On the Scent (8 page)

Zach held still, waiting for her to elaborate. When she didn't, he asked, “How did it end?”

“I told you—badly. I'd rather not go into those personal details if you don't mind.” She pushed to her feet and moved into the kitchen. A hint of bare skin beneath the hem of her shirt showed when she reached up to retrieve a glass from the cabinet. He swallowed, forced himself to look away.

“What about other boyfriends?”

She turned and leaned back against the counter, taking a sip of the water she'd poured. “I can give you a list of names. It won't be long.” Her fingers toyed with the glass. “Nurses work odd hours. I'm not a nun, but I haven't had much time to date.”

They spent the next hour going over possible suspects in Hannah's life over a frozen pizza Hannah heated up. She didn't give him much to go on. Eventually, she called the animals over to feed them.

“It's getting late.” She poured their food into their bowls and his stomach began churning. Begging with short growls and barks, Costello scrambled to his bowl and dove in with gutso.

Yum. Yum. Yum. So good. So good. I'm so hungry. Gotta eat.

Oh, no. Not again. Zach leaned back in his chair and tried to make sense of the ridiculous sensations and thoughts running through his mind. He stared as the cat darted out of hiding and began eating, much more slowly, hunched over his food bowl.

Delicious. Tuna is my favorite. I love her so much.

“I'll get you a pillow and blanket.” Hannah disappeared down the hall.

Zach made sure she was out of hearing range before he leaned down and whispered, “Hey kitty. If you're talking to me, here's your chance. Say something.”

Licking his lips, the cat sat up and began rubbing his ear with his paw, over and over again.

Nothing.

“This still seems so surreal to me.” Hannah's voice demanded his attention. He turned and saw her stacking some items on the corner of the sofa. “I mean, will you get any sleep, or are you supposed to sit here all night and…what? Guard over us?”

“I'll get some rest, off and on.” He stood to help her. “Don't worry, Hannah. I'll keep you safe.”

She slid her hands into the back pocket of her jeans. “I'm going to turn in. It's been a long day. If you need anything, feel free.” She waved to the kitchen.

She started to move away, but he caught her arm. Big mistake. As soon as he touched her, heat sparked from his fingers and rushed to his groin. Judging by the way her eyes widened, then darkened, she felt it too. “Don't forget to get me that list.”

A brief laugh shook her body. “I was kidding.”

“I wasn't.” He loosened his hold. “Ex-boyfriends. Friends. Stepfathers. Anyone you can think of. I only want to run a basic background check.”

She stepped away, putting some distance between them. “You can't be serious.” She leaned over and picked up the cat. “How would you feel if I asked you for a list of women you'd dated?”

Uncomfortable. Awkward. He'd want to tell her it was none of her damn business.

“I'm not asking because I want to know. I'm asking because I'm trying to protect you.”

Liar.

At the strong, foreign thought, Zach's gaze met the cat's. Abbott was in Hannah's arms, staring right back at Zach with an intent look.

A look that called him a liar.

“Fine.” Hannah whistled for Costello to follow. “I'll see you in the morning.”

Zach waited until her bedroom door was closed before grabbing his mobile and dialing Brian's phone number. His finger quickly hit END before the call could be sent.

What would he say? That he thought he could actually hear what these animals were thinking? His friend would insist on him seeing a doctor, or get pissed because he'd think Zach was back to his old tricks.

Try calling Alexandra King.

His head snapped back on a
whoa
sensation of where the hell did that thought come from? Alexandra King. That was a name he hadn't thought of in a while.

He scrolled through the names in his phone's contact list. He stopped on the woman's number, surprised it was still in his phone. He could just imagine that conversation.

Hell no.

Shaking his head, he decided to check the perimeters. Hannah's bedroom door was closed, and he assumed the animals were in there with her.

A laugh bubbled up from his chest. Wasn't this his luck? Of all the cool psychic powers he could suddenly possess, he was some kind of lame pet psychic. He sobered. Wait. Was he actually believing this now?

