Once Cold. Блейк Пирс

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СКАЧАТЬ said, “It’s probably still in the evidence locker. Maybe we can get some DNA off of it. That wasn’t much of an option twenty-five years ago.”

      “Good,” Meredith said. “What else?”

      Riley thought for a moment.

      “We’ve got an old composite sketch of the killer,” she said. “It’s not all that good. But maybe our tech guys could age the picture, come up with some ideas about what he might look like now. I could turn it over to Sam Flores.”

      Meredith didn’t say anything right away.

      Then he looked at Bill, who was still standing near the doorway.

      “Have you got any cases going, Agent Jeffreys?”

      “No.”

      “Good. I want you to work this case with Paige.”

      Without another word, Meredith turned his attention back to his reports.

      Riley looked at Bill. Like her, he was gaping with surprise.

      “When do we start?” Bill asked Meredith

      “Five minutes ago,” Meredith said, waving them away. “What’s the matter with you two? Quite wasting time. Get to work.”

      Riley and Bill hurried out of the office, excitedly talking about how to get things underway.

      CHAPTER NINE

      A little while later, Riley was relaxing as Bill drove the FBI car to the town of Greybull, where Tilda Steen had been killed. Riley felt good to be working on a new case, especially one of her own choosing.

      It was a warm, sunny day. She felt as though her troubles and anxieties were fading behind her. Now that she had time to clear her head, Riley was beginning to feel quite differently about Ryan’s departure.

      Why would she want him to stay, anyway?

      She certainly didn’t want him sleeping over now that he was seeing somebody else.

      And it was wrong to let the girls keep living with an illusion that he was truly part of their family.

      Things could be worse, she thought.

      Ryan might have hung around for a much longer time, only to eventually crush the girls’ hopes and expectations even more hurtfully.

      Good riddance, she thought.

      Just then, Riley’s phone buzzed. She saw that the call was from Blaine. It took her a second to remember that she’d left a message with him just last night, belatedly accepting his dinner offer. So much had happened this morning, it felt like much more time had passed since she’d made that call.

      She answered the phone. Blaine sounded upbeat and cheerful.

      “Hi, Riley. I got your message. Yeah, the offer still stands.”

      “Thanks,” Riley said. “I’m glad.”

      “So when do you and your family want to come over to the restaurant? Tonight, maybe?”

      Riley hated to put the whole thing on hold. But what else could she do?

      “Blaine, I’m out of town right now, working on a case. I’ll be back later today, but I might have to keep working.”

      “How about tomorrow, then?” Blaine asked.

      Riley suppressed a sigh. Things had gotten awkward fast. The last thing she wanted was for Blaine to think she was pushing him away again. But with a new case underway, she simply didn’t know when she would be able to accept his invitation.

      The awkwardness was compounded by Bill’s glances at her from behind the wheel. It was obvious from his mischievous grin that he’d heard who she was talking to.

      Riley felt herself blush.

      She said, “Blaine, I’m so sorry. I just don’t know right now when it’ll be possible.”

      Blaine didn’t reply. Riley knew that he must feel a bit puzzled. After all, she had sounded so eager in her message. She figured that honesty was the best approach.

      “I’m not being coy, Blaine. I’m really not. I promise, when this case gets settled, we’ll come to your restaurant the first chance we get. And we’ll return the invitation. Gabriela will cook up something wonderful for you and Crystal.”

      Now she could hear a smile in Blaine’s voice.

      “Great. I’ll let you get back to work, then.”

      They ended the call. Bill’s grin widened, and Riley’s blush deepened.

      “So who was that?” Bill asked.

      “Mind your own business,” Riley said with a slight giggle.

      Bill let out a peal of laughter.

      “No, I don’t think I will, Riley. I think I still qualify as your best friend. I’m supposed to be nosy. That was Blaine, wasn’t it? Your nice handsome neighbor.”

      Riley silently nodded.

      Bill said, “So are you going to tell me what’s going on, or what? The last I heard, Blaine had moved across town and you were trying to fix things up with Ryan.”

      Riley remembered how hotly Bill had protested when she told him that she and Ryan were getting back together.

      “Do I need to remind you of everything that guy did to hurt you?” Bill had said. “Because I can remember every detail.”

      “Whatever you do, don’t say ‘I told you so.’”

      “Why not?” Bill asked.

      Riley sighed aloud now.

      There’s no use fighting it, she thought.

      There was nothing she could do except swallow her pride.

      “Because you did. Tell me so. And you were right. Ryan’s the same old insufferable, unreliable Ryan.”

      “He bailed on you, huh? I’m sorry to hear that.” He sounded genuinely sympathetic. “It must be tough on the kids.”

      Riley couldn’t bring herself to tell him how true that was.

      “Anyway,” Bill said, “I’m glad you’re finally giving ‘Mr. Right’ a chance.”

      Riley groaned with exasperation. She wanted to throw something at him. Instead, she joined in his laughter.

      Her phone buzzed again. She saw that it was a message from Sam Flores.

      Riley was glad to have her attention snapped back to the job at hand. Before they’d left Quantico, she and Bill had talked to Sam Flores, the head of the lab team. They asked him to get right to work looking for DNA on the glass and aging the old composite sketch.

      Riley checked СКАЧАТЬ