She climbed out of his truck. “Thanks for everything. I had a good time—which is surprising under thecircumstances.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” Joaquin felt the impulse to kiss her, but it was too soon for that. She’d given him her cell number, and that was good enough for now. “You go home, rest, try not to worry. Call me if you needanything.”
“I’m going to Garcia’s place. I have to make sure he’sokay.”
“Mia, that’s a really bad idea. What if this guy has gone off his rocker and calls the cops on you? That won’t look good in the middle of all this stuff with Andy. Call Wu. Tell him what’s going on. Maybe he can send some uniforms to do a welfarecheck.”
“What would I say to him? ‘Help me. I got a weird text from afriend’?”
Well, she had a pointthere.
She opened her cardoor.
Joaquin shut it. “I’ll drive you there. You’re upset. You’re not thinking clearly. Besides, as long as you’re with me, you’ve got analibi.”
Her eyes went wide. “Right. Shit.Okay.”
They climbed back into histruck.
He stopped at the parking lot exit. “Whereto?”
“Jason lives near the VA. I’ve got his address here.” She tapped on her phone’s screen, then read out the address. “Should I ask Siri fordirections?”
“Nah. I know that area. When you’re a news photographer, you have to learn your way around, or you miss assignments and lose yourjob.”
It took them less than ten minutes to reach the address. It was an old tri-level, its windowsdark.
Joaquin parked. “Are youarmed?”
“Armed?” Mia shook her head. “You?”
“Yes.” He touched a hand to his front jeans pocket. “A Glock twenty-seven.”
They climbed out and walked up to the house, snow crunching beneath their feet, the neighborhood quiet apart from the distant peal of police sirens and the murmur of traffic. They’d reached the porch before Joaquinsaw.
The front door wasajar.
“Mia, stop!” He caught her arm, drew her back. “You have no idea who’s in there or what’s goingon.”
She took a step backward. “Garcia! It’s Starr. Are you allright?”
“Let’s get back in my truck.” Joaquin’s gaze moved from the front door to the darkened windows, watching for movement. They were sitting ducks here. “We need to call the police andwait.”
“You’re right.” She walked backward, her gaze shifting from the door to the windows to the dark side of the house. “I’m glad you’ve got aweapon.”
“Yeah. Me, too.” It wouldn’t do him any good in itsholster.
Maybe it was the adrenaline, but it took a moment for Joaquin to notice that the sirens were growing nearer. They’d just reached his truck when a police cruiser tore around the corner and came to a stop behind them, its sirens dying. The vehicle’s takedown light flashed on, blindingJoaquin.
“Hands in the air! I want to see thosehands!”
¡Carajo! Damnit.
This was going to befun.
* * *
Mia satin handcuffs in the back of the police cruiser, Joaquin cuffed beside her, the two of them watching as the officer and two others walked through Jason’s front door, weaponsdrawn.