Hunting (10 page)

“
Oh, my God. Are you
insane?” Mia followed along, but Jules wondered if she understood
that Jules was for real.

“
Sometimes I’ve asked
myself that same question—in that same tone.”

What was she doing? She
continued to ask herself that as she and Mia took the stairs to the
fourth floor, where Evan Stephenson was a part of the CCU number
three team. What a joke—his team leader was the husband of one of
his father’s victims. Bet he had a blast with that
knowledge.

That thought gave her
pause. And for the first time she had to wonder how Evan felt about
the whole thing. She did a quick count in her head of Roger
Stephenson’s victims that worked in the CCU division of PAVAD
alone—her, Mia, Carrie Sparks Lorcan, Georgia, Josh Compton. She
thought of all the people who were even close to Roger Stephenson’s
victims—most of the people in the CCU. Evan Stephenson came into
the game with a serious disadvantage. And Jules knew his
reassignment to PAVAD was not something he or Ed had wanted. Ed had
reassured her of that himself. How was Evan handling
that?

Did he feel just as crappy
about it as she did?

“
Jules…Dr. Bellows, are you
sure we should do this?”

“
I don’t think we have a
choice. At least…I don’t. I need to talk to him. Find out if he’s
anything like his father. Then maybe when I see him I won’t
immediately have a day-mare about what his father did. Dammit.
Maybe it is time I learned to deal.”

Mia was still protesting
when Jules dragged her into the bullpen area shared by Lorcan’s
team. Paige was in there, and Alessandra, as well as the other
three members. Paige and Al looked up when Jules stopped at Evan
Stephenson’s desk.

Al stepped over to their
side, and Paige put down the phone. It was Paige who spoke. “Jules?
What’s up?”

She hadn’t thought this
out; she hadn’t even considered the other members of his team. She
took a stabilizing breath. “Nothing. We just need to speak
with…Evan…for a moment.”

Al’s brows rose in an
expression eerily similar to her oldest brother’s.
“Really?”

“
Yes. Really. Evan? Care to
join us?” For the first time since his transfer to PAVAD three
months earlier, Jules met his gaze—eye-to-eye.

His eyes were nothing like
his father’s. They weren’t even the same color.

And that totally threw her
off.

He stared at her for the
longest moment. Jules forgot everyone around them. What was she
even going to say? He stood, not quite as tall as his father.
Leaner. With eyes of startling green. “Of course. Lead the
way.”

Mia was quiet, subdued, and
Jules cursed herself for exposing the younger woman to this. Why
hadn’t she thought this through? She kept going, though, and
marched herself into the nearest open office.

Malachi’s.

It always came back to
Malachi. Damn the Fates.

Thankfully Dr. Perfect
wasn’t in there. Mia and Evan followed her in, and Jules closed the
door, careful to keep it from slamming. She turned to the younger
two. “Well. Now what?”

“
I don’t know, you brought
me in here.”

She appreciated his levity.
“Yes, yes I did. How long have you worked in St. Louis?”

“
Five months, four days,
give or take a few.” He looked at Mia, then Jules again. She could
see the tension in his shoulders, but he kept his cool. She
respected that.

“
Yet we’ve never spoken.”
Because she’d avoided that at all costs. Was running away from
problems what she was going to teach Ruthie when the time
came?

A big fat no to
that.

“
No. We
haven’t.”

“
Why?” What was his take on
how they’d not related in those five months, four days, and
whatever?

“
I don’t believe it’s ever
been necessary, Dr. Bellows.”

“
Well, now I think it
is.”

“
And why is that?” His arms
crossed over his chest and he stared directly at her.

“
Because…” Great, why
hadn’t she thought this through? “Because we can’t keep going down
the halls or through the bullpens and not acknowledge each other. I
can’t work that way, and I don’t think any of us think it’s
healthy. Crap happened. Your Dad was involved. I could have died,
Mia almost did die, Carrie could have died, and Georgia could have
died. Hell, even your dad could have died. It sucked, for all of
us.” And it even sucked for Roger Stephenson, who’d lost his grasp
of reality after he’d killed his lover in friendly fire. “But it
shouldn’t have an impact on us now. It can’t. Not if we’re to do
these jobs effectively. So…here we are. What are we going to do
now?”

Mal started to push his
office door open, but stopped when he saw the people sitting in his
chairs. What was going on?

Should he knock? It was his
own office, why would he knock? He started to go in anyway, ready
to confront Julia about what she was up to now and what had
happened between them a few minutes earlier. Or he could run
interference between her and Evan. A barrier, of sorts.

A hand on his elbow stopped
him.

“
Don’t,” Al
said.

“
Is she ok in
there?”

“
I think so. This is her
idea. I don’t know what set her off, but, this is a good thing for
her. I’m not so sure it will be good for Evan.”

“
I think he can handle
himself.” But could Julia handle it? This wasn’t exactly what Mal
had had in mind when he’d challenged her. He hadn’t expected her to
confront Evan right away. If at all.

Georgia came up behind
Malachi and put her hand on his other arm. “Leave her alone. This
is good for her. Jules has been hiding from any and all problem for
the last three years. She needs to confront Evan, I think. Jules
used to face things head on. She needs to again before she can
truly heal.”

In his head he knew Georgia
was right; but a part of him wanted to smooth the path for the
damned woman.

What did that say about
him?

It wasn’t as if he had any
deeper feelings for the woman. He took a moment to delve into the
feelings he did possess for her.

Guilt that the damned
chessmaster UNSUB had targeted her because of her association with
him. That one was predominant.

Concern that she was still
not fully emotionally ready for the job she was doing. That was one
of his issues with her, for certain.

