who did?”
His verbal answer to her silent question sent a shiver up her spine.
She turned and bolted through the crowd, racing into the street, hoping for a moment to think. A moment out of his turbulent thoughts, but she could feel him behind her.
She slowed her pace, listening to the decisive slap of his shoes against the asphalt, accentuated by the thud of his cane.
It wasn’t any good. She could never mentally outrun him. She stopped and turned to face her tormentor.
KADE SLOWED UP, staring at Savannah Dawson where she stood under a streetlight, haloed in illumination.
She was no angel, even if she looked like one now, but he was about to clip her wings. She had too much information, too many answers for someone with no knowledge about the fires.
He stopped in front of her and squared his shoulders. A hint of mercy stirred in his veins.
She raised her gaze to his, her eyes glimmering in the shallow light.
His breath caught as he stared into her face, seeing her clearly for the first time tonight.
Her eyes were blue. Ice-blue. The color of heaven. But why did she hide them behind colored contact lenses?
Suspicion quickly replaced his surprise. “You know you have to come down to the station?”
“Yeah. I know. I only hope it proves I didn’t start this fire, or any of the others.”
“How’d you get here, Savannah?”
“I must have walked, but I don’t remember doing it. I don’t remember anything until I looked up at you a moment ago.”
He wasn’t sure he believed her, but she’d certainly been out of it when he’d spotted her. He must have yelled her name half a dozen times before she acknowledged him.
“I’ve heard of sleepwalking crimes. They’re rare, but stranger things have happened.”
“You think I started this fire while I was sleeping?”
He couldn’t answer her outright. It was a bizarre idea and he didn’t believe it to be a fact. Suspicion fisted in his gut. “Let’s go. Forensics needs to process you.”
“Wait a minute. I’m not an object—”
“But you are a suspect.” Fear flared in her eyes and he felt her helpless reaction for an instant, then the odd sensation vanished. “They’ll take your night gown and robe, check for residue. Chances are you’ll be home before dawn.”
“Great. Let’s get it over with, prove I’m innocent.” She swallowed, and he felt her apprehension. His heart softened. “It’ll work out. It’s a simple procedure, painless.”
“I know.”
“There’ll be a squad car to take you downtown.” He grasped her elbow as they started back toward the scene. A tingling sensation worked its way up his arm, but he didn’t let go of her. He couldn’t risk losing her this time.
“I need to check on my mother.”
“She’s going to be fine. She was rescued in plenty of time.”
He wanted to press her further. Her information was too strong to be coincidental. It sounded more like firsthand knowledge.
They reached the ambulance and he looked into the back where his mother sat on the gurney, holding an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose.
She lowered it when she saw him. “How many times do I have to tell them, I’m fine!”
“Relax, Mom, they’re just doing their job.”
“They want to take me to the hospital.”
“Let them. I’ll be down in a couple of hours to pick you up. Bring you back out to the house.”
She shook her head in disgust. “Not much choice, I guess.”
“Tell me exactly what happened.”
“I went out onto the balcony looking for some air, but when I tried the sliding glass door to go back in, it wouldn’t budge. I must have spent an hour out there trying to decide what to do. That’s when I saw the glow of the fire through the drapes. I wish I could tell you more.”
“It’s okay.” He patted her hand. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
She put the mask back on and waved him off.
He turned to find Savannah standing a short distance away, her hands in her robe pockets, staring at the smoldering building.
He was drawn to her and moved in closer, sensing a degree of fear escalating in her body.
“What is it?” He put his hand on her back, making her jump.
“He’s here. Watching.”
“Who’s watching?” He turned her, clasping her shoulders in his hands.
“The man who did this.” She suddenly went limp and rocked forward.
He caught her or she would have collapsed, but the sudden contact jolted him, infusing his body with a sensation of weightlessness.
She regained her footing and the feeling inside him dissipated.
“How do you know that?” He stared at the crowd of bystanders, searched the faces, scrutinized anyone who didn’t fit, but they all fit. Many of them he’d known from his childhood growing up in Montgomery.
“Do you see him? Can you tell me who he is?” He whispered the questions in her ear, catching a whiff of vanilla on her skin.
“He’s not in the crowd, and I don’t know who he is.”
“Then how do you know he’s here?”
She looked up at him, and his breath caught in his throat. She was beautiful, and for an instant the outside world fell away. Desire raced through his system, sucking him into a tornado of sensation that spun him around and spit him out.
“I can’t see him…I feel him.”
Kade raked his hand over his head and tried to translate her words into something that made sense. “I wish to hell I knew what you were talking about.”
She grabbed his arm and pulled him around to the side of the ambulance. “I’m psychic. There, I’ve said it. If you can make sense of it, great. If you can’t, too bad.”
He was ready with a humorous comeback, but her teeth were clenched, her face serious, her expression close to desperation. Something he knew far too much about these days.
“I had no idea.” What was he supposed to do? Indulge her fantasy? “So where is he? Give me a direction, something to go on. That’s what you do, right?”
She closed her eyes and extended her hands, palms facing forward. Like something out of a science-fiction movie, she turned in a circle.
Kade held his breath, hope knotting his nerves together, but reality set in as she finished her pirouette and opened her eyes.
This was nuts. He squeezed his cane handle, considering her odd demeanor with skepticism.
“Over your right shoulder, there’s a grove of trees. He’s hiding there.”
Should he believe her? Or should he stuff her in a squad car and get to work on this investigation using material he could see with his own eyes?
“Fine, you can discount my empathic observation, or you can check it out for yourself.”
How had she known about his doubts, or how deep they ran inside his head? “I’ll humor you this once, Savannah. Then you’re going downtown.”
If his statement frightened her, it didn’t show on her face. Her slight,