If You Know Her: A Novel of Romantic Suspense

her. But Nia kept that bit of information quiet.
    “You can see that she had on some pretty expensive jewelry. Some earrings worth two or three hundred, at least. A necklace that would have sold for three or four. A mess of rings. The only thing missing was the diamond bracelet.”
    “She wasn’t mugged, then.” Ezra nodded absently, still studying the report.
    “No.”
    Slowly, Ezra blew out a breath and laid the report facedown on the folder. Then he looked at her. “I can’t say I blame you, still following up on this—if she’d been my cousin, I don’t know that I could let it go, either. And I can also see why this is screaming at you. But it might not mean anything. There was good,
solid
evidence on Joe Carson.”
    Nia tilted her head, holding his gaze. “I’ve also been following things that have taken place around here. Law Reilly’s girlfriend was set up, made to look like she’d attacked him. Although that mouse couldn’t hurt a fly.”
    “Girlfriend … mouse …” Ezra shook his head. “You’re talking about Hope, I assume. She’s not his girlfriend, and Nia? That girl might be quiet, but she’s not a mouse.”
    Nia shot him a scowl. “Keep up, okay? Somebody leaves my cousin’s body on Reilly’s property. It’s pretty clear to me that somebody is … or at least
was
screwing with law enforcement, doing whatever they could tothrow people off the trail. Who is to say this isn’t just more of that?”
    Ezra stared at her. His green eyes were hard and flat.
    And although he didn’t say it, she saw something in his eyes.
    He had a good game face, but she could read people … and she knew what she saw in his eyes.
    He was worried, all right—worried about just that.

CHAPTER
FIVE
     
    E DGY AND RESTLESS , L AW LEFT L ENA AND R OZ IN THE café while he headed down to the post office. There was no real reason for him to go down there. Hope had already been out there this morning, but he couldn’t stay in the café, either. He needed to get out of the crush in there—seemed like half the damn town had shown up.
    Roz was chattering on about a couple of weddings she had coming up, Lena was talking new menus. If he had to hear any more inane chatter about roses, champagne brunches, and the like, he was going to go stark, raving mad.
    Or maybe he was already getting there.
    Normally, he could tune them out, talk with Carter, or just zone, focus on one of the books, something, anything besides the chatter—hell, there had been a time when just being with Lena had been enough for him.
    That had changed. Shit, everything had changed, and not just because she was married, and not just because he realized he wasn’t in love with her.
    He was edgy and he didn’t really know why.
    He was edgy and he couldn’t focus on writing, couldn’t focus on anything.
    He was edgy … restless, like something was nipping at his heels.
    As he passed by the sheriff’s department, he absently glanced toward it. Sometimes he still half-expected to see Nielson striding out of there—he didn’t know if he’d ever get used to not seeing that guy.
    As he went to look away, though, he found himself freezing.
    Doing a double take.
    Shit.
    It was
her
.
    Nia.
    Nia Hollister.
    Fuck …
    The air dwindled down out of his lungs. At the same time, he felt his heart start to race in his chest. Shit. Son of a bitch. What in the hell …
    That was when he noticed Ezra, walking along beside her.
    Ezra caught sight of him and then he glanced past him, toward the café. Something dark flashed through the other man’s eyes—something Law couldn’t quite define. Worry. Nerves.
    What the fuck … he didn’t care about Ezra. She was here. What was she doing here?
    As they came to a stop in front of Law, he stared at her, into those pale golden eyes.
    “Hey, Law.” Ezra gave him a tight smile. “You heading back to the café?”
    He shrugged. “In a bit. They’re still talking—some big wedding coming up.” He needed to quit watching her. She was busy looking anywhere
but
at him and he was going to look like more of an ass than he probably already did, but he couldn’t quit staring. “Hi, Nia.”
    She slanted a look at him. “Mr. Reilly.”
    “Law.” He tucked his hands into his pockets, glanced between her and Ezra. “What brings you back to Ash?”
    She shrugged, still not looking at him. Then finally, her shoulders rising and falling on a sigh, she met his eyes. “Personal business, Mr.