a Touch of TNT (An Everly Gray Adventure)

by Charles, L. j.

  His lips twitched. “It won’t be long and I’ll bring food. You want pizza or Chinese?”

  My stomach churned. “Nothing. No food.”

  “Right.”

  “I touched you. Saw it twice.”

  “Working on understanding the ESP fingers. A.J. and I will be there as soon as we turn this over to Adam. He’s on his way.” He touched my cheek and was gone.

  A. J. Annie. Her name on his lips would always sound off to me. I still had a hard time with their being partners ’cause I knew them in such different ways—Annie being my friend and Pierce being the guy who stitched me up from a minor encounter with a bullet. But that was past history. Anyway, they were alike in some ways. Pierce and dangerous were synonymous. Dangerous and Annie—also a perfect fit, but only obvious if you watched her in action.

  The image of Jacobson’s body was on instant replay in my mind and interfered with my musings, and the continuous cycle of horror made for a gruesome drive home.

  It had been so normal. Jacobson sitting at his desk. Except for the gaping hole where his neck used to be. The blank, staring eyes. Mouth drawn into a caricature of a scream. It wasn’t my first encounter with a dead body, but he was the first one I’d stumbled on by myself.

  I parked and jogged up the back stairs and into my kitchen. Shower, El. Wash it away, and you’ll feel better.

  The cold emptiness of my house assaulted me.

  Too empty. Not safe. I back peddled and settled into a chaise on the deck. Maybe being outside would clear the image from my head, help me get centered again. At least the images weren’t cloudy. Maybe my fingers were back to working order.

  When Pierce, Annie, and Chinese take-out arrived, I was still sitting there, waiting. Guess they didn’t have the same aversion to mixing food with dead bodies that I did. They were so freaking normal, opening containers of food and twisting the caps off beer bottles. Annie handed me one and I took a deep swallow. Wash away the smell, Everly. The taste of death. The cold, crisp bite of the Hoegarrden slid down my throat, and broke the relentless images of Jacobson’s body that had been swirling through my head.

  Annie covered my hand with hers. “You okay?”

  “No.” I was done with the automatic response. Took another calming swallow of beer. “I will be, but not yet. What happened to Jacobson? Any idea who killed him?”

  “He was stabbed multiple times, his throat slashed, probably in the last few hours. Whoever did it was, to say the least, angry. Seriously angry. We have no idea who that someone was yet.”

  Pierce nodded. “Not an execution. Not a pro.”

  Annie picked up her beer, took a sip, and then held my gaze. “Even if you’d skipped calling me and gone straight to his office, you couldn’t have done anything to save him. He was dead within minutes.”

  She knew exactly what had been festering in the back of my mind. The tension drained from my body. “Even if I’d gone in right away instead of strolling around the building, it wouldn’t have made a difference?”

  “Wouldn’t have made a difference for Jacobson, but you might have become collateral damage for the killer.”

  My stomach knotted, and the few swallows of beer that I’d taken threatened the back of my throat. “I would have been a witness. A liability.” The words stumbled from deep in my chest. Harsh. My voice didn’t sound like that. Get it together, El. You’ve been in the middle of a crime before. This is no different.

  While Annie lectured me about blundering into situations without back up and the probability and possibility of my life and death, Pierce busied himself unwrapping chopsticks and digging into the classic white box of food closest to him. He had to be brain dead to actually eat. The smell of death still clung to my nostrils and mixed with the pungent scent of the Chinese food…it was too much. I made for the bathroom to empty my stomach and indulge in that long, hot shower. I prayed it would clear the stench of death from my nose and memory.

  When I returned to the deck, the food was gone and Pierce smiled, all feckless Irishman. He played the part well, and it was a good sign, because if things weren’t going to be all right Pierce was deadly serious. “So, El, how did you know Jacobson was dead?” He also didn’t waste time.