He needed to wrap his head around whatever the hell was happening.

Stepping outside, he drew in a breath of fresh air. A woman's life depended on him keeping her safe. He needed to get his shit together. Needed to figure out what was wrong with his head, and soon.

He didn't want to be responsible for any more deaths.

The light coming through the curtains stung Zach's eyes hours later. There was also an unfamiliar weight on his chest. He blinked his vision into focus, and a pair of almond-shaped eyes stared back at him.

Get out.

Zach started, but the action didn't jostle the cat. It was lying on his chest as if it had been there a while. Watching him sleep.

Are you an idiot? We don't want you here. Leave.

The cat's left paw stretched toward Zach's neck. Its claws flexed and pierced his skin. A slight purr followed the action.

“Aw, look.” Hannah's voice came from somewhere behind him. “Abbott likes you.”

Zach wiggled his way into a sitting position, and the cat finally jumped away. He glanced at the clock. It was past seven.

He rubbed his throat. The jingle of the dog's collar and tags drew his attention. He wasn't used to getting up so early, not especially after only catching a few hours of sleep. Hannah was dressed in a pair of jeans and a different t-shirt. Her hands toyed with a leash.

“Sorry to wake you, but I always take Costello on an early morning walk.” She leaned over to ready the dog, who was wiggling his butt in obvious excitement.

“Can't you let him out in the backyard?”

She straightened and frowned at him. “I could, but I'm not going to.” She reached for the lanyard that held her key. “I usually take him for a walk in the morning and at night for exercise. Poor guy has only been getting walked in the mornings since this all happened.” She nodded toward the cat, who was lounging on the floor near him. “Are you gonna stay here with Abbott, or should I grab his kennel?”

Zach sighed and rose to his feet. “You're not going anywhere alone. I'll grab the bag. Where is it?”

A few minutes later, Zach wished he'd remembered his sunglasses before venturing on their walk. He squinted against the early morning sun, even as he glanced around, taking in their surroundings. The mesh bag containing Abbott bumped against his side as he kept pace beside the woman and dog.

I want out of this bag. Oooooh, look at that bird.

I want that bird.

I want it.

Zach looked down and followed the cat's intense stare toward one of the neighbor's yards. A red bird was perched on a birdfeeder. A low growling sound came from the animal he was carrying.

But that wasn't all.

I love the outdoors. I love going on walks. I love to pee.

Hannah stopped walking, and Zach's gaze fell to the dog who had hiked his leg and was peeing on a bush. The dog's thoughts were much simpler and way less menacing.

He reached up a hand and rubbed at his eyes.

This couldn't be happening to him.

“Did you get much sleep?” Hannah's voice was a nice distraction from the strange thoughts scrambling through his brain.

“A few hours.”

“Same here.”

She didn't look like it. No bags under her eyes. Her green gaze seemed clear, focused, and beautiful.

An image of Hannah, her hair down and dressed in a tank top and shorts, lying in bed reading a book flashed through his mind. Blinking, Zach felt disoriented for several seconds. He glanced down and saw the cat staring up at him through the mesh front of the bag.

“Meow.”

He realized Hannah and the dog had moved ahead of him. His feet felt heavy as he followed.

“Hannah.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Did you read a book last night?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Do you have pajamas—a tank top that has a funny-looking rabbit on it? I think it says—”

She gaped. “It says 'A makeover. You need to be run over.'”

He nodded.

Hell. This was real, wasn't it?

“How did you know that?” Hannah demanded.

He took a deep breath and attempted to smile. “Psychic, remember?” His fingers trembled slightly when he reached to adjust the shoulder strap of the cat's bag.

“Right.” She looked almost as weirded out as he felt. “Is something about that important?”

“I don't think so. I get random, uh, flashes sometimes.”

“Okay.”

“Yeah. Okay.” He swallowed. Hard.

