Laurel bit the inside of her cheek, thinking. “I don’t see how. The flowers at Abigail’s were left before the ones with the body by the river, so Abigail would’ve had to have known there would be a murder, and I don’t see how that could be possible. In addition, we have the video of the person leaving flowers at Abigail’s house, and it isn’t her.” She scratched her neck. “Plus, her alibi checks out—she was at a spa.” She’d gotten that info already from a team she’d contacted in DC.

Huck nodded. “Then it follows she’s one of the victims, which means we should put her into protective custody.”

“She refused,” Laurel said, trying to find any further resemblance between the victims. There was none. She’d have to tie them together in another way to find this murderer. “I don’t believe she feels fear like most people do.” Did Laurel herself? Sure, she was afraid sometimes, but her intellect often took over, allowing her to act when others might freeze. She shifted on the hard glass, uneasy at the thought that she and Abigail shared traits beyond the physical.

Huck twirled his disposable cup on the table. “You were quiet on the ride back to your place last night. Were you mad at me?”

She turned her head to meet his gaze. “I was thinking about the new victim. Why would I be angry with you?”

“Because of the whole thing with the dumbass sheriff.” Huck rolled his neck and something quietly popped. “I wanted to hit him.”

“Oh. Well, he is a dumbass.” She took a sip of the drink. “I’m not angry.” In fact, it was rather nice that Huck had stepped in to defend her, even though she could defend herself fairly well. “I understand that you’re protective of people in general but most especially women, even cops. It stems from your abandonment by your mother at an early age as well as your time learning to protect and defend in the military. Plus, it just might be you and how you’re made. Life is both nature and nurture, and such traits could be inherent in DNA. It’s entirely possible.”

His jaw went slack. “Could you please not profile me at every turn?”

Oh. She blanched. Normally she kept her thoughts to herself, but apparently she was becoming much too relaxed around Huck Rivers. “I apologize.” She shouldn’t have said all that, even if it was the truth. “I will do my best not to profile you.” The term was inaccurate, but they both understood what it meant to him, so she made the promise. “Either way, I don’t mind your natural inclination to protect me in the field.”

“Gee. That’s great,” he said.