“Take off your shoes.” After kicking mine to the side, our cat sniffs, and purrs around my legs.
“Shoo.”
Once she’s clear, I get down to business and curl a bicep around her neck. “Let’s review what you remember so far.”
I wait for an elbow to the midsection but Sam surprises me with a hard heel to my kneecap. When I loosen my grip, she turns, shoves me, and then front kicks.
Grinning, I grab her ankle and hold it up. “You’ve gotten better.”
I know I said the right thing because when I let go of her foot, she smiles brightly. “I’m more than just a good lay, tough guy.”
Huh. Is that what she thinks?I suppose I could dial back my inner Neanderthal but hell, it’s damn difficult to keep her safe and not piss her off.
We work out on the four-by-six rectangle until her t-shirt is drenched in sweat. I forgot about her fall and feel guilty when she winces.
“Time to hit the showers.” Leaning over, I grasp her hand, and help her to stand.
She sniffs one of my shirts, grabs it off the couch, and smiles. While the water runs, I right the table and open an email from Lucky.
Nice. A bunch of Patten guys have teamed up to play war games. “Log me in, boys.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Sam
While Suds plays with his pals, I feel bad about making him angry so I text my dad. When his assistant picks up, I send her everything I have on the strangler, then email my old boss at the FBI. We need to find this psycho bastard before he strikes again.
NICE TRY? What the hell does that even mean?
A thought comes to mind so I call Jason again. Since our last talk, his beard has grown longer and he’s pierced an eyebrow. “Hello, Samantha.”
I know better now than to comment on his image and get right to the point. “Can you tell if someone has been monitoring my online activity?”
“I can but I need permission. Would you like to speak to Doctor Jones?”
“Yes, please.”
Seconds later, Jenna’s perfectly sculptured face appears. “Hi Sam. How’s Suds?”
“Driving me nuts.” I glance across the table where my partner holds a game controller, clicking madly. “How’re you and Colin?”
The millionairess’ voice cracks. “T-tired. He’s been doing double shifts for weeks.”
“My dad is too. There’s so many out sick… Tell him I said hi and to stay safe.” I give her an encouraging nod, vowing to call more often. We NYPD families need to stick together.
Jenna clears her throat, indicating the end of touchy-feely. “Jason said you need him to access your browsing history?”
Nodding, I try to copy her steadfast demeanor. “A few weeks ago, my dad tossed me a cold case and now, there’s been two more similar murders. I may have found a serial killer and if so, he’s escalating.”
“How can I help?” Eyes bright, she sits up straighter.
Thank God, I piqued her interest.“I believe the murderer found out I’ve been researching him but I can’t figure out how. Only Jason, Suds and my dad should know. Could one of the sites I visited set off an alarm? Is that possible?”
“Sure. It’s not all that hard to program.” The slight disdain in her tone indicates everyone should know this, but I cut her some slack. After all, she is a super-genius.
Pressing my luck, I ask my favor. “I was wondering if Jason could jump on my machine, check my browser history, and see if he could find anything suspicious.”
“Let me see what I can do and I’ll get back to you.”
