“Don’t, Maddocks, not now. I—”
“When this is all over, when you’re back at work, we let management know that we’re seeing each other, and they can make assignments accordingly. It’s standard. It can be done.”
Her heart tumbled over itself into a tight ball. Anxiety rippled over her skin, and it came with a dark whisper of promise.
“I’ve got a lot to work through. There’s still going to be an internal review. Maybe even an inquest. It could take—”
“Angie.” He placed both his hands firmly on her shoulders. “Look at me. I’m here for you. I owe you my life. You saved Ginny’s life. And I need you there for me. Jack-O, too. He misses you.”
She smiled in spite of the emotions burning through her.
“Where is he?”
“With his sitter. Because we have plans for tonight.”
She tried to pull back. She was afraid of what she felt for this man—the power of it. “I don’t think—”
“Come.” He put his arm around her shoulders, turned her, and led her up to his vehicle in the parking lot. “We can leave your car here and pick it up later.”
He opened the passenger door. She hesitated.
“Get in, Angie.”
“Where are we going?”
“It’s Christmas Eve. We’re going to do something to honor that. I want to do something to honor the fact you saved my life, Ginny’s life—you put your own life and career on the line. For me. For my daughter. Against all orders. I owe you.”
He shut the door behind her and went round to the driver’s side.
As he got into the driver’s seat, she said, “I made an appointment. Police psychologist.” He stilled, met her gaze for a moment. Emotion glistened in his eyes.
“We’ll work through this, Angie,” he said quietly.
We.
Angie held tightly to that word as he pulled out of the parking lot and drove back toward the city.
CHAPTER 79
As Maddocks turned onto the road that led around the inner harbor, Angie looked at him and said, “Did you tell the IIO investigators that you ordered me not to come after you?”
“It sort of didn’t come up.”
She regarded his profile in silence, and she realized that once again, he was trying to cover for her, protect her. At risk to himself. Her heart swelled painfully. She looked away, out of the window that squiggled with rain.
“So, you’re busy on the ongoing investigations—the outfall?”
He hesitated a moment too long, and Angie felt a little clutch in her stomach.
“Yeah. The team is growing, prosecutors on board. My focus is the barcode girls ...”
“Go on.”
He cast her a fast glance. “Between you and me.”
“Christ, Maddocks, who am I going to tell?”
“There were six of them found on theAmanda Rose. Four of Eastern European origin and two Syrian—we think they were refugees, bought out of some camp and trafficked to the owners of theAmanda Rose. We’re guessing they’re aged between thirteen and seventeen. None of them will talk—been abused, brainwashed. Terrified. All have been tattooed with a barcode.”