The dog in front of them kept passing gas and then whipping his head around.
What was that? Who did that?
Zach felt a chuckle bubble from his chest.

“He does that a lot—gives little toots and then acts like he doesn't know who did it.” She shrugged and added, in a baby voice, “Silly, Costello. Silly, silly boy.”

“Oh, he's not acting.” Zach shook his head. “He really doesn't know he's doing it. He's not too bright, your dog.”

Hannah gasped. “Zach! Hush your mouth.” But she was grinning. “Costello is smart when he wants to be. You'd be surprised.”

He didn't want to ruin her perceptions of the dog, who he evaluated was as dumb as a brick, so he kept quiet.

They'd nearly finished their walk in silence when Hannah spoke again. “How long have you known you were psychic? Have you always been that way?”

Of all the questions to ask.

“No, not always.” He gripped the strap of the cat's kennel. “I've always had –” He searched his mind for the best word. “Good instincts. It took me a while to realize I was psychic.”

There, that was at least the truth. He didn't want to lie to this woman anymore than he already had.

Had he always been psychic and not known it? He'd trained himself how to read people's tells. Living on the streets that had been how he'd survived. And he'd always followed his instincts. They'd never let him down.

But psychic?

Maybe he had been. Hell. He had no idea.

“There was a case on the show once.” He spoke aloud, but more to organize his thoughts than for conversation. “A little girl was missing. I helped lead the police right to her.”

“I remember. That's one of the episodes I saw.”

He nodded. It had been one of the last episodes of his time on the show, period. He'd quit soon after. Zach remembered how spooked he'd felt when the police raid had produced the girl and her kidnapper. He'd studied the police files, picked up on a few details while talking to some of the witnesses to her abduction, listened to his gut, and prayed his logic would pan out.

Seeing that little girl being carried out of the building in a police officer's arms had hit him hard. What if he'd been wrong? Lives were at stake. A real psychic, if they actually existed—maybe even Alexandra King—might have found that girl sooner.

So he'd quit and founded the agency with Brian, putting his “psychic” past behind him. They'd used his name to lure clients in, but he'd never accepted a case from a client expecting a psychic resolution.

“I can't imagine being able to do what you do,” Hannah said, drawing him back to the present. “I have to admit. I'm a little skeptical about psychics.”

“Then why did you ask me to communicate with your animals?”

“Ellie's note. And I was testing you,” she admitted. “I don't know. I'd love to know what they're thinking. Am I doing this right? Do they love me or only tolerate me?” She shrugged.

“They love you very much.”

“You sure about that?”

“Positive, but it doesn't take a psychic to see that.”

The hopeful smile she turned toward him stole his breath. She had a beautiful smile. Pretty lips. Lush and kissable. “I think maybe I misjudged you.” Her eyes narrowed as they moved over his face. “You don't like to be reminded that you're psychic, do you? You always try to change the subject when I mention it. Why?”

The lady was too damn perceptive.

This was his chance to tell her the truth. Explain it had all been a sham before, but suddenly it was real. His lips drew tight. He shook his head. “It's too hard to explain.” He cleared his throat. “Hannah, did Ellie ever talk to you about her past? Can you think of any reason besides the money that she would have thought you'd need to hire me?”

That had been puzzling him since she'd shown him the old woman's notes last night. What had Ellie meant when she said the animals knew the secrets of her past?

Are you an idiot or what? She knew Hannah would be in danger. She knew he'd come for her.

Zach stumbled along the path. Another thought, clear, but not his own. He looked down at the cat. Its creepy eyes were staring up at him intensely from the bag.

“I have no idea,” Hannah said. “Sorry.”

“Yeah, it's okay.”

The cat looked away, but Zach didn't relax.

The cat had said—or at least he was pretty sure it had been the cat—
he
would come for her.

Who the hell was
he
?

Hannah went to step out of the shower and hesitated.

She peeked around the curtain to make certain neither Abbott or Costello were lying on the floor, watching her like one or both often did. Her gaze shifted around the room.

