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A Stroke Of Midnight :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 53 из 293It forced Galen farther away from me, and that wasfine. He kept his hand playing lightly on the edge of my thigh, moving the skirt back and forth as he petted me. It was comforting, and I needed the comfort.
Doyle was looking at me, and something in his eyes softened his face. I had to look away from the kindness I saw there. I wasn’t sure why such a look from him made my throat grow tight.
“Don’t come, Gillett. I’m sorry I called.”
“Merry, don’t do this, not after almost twenty years.”
“When we’ve solved this one, if I’m still alive and still have the carte blanche in this area, I’ll call you, and we can talk about you coming down. But only if it’s about my father’s death.”
“You don’t think the FBI might be helpful on a double homicide?”
“I don’t know what we’ve got here, Gillett. If we need something fancier than the local lab can handle, I’ll let you know.”
“And maybe I’ll answer the phone, and maybe I won’t.”
“As you like,” I said, and I struggled not to let my voice show how tight my throat felt, how hot my eyes were. “But think on this, Gillett. Did you start all this with a seventeen-year-old child because you felt sorry for me, or because you were angry that the queen cut you out of the investigation? Was it pity that moved you, a desire for justice, or simply anger? You’d show her. You’d solve the case without the queen’s help. You’d use Essus’s daughter to help you.”
“It wasn’t like that.”
“Then why are you angry with me now? I shouldn’t have called you, but I gave you a promise. A child’s promise to call you if ever a similar murder happened. It isn’t similar in detail, but whoever did it has similar magic at their call. If we solve this, it may get us closer to finding my father’s murderer. I thought you’d like to know.”
“Merry, I’m sorry, it’s…”
“That the murder has been eating at you all these years?” I said.
“Yes,” he said.
“I’ll call you if anything pertinent comes up.”
“Call me if you need better forensics than the locals can give you. I can get you DNA results that they can only dream of.”
I had to smile. “I’ll be sure to let Major Walters know that the FBI has such confidence in the locals.”
He gave a dry little laugh. “I’m sorry if I made this harder for you. I tend to get a little obsessed.”
“Good-bye, Gillett.”
“Bye, Merry.”
I hung up and leaned heavier on the desk. Galen held me against him, careful of my hurt arm.
Doyle was looking at me, and something in his eyes softened his face. I had to look away from the kindness I saw there. I wasn’t sure why such a look from him made my throat grow tight.
“Don’t come, Gillett. I’m sorry I called.”
“Merry, don’t do this, not after almost twenty years.”
“When we’ve solved this one, if I’m still alive and still have the carte blanche in this area, I’ll call you, and we can talk about you coming down. But only if it’s about my father’s death.”
“You don’t think the FBI might be helpful on a double homicide?”
“I don’t know what we’ve got here, Gillett. If we need something fancier than the local lab can handle, I’ll let you know.”
“And maybe I’ll answer the phone, and maybe I won’t.”
“As you like,” I said, and I struggled not to let my voice show how tight my throat felt, how hot my eyes were. “But think on this, Gillett. Did you start all this with a seventeen-year-old child because you felt sorry for me, or because you were angry that the queen cut you out of the investigation? Was it pity that moved you, a desire for justice, or simply anger? You’d show her. You’d solve the case without the queen’s help. You’d use Essus’s daughter to help you.”
“It wasn’t like that.”
“Then why are you angry with me now? I shouldn’t have called you, but I gave you a promise. A child’s promise to call you if ever a similar murder happened. It isn’t similar in detail, but whoever did it has similar magic at their call. If we solve this, it may get us closer to finding my father’s murderer. I thought you’d like to know.”
“Merry, I’m sorry, it’s…”
“That the murder has been eating at you all these years?” I said.
“Yes,” he said.
“I’ll call you if anything pertinent comes up.”
“Call me if you need better forensics than the locals can give you. I can get you DNA results that they can only dream of.”
I had to smile. “I’ll be sure to let Major Walters know that the FBI has such confidence in the locals.”
He gave a dry little laugh. “I’m sorry if I made this harder for you. I tend to get a little obsessed.”
“Good-bye, Gillett.”
“Bye, Merry.”
I hung up and leaned heavier on the desk. Galen held me against him, careful of my hurt arm.