Page 118 of Forever Dead

Eric smiled faintly. “There were teachers everybody was scared of, and teachers you remembered because they treated you like you were actually a person. Miss Marsh was the second kind.”

“She was,” Selena said.

“She caught me copying homework once,” Eric said.

“What happened?” Selena asked.

“Made me stay behind and do the whole assignment again. Then she gave me half her sandwich because I missed lunch.”

Selena smiled. “That sounds like her.”

Eric’s expression became serious. “I can’t picture someone wanting to hurt her.”

“I can’t stop picturing how frightened she must have been,” Selena said.

“You don’t have to do that to yourself,” Eric said.

“I’m not choosing to.”

Eric took another drink. “You’ll catch whoever did it. You always do.”

Selena stared into the whiskey.

“I hope so,” Selena said.

A few seconds passed before Eric asked, “When’s Jessie coming by again?”

Selena turned toward him. “Why?”

Eric studied his glass. “No reason.”

“You asked. You must have a reason.”

He hesitated. “It was just... nice seeing her.”

Selena waited with a raised eyebrow.

Eric sighed. “What?”

“Nothing,” Selena said.

“You’re doing that thing,” Eric said.

“What thing?” Selena asked.

“The FBI thing where you sit there until someone gets uncomfortable,” Eric said.

“I’m sitting in a motel chair drinking whiskey,” Selena said.

“Exactly. Very intimidating.”

Selena smiled despite herself. “You like her. Jessie.”

Eric hesitated. “I said it was nice seeing her.”

“I think she might like you, too,” Selena said.

That made him glance up.