Sacred Sins

vacation. Buy yourself a ticket to Martinique or Cancún. I want you out of this.”

    “I can't, Ben. Even if I could walk away from my patients for a few weeks, I can't walk away from the rest.”
    “Paris—Ben,” Harris amended in a quieter tone. “Dr. Court is aware of her options. As long as she's here, she'll be protected. It's Dr. Court's own opinion that he'll seek her out. Since she's decided to cooperate with the department, we'll be able to keep her under tight surveillance and cut him off when he makes his move.”
    “We get her out, and we plant a policewoman in her place.”
    “No.” This time Tess rose, slowly. “I'm not going to have someone die in my place again. Not again.”
    “And I'm not going to find you in some alley with a scarf around your neck.” He turned his back on her. “You're using her because the investigation's stalled, because we've got one jerky witness, a religious outlet in Boston, and a ream of psychiatric guesswork.”
    “I'm accepting Dr. Court's cooperation because we've got four dead women.” It was the burning in his own stomach that kept Harris from raising his voice. “And I need every one of my officers at top level. Pull yourself together, Ben, or you'll be the one out of it.”
    Tess gathered up her papers and quietly slipped out. Ed was less than ten seconds behind her. “Want some air?” he asked when he found her standing miserably in the hall.
    “Yes. Thanks.”
    He took her elbow in a way that would normally have made her smile. As he pushed open the door, the blast of November wind buffeted them. The sky was a hard, cold blue, without a cloud to soften it. Both of them remembered it had been August, hot steamy August, when it had begun. Ed waited while Tess buttoned her coat.
    “I think we might get some snow by Thanksgiving,” he said conversationally.

    “I suppose.” She dipped into her pocket and found her gloves, but only stood running them through her hands.
    “I always feel sorry for the turkeys.”
    “What?”
    “The turkeys,” Ed repeated. “You know, Thanksgiving. I don't guess they're very grateful to be a tradition.”
    “No.” She found she could smile after all. “No, I guess not.”
    “He's never been tangled up with a woman before. Not like this. Not like you.”
    Tess let out a long breath, wishing she could find the answer. She'd always been able to find the answer. “It just gets more complicated.”
    “I've known Ben a long time.” Ed pulled a peanut out of his pocket, cracked it, and offered the meat to Tess. When she shook her head, he popped it into his mouth. “He's pretty easy to read, if you know how to look. Right now he's scared. He's scared of you and he's scared for you.”
    Tess looked out over the parking lot. One of the cops wasn't going to be happy when he came out and found his right-front tire flat. “I don't know what to do. I can't run away from this, though part of me, deep down, is terrified.”
    “Of the phone calls or Ben?”
    “I'm beginning to think you should be in my business,” she murmured.
    “If you're a cop long enough, you learn a little bit of everything.”
    “I'm in love with him.” It came out slowly, like a test. Once it was said, she took a shaky breath. “That would be hard enough under normal circumstances, but now … I can't do what he wants.”

    “He knows that. That's why he's scared. He's a good cop. As long as he's looking out for you, you're going to be okay.”
    “I'm counting on it. He's got a problem with what I do for a living.” She turned to face him. “You know about that. You know why.”
    “Let's say I know enough to say he's got his reasons, and when he's ready, he'll let you know about them.”
    She studied his wide, wind-reddened face. “He's lucky to have you.”
    “I'm always telling him.”
    “Bend down a minute.” When he did, she brushed her lips over his cheek. “Thanks.”
    His color rose a little higher. “Don't mention it.”
    Ben watched them through the glass door a moment before he pushed it open. He'd used up most of his temper on Harris. All that was left was a dull ache in the center of his gut. He knew enough of fear to recognize it.
    “Moving in on my time?” he asked mildly.
    “If you're stupid enough to make room.” Ed smiled down at Tess and handed her some peanuts. “Take care of yourself.”
    Tess jiggled the nuts in her hand and said nothing as Ed disappeared inside.
    His jacket unzipped, Ben stood beside