“But you’re leaving early today.”

“Outside appointment.” Deliberately she checked her watch. She had time to spare. “Running a bit late,” she lied without qualm.

“I’ve been trying to get in touch with you.” Pressing his palm against the wall, he leaned over her. Another of his habits Tess found herself detesting. “You’d think it wouldn’t be a problem since our offices are right next door.”

Where the hell was an elevator when you needed it? “You know what schedules are like, Frank.”

“Indeed I do.” He flashed his toothpaste smile and she wondered if he thought his cologne was driving her wild. “But we all need to relax now and again, right, Doctor?”

“In our own way.”

“I have tickets to the Noel Coward play at the Kennedy Center tomorrow night. Why don’t we relax together?”

The last time, the only time, she’d agreed to relax with him, she’d barely escaped with the clothes on her back. Worse, before the tug-of-war, she’d been bored to death for three hours. “It’s nice of you to think of me, Frank.” Again she lied without hesitation. “I’m afraid I’m already booked for tomorrow.”

“Why don’t we-”

The doors opened. “Oops, I’m late.” Sending him a cheery smile, she stepped inside. “Don’t work too hard, Frank. You know what they say.”

Due to the pounding rain and traffic she ate up nearly all of her extra time driving to the station house. Strangely enough, the half-hour battle left her rather cheerful. Perhaps, she thought, because she had escaped so neatly from Frank. If she’d had the heart, and she didn’t, she would simply have told him he was a jerk and that would be the end of it. Until he pushed her into enough corners, she’d use tact and excuses.

Reaching beside her, she picked up a felt hat and bundled her hair under it. She glanced in the rearview mirror and wrinkled her nose. No use doing any repairs now. The rain would make it a waste of time. Still, there was bound to be a ladies room inside where she could dig into her bag of tricks and come out looking dignified and professional. For now she was just going to look wet.

Pushing open the door of the car, Tess grabbed her hat with one hand and made a dash for the building.

“Check this out.” Ben halted his partner on the steps leading to headquarters. They watched, heedless of the rain, as Tess jumped over puddles.

“Nice legs,” Ed commented.

“Damn. They’re better than Lowenstein’s.”

“Maybe.” Ed gave it a moment’s thought. “Hard to tell in the rain.”

Still running, head down, Tess dashed up the steps and collided with Ben. He heard her swear before he took her shoulders, pulling her back just far enough to get a look at her face.

It was worth getting wet for.

Elegant. Even with rain washing over it, Ben thought of elegance. The slash of cheekbones was strong, high enough to make him think of Viking maidens. Her mouth was soft and moist, making him think of other things. Her skin was pale, with just a touch of rose. But it was her eyes that made him lose track of the glib remark he’d thought to make. They were big, cool, and just a bit annoyed. And violet. He’d thought the color had been reserved for Elizabeth Taylor and wildflowers.

“Sorry,” Tess managed when she got her breath back. “I didn’t see you.”

“No.” He wanted to go on staring, but managed to bring himself around. He had a reputation with women that was mythical. Exaggerated, but based on fact. “At the rate you were traveling, I’m not surprised.” It felt good to hold her, to watch the rain cling to her lashes. “I could run you in for assaulting an officer.”

“The lady’s getting wet,” Ed murmured.

Until then Tess had only been aware of the man who held her, staring at her as though she’d appeared in a puff of smoke. Now she made herself look away and over, then up. She saw a wet giant with laughing blue eyes and a mass of dripping red hair. Was this a police station, she thought, or a fairy tale?

Ben kept one hand on her arm as he pushed open the door. He’d let her inside, but he wasn’t going to let her slip away. Not yet.

Once in, Tess gave Ed another look, decided he was real, and turned to Ben. So was he. And he was still holding her arm. Amused, she lifted a brow. “Officer, I warn you, if you arrest me for assault, I’ll file charges of police brutality.” When he smiled, she felt something click. So he wasn’t as harmless as she’d thought. “Now, if you’ll excuse me-”

“Forget the charges.” Ben kept his hand on her arm. “If you need a ticket fixed-”

“Sergeant-”

“Detective,” he corrected. “Ben.”

“Detective, I might take you up on that another time, but at the moment I’m running late. If you want to be helpful-”

“I’m a public servant.”

“Then you can let go of my arm and tell me where to find Captain Harris.”

“Captain Harris? Homicide?”

She saw the surprise, the distrust, and felt her arm released. Intrigued, she tilted her head and removed her hat. Pale blond hair tumbled to her shoulders. “That’s right.”

Ben’s gaze skimmed the fall of hair before he looked back at her face. It didn’t fit, he thought. He suspected things that didn’t fit. “Dr. Court?”

It always took an effort to meet rudeness and cynicism with grace. Tess didn’t bother to make it. “Right again-Detective.”

“You’re a shrink?”

She gave him back look for look. “You’re a cop?”

Each might have added something less than complimentary if Ed hadn’t burst out laughing. “That’s the bell for round one,” he said easily. “Harris’s office is a neutral corner.” He took Tesss arm himself and showed her the way.

Flanked on either side, Tess walked down the corridors. Now and then a voice barked or a door opened and closed hollowly. The sound of phones ringing came from everywhere at once; they never seemed to be answered. Rain beat against the windows to add a touch of gloom. A man in his shirtsleeves and overalls was mopping up a puddle of something. The corridor smelled strongly of Lysol and damp.

It wasn’t the first time she’d been in a police station, but it was the first time she’d come so close to being intimidated. Ignoring Ben, she concentrated on his partner.

“You two always travel as a pair?”

Genial, Ed grinned. He liked her voice because it was pitched low and was as cool as sherbet on a hot Sunday afternoon. “The captain likes me to keep an eye on him.”

“I’ll bet.”

Ben made a sharp left turn. “This way-Doctor.”

Tess slanted him a look and moved past him. He smelled of rain and soap. As she stepped into the squad room, she watched two men drag out a teenage boy in handcuffs. A woman sat in a corner with a cup in both hands and wept silently. The sounds of arguing poured in from out in the hall.

“Welcome to reality,” Ben offered as someone began to swear.

Tess gave him a long steady look and summed him up as a fool. Did he think she’d expected tea and cookies? Compared to the clinic where she gave her time once a week, this was a garden party. “Thank you, Detective…”

“Paris.” He wondered why he felt she was laughing at him. “Ben Paris, Dr. Court. This is my partner, Ed Johnson.” Taking out a cigarette, he lit it as he watched her. She looked as out of place in the dingy squad room as a rose on a trash heap. But that was her problem. “We’ll be working with you.”

“How nice.” With the smile she reserved for annoying shop clerks, she breezed by him. Before she could knock on Harris’s door, Ben was opening it.

“Captain.” Ben waited as Harris pushed aside papers and rose. “This is Dr. Court.”

He hadn’t been expecting a woman, or anyone so young. But Harris had commanded too many women officers, too many rookies, to feel anything but momentary surprise. The mayor had recommended her. Insisted on her, Harris corrected himself. And the mayor, no matter how annoying, was a sharp man who made few missteps.