Final Stand. Helen R. Myers

was Frank’s weakness—keeping his hands to himself, discretion, respect, especially when it came to women. Even knowing that his past behavior had cost him the one person he claimed to love, as well as his boyhood friendship with Gray. The man hadn’t learned a damn thing after all these years.

      “Stick it up your ass.” Scrambling to his feet, Frank settled on the edge of his desk. “What are you doing here, anyway?”

      As far as Gray was concerned, what he had come to say was no longer Frank’s business. If guilty of something, Anna Diaz could take it up with someone who deserved to wear a badge.

      “It’s late and I have to get up early,” he replied. “I wanted to settle Ms. Diaz’s account and call it a day. Instead I find this. Do you realize how deep a shithole you’ve dug for yourself this time?”

      “I was interviewing her. She went out of control. You heard her pushing it earlier.”

      “You were provoking me.” Anna clenched her hands at her sides. “There’s nothing else to say. At least not what you want to hear.”

      Some of his bravado was returning and Frank smiled smugly. “The night’s young and the doc here turns in early. Want to keep trying?”

      Gray got the gist of what was going on. “You asked for a witness statement. Did you get it?”

      “I think she’s lying.”

      “You asked for a statement.”

      “And I’m telling you that she may be our arsonist.”

      “Based on what evidence?”

      “She’s too anxious to get away from here.”

      Gray could only stare at him. “Do you know the person you’ve just described? Anyone with an IQ over Pike’s brother’s after spending more than ten minutes in your presence. Anyway, guilty or not, you’ve denied her her rights.”

      As the old animosity between them heated to its new combustion point, a feathery twitch started at Frank’s right eyelid. “So now you’re an expert in law enforcement as well as horse manure, Doc?”

      Undaunted, Gray snapped, “You don’t have squat in evidence, including probable cause. I’ll bet my license on it.”

      “A lot that’s worth these days. As for evidence, I’ll get what I need.”

      “No doubt. But whether the end result is your plan for outright rape or simple intimidation, unless she’s willing to let you screw her just to get out of here, I’m telling you it isn’t going to happen.”

      Frank began to rise, only to check himself. Settling back on the desk, he crossed his arms and resumed that all-too-familiar smile. “My hunch was right. She’s got your juices stirred, too.”

      Gray had heard enough. He motioned to Anna. “Let’s go.”

      With more eagerness than a pup heading for the exit at his clinic, she started for the door. The next thing Gray heard was the release of the snap on Frank’s holster, followed by him sliding a round into the chamber of his sidearm.

      He and Anna came to an immediate halt.

      Gray looked over his shoulder. “Are you nuts?”

      Frank’s gaze shifted to the gun as though belatedly realizing what he’d done. Redirecting it toward the ceiling, he said to Anna, “You don’t leave town.”

      “I’ve done nothing wrong.”

      “Then you don’t need to worry, do you?”

      “Take my statement, let me sign it and let me go.”

      He tilted his head as though seriously considering the idea. “I think I’ll wait until morning. Give you time to reconsider your attitude.”

      Gray pointed at him, intent on drawing his attention. “The next time she comes here, it’ll be with an attorney. Are you prepared for that?”

      “Paid for by who?” Frank taunted. “You gonna do it, Saint Gray? The way you’re running down your business, it’s a good thing you collected on all of those insurance policies.”

      A red veil of fury dropped over Gray’s vision and he took a step forward. Luckily for him, Anna checked him by gripping his arm.

      “I’ll be paying my own way,” she told Elias. “With pleasure.” And this time she didn’t wait for Gray to beckon her, she stormed out of the building.

      Fighting his own temper, he didn’t catch up with her for several yards. When he did, she didn’t so much as spare him a glance as she headed for her van.

      “You could say thank you,” he said, no less angry than she was.

      “If it wasn’t for you giving me a hard time about that damn dog, I wouldn’t be in this mess. You could have taken her and let me go. But no, you had to cop an attitude yourself, and now look at what you’ve done. As far as I’m concerned, you’re no better than he is.”

      As that triggered a spasm of guilt, Gray found himself mesmerized by her profile. In the obscure and changing light, passion blazed in eyes as exotic as an Egyptian cat’s, her lush hair lifted off her shoulders like a night raven in a graceful glide. The romantic analogies were ludicrous to someone who’d lost interest in women, in everything he’d ever cared about. But like it or not, there was no denying this woman was something else. He needed grounding fast. He needed to know, was he setting himself up to make the mistake of mistakes?

      “Did you set the fire?” he asked.

      “Sure. Then I hunted down the dog, half gutted it and came back to Shangri-la here so I could endure Dumb and Dumber.”

      Gray grabbed her arm and swung her around to face him. “Knock it off. I’m too tired for your games, and God knows I’m so fed up with things in general that I’m already wondering why I should care what happens to you.”

      “Then why did you come over?” she replied, giving as good as she got. “Because if it’s for some of what he wanted, you aren’t going to have any more luck than he did. I don’t put out. Not on demand. Not as an I.O.U. Got it?”

      “I wasn’t asking.”

      “Let me guess—” she shrugged off his hold “—you’re another one who expects the woman to offer out of gratitude.”

      An odd bitterness filled Gray’s mouth, the ashes of old pain. “I lost my wife. I was not asking.”

      She grew quiet and slowly, reluctantly, searched his face. “So that’s what’s wrong with you.”

      Once again, he appreciated her candor. He also was relieved that she didn’t mouth any meaningless condolences, and accepted his explanation without more questions.

      “All right, so tell me what I owe you,” she said instead. “And I’ll leave you in peace.”

      Gray sighed because he wanted her to go. It was the strangest feeling, but he almost ached with the need. However, he also knew Elias.

      “You can’t.”

      “Pardon?”

      “In the morning, I’ll call someone, a friend. He’s a lawyer and he’ll know what can be done.”

      She purged the air in her lungs in a way that could have been a laugh, if he hadn’t seen her expression.

      “I don’t believe this. Why did you bother coming over there if not to help me get away from him?”

      “Think about it. I suspect you’ll figure it out.”

      Although her gaze searched his face, her expression remained closed.

      “Talk to me,” Gray urged. “Or would you prefer dealing with Frank all by your lonesome?”

      Her lips compressed, she shook