r heart felt like a fist was squeezing it, tight and unforgiving. The pain was sharp, a physical thing that made it hard

planation that made any sense was that he knew. He knew how she felt about him, and he was being deliberately harsh to make her give up, to push her away. He was sh

' s name on the list of attendees. She typed back a quick reply. "Can't. Have plans." It was a lie, but the thought of sitting at a t

ased on assumptions, not facts." He then turned to Isabelle, a completely different tone in his voice. "Vance, your analysis on the informant's credibility was excellent. A model for the rest of the team." T

case file, pointing out where her logic had failed. He had been tough, but he had been a teacher. "You have potential, Maxwell," he had said. "

orward, her head resting on her arms, and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. She woke up sometime later, a chill running through her. Something was different. A heavy wool coat was draped over her