still, so he just stood there trying not to tense. She angled the camera and clicked away. He wondered what she saw worth photographing.

“Do you like ice cream?” she asked.

He arched an eyebrow. “Yes. Doesn’t everyone?”

The click of the camera echoed in the loft. “What kind?”

“Chocolate.”

She lowered the camera. “Just plain old chocolate?”

He shrugged. “Yeah.”

“Okay. What are you doing tonight?”

“Tonight?” An unexpected rush of anticipation arced through him.

“I plan to take Grams for ice cream. I think she’d like to meet you. Considering.”

She wanted him to hear her grandmother’s story about people missing from the retirement center. “I don’t think that’s a good idea considering the last time I met your family.”

She frowned. “This is my grandmother. Not my parents. I think it’s important for you to meet her and see for yourself that she’s not some loony person.”

“I don’t know.” Social events with the Worthingtons weren’t high on his list of repeat experiences. The last time he’d met Kristina’s family, they’d made their feelings about his unsuitableness loud and clear. But this wasn’t her parents, just one elderly woman. And it was his job.

“Please,” she said, her blue eyes direct and earnest.

What happened to the haughty woman who’d interrupted his life yesterday? Kristina was a puzzle, one he wasn’t sure he wanted to solve. But he’d gone this far, and who knew what other kinds of trouble Grams and Kristina would get in. “Okay.”

She beamed. “Great. Meet us here about seven?”

“That’s fine,” he agreed as he walked toward the curtain.

Kristina followed him to the door. “Thank you for taking care of this,” she said, indicating the pictures in his hands.

“Not a problem. Promise me you won’t do any more amateur sleuthing.”

She grinned. “I don’t make promises I’m not sure I can keep.”

He groaned. “Just stay out of trouble, okay?”

“I’ll try.”

Her words weren’t convincing. Gabe had a feeling that trouble and Kristina would be meeting again. And he could only hope he’d be there to protect her.

Kris had picked up Sadie early in the evening and brought her back to the loft, where they waited for Gabe. She still couldn’t believe she’d invited him for ice cream. And was even more surprised that he’d said yes.

Why would he say yes?

She doubted he harbored any residual feelings from their short time together that summer many years ago.

But what a summer. She’d thought she owned the world when she’d met Gabe. He had just started working for the Boston Police Department. He’d been to-die-for in his uniform. She hadn’t stood a chance. Of course now she realized how foolish she’d been to think they could have a future together. He’d taken one look at her family and bolted in the other direction, leaving her heart in tatters.

She’d seen him once since then. At Meg’s wedding last year. Gabe looked even more dashing in his navy pinstriped suit and tie than in his uniform. Kris had left as soon as she politely could to avoid having to talk with Gabe.

And then what did she go and do? Seek him out, hoping he’d solve the mystery of the missing residents. Brilliant. Not.

“Krissy, stop fidgeting,” Sadie commanded from her spot on the couch as Kris continued to tidy the already neat room. “The boy will be here in due time.”

With a sheepish smile, Kris refrained from straightening the magazines on the coffee table. “Sorry. I’m just anxious to find out if Gabe talked with Frank and, if so, what happened.”

Sadie’s gaze narrowed. “From what you told me about those pictures you took, it sounds like Frank is doing something illegal. Maybe he harmed my friends because they caught him taking their drugs.”

Taking a seat beside her grandmother, Kris gathered Sadie’s arthritic hands in hers. “I’m sure Gabe will figure out where your friends have gone.”

“You trust this boy?” Sadie’s blue eyes bored into Kris.

“Grams, he’s not a boy. And please don’t call him that when he gets here. And yes, I do trust him.” With the mystery of the missing retirement residents. Definitely. But not with her heart. She’d tried once. Wasn’t going to repeat that mistake.

Sadie grinned. “Protective of his feelings, are we?”

Kris kept her expression dispassionate. “No, of course not.”