“Not if we walk,” she said.
He rocked back on his heels, surveying the street, three- and four-story apartments over storefronts protected by iron bars and sliding grills: a used bookstore, a TV repair shop, a thrift store with a baby swing in the window. On the corner, the Greek market had closed for the night, the fruits and vegetables carted inside, the wooden shutters pulled down to the counters.
“You know someplace to eat around here?”
“I know a lot of places,” she said. “Do you have a problem with walking?”
He looked at her, his eyes blank, his mouth a tight line. And then he flashed another of his easy smiles.
“Not if we walk slowly. I’m basically a lazy bastard.”
Nell sniffed. She’d been on her feet all day. “I’ll try not to jog.”
“Then lead the way.”
She was very conscious of the grate of his shoes against the concrete, the whisper of her rubber soles. The gutter was littered with last fall’s leaves and last week’s trash. Bare trees raised black branches to the light. A car prowled by, its stereo thumping. A woman called. A television spilled canned laughter through an open window. By a Dumpster between two buildings was a furtive movement, quickly stilled; something, human or animal, foraging in the dark.
Nell shivered and pulled her cloak tighter.
“What’s with the Red Riding Hood getup?” Reilly asked.
“What? Oh.” She glanced down at her long red wool and then over at his safari jacket. “Fashion advice from the crocodile hunter?”
“Hey, my jacket’s practical. Lots of pockets.”
“My cape is practical, too.”
“No pockets,” he pointed out.
“It’s warm.”
“So’s a down parka.”
“Warm and recognizable,” she amended.
“Is that important to you? Being recognized?”
She didn’t want him to think she was after publicity for herself. Nothing could be further from the truth.
“It can be,” she answered carefully. “Sometimes if I’m working late, or I have to go out at night, the cape is useful. Like a uniform.”
“Because you might be asked to help somebody.”
Nell hesitated. “Yes.”
“Or because it keeps you from getting shot at?” he asked, and she stumbled on a crack in the sidewalk.
“Easy,” Reilly said, his hand coming up to cup her elbow through the red wool.
“Not usually,” Nell muttered.
When she looked over, he was smiling.
Nell tightened her grip on her bag. The printouts inside weighed on her shoulder. She had to be careful what she said around this guy. The sleepy smile was deceptive. The agreeable pose was a lie. The disinterested air was an act.
Whatever she thought of Joe Reilly personally, he was obviously good at his job.
And that made him dangerous.
Chapter 2
The bartender at Flynn’s knew Nell by name. He waved her to a booth at the back and drew her a Harps without asking.
Sliding into the booth, Nell watched Reilly lever himself awkwardly onto the dark vinyl bench opposite. His legs bumped the center pedestal. His mouth tightened.
Concern stirred. Purely professional concern. “Are you all right?”
“Fine.” He glanced around. “Nice place.”
So he didn’t want to talk about himself. That made a change from most of the men she knew.
His sharp reporter’s gaze took in everything. Flynn’s was a neighborhood establishment, with a long polished bar, a wide-planked floor and a wall lined with bottles. Foil shamrocks and limp crepe-paper streamers hung from the TV, week-old relics of St. Patrick’s Day. Fiddles and drums played through the speakers. The air was wreathed in cigarette smoke, sharp with the scents of hops and malt, rich with frying potatoes and grilled onions.
Nell’s mouth watered. She’d skipped lunch again today. She inhaled, closing her eyes in pure appreciation.
Her pint clinked on the table.
“What’ll you have?” the waitress asked Reilly.
“Club soda,” he said. “Thanks.”
Nell opened her eyes. He wasn’t drinking.
Which meant, of course, that he was working.
Which meant that she better pay close attention, or he was going to gobble her up like a side of home fries.
“I’m sure you have questions,” she said.
“A couple.”
“I left the statistics in my office.” Except for the ones in her purse. Stuffed with papers, it burned against her thigh. “But I can give you general information on the demographics of our patient base.”
A muscle moved at the corner of Reilly’s mouth. “Actually, I was going to ask if you wanted to order now or later.”
“Oh.” That kind of question. Flustered, she scanned the menu. “Fish and chips, please.”
Reilly handed both menus to the waitress. “I’ll take the steak. Medium rare.”
Red meat, Nell thought as the waitress’s white blouse disappeared into the darkness at the back of the bar. At least he didn’t eat it raw.
“So, what are you doing at the Ark Street Clinic?” Reilly asked.
Penance, Nell thought.
“I see patients,” she said. “I also recruit doctors, hire staff, schedule the nurses, write grant proposals and—”
“This isn’t a job interview, Dolan. I didn’t ask for your résumé. I want to know what you’re doing there.”
Nell set down her pint. There was no way in the world she was confessing the demons that drove her to shark-mouth Reilly, the reporter. But she could certainly talk about the importance of her work.
“Call me Nell,” she said. There. That sounded friendly and forthcoming. “The Ark Street clinic provides top-notch care for a segment of the city that would otherwise go untreated. We have a growing immigrant population in our area. More and more employees—especially in low-paying and part-time jobs—aren’t getting insurance through their employers. And with the recent budget cuts—”
“Yeah,” said Reilly. “I read the flyer. Very nice. What did you do before?”
“I was a trauma nurse.”
“Where?”
“Does it matter?”
“I don’t know. Why did you leave? It can’t have been the money.”
Nell was stung. Not just by his assumption, but by his attitude. “How would you know?”
His gaze flicked over her. “No car. Cheap watch. Old shoes.”
Even though he couldn’t possibly see them under the table, Nell curled her feet beneath the bench. He saw too much.
And actually, her job paid pretty well. But she had debts. Some of them were monetary. And the rest…She picked up her pint and took a long swig.
“Can’t you accept that some people are motivated