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evening. Is there a problem with
either of you about this?” LD looked from one man to the other.
    “Not a problem for me.” Matt gave Eris his famous playboy
smile.
    Rob sat there silently, wondering if he should take the
night shift because the last thing their fledgling company needed was a
reputation for seducing the clientele.
    “Is there a problem, Rob?”
    Rob pulled his gaze away from the couple whose heads were
back together, busily holding a private conversation. He reminded himself again
that Matt was a good employee and never once gave them reason to think
otherwise. “No problem. It sounds like a workable plan.”
    “Yes, that will be acceptable.” Eris directed her words to
LD.
    Rob arched an eyebrow at the woman and wondered if she ever
kept her opinions to herself.
    Tarrington slipped a folder across the table toward Eris.
“We need to get going, but we have something for you to look at, Ms. DuBose.”
    Eris opened the file and began reading the information. Her
brows furrowed and she started worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.
    “Is this another victim of the serial killer?” Rob asked as
he watched her reactions to the information in front of her.
    “We don’t know, but she does fit the killer’s general
preference. There was a missing persons report filed on her two days ago,”
Tarrington continued.
    “You want me to find her?”
    “We want you to do your magic and let us know what you
find,” Olson replied as he stood.
    Eris frowned at Olson but, to Rob’s surprise, picked up the
file and walked out of the conference room without saying a word. Rob watched
her go then stood and turned to Olson. “Does she always do this?”
    The detective laughed. “All the time. The two of you should
have loads of fun working together.”
    Rob moved quickly to catch up with the irritating woman but
figured with the wild hair he wouldn’t easily lose sight of her. The elevator
doors were closing as he entered the corridor, so he hit the stairs and
descended the three flights in record time. He entered the lobby expecting to
have to chase the woman down. Instead she stood by the windows, gazing out.
    She turned as he approached. “Sorry I left so abruptly, but
I had to get out of there. Detective Olson has a tendency to get on my nerves.”
    “Really? I hadn’t noticed.”
    She gave a small laugh as she pulled his jacket off and
handed it back to him. “Thank you for the use of the coat—and you don’t lie
well at all, Mr. Jackson.”
    He took the coat. “You’re welcome, and please call me Rob.”
    “Only if you call me Eris.”
    “That’ll work.”
    She smiled. “Good, now let’s get to work.”
    He slipped the jacket back on as Eris walked toward the
entrance. The woman irritated and enticed him at the same time. He checked his
watch. It was eleven thirty, exactly seven and a half hours to go until his
shift was over.
    He could do this.
    The scent of warm vanilla and cinnamon drifted from his
jacket…her scent. Between trying to figure out the mess LD had gotten them into
and following this strange yet fascinating woman around, he was about to face
the longest seven and a half hours of his life.
    * * * * *
    Eris stood in Debra Thorn’s apartment and looked around the
room. It was shabby and small and carried an air of desperation. Debra
obviously lived hand-to-mouth and at some point, that small thread would break
and she’d no longer be living here but would become another street person.
    “I need something that belongs to Debra,” Eris told Sky,
Debra’s gum-snapping roommate, who currently stood eyeing Rob.
    “Whatever. I don’t see what the big deal is. She’s only been
gone a few days. Her parents are way overly protective. Debra is eighteen.
There’s nothing they can do about her living here.” The girl picked up a shirt
and tossed it to her.
    Eris caught and held it for a few seconds then placed it on
the dining-room table. “Someone else has worn this. I need