You Can't Hide by Karen Rose Read Free Book Online Page A

She flipped her phone shut. “One call, Detective. Per your request.”
    His eyes flashed at her sarcastic tone. “Thank you.”
    “When will you tell me what this is all about?”
    “We’ll talk downtown, Doctor.” Reagan shifted in his seat, dismissing her. Downtown. It had an ominous ring, just as he’d intended. The bad cop was playing mind games. He’ll find he’s met his match. She turned to the good cop. “Murphy?”
    Murphy stared straight ahead, not meeting her eyes and for the first time she felt a twinge of alarm. “We need to do this officially, Tess. We’l talk downtown.”
    Sunday, March 12, 1:25 P.M.
    Aidan studied Ciccotelli through the two-way glass. She sat staring straight back at him, even though he knew she saw only her own reflection. She’d been on both sides of the glass often enough to know she was being watched. She knew what would come next, but she wasn’t flinching. Her eyes never wavered. She was a cool one, for sure. But it would take a cool one, to do what she’d done.
    If she’d done it. All the evidence said she had.
    It was improbable. Totally impractical. Damn near impossible. Murphy was sure she had not. But Murphy didn’t seem to be completely objective when it came to Dr. Tess Ciccotelli. It was hard to blame the man, Aidan had to admit. Sitting on the other side of the mirror was a knockout in tight, low-riding jeans, a turtleneck sweater that fit her curves like a glove, both black. Her black hair curled wildly. Today she looked like a modern day gypsy, masquerading as a “respected doctor.” She’d been going to a meeting, she’d said. Ha. Nobody went to a meeting dressed like that.
    Hell, nobody he knew dressed like that. Or looked like that when they tried to. He gritted his teeth, annoyed at himself for his body’s reaction to the sight of what Ciccotelli had hidden under that conservative tan coat. She was a suspect, no matter how improbable. And if she turned out not to be a suspect, she was still a cold bitch. That she was a remarkably sexy cold bitch was just one of those little quirks of fate with which decent men had to deal. Beside him, Murphy dragged the heels of both hands down his face. “She’s got circles under her eyes. Looks like she had a sleepless night.”
    “That makes three of us,” Aidan returned evenly. He looked over his shoulder to where their lieutenant leaned against the back wall of the small observation area, a scowl bending his saltand-pepper mustache straight down. “You still don’t agree.”
    Lieutenant Marc Spinnelli shook his head. “I’ve known Tess Ciccotelli for years. She’s a good person. A good doctor. She may not always diagnose the way we’d like, but she’s not capable of driving that woman to the brink of sanity.”

    22
    Karen Rose

    [Suspense 5]

    You Can't Hide
    “And shoving her over,” Murphy muttered. “Let’s get this over with.”
    Aidan watched Murphy go in the interview room, take the seat farthest from Ciccotelli. Her gaze snapped to Murphy briefly, then returned to the glass, no longer cool. Now her dark brown eyes flashed with anger. Good. Angry was better than cool and col ected any damn day. “He’s involved,” Aidan murmured, his hand on the doorknob, his eyes on Murphy’s expressionless face.
    “We all are,” Spinnelli shot back, frustration in his tone. “Any cop in the city would be. There aren’t many that don’t know about Harold Green but most of them don’t know Tess. Go in there and do your job, Aidan. So will Murphy.”
    “And if he doesn’t?”
    Spinnelli huffed a sigh. “Then I’l step in.”
    With that promise, Aidan walked into the interview room. Her eyes fol owed him, narrowed and… dangerous.
    “I’m here, Detective Reagan, just as you wanted me to be. You’ve watched me for fifteen minutes. When are you going to tell me what the hell is going on here?”
    He sat down next to her, at the end of the table. “Tell me about Cynthia Adams.”
    She blinked