Flawless(66)

“This is really terrifying,” Julie told Kieran.

“Yes,” Kieran said, wondering if Julie suspected that Finnegan’s was somehow connected to the jewelry store robberies.

Julie leaned forward. “Kieran, you be careful. You’re always coming and going at odd hours, and you never think to be afraid, no matter how late it is.”

“I’ll be careful. We all will.”

Julie’s eyes brightened. “Not to mention now you’ve got an FBI guy in your corner.”

“What?”

“Oh, Kieran, please. Maybe you two think you’re acting cool, but there’s something in the air when you’re together. Something good. Are you sleeping with him yet?” She read the truth in Kieran’s eyes. “Oh! You are sleeping with him. Don’t look as if you just ate a pack of peppers. I’m not judging.”

Julie stopped speaking. Her eyes had wandered to the door. Kieran looked in that direction, too.

She wished she could crawl under Bobby’s hospital bed.

Craig was back, and Mike was with him.

If such a thing as spontaneous combustion existed, Kieran was pretty sure it would have happened to her at that moment. She felt as if she was burning up and knew her face must be an unbecoming shade of crimson.

Mike was one good guy, she realized. He was pretending that they hadn’t heard a thing, though she knew that both men must have heard at least the tail end of Julie’s speech.

“Good morning, Kieran, Julie,” Mike said. “We were relieved when we heard that Bobby is doing so well.”

“He’s out for a scan,” Julie said quickly.

“Yes,” Craig said. “We heard from the officer outside.” His eyes turned to regard Kieran. They were frost blue, betraying nothing. “Why don’t you two go down and get some coffee, maybe even breakfast?” he suggested. “Detective Mayo is going to be joining us in a minute, and we need to talk to Bobby when he comes back.”

Julie was instantly on her feet. “Oh, yes, coffee,” she said, a little too much enthusiasm in her voice.

Kieran stood. “Of course,” she said.

She had to walk past Craig. He was the epitome of an FBI agent, crisp and clean in his dark blue suit. As she got closer, she realized that he must have showered recently, because his hair was still damp. She wanted to reach out and run her hands down the fabric of his suit or trace the freshly shaved contours of his face.

She managed to flee the room quickly, Julie at her heels.

“I’m so, so sorry about embarrassing you that way,” Julie said.

“It’s all right,” Kieran said.

“I still feel terrible. And now his partner knows, too. I hope I didn’t get him in trouble.”

“It’s all right,” Kieran repeated. “Really.”

“But it’s true, right?” Julie said. “You are sleeping with him.”

They were standing in front of the elevators, surrounded by both visitors and staff, and Julie wasn’t exactly whispering. Embarrassed, Kieran said, “Julie, keep it down. Please.”

“Sorry,” Julie said, lowering her voice. “It’s just that being in the middle of a divorce, I guess I’m living vicariously through you. The way he’s built, is he like that...everywhere?”

“Julie!” Kieran protested again as they stepped into an elevator with a half dozen other people.

Julie grinned and made a motion that indicated she was zipping her lips.

On the ground floor, they headed for the cafeteria. Kieran realized that she’d spent half of yesterday at Finnegan’s with a chef who worked wonders with every dish he created and she hadn’t eaten a thing. She’d been in such an emotional whirl that the thought hadn’t occurred to her.

It shouldn’t now, with danger seemingly everywhere, but it did.

A few minutes later—armed with eggs and toast and the largest cup of coffee available—she joined Julie in a booth. She nodded curiously at the three to-go cups of coffee sitting in the center of the table.

“I thought the guys might want coffee when we go back upstairs,” Julie said. “But right now I want to know everything. How did it happen? And when? Do your brothers know? Was it like a fantasy? Did he drive you home, then sweep you up the stairs? Or were you at his apartment?” Julie giggled. “It wasn’t on a table in the storeroom like in The Postman Always Rings Twice, that old movie we just watched on Netflix, was it?”

“Julie! I never said that I was sleeping with him,” Kieran protested.

“But you are—whether you said it or not. Now that we have an in with the FBI, maybe he can arrest Gary.”

“Julie, Gary has to do something that warrants an arrest,” Kieran said.

“He’s done plenty to warrant an arrest,” Julie said. “Think about my poor dogs.”

“And when he was abusing the dogs, you should have called the police,” Kieran said.

Julie waved a hand in the air. “They wouldn’t have done anything. They’d have told me to call animal control, and animal control might have tried to take Benji and Sally away from me. I couldn’t take that chance.”

“I’m afraid someone can’t be arrested just for being a jerk,” Kieran said.

Julie’s hands were wrapped around her coffee cup, as if for comfort, and she was staring down at the dark surface. “No,” she agreed softly, then looked up. “But, Kieran, I like him. I like your guy. He was so nice to me at the pub the other night.” She giggled. “A harem! Gary thinks Craig has all of us. That’s too funny. He’s actually jealous, even while he’s bringing his bleached blonde bimbo into our apartment and sleeping with her in my bed.”