Lust and Lies 04 - Pretty Maids in a Row

wouldn't have been able to concentrate even if the game was as simple as War.
    Human kindness had her make a fresh pot of coffee for when David woke up. But leftover resentment stopped her from feeling sorry for him when she heard his pain-filled groan an hour later.
    Only when he sat up and took a swallow of the cold coffee without falling back down did she get him a bag of ice, a glass of orange juice to wash down the aspirins and a new cup of the hot caffeine. She knew better than to ask him anything until he was at least on his third cup.
    Right on schedule his eyes recaptured a spark of life. He stretched and blinked at her as if he had just noticed her sitting there.
    "I hope you realize, your recuperating time is going to get longer as you get older." Her voice sounded completely impersonal, just as she wanted to feel. "Agent Reese told me why you're here. I understand I have you to thank for clearing me of a murder charge."
    David shrugged. "No one really believed you did it. I just figured I could pitch in and move things along a bit faster."
    "Well, I appreciate your efforts. Thank you."
    "You're welcome," he replied with equal formality.
    "And now, would you please tell me why you risked your health, to say nothing of your life, to come and pass out on my sofa?"
    He smirked at her. "I wasn't risking anything. The doctor assured me I was fine to go as soon as the Feds gave the okay."
    "You did not have to get on a plane, though. You could have called."
    "No. I—" He glanced over at the agents who were politely pretending to be totally absorbed in their card game. He lowered his voice anyway. "It wouldn't have been the same as talking to you, face to face. It wasn't just the maintenance woman that I wanted to tell you about. I thought a lot about what you said... about us being even. You were wrong. When I realized you'd been using me, I was too angry to see the truth of what I'd done to you." He paused and rubbed his forehead. "I had this great speech all worked out on the plane and now I can't remember any of it."
    "I don't need any speeches, David. There's nothing left for either of us to say." She picked up his cup and glass and carried them to the kitchen sink.
    "I suppose you're right," he said to her back. "I really don't know what I thought I was going to accomplish by showing up here like some damn gift horse. Maybe it was just an elaborate way of punishing myself for being an ass."
    The intercom buzzed and both Diane and Reese hurried from the kitchen to answer it.
    As Holly rinsed the cup and glass, she sensed David coming up behind her. He lightly stroked her hair and her breath caught despite her intention to remain strong.
    "I never meant to hurt you," he whispered. "And I'm sorry if you really feel what I did to you was ugly, because, whether you believe me or not, you were the most beautiful thing that ever happened in my life."
    It would have been so easy to turn to him then. If he wrapped his arms around her, she would not have been able to resist. But he made no further move and her moment of weakness passed.
    "Excuse me," Diane said behind them. "Agent Quick is here to see you both."
    "Great," David said, reaching around Holly for the cup she had just washed. He poured himself the last of the coffee then waited for Holly to dry her hands and lead the way back to the living room.
    "So what have you got?" David asked even before they all sat down.
    Diane frowned at David then gave Quick a questioning look.
    Quick nodded his understanding and said, "I know. It goes against procedure to share information with a reporter, but we made an agreement. If he breaks it, I get to send him out on another assignment where the next bullet might do more damage than the last one."
    David grinned at Diane without offering any further explanation.
    Quick addressed Holly. "I was thinking if I told you what we'd discovered so far, something else might occur to you that you hadn't told us yet. Any little thing at all."
    "I'll certainly try to help," she assured him.
    "At the moment, it looks like Greenley's entire confession was a lie. She was probably half gone when she wrote the thing and may have actually forgotten what she had been doing at the time of the first two murders. At any rate, she, Renquist and Donner were all seen together at Greenley's favorite haunt when Ziegler was hit, and she and Renquist were there again when O'Day got it. Plus, Donner was definitely on the West Coast for that one. As to