InSight

knew. He has no idea who.”
    Abby’s usually calm voice raised a notch. “How could he not know? Someone had to pay him.”
    “He got a call from a robotic voice saying he’d find instructions and money in a certain mailbox display in Home Depot. Pretty clever. No one opens those things. I’m sure the caller watched his every move and made sure no one messed up the arrangement. Your shadow followed instructions.”
    “I don’t get it. How did he connect in the first place?”
    “The guy placed an odd job ad in one of those freebie magazines. The voice called him. He knew it sounded fishy but needed the money. Two hundred bucks.”
    Abby rubbed the back of her neck. “I’m not worth very much for someone to go through all this trouble, am I? If I weren’t so scared, I’d be insulted.”
    “No fingerprints on the mailbox except for your shadow’s, and he threw away the envelope the money came in. I doubt there’d be any prints on it anyway. I’m sorry, Abby. There’s no way I can trace the person who hired him. If I had the manpower, I’d have a cop on you twenty-four/seven, but without more of a threat to you, that’s not possible.”
    “What needs to happen, an assault?” Pete didn’t say anything, and Abby concluded that’s exactly what needed to happen.
    “I want you to call me when anything suspicious happens. I’ll be there in a matter of minutes.”
    “Even when Luke is with me?”
    “Yes, even when you’re with Luke. He’s deaf and that cost him his edge. He’d never forgive himself if anything happened to you because of him. I’m sorry, but that’s the fact.”
    Pete’s response surprised her. “Does he know you feel that way?”
    “Not in so many words, but he knows. It’s been a hard year for him. He’d be pissed if I thought he needed a babysitter. Luke was a great cop. No one had more guts in dangerous situations. But all that’s changed. I’ve no doubt he could take down a perp face to face, but there’s not a man on the squad who feels comfortable partnering with him—not only for fear of their backs, but for worrying about his. He’d be a major distraction, and a cop can’t have that on the streets.
    “The crime scene transfer is a great idea. He’s smart as hell and always noticed things the rest of us missed. It’s exactly what he needed. He’s concerned for your safety more than anyone, and whether or not he admits it, he knows his limitations.”
    Abby didn’t like that the danger of her situation made Luke more conscious of his disability. Of course he knew, but knowing the facts and facing them were two different things.
    After Pete left, Abby tried to get her head together for her next patient, but the robotic voice delivering its last message echoed in her mind: Next time it will be you.

Chapter Eleven
    Growing Up Hard

    A bby listened to Luke’s email. He heard what happened and wrote he’d be over with dinner after work. The minute he walked in, the aroma of food from Abby’s favorite Thai restaurant filled the room, inciting her acute sensory neurons.
    “ Mmm , massaman curry and something with shrimp.”
    “You’re sure?”
    She took another sniff. “Positive.”
    “I don’t see how you do it.”
    “You do the same thing, only differently. I bet your concentration and peripheral vision have improved, and you’re more aware of vibrations. It’s how we level the playing field.”
    He kissed her. “I love the way you explain things, Doctor.” He set out the dishes. “Are you okay? This morning, I mean.”
    “I don’t understand this guy. It’s like he’s playing a game of some kind. There’s no reason for any of it except to scare me.”
    “I don’t know what else to do other than glue myself to you.”
    “Forget it. That isn’t going to happen. You have a job and so do I. Now that we have that settled, what’s going on at work? Any news?”
    “I met with the captain this afternoon. He’s transferring me to the crime scene unit. Of course, my hours will be more erratic, but that’s okay. I’ll be doing something I like.”
    “Luke, that’s terrific.”
    “I have feelers out for the lip-reading too. That’s more specialized, I know, but once my name is out there, I might be in demand. Thanks. You and Mack put me on track, in spite of myself.”
    “Don’t thank me. You’re the one who’s making it work.”
    “Can’t you ever take a compliment?”
    Abby laughed. “Okay, you’re welcome. Now, the food’s