The Burden of Desire. Natalie Charles

creeping up her spine. Ben believed the Krugers were hiding something. Maybe she wasn’t alone in this, after all.

      She tamped down the feeling. Facts were facts, and facts alone would vindicate her and save her job. Besides, this was Ben, the man who’d betrayed her a hundred ways. She couldn’t forget that.

      “How did she get to Vegas?” he asked.

      “Sorry?”

      “She was in Vegas, right? How did she get there?”

      He leaned closer, and Sally caught his scent. Soapy and clean, with a hint of vanilla. She felt hot under the intensity of his gaze. “Her car was found near a bus stop on the outskirts of town, about a mile and a half from the Kruger household. We assumed Mitch had dropped it off and walked home.”

      “But now we have to rethink that.” Ben’s forehead tensed. “She made it to Vegas, but she didn’t take her car.”

      “She could have traveled by bus,” Sally said. “Gotten off at the station and taken a series of buses to Vegas. The police asked around at the time of her disappearance, and flashed her picture. They never found anyone who recognized her, which we took as evidence that she’d never been on the bus, because she was dead.” Sally tapped her fingertips against the tabletop as she thought. “But now that we know she wasn’t dead, we can think about this differently. She didn’t have to take a bus somewhere just because her car was at a bus stop.”

      Ben nodded as he picked up her trail of thought. “The police assumed that Mitch had dropped off the car at the bus stop after killing his wife. But now that we know Mitch didn’t kill her, anything’s possible. Especially if they were in it together.”

      “Yes. He could have dropped her off at the airport. The police never had a reason to check airline records.” A nervous excitement sent Sally’s heart pounding. “I have to call the police detectives. Maybe they can follow up on that.”

      Ben’s jaw was set as he sat in quiet reflection. “Are we even sure she was really in Vegas? There could be layers of lies here.”

      That brought Sally back to reality with a thud. “Yes, she could be lying about Vegas. Heck, she may have even gotten a lift from a friend.” Sally puffed up her cheeks with a breath and released it, fluttering her lips. “Even if they’re lying, we don’t know why, and until we do, we’re living a public relations nightmare.” She tucked a stray tendril behind her ear. “Regardless of our suspicions, now that I know Ronnie’s alive, I need to formally drop the murder charges against her husband. Whatever happens after that...” Her voice trailed off. “All that work. It’s like starting from square one, trying to figure out what happened that night.”

      “It’s one step at a time, Sally. And remember, you’re not working alone.”

      Ben looked as if he was fighting something, the way he stared uneasily at his hands. Then he glanced up. He didn’t need to look at her like that. All intense, as if he were actually listening to what she said. The hair on her arms rose as she remembered how he used to look at her back at the beginning of law school. Back when they’d been friends.

      And then suddenly, briefly, so much more than friends.

      She wondered what had happened to him, to have gone from an associate at an international law firm in Manhattan to a prosecutor in a small district in Connecticut. Sure, Sally loved the town, but she’d grown up in this area. Her family was here. Ben was from...actually, she didn’t even remember.

      She cleared her throat and rose. “I’ve got to get that motion out. We can talk later.”

      * * *

      Ben nearly bounded up the stairs. After a dismal morning, he felt light with adrenaline. He couldn’t get Ronnie Kruger out of his mind—her facial expressions, the way her tears had dried up the second he’d put her on the defensive. She hovered like a bad premonition at the edge of his mind. This time when he entered his office, he overlooked its small size. This job had just got interesting, and his heart was pounding.

      What was Ronnie Kruger hiding? His mind hummed with possibilities. This could be a failed attempt at insurance fraud, or a publicity stunt. Maybe Ronnie had framed her husband for her own murder and then skipped town. This case could go a hundred different ways.

      Ben helped himself to several boxes of files and settled at his desk. He paused before opening the lid to the first box. These were Sally’s files, and whatever he found in here could put her job at risk. Ronnie Kruger may have pulled a hoax, but what if Sally had overlooked something obvious while compiling the case? He frowned. He was working a job, that’s all. It wasn’t his concern what Sally had or hadn’t done. He couldn’t blame himself if she lost her job.

      He thought of her strutting angrily down the hall in those heels, and smiled to himself. How she managed to stand, let alone walk in those things escaped him. She was just as sexy as he remembered, with that exaggerated sway of her hips. Sally was larger than life, and it was impossible not to notice her. Everyone in their law class had known Sally. They’d all spent the first few weeks of school wondering why Columbia had accepted a ditzy prom queen, and the next few years regretting ever underestimating her. She’d walk into moot court, all smiles and designer clothing, and then proceed to wipe the floor with her opponent. He knew firsthand that underestimating Sally was dangerous business.

      He studied the box again. He couldn’t assume that she’d made a mistake. Sally might come off as a lightweight, but when it came to something she cared about, she was all business. The girl was dumb like a fox.

      There was a knock on the door, and Ben looked up to see Jack enter. “How’d it go with Veronica Kruger? I went to ask Sally, but she’s in court.”

      Ben shrugged. “Looks like she’s alive, all right. Alive, and spinning some lies about what happened that night she went missing.”

      “What’s her story?”

      “A fight with her husband left her with amnesia that conveniently cleared up right before his trial.” Ben tossed the lid to the first box aside. “Sally’s off dropping the charges against Mitch Kruger as we speak, and I’m going to start digging through these documents to get some background.” He shook his head. “It’s a shame we can’t keep him a little longer. I can’t help but feel he’s getting away with something.”

      “You’ll want to talk to the detective on the case and the folks at the crime lab,” Jack said. “We need them to take a fresh look at the evidence.”

      “Yes, sir.”

      Jack placed his hands on his hips and took a breath. “I don’t need to tell you that there’s blood in the water,” he said. “The media are circling. I need to know what the hell happened. I need to throw them something.”

      Ben nodded. “Yes, sir.” He needed to get Sally officially assigned to the case. That was part of their arrangement, and this was the perfect opening. “You know, I was thinking it might be helpful if Sally helped me conduct this review.”

      Jack shook his head. “I went over this with Sally earlier, Ben. I want an independent review. A fresh set of eyes.”

      “Oh, I understand that, sir. It’s important that you feel you’re getting an honest analysis of the case.” Ben shrugged. “I just thought that if time is of the essence, and it seems that it is, then it’s going to take me a while to get up to speed with this case. But if Sally were to assist me, show me where to look and who to talk to, I might be able to get somewhere, quickly.”

      Jack folded his arms across his chest as he considered this, his brow creased in thought. “So you think Sally should help in the investigation?”

      “It’s clear to me that no one in this office knows or cares more about this case than she does,” he said. “I think she could speed up the investigation significantly.”

      Jack let out a breath. “But your report would be independent, correct? That’s a sticking point with me. I need an unbiased review