Appreciation for her sense
of humor and the way she nettled him. How many other women on the
planet knew how to push his buttons the way that little shrew did?
Not many.

Lust.

Lust. Yeah, that was one
definitely there. And had been since the North St. Louis basement.
Was that the first moment he’d become aware of Dr. Julia Bellows as
a woman. A sexy, beautiful woman instead of a just a member of the
PAVAD team? Or had it been when he’d watched those videos with
Georgia? Or had it been when he held her during that dance in the
middle of his dining room?

Definitely; lust was one of
the emotions he held for Julia Bellows.

Question was, how strong
was that lust, and what was he going to do about it?

He didn’t know, but he had
several days to think about it. To plan and strategize. Perhaps the
distance he’d put between them while in South Dakota would help him
get his thoughts in order. It certainly couldn’t hurt.

Malachi watched his
companion as she settled into the seat just moments after he’d
boarded, feeling both pleased and disgruntled to see just who that
companion was.

He’d known someone from
PAVAD was accompanying him to South Dakota to testify, but he
hadn’t known it was going to be Julia. He couldn’t help but smile
at her perturbed expression as she climbed over his long legs to
the window seat. He loved rattling her cage, seeing her eyes spark
at him. She wasn’t anymore thrilled to be next to him, than he was
her.

He’d really wanted the time
to think about…her.

His disgruntlement faded as
hers became more pronounced when she couldn’t get her seat adjusted
the way she wanted it. Julia was grumpy, and that was…sexy…in a
strange sort of way. “Good morning, Julia.”

“
Yeah. You could call it
morning. I call it the middle of the night.”

“
Not a morning person?” It
was six a.m. and he’d been awake since four, at the airport since
five. The plane was scheduled to depart in twenty-five minutes. “I
didn’t know your testimony was required in the Byrum
case.”

“
Yes, this afternoon. This
trip to South Dakota is also for personal reasons—that’s why I’m
here this godawful early. It was the best flight I could get.” She
settled into her seat and wrapped her fingers loosely around the
armrests before leaning back against the seat and closing her eyes.
She was wearing that sweatshirt of hers. It was her favorite, he’d
figured that out months ago. What kind of medical examiner wore a
bright yellow sweatshirt that said I see dead people. on it? She
opened one eye and peeked at him. “I won’t be holding your hand
once we arrive in South Dakota. I have business to attend
to.”

That surprised him. He
twisted to lean over her. Was she always so irritable in the
mornings? Cute. Seriously cute. “Really? Care to share?”

Both hazel eyes opened.
Looked at him with challenge. “I’m going for visitation. I’m
meeting the social worker for my adoptive daughter.”

He knew his mouth dropped.
That was not something he’d expected. “Excuse me? Something I don’t
know?”

“
Remarkable, isn’t it? Bet
you didn’t think it was possible.” She smirked at him, that typical
Julia smirk that drove him nuts. She was in there, underneath all
the grouch. “Ruthie Byrum. Remember her?”

Of course he remembered.
The little girl had been so small, so innocent—the child of a
serial killer. The killer they were testifying against. “How could
I not? She wasn’t quite three when we arrested her
father.”

“
Her mother was arrested on
charges the next day. She’d physically abused both Hannah and
Ruthie, and I suspect the boys as well. She’s facing up to a decade
in jail on charges relating to Hannah’s captivity and treatment,
and has signed away rights to Ruthie.” That didn’t surprise him.
He’d suspected the woman of complicity when he’d interviewed her
months ago.

He remembered then; Julia
had been the one to care for the child during those hours of
interviews. For hours.

“
And you are adopting her.
Out of state. How did that happen?” Why hadn’t he heard this
before? Why hadn’t she told him? “Was there no one else to take
her? When did you decide this?”

“
No biological family wants
her. And I started the process as soon as I knew her mother was
facing a TPR. That’s termination of parental rights. Probably about
a month after I got out of the hospital. The first time; after
Stephenson…”

“
Yes. But my question is,
why you?” Was she capable of taking on a child with the problems
Ruthie Byrum would be facing? Ruthie needed a loving environment
and Julia was still so frozen at times. Could she provide what the
child needed? Without damaging either herself or the girl? “Do you
think this is such a good idea?”

She glared. “I think it’s a
fine idea. I’ve done the research, have gone through the process,
talked it over with the people who matter, and they all agree. I’ve
had two visitations since Thanksgiving, and they’ve gone well.”
Obviously she didn’t figure he mattered. And he didn’t. It wasn’t
his decision at all. But was it the right decision for
Julia?

He knew his surprise was
still on his face. “That’s good. How old is Ruthie now?”

“
She’s close to three and a
half. She’s a very bright child. I’m looking forward to
transitioning her to St. Louis next month.” Her expression almost
dared him to say something she didn’t like. He knew it, and refused
to rise to the bait. Her early morning contrariness wasn’t so cute
now.

“
I hope you know what you
are doing.”

“
For the first time in a
long while I know exactly what I am doing. If anyone has a problem
with my decisions, well, that’s their problem, now isn’t
it?”

* * *

His doubts didn’t help
matters, Julia thought, as the plane finally began its take off.
She was already nervous as all hell anyway. Why did it have to be
him representing PAVAD in the case? Why couldn’t it have been Hell
or Georgia or any other person who’d worked the
investigation?

Why did the fates keeping
pairing her up with the lughead next to her? Somebody up there
really had it out for her or something. Damn the Fates.

She’d visited Ruthie twice
since the week after Thanksgiving. The times had been awkward for
both of them. The social workers had always been present, and
Ruthie was very reticent with adults—even Jules. But she’d held
Jules’ hand during both visits and after a while had played the
games Jules had suggested. It wasn’t going to be easy for them, at
all. But Jules was determined to make it work.