She cocked her head and regarded him. Her hands began to wring on her lap. “We’ve met before?”

“You could say that.” Fuck.

Fuck fuck fuck fuck.

He had wondered, assumed, she would remember some about him. He’d imagined she would lie in her bed like he did in his, and … well, shit. Clearly, she didn’t. She did not remember Zachary Rivers. At all.

He numbed himself against the wrenching in his stomach and barely remembered to tape their interview. He felt like the biggest fool. Biggest fucking fool that ever lived.

She had not only forgotten the crime scene, as he’d read about, as was usual in the case of trauma-induced amnesia. She had forgotten everything. Everything Zach could not forget. Not their fights, not their kisses, their secrets, or the dozen times they’d been close to making love.

Clenching his jaw, he drew out his tape recorder and set it on his thigh. Get the job done and fucking stop with this bullshit—Detective.

“Taking it from the top again,” he said.

She smiled. It was a weak smile, and it made his gut twist with longing.

“How do we know each other? We were friends?”

She seemed baffled by this. Zach thought it best not to elaborate and simply nodded. But no. She had not been his friend. She had been Paige Avery and he had been in love with her.

Desperately in love.

With Paige.

Who had loved him back with every ounce of her heart and soul.

They’d been more than friends, more than lovers, more than a secret.

Aware of the other officers’ tomblike silence in the adjoining room, Zach pushed to his feet and abruptly cleared his throat. “Tell me more.”

“Detective.” By the way she dropped her voice to a whisper, they could’ve been alone somewhere. Necking. “I just got here,” she said. “To the city, I mean.” He could hear the rest of her unspoken thoughts. Why would anyone do this to me? Why aren’t you out there catching this bastard?

He stared into her eyes, still not believing he had them this close.

“I know, Paige. And I’m sorry about your mother. I heard.”

Her eyes shimmered, and her voice cracked around the edges. “I’m sorry, too.”

“So, Stalker. We found your bird, didn’t we?”

He stiffened at the voice from the doorway. Miles Perrini had a twisted sense of humor. Okay when you were having beers but definitely not okay here.

“Get to work, Miles,” Zach said softly.

But Miles called out, “Hey, Vance, we found Stalker’s birdy. Come have a look.”

The guys were such assholes. Couldn’t stop laughing over Zach’s “little dove who got away …”

“You mean the little dove who got away?” he heard Vance’s approaching voice ask.

Zach swore under his breath, and to her, he murmured, “Excuse me.”

They were ribbing him.

The two patrol officers who had appeared soon after she’d made the 911 call were ribbing the detective.

Paige stared at the domed ceiling, pretending to be engrossed in the wood beams as the officers walked around. The house’s oppressive ambience was shattered with their laughter.