  I breathed in—glad the leftover food had been cleared away—and let the oxygen fill my blood with calm. “When I turned the doorknob to enter Jacobson’s office the images started to come.” The slideshow flashed on my internal screen, and I struggled against the fear that crawled under my skin. “My fingerprints are there, on the doorknob. There was no reason I shouldn’t touch…not then, not when I was just going in to ask directions.”

  “So that was your cover story? Where am I?” Pierce asked.

  I nodded, then continued. “I thought I’d take a peek at his office, maybe shake his hand, casually touch some stuff. Potentially learn something interesting that would help us with the investigation.”

  Pierce grinned. “You sure as all hell did that.”

  Annie did not grin. “You could have been killed in there.”

  “No,” I said, shaking my head. “The second time I touched the door the image had faded. If the killer had been inside, the image would have held more energy, stayed strong.”

  It was a bad time to mention I didn’t really know the killer was gone until after I looked around the office. Probably there would never be a good time to mention it.

  “So, where was everyone? There was a desk for a receptionist, and two other doors down the hall from Jacobson’s private office. There weren’t more bodies, right?”

  Annie shook her head, tapped her watch. “They were at lunch. Two women work in the office with Jacobson. Both were shook up when we interviewed them, did complete meltdowns when they found the crime unit going through the office.”

  “There’s one other thing,” I said, letting the pictures play through my mind. “The killer was covered from head to toe in black. Including a black hood.”

  “Odd considering it’s a million degrees with this heat wave,” Annie said in an undertone, talking more to herself than to me.

  “Matched the pic I picked up at the ruins of the construction site Adam took me to this morning. Anyway, that’s what the killer was wearing. A mask covered his face, and he held a knife. I got an impression of his intention to kill Jacobson and what he thought it would look like. He went through the motions in his head a bunch of times, like on instant replay.”

  “Huh,” Annie grunted. “A future image.”

  “Yeah,” I said. “Lots of emotion. Strong impression. Makes it easier for me to pick up the future.”

  “You know for sure the killer was male?” Pierce asked, forehead wrinkled, voice cautious.

  I sorted through the images in my head one more time. “No. The energy felt male, but I can’t be sure about it. Guess that doesn’t help much.”

  “How come nobody noticed Batman with a hood?” Pierce asked as he headed for the kitchen, came out with a bottle of water. “In July? In the middle of the city. Fucking irritating.”

  Annie huffed out a sigh. “Adam picked this up because of the connection to the construction incidents. You know—”

  “Yeah,” Pierce cut in. “I know. I wouldn’t want to be one of the uniforms reporting to him on this one.”

  Annie grinned. “My brother’s obsessive-compulsive tendencies kick in at times like this. Makes him impossible. But he’ll be all over this and I bet we know about the hooded outfit before too much longer.”

  Then Annie pinned me with a look. “About you not being helpful? Forget it. There’s no room for a pity party here. You better believe Adam wouldn’t be wasting time with you if he didn’t think your contributions were worth something.”

  Deep breath. “Okay. You’re right. Moving on. So, will the chief be upset that you showed up at a crime scene? I didn’t think about that when I called you.”

  “I called him right after you left. Hayes is okay with me helping out when I can. He appreciates my backg
round, and we share a mutual respect for each other that makes it easy for us to share information. Trust me, I won’t be stepping on his toes by making any arrests in his jurisdiction.”

  “I thought it was something like that. Your work always seems to flow together seamlessly, but I gave the credit to Adam being your brother.”

  “That certainly helps things along. Unless we’re having a sibling moment.”

  “Is there anything for us to do now?” I asked.

  Annie nodded. “I’m going home to check the computer search I started for Adam this morning, then we can all get together for a wrap up. That okay with you, El?”

  “No. Mitch will be here. It’s been two weeks and I want that time. Need it. Tomorrow morning okay for a meeting?”

  Annie and Pierce shared a look. “Yes, but you’ll need to talk to—”

  “Me.” Adam said, his footsteps loud on the back stairs. “I smell Chinese food. Any leftovers?”

  Annie went to get the leftovers, leaving me alone with my “boss” and Pierce. Way too much testosterone.

