He absorbed the news that she had a sweet tooth and tucked that information away like a secret. “Did you sleep okay? You had a pretty rough shift.”
“Kind of. After I got off work, I went for a run through the park. It usually helps me if I take some time to process what happened.” She shook her head. “And then I met the doctor who’s going to be doing the procedure on the person the Marshals are protecting.”
“Did you actually get any sleep today?”
She smiled, lifting her features. “We didn’t talk for long. It was kind of crazy, actually. He rolls up to the curb in front of me in this SUV like they knew where I was going to be, and I get in the back of the car. If it hadn’t been a marshal inviting me into the car, I wouldn’t have got in.” She shook her head. “Sounds way too much like the beginning of a TV special about my tragic demise.”
Luca chuckled. “I’m glad that isn’t what happened.”
“Me too. Anyway, he wanted to talk to me in person about how we plan to treat the patient and monitor him, things to watch for. That kind of thing. He seems like he knows what he’s talking about, and the procedure is cutting-edge. The patient is part of a series of trials he’s doing, and he’s hopeful for a positive outcome.” She shrugged. “We drove around downtown for about twenty minutes, and then I had him drop me off out front here.”
“So he knows where you live now?”
“I figure he already did,” she said. “Considering they have to be tracking me if they knew exactly where I was going to be this morning.”
“This whole operation is turning into something pretty interesting.”
“I wasn’t actually in the market for excitement.” She wiped her lips with a napkin but missed a spot of chocolate at the corner of her mouth. “I happen to like my very calm, very ordered life that is exactly the way I want it.”
“And then I showed up and threw everything for a loop.”
Her eyes gleamed. “You have no idea.”
He liked the sound of that a lot. “I’m not sure if I should apologize.”
“I’ll keep you posted.”
Luca smiled, finishing up his coffee. “Trash can?” He shook the cup, so she’d know why he needed it.
“Under the sink.”
He got up and headed into the kitchen, spotting a row of spices on the counter beside the oven. Ones he used often in his own kitchen. Which told him that she knew how to make some staples from her heritage and ate them often enough she needed the seasonings within reach.
At the end of the counter, a white engraved invitation caught his eye.
“Are you snooping in my mail, Mr. Private Investigator?” She appeared at the open doorway.
“I just noticed it.” Luca lifted his hands. “Fancy party?”
“It’s a gala for the Healing Hearts Foundation. They give needed medical supplies to kids in Africa, South America, and across other parts of the world.”
“I think I’ve heard of it. It’s based in Renegade?”
She nodded. “An acquaintance of mine runs it and wants me to join the board.”
“You aren’t sure?”
She frowned, as if not expecting that she’d given her feelings away. “Like I said, I like my quiet life. I do my job and I get plenty of rest. Busyness isn’t actually a sign of success. It’s just a way to fill your day with things you don’t necessarily care about, and then I’m at work and dragging. Which puts patients’ lives at risk.”
“It sounds smart to be aware of your limitations like that.” He smiled. “Suddenly being awake all night let me know mine.”
She grinned at him. “No one asked you to pull an all-nighter at the hospital or go around interviewing my patients like they’re the subject of an investigation. The people you were speaking to are actually part of this.” She pointed to the invitation. “Destiny Rousseau is the one who runs the Healing Hearts Foundation. She’s been my tennis partner and someone to have lunch with.”
“I was talking to her husband Ralph, and they asked me if they could hire me to protect him. Destiny thinks someone is trying to kill her husband, and wants me to make sure nothing happens to him.”
Kira blinked. “I had no idea. She told me she thought someone had tried to kill him, but I didn’t think anything would come of it.”
He shrugged. “It’s good to have focus and not be swept along by everything you hear.”