But that didn’t stop her from desiring him. From wanting to pretend, for now, that they were friends, together.

Digging out her sunglasses, she popped them on her head, stretched out her legs, and called Gabriel on her cell phone. “Hey.”

“Hey, are you done?”

“Yeah. Can you pick me up or should I take a cab?”

“Did you find anything?”

“No, not really. John Thiroux disappeared after his trial.”

“That’s what I figured you’d find, but it was worth checking out.” There was rustling as Gabriel obviously shifted his phone. “I have one more thing to do. Do you want to wait for me or take a cab back?”

“I can take a cab. Are you at the apartment?”

“No. I’m downtown. I’ll pick us up some dinner and I’ll meet you at home.”

That use of the word home sent a little shiver through Sara, which annoyed her. She couldn’t do that, couldn’t go there. There wasn’t a future with Gabriel, and home was what and where she made it herself. She was on her own. Just like she’d always been.

She must have paused long enough to concern Gabriel, because he said, “Are you okay going in the apartment by yourself?”

And he actually sounded worried about her, as opposed to impatient or irritated at her overreactions. For some reason, his concern made tears pop into her eyes. Blinking hard, she said, “I’m fine. Thanks. If I freak out, trust me, I’ll be calling you.” She forced out a laugh, though it probably sounded completely fake.

“Absolutely. Call me. I’ll be home in like an hour, tops, okay?”

“Okay.” Sara said good-bye and hung up. Let the tears roll down her face and her chest heave with her silent sobs.

Maybe she didn’t cry enough. Maybe she needed to let it out. Let it go. Allow herself to feel.

Gabriel had ensconced himself in the corner of a busy coffee shop to talk on the phone to the reporter, Dan Fieldhouse, from the Florida paper who had covered the bulk of the Michaels investigation and trial. He had arranged the interview on the pretext of clarification for his book, which was true. But Gabriel now had a personal investment in discovering the truth about the case. He wanted closure for Sara. He wanted to protect her from incidents like getting those horrific pictures sent to her.

After they went through the basics of the case, Gabriel asked him, off the record, “Going on your experience, Dan, and your gut, did you think Dr. Marino was guilty?”