Page 22 of Final Inning

“I was in the microfiche room. No signal. What do you need?”

Well. That made sense. There was a small almost closet behind Archivals that housed an absolutely antiquated microfiche system. Dani thought it was awesome and could spend all day in there digging into the past. But cell signal was non-existent. Ian did tend to disappear in there sometimes. “I probably should have checked there fifteen minutes ago.”

“You are cranky today. Michael being Michael?”

“I can’t wait until he violates this latest probation. Marianna and Richison told him it was the last chance he has.”

“I am counting down the minutes for you. So…what’s really bothering you?”

He was, in that exact moment. He was looking at her with those intense blue eyes. No man on earth had eyes that exact shade of blue. At one time, blue like that had been her favorite color. But now, every time she saw that blue, she thought about Ian Ward.

Dani really needed to stop thinking about Ian Ward. Fast.

“I am tired. I am hurting. And just…never mind.” Not exactly being professional. No denying that. But some days were far worse than others.

Especially when she knew it was going to rain.

“I’m sorry. I wish I could help somehow.”

Oh, he knew how to say the right things. No wonder Shayna liked him so much. “Anyway, Knight wants you activated. Something about them finding another, older unsolved. I’m supposed to have you check in with Miranda in about an hour to see if you are going to Oklahoma or not. Knight was getting a bit cranky when he couldn’t reach you himself this morning.”

“Gotcha. I’m sorry you had to be the errand woman.”

He just sort of stayed next to her chair as she headed back to the lab. Dani wanted to ask him what else he wanted. But…she’d already acted a bit beyond bitchy here. No use confirming what his opinion had to be about her now. “I’m good. It got me away from that lab-bound idiot.”

Normally, she never said a single harsh thing about the people who worked in the lab. But Michael was going to seriously jeopardize cases someday. Some other helpless victims would have to live with the knowledge that there was nothing else law enforcement could do. And just have to find a way…to live…with not having the answers.

That hurt. Each and every time.

It would be thirteen years for her in two days. And they didn’t have any more than what they’d had back then. And she was one thousand percent certain no one was even looking any longer.

“Anything else? You can tell me. I won’t say a word.”

“He’s going to screw something up, Ward. It’s just a matter of time now. And a case will be thrown out. What about the people that will hurt? I know what that feels like personally. There is nothing any of us in the lab can do but watch him and hope for the best.”

“Is he just inexperienced?”

“I don’t know. But he’s a sexist jerk, on top of it. He is always telling Shayna and me—or some of the other women in the lab—how we are failing in our femininity for not living up to what his perceived rules are for womankind. It’s not just annoying. It’s strange. Really, really strange. Like who gave him authority over us anyway, not to mention his ideas are way out there to begin with. And the way he looks at us sometimes—it’s starting to weird me out.” The words were coming from somewhere. She didn’t exactly trust Ward, but the man’s mind was phenomenal. “Anyway, I think he just has some personality problems. I sent you copies of the latest Oklahoma case. Let me know if you need anything else.”

“I’ll do that.”

She turned left. The better elevator for her chair was at the midway of the hall. He followed. Then they were in the elevator together. And Dani was just watching him.

The man…well, she wasn’t going to ever tell Shayna how she really felt. But…in her opinion, Ward was the hottest of the men in Cold Case now. And that was saying something as Tag and Knight could scorch the sun when they looked at a woman.

Ward had them beat by a mile.

He looked at her for the longest time, a little smirk on his beautiful mouth just designed to drive a woman crazy. They just…stared.

“So…what’s going on in Oklahoma?”

Dani filled him in on what she knew so far.

Chapter 14

They found a diner. They almost always found a diner. His albatross adored diner food, but she seemed to stick to the least amount of cholesterol-laden menu items. And, damn it, they had to eat—as she’d told him repeatedly.

Knight waited until she placed her order. She was cranky with him, still. But if they’d stayed in that little shack in Buckbert too much longer, he was going to do something he regretted.