On the other hand, John Sampson had never had a successful long-range relationship with any woman. Never been married, not even seriously tempted. So he wasn't going to delude himself, or get too soppy and sentimental about Billie. He had good reasons to be here in Jersey. A few more questions had to be asked about her husband's time in Vietnam. He and Alex had learned things from Owen Handler that needed filling in. He was going to solve these murder cases. Somehow, some way.

Well, hell, that cynical little introspection had sure dampened his spirits, and any burgeoning romance in his soul.

Then he happened to see her up ahead on East Avenue.

Yep, it was her!

Billie was climbing out of her light green convertible with an armful of groceries. He'd called ahead and said he might be coming.

Now who had she been shopping for? Did she expect him to stay for dinner? Oh brother, he needed to calm himself down. Slow down. You're on the job, that's all. This is just police business.

Then Billie saw his car and waved her free arm, and he found himself leaning out of the window of the Cougar, calling up the street. “Hey there, little one. ”Hey there, little one?

What the hell had happened to smooth and cool and detached John Sampson? What was happening to him?

And why did he feel so good about it?

Alex Cross 8 - Four Blind Mice

Chapter Seventy-Five

Billie understood that she and John Sampson needed to talk about her husband and his murder. That was why he'd come back, probably the only reason. She made a pitcher of sweetened iced tea, and they went out to the ocean side porch. Might as well be comfortable. Try not to make an ass out of herself.

“Another perfect day in paradise,” he said, and smiled brilliantly. Billie couldn't keep herself from staring a little at the policeman. He was strong and good-looking and his smile was dazzling whenever it came. She had the sense that he didn't smile enough, and wondered why that was. What had happened to him growing up in Washington? And then living and working there? She wanted to know everything about him, and that natural curiosity was something that had been missing since Laurence had died.

Don't make this into something it isn't, she reminded herself. He's a policeman on a murder case. That's all this is. You just have a silly crush on him.

“Average day in paradise,” she laughed. Then she got a little more serious. “You wanted to talk some more about Laurence. Something else happened, didn't it? That's why you're back here.”

“No, I came to see you.” There was that amazing smile of his again.

Billie took a little swing at the air with her hand. “Sure you did. Anyway your murder case?”

He told her about the recent deaths of Robert and Barbara Bennett in West Point, and then the shooting of Colonel Owen Handler. He shared his and Alex's theory that three men might be responsible for at least some of the murders. “Everything seems to point back to Vietnam. Something incredible happened, something so bad that it's probably the root cause of all these murders in the present. Your husband may have been involved in some way. Maybe he didn't even know it, Billie.”