She took a quick glance around the room. There were too many people at their desks and could overhear. “Private.”
He motioned her to step ahead of him, and then they walked into the nearest empty interrogation room. As she sat, he closed the door.
“Tell me what happened. I don’t want you to leave anything out.” Kurt paced in front of her. His tone of voice was the one he used when cross-examining the perps.
“Kurt,” she said with a sigh. “I’m not a perp. I’m your partner, remember?”
He chuckled and sat across from her. “Fine. Is this better?”
“Much better.” She forced a smile as she expelled a disheartened sigh. “I waited for you to come, but inside the suite, I heard a thump. My gut told me to go in to check it out. I worried there was a robbery in progress, or worse—someone was trying to kill him.”
He nodded. “I would have probably done the same thing.”
“Good. Thankfully, it wasn’t a robbery in progress, or someone trying to end his life. But he walked out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a bathrobe.”
As she explained, she left out a few things, mainly because she didn’t want Kurt to know all the nitty-gritty details…like how incredibly handsome he was, and how sweet he seemed at first, and how her heart skipped a beat whenever he locked gazes with her.
Kurt sucked in a fast breath. “What?” His voice lifted. “He thought you were acall girl?”
She shrugged. “What else was I to think? The questions he aimed at me led me to believe that I was being paid for by some guy named Derek…or Mr. Reeder, himself. Regardless, money was mentioned.” She huffed. “And of course, you forget what I was wearing. It’s no wonder he thought I was a hooker.”
Kurt shook his head. “Hookers are different than call girls. I thought you knew that.”
She scowled. “Well, yesterday when I was placed in that situation, I didn’t see a difference.”
Kurt’s mouth quirked, but thankfully, he didn’t laugh. She would have slugged him hard if he had.
“So the only thing you found out about Hillary Banks was that she and Reeder were involved in a relationship?”
“Yes, I think. He mentioned knowing her from his past, so they were just friends. He dropped the subject after that and wouldn’t answer any more questions. When I tried to bring it back up, he…um, well, he tried to dissuade me from talking about it. I left there upset that he thought of me as a call girl, and of course, that I couldn’t get him to talk.”
“Perhaps if he thought you were a detective, that wouldn’t have happened.”
She silently growled. “Actually, you know as well as I do that suspects are more open with people who aren’t connected with the police. Or haveyouforgotten that?”
“Now, now,” he held up his hands in surrender. “There’s no need to get irate with me.”
She took a deep breath and slowly released it as she counted to ten. She was getting upset, but Kurt didn’t have anything to do with it.
Her partner left his side of the table and walked around to her, sitting on the desk right beside her.
“I’m sure you know Mr. Reeder has a reputation with women, right?”
She folded her arms and lifted her chin. “I think he’s an egotistical, male chauvinistic jerk, and if I ever see him again, it’ll be too soon.”
Kurt groaned and rubbed his forehead. “Really? Most women I know fall madly in love with him on first sight.”
“Well, I’m not like that.” She really hated lying, but she detested looking like a fool, even more.
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Why?” she hesitantly asked.
“Because yesterday while Gibbs and Tyrone were investigating the victim’s apartment in Edmond again, you’ll never guess what they found.”
“What?”
Kurt pushed his fingers through his thick wavy hair that almost brushed his shoulders. It was getting long and he needed it cut.
