If Books Could Kill

I hung up the phone and stared hard at Gabriel. Despite my mistrust, I knew I was perfectly safe with him. But that wasn’t the point.

“What are you really doing here?”

“I’m here on business,” he said, pushing the windows open and climbing out to the fire escape. He fiddled with the window locks, and it looked as if he were testing them for some reason. Then he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and began to wipe down the locks and the window frame.

“Wait!” I said. “There might be fingerprints.”

“Right,” he said. “Mine.” His generous mouth twisted into a frown as he wiped down the surface of the unbroken glass. “I don’t need any trouble with the Edinburgh constabulary.”

“But you didn’t do anything,” I insisted. “I’ll tell them you came in to help me.”

“I appreciate that, babe.” His smile was so sweet, his dimples so delectable that I had a hard time remembering he was basically a thief. “Do you have another room you can stay in tonight?”

“Yeah,” I said, thinking of Robin. I dropped into the desk chair and rubbed my face. I should’ve been more freaked out, but the truth was, I was just too tired to manage it. I knew without a doubt that it was the killer who had run through my room before Gabriel showed up.

“What happened?” I asked. “How did you come after this guy?”

“Just lucky,” he said with a shrug. “I was crossing the parking lot and happened to look up and see him outside your room. I threw some rocks at him, then finally started up the fire escape after him. That’s when he broke your window and escaped through here.”

“Wow, lucky is right.”

“Damn straight.”

“Did you recognize him? Could you describe him for the police?”

“I couldn’t see him that well,” he explained as he crossed the room to wipe the door handle clean. “I basically saw a figure by your window and went after him.”

I sat back in the chair. “Well, that sucks.”

Gabriel moved to the desk and wiped it down. “I’d say he was probably my height, about six feet, maybe six-one. But that’s about it. Sorry.”

My shoulders slumped. I wouldn’t be able to describe the guy either, except to say that he was definitely male. So much for my powers of observation.

“I’m just glad you were here,” I murmured, shaking my head in amazement. “I still can’t believe you were walking by and saw that guy.” What would’ve happened if Gabriel hadn’t been here? Would I be dead by now? I couldn’t dwell on that. It was meant to be that Gabriel had been in that parking lot at precisely the right moment.

I thought about that for a moment, then asked, “So let me get this straight: You were out in the parking lot?”

“Yeah,” he said, his lips curved in a smile. “Some luck, huh? I was just leaving for the airport.”

“At three in the morning.”

He gri

I studied him. “And how did you know the guy was outside my room?”

He smiled wickedly. “I get paid to know these things.”

My heart thudded in my chest. He really was gorgeous.

And I really was a sap. “Oh, damn it.” I jumped up and ran to the bed. “My book.”

“What book?” Gabriel asked as he folded up the handkerchief and stuck it back in his pocket.

“The Robert Burns. Crap, crap, crap.” It wasn’t anywhere on the bed where I’d fallen asleep reading it. I pulled the bedspread completely off the bed and shook it. Nothing. I knelt down and searched the floor. Nothing.

“Let me help you,” he said, and knelt down next to me. “What does it look like?”

“It’s red. It’s… it’s…” He was so close, I could smell him. Clean, citrusy. Sexy. Whew.

Disgusted with myself, I concentrated on looking for the book, ru

The book was gone.

But how? The intruder was in my room for maybe five seconds, and that was at a dead run.

“It’s not here,” I said finally, accepting the inevitable. “I’m so screwed.”

“Sorry, babe.”

I stood up and looked him in the eyes. “How could he have stolen it? I saw him race right through the room. He never stopped.”

“Beats me, babe.”

I stared at him as a police siren shrieked in the still night.

“The cops should be here soon,” he said. “Maybe they can help you find it. I’ve got to get going.”

“Probably a good idea,” I said, blocking his way as I held out my hand. “But first, give me the book.”

He smiled in sympathy. “Ah, now, see? You’re all distraught.”

“Give me the book, Gabriel.”

“Honey, I would love nothing better.” He pointed toward the open window, where the sound of the police siren grew more shrill. “But that’s my cue to get moving.”

“Gabriel, I know you have it,” I said, slowly moving closer to him. “I don’t know how you did it, but I know you’ve got it.”

“Calm down, babe,” he said, holding up both hands.

“Give it to me and I won’t sic the cops on you.”

He checked his wristwatch. “Look at the time. I should be going.”

“Did you sneak in here earlier and take it?” I asked. “Then maybe a while later, as you were about to drive away, you happened to see the other guy up here?”

His eyes narrowed and he took a step back. “Yeah, and I saved your life.”

“I appreciate that,” I said through clenched teeth. “I feel truly blessed that you came along when you did, but I don’t think it was a coincidence, now, was it?”

I was so angry, I pushed him.

He chuckled as he grabbed my wrists. “Babe, you’re getting kind of violent, and I’m a peaceful man.”

“See, I’m usually totally peaceful, too,” I said, managing to push him again despite his hold on me. His chest was like a steel wall. “But you’re making me so mad, I can’t seem to help myself.”

The blaring sirens came closer.

I held out my hand. “I want it now, damn it.”

Gabriel sighed, unzipped his bomber jacket, pulled out the book and tossed it on the bed.

My eyes were wide as I stared at the book, then back at him. “Oh, my God, you really had it.”

I punched him in the stomach.

“Ouch,” he said.

“Oh, give me a break. You barely felt that.”

“I felt it.” Without any warning, he grabbed my elbows, tugged me close and kissed me. I was so shocked I let him. He angled his head and deepened the kiss. And I let him. He was really good at it. His lips were warm and soft, and when he finally lifted his head and stepped back, I almost sank to the floor.

But I didn’t.

“Gotta go,” he said, zipping up his jacket.

“Thanks for the book,” I said, gazing right back at him.

“I’ll see you soon, Brooklyn.”

“In your dreams.”

He laughed. “You got that right, babe.” He winked at me, walked over to the window and was gone.

The police jammed into my room minutes later, but after all was said and done, they were no closer to finding the killer than they were before. All I could tell them about the man who ran through my room was that he was male. It could’ve been anyone.

With a broken window and fingerprint dust on every surface of my room, I packed a few things and went to spend the rest of the night in Robin’s room.

I woke up four hours later feeling prickly again. I couldn’t sleep another minute. Someone besides Gabriel had gotten into my room last night, and it was just a guess, but I was pretty sure their motive had been to either kill me or steal another weapon. Either way, that someone wanted me dead or rotting in jail, which was unsettlingly close to the same thing.

But who? And why?

I glanced at the other side of the king-size bed. Robin was still snoring softly. I got up and went to wash my face, brush my teeth and dress for the day. Staring at the mirror, I told myself it was time to shape up, regroup, make a new list of suspects and try to save my own damn life. Starting now.