CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE. Nicole kicked off her shoes, glad the last appointment of the day was finally over

Nicole kicked off her shoes, glad the last appointment of the day was finally over. Catherine was right. She needed to space things out more. She'd been at it nonstop since nine that morning. Tomorrow would be slower. Much slower. The group session would last a couple of hours. After that, she had the afternoon to herself.

" Right, " she murmured. The afternoon would most likely be spent making notes. She was so behind. The scribbled notes she made while in session would hardly be legible in a few more days.

A knock on her door brought her head up and she frowned, wondering why Catherine was knocking.

" Come on in, Catherine, " she called.

But it was not Catherine who entered. Jake stood in the doorway, a smile lifting up one corner of her mouth.

" You said to make an appointment."

" So I did."

Jake shrugged. " This is it."

Catherine stood behind her, an apologetic look on her face. " I didn't get a chance to tell you, Dr. Westbrook."

" Uh-huh." Nicole noticed the slight blush of Catherine's cheeks, no doubt the result of Jake's presence. Even a happily married woman like Catherine was not immune to her charms, Nicole noted.

" Really. But I think... you're in good hands."

" Thanks a lot, Catherine, " Nicole said, as Jake walked into the room and perched in one of the visitors' chairs. Nicole took a deep breath, then looked up and met Jake's eyes. " Detective... McCoy, " she said. " You have something new to tell me? "

" No. We still just have three murders linked to you. I'm sure there'll be more, " Jake said easily.

Nicole leaned forward. " Jake, what do you want from me? "

" I want the names of everyone referred to you by the crisis center in the last three years."

" And that'll do what for you? "

" Well, we can try to monitor them..."

" Jake, there is not just a handful. In three years, there have probably been forty or fifty women referred to me by Patrice."

Jake raised an eyebrow. " Are you and Patrice Kane... close? "

" Close? We're friends. Not good friends. Why? "

Jake shrugged and looked away. " So, you have a list? "

" And you're going to watch them all? "

" We've got to start somewhere." Jake stood and walked to the desk, leaning a hip on the corner. " Have you had any unusual phone calls? Anyone hanging around? "

" No. But Catherine would know about the phones. What are you getting at? "

" There's a possibility that whoever is killing these women is not after them, but you."

" Me? " Nicole sat up. " Why would you think that? "

" You're the link. You and the crisis center."

" If you're trying to scare me, you're not succeeding. I've had more threats from my patients' husbands than I can possibly tell you."

Jake stiffened. " What kinds of threats? "

Nicole let out a deep breath. " Jake, they're just threats. Their wife goes to court to testify, I get a threatening phone call, maybe a letter. They get sentenced to prison, I get another threatening letter. It's old hat."

Jake shook her head. " This is different, Nicole."

" Jake, if someone wanted to kill me, it wouldn't be hard to do. I work in a public place, I drive home alone, I live alone. It wouldn't be difficult."

" You're not the target right now, Nicole. But you will be. He wants to make sure he has your attention first. No doubt, he's watching you. He probably knows that I've been to see you more than once."

Their eyes met across the desk and Nicole smiled. " You really want me to give up names, don't you? "

" Nicole, he's killed three women, " Jake said quietly. " And he won't stop with three women."

Nicole nodded. " Okay, Jake. You win. I'll have Catherine pull you a list of names."

" Thank you."

Nicole twirled her pen nervously between her hands. " You realize that if I didn't know you, I wouldn't agree to this, don't you? "

Jake smiled. " And you realize, if I didn't know you, I wouldn't care so much." She stood up, shoving hands into pockets. " We can discuss this more over dinner, you know, " she suggested.

Nicole nearly accepted. God knows she wanted to. But she looked at the endless assortment of paperwork on her desk and shook her head. " Can't. I have at least two hours of work still."

Jake nodded. " Maybe another time, then."

Their eyes met, and Nicole went back, back two months ago, high up in the mountains. Those eyes had pulled her in, had consumed her. They were threatening to do that again. With difficulty, she looked away, making a show of straightening the papers on her desk.

" Can I ask you something? "

Nicole nodded.

" Are you... afraid of me? "

" Afraid? Of course not."

