The coffeepot bubbled inside the kitchen and then another female voice, this one unfamiliar, filtered through the walls. “You weren’t gone very long, Ms. Laura. Do you need me to stay andhelp?”
“I’m fine, Brittany, and I left your cash on the table by the front door. Thanks for helping.” Footsteps followed and King could hear the two women behind the front door. And then Laura spoke again, “Oh, a friend of mine is on the frontporch.”
“Friend?”
Laura cleared her throat. “Yeah, he is staying for a cup of coffee, just didn’t want him to startle you on the wayout.”
More footsteps, and from the corner of his eyes, King noticed a teenage girl poking her blonde head around the curtain. And just as quickly she disappeared from sight. The girl dropped her voice to a loud whisper. “That is the biggest man I have everseen.”
“Yes, he istall.”
“And that eyepatch…”
He could practically sense Laura bristling. “Brittany, I really would appreciate it if you did not say anything about his eye patch. I think he is rather sensitive about it and I don’t want to hurt hisfeelings.”
Diggs muffled a chuckle with a cough from the sidewalk and King shot him a warning glare. In response Diggs arched a questioning eyebrow, laughter lighting up his gaze. As if he could not resist, he loudly whispered, “She thinks you havefeelings.”
Brittany’s hushed voice drew his attention back to the front door. “I think it’s hot. He looks like apirate.”
Diggs laughed out loud behindhim.
“It is time for you to go, Brittany. I’ll see you tomorrow morning, same time.” The door handle tilted down and King casually leaned against the front porch beam once more, staring blandly out at the street as if he had not heard every single word they’d said. Diggs gave him a wink and shuffled on down the sidewalk, made his way across the street and perched on a bench,watching.
Brittany, obviously not listening to anything Laura said, stared at him unabashedly, bright pink flesh eating up her cheeks. “Hi, I’m Brittany. Laura said you two werefriends.”
King nodded, “Yep.”
“I was beginning to wonder if Ms. Laura had anyfriends.” Brittany held up air quotes when she said the wordfriends.
“Brittany!” The doorway framed Laura who was currently giving Brittany a deathstare.
King cast her a questioning look but heldsilent.
Brittany grinned and gave him a once over only a teenager could pull off and said, “Very nice to meet you. I hope to see you aroundagain.”
Laura put her hand over her eyes and shook her head. “Sorry aboutthat.”
Seeing the heat riding up her cheeks, King decided to have some mercy and chuckled. “Curious girl. How’s the coffeegoing?”
“Just a couple more minutes, I’ll be right back.” Laura shut the door and fled inside, obviously glad for the excuse to get away from him for amoment.
Once he heard her moving about the kitchen again King rolled his neck and scanned his surroundings for any sign of Dawson. He locked eyes with Diggs across the road, ignored his teammate’s silent threat and gave him his back. The conversation he intended to have with Laura Dawson was not going to occur on the front porch out in the public where Diggs could easilyinterrupt.
It was going to occurinside.
Chapter 4
Without making a sound,King entered the living room through the unlocked door, silently closing it behind him. Completely unaware, Laura continued to putter around the kitchen. A narrow, steep stairway lay about 5 feet away. A small, tastefully decorated living room spread out to the left, and beyond that a partially concealed dining room and kitchen. King crossed the living room, glanced around the corner and froze. There, tucked up against the wall, was a tiny table where an equally tiny girl sat, her back to him, bent over hercoloring.
Shit.
How in the hell had he missed a kid? Laura Dawson’s history had stated nothing about children. And if there was a child—there was more than likely a man. With both inhabitants unaware that he’d entered, King zeroed in on every photograph lining the walls, looking for the man in question. But every picture was a painting, nothing personal. Nothinghelpful.
His entire plan changed in aninstant.
He needed to get out, before she knew he was inside. He had to approach the situation more slowly and cautiously than he’d intended. But before he could turn around and make a move, Laura appeared in the door, two coffee cups in hand, her smile shifting instantly into shock and then fear. He’d crossed the boundary of her front door and invaded her personal space without permission. There was no way he could make this lookgood.
King raised his hands in mock surrender, attempting to hunch his six-foot-three frame down to appear less intimidating. “I don’t mean to alarmyou.”
