“Are you done with me?”Harmony asked when Detective Murphy didn’t ask her another question.
Detective Murphy nodded and stood.“I am.Unless there’s anything else you need to tell me.”
Harmony shook her head.“I told you everything that happened.I with I could be more help, but I consider myself lucky that I didn’t have another conversation with her.I have no idea why she was at my apartment, and I don’t think I want to know.”
Detective Murphy pressed his lips together, making Harmony believe he had an idea, but he didn’t volunteer his knowledge.He moved to the door and opened it, stepping back to let her go out first.
“Is this where you tell me not to leave town?”Harmony joked.
Detective Murphy chuckled.“We’re definitely not there.But be careful, Harmony.”
She shivered at his tone.“Thanks.”
Detective Murphy walked her out to the front where Damien was waiting for her.He stood when she approached.
“Hey.Everything okay?”
“I said I couldn’t confirm you were at my apartment all night.I’m sorry.”
Damien reached for her hand and smiled.“You told the truth.There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“But I feel like I betrayed you.”
“No.You did no such thing.You would have betrayed yourself if you’d said anything different.”
“I wanted to say I knew you were there.”
“But you didn’t.There’s no way you would have been able to say that.Just like I can’t say you were there.Anything other than the truth is going to cause the police to look into us when there’s no reason to.They will find the truth.”
“You’re very calm about all of this.”
Damien led her outside, his gaze scanning the area as they moved toward his SUV.“I know Marcus and Pryce are going to do everything they can to find out what really happened.I’m sorry someone is dead, but if she intended to hurt you, I’m not going to be sad about it.”
“Do you think she was going to hurt me?”Harmony breathed.
Damien stopped next to his SUV and met her gaze.“I don’t know why she was at your apartment.I don’t know why she sent you running from me.I do know she lied to get you away from me, then she followed you home.Maybe she had a reason for it, but her ending up dead less than twelve hours later makes me think she was working for someone and didn’t do what she was supposed to do, and she was killed before she could talk.”
Harmony trembled at the calm way Damien relayed his thoughts.“I… I’m no one.Why would anyone care what I do?”
Damien stepped closer to her and cupped her jaw.“First, you’re not no one, Harmony.You are beautiful and intelligent and special.Second, we’re going to figure out what is going on and why someone is after you.But right now, I need to get you back to work.”
Harmony nodded and slid into the SUV.Damien closed her door, then walked around the front of the vehicle.He climbed in next to her and reached for her hand.
“Are you okay?”
She exhaled a mirthless laugh.“No.”
“That’s understandable.What can I do to help you?”
“I don’t know.”
He squeezed her hand.“Let’s get you back to work, and if you think of something, you can tell me.”
Harmony nodded, missing his hold on her as soon as he let go.He was being respectful and considerate of her.They’d been on one date.They barely knew each other.She couldn’t lean on him for everything.She needed to stand on her own like she’d done for years.
When he pulled up to the back door of her building, she thanked him for the ride.
“Call me if you ever need anything, Harmony.Anytime.And I hope I can talk you into another date sometime.Maybe without someone sending you running from me.”
