No way a woman who’d responded the way she had last night wasn’t still interested, but he only nodded. “I understand.”

***

They were quiet for a while. To relieve the tension, Piper called Jada to find out how her killing spree was progressing. Very well, as it turned out. She’d offed five more of her classmates. Eventually, they made a stop for fast food, and Piper took over the driving. By the time they reached the Illinois border, the effort to appear relaxed had left her shoulders screaming. She struggled to find a topic of conversation that would take them through the last leg of this unending trip. “I happen to know you’re a real softy. And I mean that in a nonsexual way. Although . . .”

He choked on his Coke.

She smiled to herself. “These hospital visits you make to Lurie . . .”

“No idea what you’re talking about.”

He knew, all right. Even though he managed to sneak in and out of Lurie Children’s Hospital without attracting the attention of the press, she’d uncovered the interesting fact that he spent a lot of time visiting sick children. “I can’t picture you around kids.” Another lie. From what she’d seen, he was as relaxed with children as he was around beautiful women. “You can tell me. It’s the hot nurses, right?”

“Now you’re embarrassin’ me.”

“But there’s one mystery I can’t figure out. Not even with my amazing detecting skills.”

“Shocker.”

“When I was following you, you’d sometimes hang out on the mean streets with various scurvy-looking characters. What’s that about?”

He polished off his Coke. “Shootin’ the bull, that’s all.”

“I don’t believe you. Tell me. I’m like a priest.”

“You’re not anything like a priest. You’re—”

“Stop stalling.”

He shifted in his seat, suddenly uncomfortable. “I don’t know. It’s . . . I’m not going to do anything about it, so there’s no point discussing it.”

But something told her he wanted to talk, and she welcomed any topic that didn’t lead back to the bedroom. She waited.

He gazed out the passenger window. “I had this idea . . . But it takes too much time and too much effort, with no guarantee of a payoff.” He turned back to her. “All those empty city lots are a waste. Nothing but weeds and trash.”

She was starting to get the picture. “You’d like to do something more about that than throw seed bombs.”

He shrugged. “There are too many people with no jobs and no prospects. All those empty plots of land. Seems like an opportunity for somebody.”

“But not for you.”

“Hell, no. All I’m interested in now is business.” He pulled out his cell and called Tony.

She listened to them talk about the new bouncer Tony had hired to replace Dell, who’d been fired four days ago. She wondered if Coop had figured out yet that she’d finished her job for him.

After six nights on the floor, she’d done as much as she could. His staff was clean, and she and Tony had put together new procedures that should keep things relatively honest. Her salary from Coop, along with the pay from her chauffeur job, would hold her over for a while. How long depended on what was in the tip envelope the limo owner was collecting for her and how much further she could stretch out her job at Spiral. Her job that was over.

She told herself to think more like a shark and less like a Girl Scout. The salary Coop paid was her lifeline, and she needed to hold on to her job. Except there was no more she could do for him.

If only Duke hadn’t taught her about integrity—along with how to shoot, fish, and feel bad about being female. As much as she needed to bleed Coop a little longer, she couldn’t do it. As he ended his conversation with Tony, she gripped the wheel a little tighter. “I’ve done everything I can for you.”

He set his cell in the empty cup holder and practically leered at her. “Not quite everything . . .”

“I’m talking about my job,” she said quickly. “I’ve done what you hired me for. Your biggest problem right now is your lamebrained refusal to keep a bouncer near you.”

“I don’t need a babysitter.”

“It’s interesting that every other big-name jock who comes into the club brings along all kinds of hired muscle, but you’re too tough.”

“I can take care of myself.” He couldn’t have sounded more belligerent. “Are you really telling me you’re thinking about quitting?”

“It’s not quitting. Spiral’s clean. All that’s left is for you to hire a female bouncer. It’s not smart to have your men touching any of your women customers, no matter how drunk they are. You could end up with a big fat lawsuit for sexual assault.”

“Good point. You’re hired.”

She should have anticipated this, and for a moment, she let herself consider it. But she couldn’t work until early morning four nights a week and keep building her business, not long term. Before she knew it, she’d be a nightclub bouncer instead of a detective, and she hadn’t come this far to throw away her dream.

“No, thanks. I’m an investigator. You’ll have to find someone else.”

“This is about last night, isn’t it? You’re quitting because you—”

“Because I slept with the boss?” The other reason she couldn’t stay on.

He glared across the seat at her. “That is completely unethical on your part! As unethical as it would be if I fired you.”

“Report me to the EEOC,” she snapped.

“Stop being a smart-ass. You know exactly what I mean.”

She struggled to sound professional. “Coop, I want to end this on a positive note. I hope you agree that I’ve done a good job for you, and I’d appreciate it if you’d recommend me to your friends.”

“Yeah, I’ll do that, all right.” He snapped down his sun visor and grabbed his cell.

***

Coop tried to tell himself this was a good thing. She’d done her job—done it well—and he’d been waiting for the time when she’d no longer be working for him so they could launch a full-out affair. But now that time had come, and he was no longer confident that she’d cooperate.