Part 34 (1/2)

Only half-listening, Theo let the other men's conversation wash over him. His gaze wandered to find the new server again. She was topping off the coffee mugs of the customers sitting at the counter as she listened to something Megan was telling her.

”I ran into Sherry at the gas station last night.”

Otto's too-casual statement jerked Theo's attention back to their conversation.

Rubbing the back of his head, Hugh asked, ”How's she doing?”

”Not good. But what do you expect when her dad-”

”Let me out.” Theo cut off the rest of Otto's words, glaring at him until the other man slid out of the booth. As Theo stalked away from the table, there was only silence behind him-a heavy, suffocating silence. He didn't have a destination in mind except away, but his feet carried him toward the new server as if they had a mind of their own.

The woman watched him, her blue eyes getting wider and wider, until he stopped in front of her. They stared at each other for several moments. She was even prettier and looked even more scared up close. There were dark shadows smudged beneath her eyes, and her face had a drawn, tight look. Her throat moved as she swallowed, and her eyes darted to the side. Theo tensed, his cop instincts urging him to chase her if she ran.

When she ran.

”Theo,” Megan barked in her husky voice as she pa.s.sed, ”go sit down. You're being creepy.”

He shot her a frown, but most of his attention was still on the new server. ”What's your name?”

She swallowed again and tried to force a smile, but it quickly fell away. ”Jules. Um...for Julie.”

”Last name?”

”Uh...Jackson.” Her gaze jumped toward the door.

”Where are you from?” He couldn't stop asking questions. It was partly his ingrained cop curiosity, and partly the personal interest he couldn't seem to smother.

”Arkansas.”

Theo called bulls.h.i.+t on that. While she'd said her last name too slowly, this had come too fast, like he'd asked her a quiz question that she'd studied for. He could see the tension vibrating through her, her body projecting the urge to flee. What was she running from? An abusive husband? The consequences of a crime she'd committed? ”What brings you to Colorado?”

”It's...a nice state?” Her eyes squeezed closed for a second, as if she was mentally reprimanding herself for the inane answer.

Every glance at the door, every stifled flinch, every half-a.s.sed response just made Theo more suspicious. ”You move here by yourself?”

”I...um...” Her hunted gaze fixed on Megan's back, but the other server was occupied with helping a little boy get ketchup out of a recalcitrant bottle and didn't see her pleading expression. ”I should get back to work.”

”Wait.” He reached for her arm.

”Theo.” Hugh stood right behind him, and Theo felt his jaw tighten as his hand dropped to his side. Why did they feel a need to watch him like he was an unstable bomb? ”Food's here.”

Theo didn't want to return to the table, didn't want to eat, didn't want to talk about Sherry or anything else. What he did want was to find out more about the new, pretty, squirrelly waitress whose name may-but more likely may not-be Julie Jackson.

Jules.

He was tempted to send Hugh back to the table without him, but what was the point? All she would do was keep lying...badly. Later, in the squad car, he'd try to run her name, although ”Julie Jackson” from Arkansas, without a date of birth or a middle name, would give him enough hits to keep him busy for months.

He'd give it time. They were at the diner every morning. He'd have plenty of opportunities to try to get information from the newcomer.

a.s.suming she didn't skip town first.

Ignoring his screaming instincts-his curiosity-his interest-he gave a short, reluctant nod and returned to the table. He could wait for his answers.

Still, it was hard not looking back.

Chapter 2.

One Week Earlier ”Mr. Espina...” Jules's voice cracked on the last syllable. Clearing her throat, she forced her fist to release the crumpled handful of her skirt and tried again. ”Mr. Espina, I need your help.”

Mateo Espina didn't say a word. In fact, he didn't even twitch a muscle. It was a struggle not to stare at him. He was just so different than his brother that it was hard to believe the two were actually related. For over two years, Jules had worked for Luis Espina, and she'd never, ever been this nervous. Luis was a chatterbox who wore a constant, beaming, contagious smile on his round face. His brother, on the other hand, was all hard lines and angles, glaring eyes and stubble. Even the tattoos peeking from his s.h.i.+rt collar and rolled-up cuffs looked angry.

Jules realized she'd been staring at him silently for much too long, and she had to hide her cringe. It had been almost impossible to set up this meeting with Mr. Espina, and she was cras.h.i.+ng and burning not even five minutes and ten words in. As she opened her mouth to say who knew what, a bored voice interrupted.

”What can I get you?”

Although Mr. Espina ordered a beer from the server, Jules stuck to water. The meeting would be hard enough with all of her wits about her. Besides, the sad fact was that she was broke. Drinks were the last thing on her stuff-I-need-to-buy list. Lawyers were number one. Good lawyers. Miracle-working lawyers.

”I was hoping,” she said, ”that you could give me a reference.”

There was a reaction to that. It wasn't much of one, though-just the slightest lift of his eyebrow and twitch of a small muscle in his cheek.

”Although I wasn't charged with anything, I lost my CPA license and all my clients when Luis was investigated.” The remembered terror and humiliation of being questioned by the FBI made her hands shake, and she clutched them together to keep them still. ”I didn't give them any information about Luis's finances, though, even after they'd told me I'd be able to keep my license and my business if I did. My clients' confidentiality is sacred.”

Instead of looking pleased by that, Mr. Espina's entire face drew tight, stiffened into a hard mask. His voice was smooth, deep and as cold as ice. ”Are you threatening me, Ms. Young?”

Horror flushed through her, turning her blood cold and then hot enough to burn. ”No! No, G.o.d, no! I'm not an idiot! I mean, it was probably dumb of me to work as Luis's accountant when I knew he wasn't great at...well, coloring inside the lines, but I'm not trying to threaten you! I just wanted...”

The sheer futility of what she was attempting flooded her, and she started to stand. ”Never mind. I'm sorry to have wasted your time. I'll figure something out.”

”Sit.” Something about his clipped tone made her obey before she realized what she was doing. ”What do you want?”

”A job.” Once again, the command in his voice had her answering before she considered whether it was wise to be so blunt. ”I know Luis would give me a reference and, well, new employer contact information, if he wasn't...” She paused, trying to think of a polite term. ”Dealing with more serious concerns right now.”

Those dark, dark eyes regarded her over his raised beer bottle for a long time. Jules let him stare, determined not to break again. ”You want me to hire you?” he finally asked.

”Oh, not you!” she blurted, and then cringed. ”Sorry. That came out wrong. I'd be happy to work with you, of course. It's just...I have expenses, so I need to have more than one client-unless I find a single client with extensive accounting needs. I was thinking I could work for some of Luis's colleagues, since they'd probably not care about the whole FBI thing, as long as I know what I'm doing and can keep my mouth shut.”

Mr. Espina didn't hurry to answer her. Instead, he eyed her for another painfully long time before finally speaking. ”Anyone specific in mind?”

”The Blanchetts?” she suggested tentatively. Most of Luis's business a.s.sociates had been names on a computer screen to her. At best, she'd met a few in pa.s.sing. ”Maybe the Jovanovics?”

He choked-actually choked-on his beer when she said the second name. Carefully placing the bottle on the table, he sat back and closed his eyes for several seconds.

”So that's a no on the Jovanovics?” Disappointment flooded her. They'd been her best prospect. With their hands in what seemed like every not-quite-legal pie, their empire was huge. She'd imagined that the Jovanovics needed a good accountant-and a discreet one.

”It's a no. On the Blanchetts, too.”