" Maybe embarrassed? "

Nicole opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again. What could she say? Yes, she was embarrassed. That wanton, insatiable woman who had begged Jake to take her one last time, then one more... was simply not her. She didn't do that. So, yes, she was embarrassed.

" Jake, I wish I could forget what happened. Obviously, the chances of us meeting again were very, very slim. But what happened between us, that's just not me. I don't do things like that." Nicole finally dared to meet Jake's eyes. " So I would appreciate it if we could just pretend that it never happened. I certainly don't want to talk about it."

Jake smiled. " I see. Embarrassed and ashamed." Jake walked closer, her eyes never leaving Nicole's. " But you know what? The time we spent together was far too incredible for me to want to forget it. Because I can still hear you scream, " Jake finished in a whisper.

Nicole's breath caught and, with difficulty, she swallowed, finally pulling her eyes away. She sat up straighter, determined to forget. " I have a lot of work to do, Detective McCoy. If you don't mind."

Jake smiled at Nicole's obvious discomfort and decided she'd play along with her and pretend that just being in her presence didn't conjure up all kinds of delicious memories. " Okay, Doctor Westbrook. If you could just ask Catherine to get me the list? "

" Of course. Good night, Detective, " she said, as she reached for the phone, instructing Catherine.

Jake noticed the frown on Catherine's face as she hung up the phone. No, this woman was not used to giving out information.

" I promise, it won't get into the wrong hands, " Jake said, as she perched on the familiar corner of Catherine's desk. " But three of the people on the list you're about to give me have been murdered. I've got to find a connection before it happens again."

" I don't know what kind of influence you have over her, but she has never, ever given out information before, " Catherine said disapprovingly.

" I don't have any influence over her. Perhaps she recognizes the importance of these names."

Catherine only shrugged, her mouse clicking away. Finally, she sat back, waiting as the printer began churning out pages.

" How many? "

" Forty-seven women."

" Damn." Jake waited patiently, watching the printer. Then she glanced at Catherine, smiling when the woman met her eyes. " How long have you worked for Dr. Westbrook? "

" A long time, " she said evasively.

Ah. Protective, Jake guessed. But, what the hell? " Is she... seeing anyone? " Jake asked quietly.

Catherine smiled. " Nicole sees a lot of people."

Jake shrugged. " Okay. Is she... romantically involved with anyone? How's that? "

" Why do you want to know? "

Jake lost her patience, grabbing at the papers on the printer. " Forget it. Thanks for the list, Catherine." Jake walked quickly to the door, but stopped when Catherine called to her.

" Dr. Westbrook is single, Detective." She grinned slightly. " But you didn't hear it from me."

Jake winked. " Thanks."

Nicole tried to work. She really did. But transcribing her notes was proving to be a chore tonight, especially since she couldn't get Jake out of her mind. " I can still hear you scream."

" Good Lord, " she murmured. She tossed her pen down and leaned her head back, eyes squeezed shut. Yes, she could still recall her screams, too.

A quick knock on her door, and Catherine stuck her head in. " Heading out." Then Catherine moved into the room. " Are you okay? "

" I'm fine. Tired, " Nicole said.

" Why don't you call it a night? It's nearly six."

" I am so behind on these notes, that's why. If I don't get them in while they're still fairly fresh, I never will."

" Okay. But don't stay all night. We've got group tomorrow. That makes you cranky enough."

" I won't." As Catherine turned to leave, Nicole called her back. " Did Detective McCoy get the list okay? "

" Yes, she did. There were forty-seven names on it, though. I think that threw her."

" She has this crazy idea that someone's killing women who have been referred from the crisis center to us."

" Is it crazy? "

" Of course it is. Why would anyone want to kill these woman? They are victims several times over. There is no rhyme or reason for them to be targeted."

" Awful lot of coincidence though, Nicole."

Nicole sighed. " Yes. I suppose so." Jake's words came back to her. Was she a target?

Jake sat on one corner of her sofa, absently rubbing Cheyenne's head as she read through the list of women and their addresses. They were mostly scattered across the city. No way they could watch them all. Hell, no way they could even interview them all.

She tossed the list down and picked up her drink, taking a sip, enjoying the fire of the Scotch as she swallowed.

Well, one thing was certain. They still had shit to go on. But ultimately, if the crisis center wasn't the target, then Nicole was.