Relief washed over Mia.Finally,they were gettingsomewhere.
Wu went on. “Also, the only prints on the driver’s license areMeyer’s.”
“So I’m no longer asuspect?”
“No.”
Another surge ofrelief.
She found herself smiling. “I can go back towork.”
Wu stood. “I’m going to have to talk to Irving to see how he wants us to handle this from here. Are you going to be staying herenow?”
Startled by this question, Mia looked from Wu to Joaquin. “Uh…I…”
Joaquin answered for her. “She’s welcome to stay here in my spare room until she feels safe at her ownplace.”
“We need to get you that emergency concealed carry permit,” Hunter said. “Call the sheriff’s department tomorrow and pick up the application. Darcangelo and I will help you get whatever you need from theDPD.”
“Thank you.” Mia stood, reached out, shook Julian’s and Marc’s hands. “I appreciate all you did tonight. I know it’slate.”
“Happy tohelp.”
“It’s part of thejob.”
They turned to go, walking with Wu toward thedoor.
Wu stopped, turned to face her once more. “You trusted me tonight, so I’m going to trust you. If you see the man in the black hoodie again, call 911. Don’t try to talk to him. Don’t open the door for him. Don’t follow him. That fits the general description of a man an eyewitness saw fleeing the scene of Jason Garcia’s murder—and a man who showed up on the surveillance videos from the BotanicGardens.”
Mia stared after him, chills skittering down her spine as the men walked out the door and Joaquin locked it behind them. Questions sprang to her mind. How long had Wu known there was another suspect? Why had no one warned her earlier? Was the eyewitness the reason they’d been released lastnight?
Joaquin crossed the length of his apartment. “You were amazing tonight, Mia. You’re a true hero. I know that couldn’t have been easy. How are youfeeling?”
“Relieved in a way.Drained.”
“Ibet.”
“Did you know that they had an eyewitness and another suspect?” She could see the answer on hisface.
“I knew about the eyewitness, not the securityfootage.”
“Why didn’t you tellme?”
“They made me promise not to say a word. I’msorry.”
She couldn’t fault him for keeping a promise. “That’s why you came so quickly to get me, isn’tit?”
He walked up to her, rested his hands on her shoulders. “I care about what happens to you,Mia.”
His words hung in the air as Mia wondered what he meant bythat.
“It’s late. You must be exhausted. We should get tobed.”
Mia took her handbag with her firearm to her room and changed into her nightgown and bathrobe. Then she went into the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. When she had finished, she opened the door and stepped into the hallway to see Joaquin standing shirtless in the kitchen in a pair of dark blue pajama bottoms that hung perilously low on his hips. He was checking hispistol.
Oh,my...
God, he wasgorgeous.