‘This is a homicide investigation,’ Lynda said harshly. ‘We are not cute, Detective.’

‘Nor am I a writer of fiction,’ Marcus said, holding back the temper that flickered in his eyes. ‘I’m a journalist and this is a story that needs to be told. How many people out there believe like Annabelle Church, that human trafficking happens only in Thailand? And didn’t I do everything you just asked with the story about finding Tabby Anders?’

‘Mostly, yes,’ Isenberg agreed. ‘But that’s because I asked you about it directly. You didn’t offer anything, O’Bannion, and I’ve been burned by reporters in the past. You’ll give me what I want now, but then later you’ll pull a fast one and print whatever satisfies your agenda. And that’s how cops and victims die.’

Scarlett had sobered at Lynda’s earlier rebuke. Now she tried to smooth the waters, because Marcus’s request was not an unreasonable one. At the same time, they’d lost a man today, so she could see Lynda’s point of view as well. Lynda was voicing the same fears she herself had harbored before she’d gotten to know Marcus. ‘He’s been on the up and up so far,’ she told her boss rationally. ‘That article this morning had nothing in it that I hadn’t okayed. And he is right about getting the story out. This is important, Lynda. And I trust him.’

Lynda gave her a hard look. ‘He’s a loose cannon. He nearly got the two of you killed sneaking into the Anders house, and he may have gotten Agent Spangler killed too.’

Marcus opened his mouth to blurt what would have been an outraged denial. Scarlett held up her hand to stop him, grateful when he restrained himself.

‘We have no reason to believe Marcus had anything to do with Agent Spangler’s death. And . . .’ Scarlett drew a breath, knowing she was about to draw her boss’s ire, ‘I figured he’d try to get into the house. I didn’t tell him not to.’

Lynda sat back, her gray eyes gone stone cold. ‘You knew he was going back there?’

‘I expected him to at least consider it. When I realized he was gone, I followed him.’ She sat in the chair between her boss and Marcus. ‘Lynda, our hands were tied until we got a warrant. What Marcus did was not illegal – and his actions likely saved Tabby Anders’s life. She might have died if she’d had to wait for us to get a warrant to enter the house. Because he found her, we now have Tala’s baby safe and sound and we know the names of the other two women. He’s been quite useful.’

‘Thank you,’ Marcus muttered dryly, extremely annoyed. ‘I’m so happy to be useful.’

Scarlett shot him a be-quiet glare, then turned back to Lynda. ‘Let him watch us. We have nothing to hide. He’ll let one of us read his reports before he uploads or prints them.’ She looked over her shoulder to find him definitely unhappy. ‘Right, Marcus?’

Twenty

Cincinnati, Ohio

Tuesday 4 August, 7.00 P.M.

It was all Marcus could do to keep his temper under control. Let the cops read his reports before he uploaded them? How Scarlett could even think he’d consider that . . .

Meeting her eyes, he shook his head. ‘No way,’ he said firmly. ‘That’s censorship. I print the truth, whether it’s pleasant for you or not.’

Isenberg’s nostrils flared in anger. ‘I knew he’d say that. He’s a reporter. They’re all about their First Amendment rights, but care nothing about the rights of the officers – or victims – they place in danger. They stick their mikes in your face and demand details that could destroy lives, just so they can get their damn story.’

Scarlett had winced at Marcus’s words, but she visibly flinched at Isenberg’s. Settling herself in her chair, she leaned away from both of them. With a single long blink she’d become grim, and his gut didn’t like that at all.

‘Scarlett?’ he asked. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘Nothing,’ she said coolly. ‘I’m fine.’

She was not fine. Her eyes had gone beyond expressionless. They were blank. Even Isenberg looked concerned, but Scarlett waved away her boss’s questions.

‘I said I’m fine.’ She turned to Marcus, a determined set to her jaw. ‘I’m not telling you not to print the truth. I’m saying that there may be things we’ll want to hold back, like this morning. You agreed then. What’s different now?’

‘Nothing,’ he murmured. ‘But I don’t want anyone thinking they can “approve” my work. You need to trust me that I’ll keep my word when we decide what gets kept out.’

He held his breath, waiting for her response, knowing that it was a critical moment for the future of whatever relationship they would have.

She held his gaze for a few heartbeats, then shifted her attention back to her boss without a flicker of emotion. ‘You don’t trust him,’ she said, her tone so coldly logical that Marcus wanted to hit something. ‘I understand that. I have a hard time reconciling trust and journalists in the same sentence too. They make their living digging up the news and don’t care about the damage they leave behind.’

Fuck, no, he thought viciously. He was not going to take that from anyone, least of all from her. He opened his mouth to protest, but sensing it, she raised her hand just high enough for him to get her message. Be quiet.

He bit down on his tongue until he tasted blood, and said nothing.

‘But,’ Scarlett continued evenly, ‘Marcus has never given us a reason to doubt his word. He helped us find the Anderses in the first place by identifying their dog. He had their name a full half-hour before we got to their property, but he didn’t print it or upload it. He still hasn’t. He’s not like most of the other reporters either of us have dealt with. If you don’t trust him, then trust me. I’ll take responsibility for anything he prints.’

‘I don’t want or need you to take responsibility for what I do,’ he said firmly.

Scarlett met his eyes, hers still cold. ‘This is my world, Marcus. This is how it needs to work. If you want me to trust you, then you have to trust me too.’

If he hadn’t known how much emotion she was capable of, he would never have guessed at what had to be churning behind that icy stare. The crazy thing was, that made him trust her more. She had more self-control than anyone he’d ever met. More than was healthy, he thought. He, of all people, knew how damaging shoving all one’s emotions down deep could be.

‘All right,’ he said. ‘I guess in your place I’d demand the same thing. Especially since you all lost a colleague today.’ He watched for any flicker of relief in Scarlett’s eyes, but there was none.

‘Thank you,’ she said, her detachment beginning to make him nervous. ‘Is this an acceptable arrangement, Lieutenant?’

‘Yes,’ Isenberg said. She gave Marcus a sharp look. ‘Don’t make me regret it.’

It was obvious that nothing he could say was going to change the lieutenant’s attitude, so he only sighed and shook his head.

Scarlett stood up. ‘I have to meet Deacon at the FBI field office. They haven’t agreed to your presence, so it’s better if I meet you afterward. I’ll broach the topic when I’m with them.’

‘What’s the meeting about?’ he asked.

‘We’re speaking with the person leading their human trafficking investigation team,’ Scarlett said evenly. ‘I’m not sure what we’ll learn, but I’ll share all I can.’

‘That’s all right. I have some things to take care of at the office.’ He pushed to his feet. ‘You can escort me out,’ he said to Scarlett, then gave Isenberg a nod. ‘Lieutenant.’

Marcus was quiet as he followed Scarlett out, trying to figure out what had extinguished the lights in her eyes. Then he remembered, early that morning, the look on her face when he’d said that he made his living digging up the news. Her eyes had gone blank then too. He hadn’t understood at the time that that meant she was hiding a very emotional reaction.