Devil's Corner Read Online Free PDF

fell between them. She fought her customary urge to entertain him by filling in the conversational gap, but she didn't want to turn Morty's death into another war story. And she knew it was a bad habit, her jumping up and down for him. Always reaching for him, inside. Unrequited didn't begin to describe her feelings for him. Unrequited wasn't even the warm-up act.
    "I switched around the channels, to get the story." Dan drained his wineglass. "They had video from outside the house, and interviews. Strauss was on, too, before he went in."
    Vicki didn't comment. Dan liked Strauss. "Did you see him?"
    "The cheese? Yes. Bale was there, too, and he didn't fire me."
    "How could he? It wasn't your fault." Vicki couldn't say as much. She took a sip of wine, but it didn't help.
    "On TV, they showed your picture. The one from orientation. You looked great. One of the anchors said you were ‘attractive' and ‘a rising star.' "
    "Did they mention I was single?"
    "They must have forgotten," Dan said, slurring his words slightly, and Vicki eyed him, amused. "Hey, did you have dinner tonight?"
    "No. I shot hoops and we went out for a beer after. Why?"
    "Your mouth stopped working a few words ago." Vicki smiled. It was another running joke. "Face it, Malloy. You're a girl."
    "No! I had a few beers is all. Then I saw the TV, I didn't wait for the burger." Dan's freckled skin flushed pink. "I suck at being Irish."
    "It's the Jesuit in you."
    "No, it's all your fault, Vick."
    "Mine?"
    "I spend too much time with you."
    "Not possible," Vicki said, then caught herself. It was the wine talking and it had accidentally said something true. She felt like her slip was showing and she didn't even wear slips. Dan looked down for a moment, into his empty glass. Then he looked up, taking her in, but saying nothing. "What?" Vicki asked. "I went to the house tonight, but the FBI wouldn't let me in.
    That was one mother crime scene. They didn't honor my ID, the scene was so restricted." Dan had been there? "You were at my CI's house tonight? How'd you know where it was?"
    "The street name was on the TV, and you mentioned where you were going, remember? You tell me everything."
    Not everything, handsome.
    "I waited outside at the scene for a while. I figured they were taking your statement, so I came here. I knew you had to come home. I picked up the wine on the way. Anyway, I had a lot of time to think about, well, how it would be if you had been killed tonight. I mean, you could have been murdered."
    But Morty was. Morty was the cop.
    "It made me think about what my life would be like." Dan paused, his lips pursed and his gaze unfailingly blue and steady. "If you had, you know. It made me think about some things. Like how I feel about you."
    Huh? Vicki told herself to stay calm. Dan had never said anything about any feelings for her, and she had certainly never told him about her crush on him. Suddenly the moment was upon them, after a year of getting closer and closer.
    "So I wanted to tell you tonight, more than anything, how I feel. Because now I know that all that crap they talk about is true."
    Vicki said nothing, but her heartbeat stepped up. Dan had stopped slurring his words, he was concentrating so fiercely.
    "You know that crap they say? That you never know when life can be taken or what's going to happen? That everything you have can be gone in one minute, and it will be too late? That crap?"
    Vicki was pretty sure she was breathing but she wouldn't swear to it.
    "Well, it's true. You can't take anyone for granted. You have to tell people how you feel about them when they're alive, because tomorrow's not guaranteed to anyone." Dan leaned over and placed his hand on hers.
    Oh my God.
    "Well, what I realized is that I can't imagine my life if you weren't in it."
    Vicki officially stopped breathing.
    "You're my best friend in the world."
    Vicki's mouth went dry. She waited a minute. She wasn't sure what she'd heard, then she wasn't sure whether Dan