No animals in sight.

Her shoulders relaxed, and after she'd wrapped a towel around her body, she glanced at her reflection in the steamed-up mirror. What if Zach could see things through her eyes? What if—?

No. She was being silly.

Shaking her head, she wiped away the steam to clear her reflection. He'd freaked her out a little this morning when he'd mentioned her pajamas. Last night, she'd stayed up late reading with her bedroom door shut. When she was ready for sleep, sometime around three in the morning she'd cracked it open so the boys could go get water during the night.

Maybe Zach had looked in on her while she'd been sleeping. She shook her head again. No, she always slept under her covers, and she was a light sleeper. The only eyes that knew what she wore to bed these days belonged to a cat and a dog.

“You knew he was psychic, or at least possibly psychic, when you hired him. What's the big deal?”

Her reflection didn't respond to the hushed question.

She took a deep breath and reminded herself she still wasn't one-hundred percent certain Zach was psychic at all. If she took the time, she might be able to find a reasonable explanation for his insights, right?

Stepping into the bedroom to get her clothes, she immediately froze when she saw that Abbott was lounging lazily on the bed, staring at her. Costello was breathing heavier than normal where he was sprawled on the rug beside her bed, also watching her. His mouth was open in what seemed like a maniacal grin for a dog and his chest rose and fell with quick breaths.

But what if there isn't a reasonable explanation?

What if Zach could see what her animals saw?

Her fingers gripped the towel bunched above her breasts. It only fell to mid-thigh, leaving her more exposed than she would have liked.

Uh-uh. No way in hell.

She cleared her throat. “Um, boys.”

Costello's ears perked up.

Her gaze darted to the closed bedroom door. One of Costello's toys was propped up next to it. Walking carefully to the entryway, she squatted down, felt around until her fingertips grazed the stuffed animal and then opened the door a tad. She flung the toy out of the room. The dog jumped to his feet and happily gave chase. She quickly shut the door behind him.

That left the cat.

His tail lifted and beat the comforter as he stared back at her. Abbott's head lowered defensively, obviously expecting no good.

“Abbott, get out of the room.” Hannah pointed at the door. She kept her voice quiet as she spoke. “I'll give you tuna if you go in the other room until I'm dressed.”

The cat didn't move.

Hannah sighed. “Please?”

The cat jumped from the bed and dashed to the door as if she'd threatened his life. She opened it, only to feel the weight of Costello's heavy body pressing against it from the other side, demanding re-entry.

Oh, for the love of—

Hannah shoved against the door, wincing at the loud slap of wood on wood as it connected with the doorjamb and groaning when the latch didn't connect. Costello shoved the door open again, so she pressed against it with her body.

She felt a big push from the other side, seconds before Zach's voice asked, “Hannah, everything okay?”

Squealing, she grasped her towel, stepped back and tripped over something furry that sent her sprawling in an unladylike heap to the carpet. “Don't come in here!”

But it was too late.

Gun drawn and pointed in front of him, Zach was already in the room, glancing around for an intruder or something.

Bloody hell.

His gaze dropped to where she scrambled to cover herself with the too-small towel. He froze but didn't try to avert his gaze.

Oh yeah. This was going to be one of those days.

“Um, sorry.” He holstered his gun and reached a hand down to help her up. “I thought maybe someone had…” He sighed and looked away when she made no move to take his hand.

How could she? As soon as she stood, the towel would expose far too many parts of her for her liking. Somebody kill her already.

“I'm okay. Would you mind turning around please?”

He turned, slowly, and she awkwardly found her feet, tugging the towel off and wrapping it around her middle as securely as she could manage. A few steps and she could make it back into the bathroom.

Her eyes lifted and met his in the mirror across the room.

Oh, sweet heaven. He'd gotten an eyeful, hadn't he?

“I didn't see anything.” But his eyes were dark and dancing with mischief.