  “How pissed are you?” I asked, handing Adam chopsticks.

  He shot me a look. “You wandered into a murder, possibly put your life in danger, and didn’t call me as soon as you realized something was wrong? Yeah. I’m pissed.”

  “Wait a minute. None of that was premeditated. Well, except not calling you. That was a conscious decision. I thought it would be better not to involve you because the media will definitely pick this up, and…my touch thing. I don’t want to be on the front page of the paper, so better Pierce reports it than me.”

  “She’s right on that, Stone.” Pierce—saving my ass.

  I smiled my thanks. As back up, Pierce rocked big time.

  “Point.” Adam pushed his palm toward Pierce. “You’ve had your turn.” He turned back to me and pulled out a notebook and pen. “Talk, El. I want details.”

  “How are you going to write and eat at the same time?”

  His eyebrows hiked, and he grinned. “I’m a cop. We can do a lot of things at once.”

  Annie brought him a plate piled with food, and I went through the whole story again, my brain wet-sponge soggy by the time he left.

  Annie stood, smoothed her t-shirt. “Not bad for your first day on the job, El.”

  Weariness crept through every muscle in my body, but there was one thing I’d forgotten to ask while Adam was interrogating me. “Am I going to catch hell with the chief over this?”

  “Probably not.” Annie did a single-shoulder shrug. “But you can handle it if you are.”

  I groaned audibly. “That’s not very reassuring.”

  “You held your own with Adam just now, and the chief still isn’t sure what to do with you, so you’re one up there. Gotta go through that printout. Later.”

  I thought Pierce had followed her, but he caught the screen door as I moved into the kitchen. “You’re not in trouble with Hayes. That’s who I called from Jacobson’s office.”

  “Good to know. I’ve reached my limit with cranky men.”

  I held the door for him to leave, but his index finger skimmed the edge of my t-shirt. He lifted the hem a few inches, touched the pad of his finger against my belly, and trailed a line down to my navel. Stopped. Tapped the diamond nestled there. “Nice. Suits you.”

  I sucked in some air as he melted down the back stairs, leaving me with my mouth open and a shiver rippling through my belly.

  THREE

  There’s nothing like a Bad Boy to throw a good woman out of whack. And Pierce was the baddest of the bad. My traitorous body could attest to it. Not that it mattered. I had a relationship with Mitch, a good relationship that I wanted to nurture, and maybe grow into something permanent. I curled up in the chaise to wait for him, daydreaming about the way his muscles bunched when he hugged me, and how the top of my head fit perfectly under his chin.

  I sighed, deeply, from that vulnerable part of my heart that he could easily crush if he decided we couldn’t stay together without me getting a security clearance. I hated the idea of my fingers being at the mercy of the government. Probably a fear from the psychological testing my parents put me through when they first discovered I “knew” stuff when I shouldn’t. Still, life without Mitch? The trade-off made me queasy. I closed my eyes, hoping to shut off busy brain syndrome and too many Mitch worries. He flew military and had to attend a debriefing after he landed, which made potential arrival time anyone’s guess.

  I must have fallen asleep, because next thing I knew Mitch’s arms were around me, his voice soft in my ear. “Hey, Sunshine, have a nice nap?” He didn’t give me time to answer, just pressed his lips against mine and spent some time with teasing kisses. A happy shiver slid over my skin as I inhaled the rich, spicy scent clinging to his skin. I wrapped my arms around him, deepened the kiss with a delicious exploration of tongues, lips, and oh, my, licks.

  He trailed his mouth along my neck, nipping at the tender skin with bone melting intensity, and found the sweet spot just below my ear—then he totally ruined the moment. “How was your day?” he whispered against my sensitized skin.

  The question jarred me back to coherent thought, obliterating blissful arousal with the harsh crackle of reality. He just had to spoil the moment with questions about my day. I eased from his arms, braced my hands against his shoulders. “It’s dark. When did that happen? I must have slept for—”

  “A few hours at least.” His muscles tensed under my fingers. “And I know that look. Unfocused and guilty as all hell. How about we move this inside and you can tell me all about what you’ve gotten yourself into this time?”

