“I am. It’s probably safer,” he answered. “After all, my place, or at least the stairs to my place, is now a crime scene.”

She opened another button and Ben lost all ability to speak.

Suddenly, she was pulling him to her bedroom as they both tried to take off their clothes first. They were laughing and kissing, and Ben’s last thought before passion took over his brain was that he didn’t have to worry about blowing up in a bombing. He’d die of a heart attack from having too much sex. Her body was some kind of drug that he couldn’t get enough of.

And he didn’t care.

Long after midnight she got up to go to the bathroom and came back wearing just her shawl.

Ben smiled. Yep, he was going to die right here in her bed. An hour later he reminded her that people didn’t have sex twice a night. Without a word she talked him into doing it anyway.

After number three they finally settled into sleep. Tomorrow he’d remind her that beds were for sleeping.

Well, maybe. Maybe not.

Chapter 29 - Ketch

Chapter 29

Ketch

Friday

Dawn beyond Ketch’s wall of windows was just beginning to break into sunshine after two days of clouds. He scrubbed his dirty sand-colored hair and stood up from his big desk. His long legs, trapped under the table, seemed to still be asleep, so Ketch staggered like Frankenstein learning to walk.

Between surveying the town looking for pipe bombs, going to classes, and conducting research for the two professors, he felt like he’d given up sleep completely. But after feeling the imprint of a pen on his forehead, he knew he must have dozed off at his desk for the third night in a row.

Climbing over a pile of dirty clothes, he finally made it to the shower. A hot quick shower and breakfast would wake him up.

As warm water ran over him, Ketch smiled. He was human again. Though he hadn’t seen Tuesday all week, they’d talked every day. She was working in her garden and trying to turn the upstairs into her space.

He’d told her about the continuing progress on the survey. The professors were hopefully finishing it up this week. He’d also told her how nothing had happened with the bomb squad. Ranger Colby had to go to Austin and wasn’t sure he could make it back for the weekend. The sheriff’s theory was that the bomber was a kid and it was pure luck he’d made one bomb that actually went off.

Everyone in town was on the lookout for a pipe bomb. Well, every person but one. The bomber.