Biting her lip, she tried to take a step back and nearly tripped over the same object that had gotten her before. She flailed before a strong grasp captured her upper arm and set her right.

“I think my pets are trying to kill me by leaving their toys scattered around.” She lifted her gaze and met his. He was so close, she could feel the warmth of his body. His fingers were still holding her arm.

And she was practically naked.

Sweet heaven.

His gaze dropped to her mouth, and she could have sworn she felt a slight tug on her arm as his head lowered a fraction toward hers. His throat moved beneath a swallow.

“I should let you get dressed.”

She managed a nod, even though that's not what she wanted. She wanted his lips on hers. Right now. “Please.”

He hesitated. Swallowing again, he stepped back, glanced around the room, and disappeared.

Zach closed the door to Hannah's bedroom and wondered if he had enough time to take a cold shower before she was ready to leave.

Have mercy. All it would have taken was a simple little tug to feast his eyes on that hot body of hers. He'd seen enough to set his blood rushing to his groin, making him damned uncomfortable now.

Walking into the living room, he dropped to the floor and started doing twenty. His arm needed the exercise anyway.
Four. Five. Six.
He tried to think about anything but how she'd looked in that towel.
Nine. Ten. Eleven.
The creamy curve of her breast against the white fabric.
Thirteen. Fourteen.
Crap. This wasn't working. He hit twenty and shoved to his feet.

He forced his mind away from the naughty ideas still swimming in his brain and retrieved his phone. Work. Focus on work
.

When one of the team transported a client who was at high risk, a backup always followed to make certain no one tampered with the vehicle while the client and her guard were away from it. He needed a second set of eyes this afternoon, and E.J. had drawn the short straw.

“No problem,” the younger man said after Zach explained the situation. “How are things going?”

Zach leaned forward, fixated on the closed bedroom door at the end of the hall. He knew how he wanted things to be going. “Quiet.” He rubbed at his tired eyes and took a deep breath to help cool his libido. “I don't know. I have a feeling it's too quiet.” His gut was uneasy, and it had nothing to do with the woman in the other room.

“While I've got you on the phone, I got the information you asked for on Hannah Dawson's finances.”

That got Zach's attention. “Anything worth mentioning?”

“Yeah. She was in a lot of debt when the old lady passed away.”

“Really? What kind of debt?”

“Credit cards, mostly. A couple of personal loans. About $40,000 worth. Funny thing is, she had most of her student loans paid off before she got in deep.”

“Noted.” E.J. was proving to be really good at this. Maybe he could use the kid to cover a shift here while Zach took care of some business. “Be at the lawyer's office in an hour, and don't be late.”

A flash of white and black caught his attention as he ended the call.
The cat slowed its pace and stalked toward Zach as if it had purpose. Oh, crap. He was alone with the pets again.

“Hey, kitty.” He took a step back and forced a smile he wasn't feeling. “How's it going?”

The cat sat down. It was damned creepy the way that thing stared at him sometimes. As if it could see straight through him.

“I bet you'd like a treat, huh?” Zach snapped his fingers and moved to the kitchen. He opened the cabinet doors above the stove, but he didn't see any treats.

Not there, idiot. She keeps them here.
A clear image of the pantry-style closet flashed through his mind. Zach felt so disoriented by the unexpected vision he grabbed hold of the fridge handle to anchor himself.

Whoa. Zach dared a glance at the cat as he maneuvered his way to the closet, making sure his hands held onto something along the way.

“You know, cat, we could be friends if you stopped calling me names.” He reached into the closet and grabbed a bag of cat treats. “See?” He shook the bag, and Abbott meowed and came toward him, rubbing against Zach's pants leg in a gesture he'd always assumed was a sign of affection.

Okay, I own you now. You have permission to feed me.
The cat circled back and swiped his leg again.
Give me a treat…or a bunch of them.

He poured some treats onto the floor, and the cat slowly snuck up to devour them. Zach reached down and petted the animal, hoping to make peace. Maybe if he did, the damn cat would get out of his head.

