If You Know Her: A Novel of Romantic Suspense

worked with me. But I don’t have any crazed fans stalking me, nothing like that.”
    Another slow nod. But she had the feeling he didn’t like what she’d told him.
    Nia wasn’t all that delighted with it, either, because she knew what it meant. The only logical answer—somebody knew she was asking questions. And there was only
one
person who knew for sure that she had every reason to ask those questions.
    Joely’s killer.
    Fear punched through her, but she didn’t let it control her, didn’t let it take her over. She wouldn’t. Setting her jaw, she held Ezra’s gaze, saw the knowledge in his eyes.
    She opened her mouth, but he gave a tiny shake of his head. For just a moment, he shifted his gaze over her shoulder, all without moving his head.
    Nia snapped her jaw shut, not certain just
what
he was trying to say. But right now, she was freaked enoughthat she’d listen. Listen to somebody who seemed to believe her.
    So she waited.
    Waited while the deputies did their thing, while they came up and muttered in their cop-speak to the sheriff, waited, and waited, and waited—gritty-eyed and chugging coffee like there was no tomorrow. She’d just put the second pot on when the last of the deputies disappeared out the door.
    Turning around, she saw Ezra standing by the door.
    “I’m leaving two of my deputies here,” he said flatly. “And if so much as a jackrabbit pokes an ear out of place, I’m to be called.”
    “I didn’t see a rabbit, King,” she snapped.
    “That’s what I’m worried about.” He rubbed a hand over his face, looking tired and pissed off. “How many people know
why
you’re here, Nia?”
    She shrugged, staring down into her coffee cup. “Beats the hell out of me.”
    “How many?” he demanded, an edge to his voice.
    “Shit, how in the hell am I supposed to know? It’s not like I went and took out an ad, damn it. I told you. That’s it.”
    “Me. Just me. You didn’t tell Law?”
    “Hell.” Scowling, she rubbed her eyes. “Yeah. I told Law. But I’m pretty damn sure he wasn’t lurking outside my door.”
    “I’m pretty sure he wasn’t either. I’m just covering the bases. So Law knows. Who else?”
    “Nobody.”
    He lifted a brow.
    “Damn it, I haven’t exactly been making friends, you know. Yeah, Law knows, but other than that, I didn’t
tell
anybody.”
    “Think anybody has guessed? Anybody asking a lot of questions? Like the librarians while you were diggingthrough the archives, anybody at the courthouse? Anybody, Nia. I need to know just
who
could know you’re here because you don’t think your cousin’s killer is dead.”
    She gave him a sharp-edged smile. “Well, if you put it like that—three people, for sure. Yeah, I did tell Law. But it wasn’t him. So besides Law. You … and her killer. I’m pretty damn sure
he
knows why I’m here.”
    Ezra closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fuck.” Then he opened them and pointed a finger at her. “Stop. Whatever you’re doing … 
stop
. Maybe even go
home
. I’m doing what I can, but damn it, I don’t want another dead woman on my hands.”
    “And I don’t want my cousin’s killer going unpunished!” she shouted, the words ripping out of her. Spinning around, she slammed the coffee cup down. She braced her hands on the counter and swore as the fear of the night hit her hard and fast. “Wait … what, you’re doing what you can?”
    Ezra sighed and rubbed his eyes. “Yes. Quietly. Which is the way it
has
to be, Nia. Whoever in the hell is behind this
knows
this town, knows the people. I can’t run the risk of him catching on to what I’m doing, so quiet is how I have to handle this. And it would be a hell of a lot easier for me if you would just
go
home—where you’ll be safe.”
    She snorted and shook her head. “Damn it, you think I
wanted
something freaky like this happening? But I can’t just leave, Ezra. I can’t.”
    “What if you’re right, Nia?” he asked quietly. “What if you’re right … say the guy who killed her set everything up, is walking around this town, scot-free, and he sees you. He
knows
why you’re here, what you’re up to. Now he’s got a new focus. You want to be that focus, lady? You got any idea what he did to your cousin? He didn’t just
kill
her.”
    “I know what he did to her.” She swallowed the bile, set her jaw against the grief and fury. Then she turned around. On legs that trembled, she made her way to her bag