“I wouldn’t think of it.” He grabbed his own sticks, separated them, and pinched a large chunk of chicken.
She pointed at his hands. “I see you’re a pro with them.”
“I don’t cook for myself often. I’m a frequent flyer here.”
“I figured that out when they greeted you at the door.” She grabbed that big mushroom. “I always make time to cook. It’s my way to relax. Problem is, then I have to find time to work off all the calories.”
He let his gaze rove over her. “Looks like you’re doing a fine job of it.”
Her face turned crimson.
He retrieved a crispy chunk of chicken, the sauce dripping. “That embarrasses you?”
She set down her chopsticks and rested her hands on the table next to her plate. “I’ve never been good at accepting compliments. It’s odd. I’m very outspoken. Some would say pushy and a leap-before-I-look kind of person. But a compliment leaves me tongue-tied.”
“I’ll have to remember that.” He shoved the chicken into his mouth and had to fight not to sneeze at the extreme spice level he’d ordered.
“And what?” Humor flickered in her eyes. “Use it to shut me up when needed?”
“Could be.” He laughed again.
She joined in. Gone were his misgivings about the day, replaced with a genuine peace and joy in their meal together. He dug into his food with gusto, and so did she.
Her phone rang from where she’d placed it on the table. “It’s Kelsey.”
Teagan looked around. “Place isn’t too crowded and we should be fine to put her on speaker.” Teagan tapped her phone and set it in the middle of the table. “Go ahead, Kelsey. It’s on speaker, and Drew is here.”
“Sorry to disturb, but I’m back at my lab and have some findings to share. I thought it would be good if you could come by for a face-to-face update.”
“Now?” Drew asked, surprised the woman was still working after her long day.
“Would that be a problem?”
Teagan glanced at Drew, and he gave her a thumbs up. “We’re finishing dinner and will be right over.”
“I’ll tell our night guard to expect you.” Kelsey ended the call.
Teagan took her phone back and looked at Drew. “What say we get this to go? My appetite’s gone, and I can hardly wait to know what she found.”
Gone was the fun. The date-like atmosphere. The peace. But Drew didn’t mind. Not if heading out to the Veritas Center brought them one step closer to finding a serial killer.
Teagan stared out of the front window from the passenger seat in Drew’s car. She’d been to the Veritas Center before, but never at night, and it was a sight to behold. The two towers connected at the base with a lobby and at the top with a skybridge. Lights glowed inside and sparkled into the dark night.
“Wow,” Drew said. “This place isn’t at all like I expected. Doesn’t look like a lab in the least.”
“Looks pretty fancy, but it’s a real working lab. Maya Lane inherited the building from her grandfather. She’s one of the partners. The right tower is all condos and many of the partners live there as do the owners of Nighthawk Security. She had the other tower built out in labs and Nighthawk has offices on the top floor.”
“Must’ve cost a pretty penny to do.”
“They funded it through DNA work for private individuals. It still helps pay for pro bono work.”
“Which we are benefitting from.” He parked in an empty space by the front door. “This visit will give me the lay of the land, so when I come here with drugs from my meet tonight, their guard will recognize me.”
They got out and the cold moisture in the air seeped into her pores making the brightly lit building seem more appealing. They started for the main entrance together. A short, stocky guard with a gray buzz cut met them at the door. His nametag readPete Vincent.
“Welcome.” He offered a friendly smile. “Dr. Dunbar told me to expect you. Also heard from Dr. Lane that you’ll be joining us again later tonight. I’ll need to see some ID, and I can get you registered.”
Drew paused for a moment, looking unsure for the first time since Teagan had known him. “Sorry, no ID.”
