Jay wasn’t about to allow the subject to be changed. “The authorities need to know what you’ve found. Maybe you could phone your father and explain—”

“Oh, sure. He’d yank me out of here so fast my head would spin.”

“He couldn’t do that. You’re an adult.”

She glared at him as if he were insane. “Oh, right. You tell him that! He’d either assign me a damned bodyguard or come and stake out this apartment himself. No, informing Detective Bentz is out of the question. I am an adult and we’re going to do this my way.”

“Whatever this is.”

“Right.” She suddenly smiled at him, sensing his capitulation even though he’d been certain he’d given nothing away.

God, she was beautiful. He tried not to notice, but there it was as she stared at him with those damnable eyes. For half a second he felt a swell of heat rise in his veins, desire tinged with memories of holding her gasping, perspiring body next to his. The back of his throat turned dry and he looked away, jabbed his hands deep into the front pockets of his pants. He set his jaw in an effort to tamp down his stupid urges. Here she was talking about abductions, the potential murder of four students, and he was still responding to her.

Which was just plain ludicrous. “I think I’d better shove off,” he said.

“But you’ll help me?”

“As long as you don’t ask me to break any laws.”

“Okay, I promise,” she said, then blushed and looked as if she was about to bite her tongue.

She didn’t have to say why. He remembered her repeating just those words nearly a decade ago when he’d slid a tiny ring upon her finger.

“Good,” he said quickly, as if he didn’t remember. No reason to dig up the past. Hell, they’d just been kids. “See ya in class.” And then he left, not even glancing over his shoulder.

Yep, he thought as he descended the stairs, he’d been right. Where Kristi Bentz was concerned he was a bona fide moron.

CHAPTER 13

F or the most part, the chat rooms were a bust.