“Abbott, what did you mean that he was coming after Hannah? Who's he?” Was it Eric Meester? Had Ellie been afraid he'd come back once she was gone?

Nom. Nom. Nom. These are so good. I like the tuna ones best.

“Fine, but I'm gonna keep asking until you give me an answer.”

He'd bribe it out of the little jerk with some treats. Yeah, he knew the cat's weakness now. Tuna.

Straightening, he rubbed his eyes and glanced down the hall, where the sound of a blow dryer was muffled behind the closed door. Maybe he had a few minutes. Stepping into the guest room and closing the door, he pulled out his phone and selected Alexandra King's number before he could talk himself out of it. Predictably, it rang twice before she sent him to voice mail.

He rambled an awkward greeting before snapping to the point.

“I know I'm not your favorite person, but I could really use some help with something. It's personal and … I wouldn't call if I didn't have anyone else to ask, so … give me a call back please. It's kind of urgent.”

Hannah double-checked her makeup as she ran the brush through her hair one last time. She glanced at her reflection and figured she looked decent enough, with a turquoise sweater over a pair of white pants.

She was moving down the hall, sliding her arms into a jacket, when she spotted Zach sitting on her sofa, bent forward, scratching Costello's ears and staring eye to eye with the dog. Her footsteps slowed, and she couldn't help but wonder if she was interrupting something.

“Do you know who he is? What is the cat talking about? Huh, boy?” Zach's voice was above a whisper.

Spotting her, he glanced up and released the dog quickly.

“Ready?”

She nodded and reached for her purse, wondering if she should bring up what had happened—or almost happened—in her bedroom earlier. His expression was stoic and almost militant now. Had he already forgotten it? Was the attraction only one-sided?

Ugh. Story of her life.

The ringtone for a popular dance song snapped Hannah's attention away from the human-canine duo. She took a deep breath and stretched to grab her cell phone from the corner table.

A few minutes later, she couldn't keep the grin off her face as she pressed END. Turning to see Zach sitting again on the sofa, watching her, she felt her face drop a little.

“Oh. Shoot.”

Zach's eyebrows lifted. “Whoa, lady. Watch the language. There are impressionable ears around here.” With one last ferocious head rub for the dog, he stood and winked at her. “Anything I should know?”

Okay. Had he just winked at her? Talk about mixed signals.

“I guess I should've checked with you first.” Her fingers rubbed a circle around the edge of her phone. “I have an appointment for Agatha Roundtree's class tomorrow. They just called to remind me of it.” She bit her lip. “I can call her back and reschedule if I need to, but there's a long waiting list. It's taken me months to get in.”

Zach's expression was oblivious. He held out his hand in a
whoa
gesture. “What kind of class is it, when and where? Are we talking spinning class? Crocheting? What?”

Hannah nodded toward Costello. “A dog obedience class. Tomorrow afternoon at Centennial Park.” She shrugged. “Agatha Roundtree is supposed to be the best in the region.”

“Never heard of her.” He crossed his arms and looked down at the dog. Costello looked back, tilting his head and eyes upward. What a funny picture they made—Zach was tall. The dog was so short. They were like some sort of odd couple. “Dog obedience, huh?”

Her lips twitched. “You might have noticed—he has a bit of a humping problem.”

“Yeah, I think I noticed that.”

“And he can be kind of aggressive with his favorite toys.” She flicked her wrist awkwardly. The action drew Costello's attention, and the dog's head tilted as if he was trying hard to understand what she was saying. “He's been that way since we got him. He's fixed—Ellie got him from the pound—but, well, I guess he's just kind of crazy.”

The smile in Zach's eyes about knocked her off her feet. “I guess we'd better take him to obedience class then.” He winked at her again and turned to grab the dog's leash.

That smile. That wink.

Oh, my. She was in trouble, or would be if he actually started flirting with her in earnest.

One minute he was all business. The next, as charming as a used car salesman. He confused her.