Creep - Jennifer Hillier [121]
Maddox shook her head. She’d declined Kellogg’s offer to drive her there earlier, preferring instead to wait until her apartment was cleared and she could go home.
“There’s a sofa in the break room if you want to lie down,” Jerry said. “But I can’t guarantee how clean it is. More than a few cops have slept there over the years and I’m pretty sure it smells.”
This got a small laugh out of her. “Thanks, I’ll pass.” Maddox looked at him closely. “Listen, this might sound weird, but . . . I’ve seen you before, right? You followed us.”
Jerry grimaced. “Yikes. Guess I wasn’t as sneaky as I thought.”
“No, you were pretty good. I wouldn’t have noticed you at all. It’s just that Ethan was always really paranoid about stuff like that.” She averted her eyes. “I guess now I know why.”
The young woman looked so sad that Jerry had to restrain himself from putting his arm around her. “Hey, how about some coffee? It tastes like shit, but it’s hot and fresh. Just made a pot.”
She peeked into his mug and wrinkled her nose. “Tempting, but do you know if there’s any tea?”
“There wasn’t anything in the break room?”
“I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to look. I don’t exactly work here.”
Jerry stretched his arms over his head and yawned. “I don’t either, but it didn’t stop me.”
“I saw a twenty-four-hour diner a couple blocks down.” Maddox leaned on the edge of the desk and Jerry got a whiff of her scent. She smelled fresh, almost tropical. It was rather inviting, even under the circumstances. “Think it’d be okay if I went and grabbed something there? I could use some food, too.”
Jerry gave her a sympathetic glance. “You’re not supposed to leave without a police escort. Did Torrance explain that to you? You’re a material witness now. They have to keep an eye on you, for your own protection.”
“Yeah, he told me.”
“You have a place to stay in case they don’t clear your apartment tonight?”
She blinked and her face sagged a little. He noticed her eyes were moist. “No.”
Jerry mentally kicked himself for upsetting her. “Don’t worry, we’ll get it figured out.”
“You used to be a cop, right?”
“Used to.”
“Can they charge people for being blind, deaf, and stupid?”
Jerry smiled and reached out to pat her knee, but snatched his hand away before he actually made contact. His hand on her leg would not be appropriate. Slightly embarrassed, he said, “It’s not a crime to believe in your boyfriend. I’m sorry it turned out this way.”
“Diana St. Clair and Professor Tao weren’t the only times Ethan cheated, you know. There were others. I just didn’t want to face it.” Maddox looked down. “There were women at the soup kitchen we volunteered at. He took a close interest in some of them. For his thesis, he said. But some of them . . . some of them never showed up again. I always wondered—” She bit her lip, struggling to control her emotions.
Jerry sat up, alarmed. “You didn’t tell Torrance this yet, did you?”
“They’re just suspicions.” Maddox finally crumpled. She put her face in her hands as a sob escaped her throat. “I loved him. I still love him.”
Nothing made Jerry feel worse than to watch a woman cry. Especially one as beautiful and as vulnerable as this one. “Easy now. It’s going to be all right, you’ll see.” He stood up and took her gently by the arm. “Come on, let’s see if we can’t rustle you up some type of drinkable beverage. And this is a cop shop, no way there’s not a doughnut or muffin somewhere. If we can’t find any tea, maybe we can put our heads together and figure out how to make a cup of coffee that doesn’t taste like sewage.”
The young woman lifted her tear-streaked face. She took a few breaths to calm herself until the sobs subsided. “You’re very sweet. Thank you.” She turned and headed for the break room. Jerry followed, trying not to stare at her ass, firm and ripe and perfect under the tight jeans she wore.
“It’s quiet here.” Maddox looked back over her shoulder, and Jerry averted his gaze immediately. “Is it normally like this?”
“Depends. A lot of the available officers are assisting in your boyfriend’s arrest.”
“Oh. Right.