“Which means the police officers on the scene—”
“Came from the King’s Cross Road police station, yes.”
Understanding sank like a lead weight in her stomach. “And the detective responsible for the case?”
There was no hint of apology in Alexander’s gaze when he answered, “Detective Inspector Green.”
Alexander resisted the urge to remove invisible wrinkles from the tablecloth yet again and withdrew his hands into his lap. He tried not to seem like he was avidly watching Saffron’s every expression, but when they were displayed so plainly, it was hard not to. He’d never needed to make excuses to himself for why he looked at her so intently. She was every bit as fascinating as the specimens he spent hours gazing at through his microscope and just as unpredictable, never more so than in this moment. This time, however, it was a growing sense of having made a horrible mistake, rather than that deepening affection, that kept his eyes glued to her face.
Her fine brows came together as she pieced through the scant information he’d given her and drew conclusions he hoped were mostly wrong. At last, she spoke in a flat voice he didn’t recognize. “So this was all a ruse to ask me to help your brother.”
He felt like a caiman had snapped up his tongue. She’d skipped over the wrong conclusions and landed on the worst possible one. “No,” he said firmly.
Her lips twisted in a humorless smile. “Asking me to dinner and plying me with entertaining stories was not a ploy to butter me up before you asked me to intercede with Inspector Green on Adrian’s behalf?”
“I asked you to dinner because I wanted to see you.” Beneath the table, his hands balled into fists. “But I can’t deny that I wanted to ask for the benefit of your advice.”
Saffron was obviously not convinced by his almost-truth. Resisting the feeling of defeat clawing its way over his shoulders, he added, “I do want to ask for your help. But that is not why I wanted to spend time with you.”
He might have said more, explained about the way he’d stared at the chair in his office, imagining her there over the past few weeks. And passed by her empty office unnecessarily. And now had a strange collection of office mates. But she abruptly slid from the booth, color high in her cheeks and her lips tightening into a line.
He followed her. “Saffron, give me a moment to explain.”
“I don’t think I require any further explanation.” She snatched up her handbag from the table before rounding on him. “Whenever I become involved in a police investigation, you encourage me to cry off. The last time, when I was helping to catch a murderer who’d killed three women, you threatened to go to Dr. Aster, whom you know would have sacked me for misusing my work hours and resources. And now, when it’s convenient for you, youwantme to interfere. I’d never taken you for a hypocrite, Alexander.”
Her words stung all the more for their truth, one he’d accepted the moment he realized things were going south for his brother faster than he could work out how to fix them. She seemed to be missing a key point: the lack of danger in her becoming involved in Adrian’s situation compared to those other investigations. But he certainly wasn’t going to point that out now. “You’re right.”
Saffron nodded firmly. “I am.”
“I am being hypocritical in the extreme.”
“You are,” she confirmed, though with less confidence.
“And I apologize.”
“You should.”
The barest twinkle of amusement in her eyes encouraged him. He stepped closer, gently taking her handbag and setting it on the table. “I am sorry. For threatening to tell Aster and thereby threatening your career. And I am also sorry for the way I acted toward Lee.” The words burned, but they needed to be said. “You were right. I did not make the extent of my feelings for you known when I left for theexpedition, and you were right to tell me off for having expectations I had not communicated. I’m sorry for all of it.”
Her eyes narrowed. “But?”
He shook his head. “There is none. I did not react well when I returned, about us, or the case, or Lee. And I’m sorry for apologizing in combination with asking for help regarding Adrian’s situation. But”—he rushed on, seeing her ire rekindling—“I want you to know that I would have apologized at the first chance regardless.”
After an interminable moment, Saffron nodded. She slipped her hand from his and made her way to the door, where the maître d’ assisted with her coat. Alexander followed, donning his own coat and hat before they stepped outside.
“May I walk you to your flat?” he asked.
From beneath her umbrella, she gave him another narrowed-eye look. “I suppose.”
Though he’d rather they shared an umbrella, he opened his own. The rain had turned to a fine mist, haloing every light they passed with gold.
It brought to mind the night they’d walked together in search of a taxi following their adventure in Berking’s garden. He bit his tongue on bringing it up. He had no idea how to walk the line between wanting to rekindle something of their past affections and not putting Saffron off after asking for her help. Even as he needed to give her time to accept his apology and move past his mistakes, he felt the urgency of every passing moment that Inspector Green and the others cemented their opinions about his brother’s guilt.
He waited until they’d reached her street to bring it up again.
“I know the timing is poor,” he said, pausing outside her building. She stopped and angled her umbrella so they could look at one another. Her neutral expression only made him warier. “And if there was another option, I would have taken it.”
“What do you want me to do, Alexander?” she asked impatiently. “I don’t expect the inspector would appreciate me walking into the station and demanding he dismiss one of his suspects.”
