Most Wanted (46 page)

“Maybe.” She hesitated. “But I don’t want to put you in a difficult position.”

“Hey, sweetheart, you’re talking to Mr. Self-Discipline here. I’m the king of cold showers. I can keep my hands to myself if we’re working a case.”

“Maybe you can, but I’m not sure
I
can,” she said. After all, in her thoughts, hadn’t she already imagined it? Weren’t they already
amantes
? She knew herself, and, more than that, she knew how much she wanted him.

“Come on, say we can at least work together,” he said. “Think about all the good we could do. The honest citizens out there counting on us to keep the streets safe. And think about how much fun we’d have, the two of us, locking up the bad guys together.”

She laughed. “Now, how am I supposed to say no to something like that?”

“You’re not.”

“Okay, but listen. For the foreseeable future, we’re the greatest team in law enforcement and nothing else. You got that? Anything else remains to be seen.”

“Yes, ma’am. You got yourself a deal.” His eyes were fixed on hers. She could tell he wanted to touch her, but he wouldn’t let himself. He took a step backward. “But I like a challenge. So don’t think this is over. It’s just getting started. And you’ll be hearing from me, like, first thing in the morning.”

He turned and walked away, smiling, his step confident, not looking back.

ONE OF THE PARAMEDICS WHO CAME FOR SOPHIE looked in Melanie’s eyes with a flashlight and told her she didn’t need to go to the hospital. So she spent some time giving her statement to a detective and headed for home.

Madison Avenue was bustling, the rain-soaked darkness made glamorous by the lavish displays in the shop windows and the expensively dressed people walking by. Her head still throbbed, yet when she breathed the night air, she felt a sense of clarity and anticipation. In a strange way, this case had cleared her mind. She was ready to move on to the next phase in her life. She would work hard, be a good mother to her daughter, and figure out what the future held for her battered heart. But Dan was right. She was a survivor. And that was a joyous thing to be.

“Michele Martinez’s
Most Wanted
is taut and crisp, as well-crafted a mystery as you’ll read this year.”

John Lescroart

“Michele Martinez, a former New York prosecutor turned author, skillfully shows the promise of an exciting series in this debut.
Most Wanted
succeeds as an intense legal thriller, a police procedural, and a look at the treachery of the workplace, with a bit of romantic suspense added for good measure.”

Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel

“Martinez pairs a dedicated prosecutor with a streetwise cop in a city story of nonstop suspense. The pages turn in a blur! Edgy and fresh.”

Iris Johansen

“Martinez joins Linda Fairstein in the ranks of prosecutor turned authors, bringing real-life detail and emotion to this thriller.”

Library Journal

“An effervescent debut thriller…Martinez has crafted an enormously appealing heroine and a breezy, entertaining tale.”

Publishers Weekly

“Who but a former prosecutor could have created this bright and fearless heroine-in-peril? And I loved Martinez’s edgy mix of New York grit and glamour, set to a galloping, can’t-put-it-down tempo.
Most Wanted
is an utter page-turner.”

Tess Gerritsen

I am forever grateful to the three people who took this novel from a glimmer in my eye to a reality:

My husband, Jeffrey, who had endless faith in me and supported this project in more ways than I can recount;

My wonderful agent and good friend, Meg Ruley, who made it all happen; and

My amazing editor, Carolyn Marino, who believed in an unknown and guided me with the greatest skill and insight.

I am also indebted to the following: Kara Cesare, Peggy Gordijn, Jennifer Civiletto, Martha Hughes, Randy Dwenger, Triss Stein, Nicole Gruenstein, Annelise Robey, Donald Cleary, and Andrea Cirillo, for their advice and support; Amy Mundorff of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of New York City and Lynn Sullivan, M.D., for vetting the gory details; and my son, Jack, for his boundless enthusiasm for this book and killer title suggestions (
The Mystery Bad Guy
being my all-time favorite).

A graduate of Harvard University and Stanford Law School, Michele Martinez worked at a prestigious Manhattan law firm before serving eight years as a federal prosecutor. She lives in New York City with her husband and two children.