“Sure it is. We never rule out the importance of any evidence, no matter how minor. You never know how it might come into play. On the one hand, we don’t want to assume this guy is one of the men who held you, but it makes more sense that he would be than it does that someone would kill a random redhead and leave him in your bedroom.”
“True.” She relaxed as he removed the photos from the table.
“Sorry to interrupt your morning with this.” Gil reached toward her and tucked her hair behind her ear. “And I hate it even more because I have to get back to the office and can’t stay and take you to lunch and distract you until you forget those images.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“I still wish I could stay.”
“Me too. But we’ll hang out tonight. I get to watch you play baseball. It will be fun.”
Gil frowned. “You do realize I won’t be playing.”
“You call it coaching, but I see it for what it is. You get to play ball. And you love it. Some parts of childhood are too good to leave there. Baseball is that for you.”
Gil leaned closer. “Not just baseball. Not anymore.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead and stood. “I’ll see you in a little while.” He paused at the door. “By the way, Morris has a patrol unit in your parking lot and an officer in your lobby. No one goes in or out unless they use the front door, and anyone who comes in who isn’t supposed to be here will be stopped.”
“What?”
“You’ll have to take it up with Morris.”
“Oh, I’ll take it up with Morris.”
Gil raised both hands in mock surrender. “I’m not saying I wouldn’t have asked, but I didn’t have to. He already had it covered. He’s gotten very attached to you.”
“Who would have thought?”
“Morris is a good detective. He’s crusty and cantankerous, but I think it covers a mostly good heart.”
“I think if I call him on it, he’ll tell me he’s a selfish jerk who wants to avoid the paperwork and publicity if someone offs me.”
Gil stared at her for a few long beats and then burst out laughing. “Please promise me you’ll test this theory sometime today.” He pulled it together. “I’m out of here. Be good.”
“I try.”
His laughter floated back to her, and she allowed it to settle into her soul before she shoved the image of the dead man from her mind, again, and went back to work.
She pulled off an hour of work before her phone buzzed. She hit the speaker button. “Yes?”
“Dr. Collins, Dr. Percy is here.”
Ab? Ivy didn’t believe he was behind any of the attacks. But that didn’t stop her from texting Gil.
Ab is in my office.
There. She’d let him know. “Send him back.”
Ab strode in a few moments later. “Baby, please tell me you weren’t in the building when that madman opened fire.” He was talking as he entered her office, and he kept moving until he was leaning over her desk.
“Lovely to see you too, Ab.”
“Ivy?” Ab growled his question.
Should she tell him the truth? That she’d been inside but had been hustled to safety by a phalanx of four Secret Service agents and one FBI agent?
Why had Gil put these questions in her mind? Ab was a friend. A good friend. He’d never harm her. Or allow her to be harmed.
Ab pushed back from her desk, hands on his hips. “It’s not a difficult question, Ivy. Either you were or you weren’t.”