  I scooted away from him. Stood. Night closed around me, and I wanted nothing more than to be inside. With the doors locked. Maybe with chairs wedged under the knobs. Safe.

  “El? I’m not going to like this, am I?” His lips had thinned and the laugh lines around his eyes were tight from being squinched up. Sure signs he knew something bad was coming.

  “Umm, well, no. You’re not, but I promise it will go down better with a glass of wine. I have an outstanding cab that I’ve been saving for you.”

  His hand circled my wrist, barely touching me but with the emotional grip of a thick steel band.

  I wasn’t going anywhere. Nope. He wasn’t going to let me wiggle out of this anytime soon, not that I wanted to hide it from him, but it was going to push all of his macho protective buttons.

  He tapped my cheek with the tip of his index finger. “Now would be an excellent time to discuss your day, and then we can both relax with a glass of wine.”

  I shook my arm loose, sat back down, threaded my fingers through his shaggy brown hair, and took a moment to trace the angle of his jaw and gaze into eyes the exact color of European brandy. They stared at me, clouded with worry, from behind his wire rim glasses. Damn it all. I hated to scare him. Still, my libido didn’t stop appreciating the man, and my mind was busy processing the images flowing through my fingertips. Mitch had been caught between a mama polar bear and her playful cubs. Not a good spot, but the cubs were so cute, and he was here, without any sign of being mauled. I tried to relax into the images and enjoy sharing the moment with him. Except for the fog lingering around the edge of the pictures.

  He caught my hand, stopped my roving fingers, and backed away, less than an inch. But it was enough to warn me he knew something was up. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing is wrong exactly. It’s just that my sense of touch seems to be…off.”

  “Off? What does that mean? What are you seeing right now?” He slid his glasses from his nose, wiped off the smudges from our too-brief make out session, and tucked them in his pocket. “I was in classified places, but nothing…except there was the incident with the mama polar bear and her cubs. I thought it would make you smile, not scare you to death.”

  “I get that, and the cubs are adorable. It’s not the images per se. It’s that they’re foggy, distorted.”

  “Ever happen before?
” he asked, face carefully blank.

  A flutter of anxiety passed through my body. “Not until today. I noticed it this morning when I was at a construction site doing some work for Chief Hayes. Instead of getting a snapshot like I usually do, the images were less distinct—like looking through a camera lens that had been cropped with foggy edges. And there were waves of energy, like heat waves, distorting the picture. ’Course there were heat waves. Real ones. But this was different, and it’s really freaking me out.”

  “Whoa. Back up. Doing work for Hayes? What’s the danger level?” He didn’t give me time to answer, just gently set his lips on mine for a long, slow kiss and then folded his arms around me and whispered next to my ear. “So, about Hayes?”

  My girl parts were all about action, not talk. “Way to distract me. Lull me into spilling the details without censoring. That was your plan, right?” A sigh escaped from deep in my chest, resigned and aching.

  “Side benefit. I happen to like kissing you.” The laugh lines framing his eyes crinkled, and a smile sparkled behind his eyes.

  There really was no reason to put off the inevitable. Shortly into my recitation, his body went stiff—not in a good way—and several flavors of pained expression crossed his face. My heart thudded against my breastbone as I relived the scene of finding Calvin Jacobson’s body and then waited for Mitch’s reaction—not an easy thing to do when you’re me. I’m so not good with the patience thing. I did some deep breathing. Anything to keep my fingers to myself and not invade his privacy.

  “Quite a day, Sunshine.” His voice was tense enough to bounce a quarter off. “As much as I want to tuck you away someplace safe, I know you would beat the crap out of me if I tried.”

  He stood, paced for a minute, then took a wide stance, arms crossed. “Hell, I’ll probably be gray before I reach my fortieth birthday. You’re a magnet for trouble. Dead bodies are trouble.” He jabbed his index finger in my direction. “It goes against every protective instinct I have to let you run loose like some comic book super star.”