Authors: Sandi Perry
"I
was
just
leaving,"
Bradley
said.
"Allison,
you'll
let
me
know
what
you
decide."
She
nodded.
"So,
Alex,
what
can
I
do
for
you?"
"Nothing,"
he
said
as
he
took
a
seat,
"Just
admiring
the
view."
She
looked
out
the
window,
"It's
so
bleak
out
there;
there
isn't
much
of
a
view."
"Not
from
where
I'm
sitting,"
he
smiled
impishly.
"Seriously,
this
is
a
place
of
business."
"You
won't
let
me
get
near
you
when
we
aren't
at
the
office,
you
leave
me
no
choice."
"Did
it
ever
occur
to
you
that
maybe
you're
not
interesting
to
me?"
"Nope,
that's
not
the
vibe
I'm
getting
off
of
you.
You're
pushing
me
away
so
hard
and
so
fast;
I
bet
you've
never
spent
two
minutes
contemplating
me
in
any
'interesting'
kind
of
way."
"Once
again,
I
find
you
so
infuriating..."
The
phone
interrupted
her
and
she
picked
it
up
on
the
third
ring.
"Yes,
of
course
I
remember."
She
shook
her
head
slowly
and
finally
said,
"I'll
be
up
there
as
soon
as
I
can.
Thank
you."
She
got
up
wordlessly
and
starting
gathering
her
things.
"What's
wrong?"
His
eyebrows
knit
in
concern
as
he
watched
her
hurried,
purposeful
movements.
She
headed
toward
the
door,
but
he
jumped
in
front
and
shut
it
just
as
soon
as
she
opened
it.
"Let
me
go,"
"Not
until
you
tell
me
what
that
phone
call
was
about."
"It's
nothing
I
can't
handle."
"I'm
not
questioning
your
capabilities,
but
you
don't
have
to
go
through
everything
alone.
I'm
not
the
only
infuriating
person
in
the
room."
"I
don't
have
time
for
your
shenanigans,
Alex.
Step
aside."
"Talk
to
me
first,"
he
said
in
a
steely
tone.
She
looked
at
him
and
understood
at
that
moment
that
he
was
much
more
than
she
had
bargained
for
and
much
more
than
she
could
handle
at
present.
Still,
the
time
had
come
to
start
trusting
someone,
and
he
was
standing
right
there,
in
her
face,
with
no
sign
of
stepping
away.
She
took
a
deep
breath
and
jumped
off
the
deep
end.
"That
was
Detective
Fitzsimmons.
There's
been
a
break
in
the
case.
Finally.
Some
piece
of
evidence
turned
up,
and
they
need
to
show
it
to
me."
He
nodded,
"Up
in
Nyack?"
"Yes."
He
glanced
out
the
window.
The
snow
that
had
held
off
all
day
was
starting
to
fall
in
heavy,
menacing
flakes.
"I
drove
my
Range
Rover
in
today
because
of
the
weather
reports.
I'm
parked
in
the
lot
across
the
street.
I
just
have
to
go
to
my
office
to
get
my
coat."
He
opened
the
door
purposefully
and
tried
to
usher
her
out.
"Wait
a
minute;
this
has
nothing
to
do
you.
Why
are
you
coming
along?"
she
protested.
"It
has
something
to
do
with
you,
and
therefore
it
has
something
to
do
with
me.
Get
used
to
it."
"Don't
you
have
a
meeting
at
Teterboro
with
Jeffrey
Katzenstein
this
afternoon?"
He
held
her
gaze
as
he
hit
a
number
in
his
contacts.
"Excellent,
we'll
do
it
Wednesday;
hopefully
the
storm
won't
be
too
bad."
He
pocketed
his
BlackBerry,
"Anymore
excuses?
I'm
nearly
out
of
patience.
Let's
go."
She
opened
her
mouth
in
protest
but
shut
it
back
up
again.
There
was
no
use
arguing
with
him
when
he
got
like
this,
and
besides,
she
didn't
even
have
a
car
with
her.
"Fine.
I'm
willing
to
let
you
come
along,
but
that
doesn't
mean
I'm
agreeing
to
anything.
With
you.
In
the
future."
She
looked
at
him
purposefully,
hoping
he
understood
what
she
was
trying
to
say.
****
"The
snow
is
really
coming
down,
I
think
we
should
get
off
the
parkway
and
find
somewhere
to
stay
for
the
night,"
Alex
said.
"You're
probably
right,
this
is
so
frustrating!
Finally
the
police
call
and
this
stupid
storm!"
She
looked
out
the
window
as
she
tried
to
make
out
where
they
were.
"Look,
we're
so
close;
it's
only
a
few
more
exits
to
the
precinct,"
Allison
said.