But sex seemed to make men possessive. Maybe it made women possessive, as well, she thought as she showered, because she knew she would knock Sheila right in the head if she started making a play for Kyle again. And yet, Sheila certainly still had the right to do so. She and Kyle had come together with no expectations, no commitments. Chemistry had been brewing between them from the first, and they’d both recognized it, then acted on it. And it had been good. But that was all. They were supposed to have gotten the obsession out of the way, so that they could get on with their lives.

There was absolutely no way Madison was ever going to admit that she’d been in love with Kyle most of her life, that she was still in love with him and would always love him. He had called her a witch once. And now he thought she was great in bed. Well, what had she expected? Kyle didn’t give of his heart or his soul easily. They’d had great sex. Such words did not speak of involvement or commitment, and she was going to keep her own head level on her shoulders.

Except that he was making it so hard.

“I don’t like you staying here,” he said, shaking his head.

“I’m committed to another day’s shooting, but I’m safe with these guys, you know.”

Dressed, dark and deadly handsome in a business suit, he nodded gravely as he sipped his coffee, surveying her, his eyes very green against his bronzed skin.

“The frightening thing is that this killer is someone everybody trusts. Someone leading a dual life, walking around every day looking as normal as can be.”

“I’ll be fine. Jaime is picking me up, and I’ll have him bring me home, too. Martique will be here all day, and—” she paused, with just a sparkle of amusement in her eyes “—my dad’s alarm system is even better than my own.”

“Umm,” he murmured.

“Besides, I’m supposed to be the psychic one. The witch,” Madison reminded him. “I don’t feel any sense of danger here.”

He raised a brow, then shrugged. “I can’t explain it, but I feel really uncomfortable about this entire case.”

“Maybe,” she suggested softly, “you’ve just been at it too long.”

“Yeah,” he said lightly after a moment, “maybe I need a vacation. Anyway, I’ll leave once Jaime gets here, but I’ll be back tonight, and I’ll drive home with you tomorrow.”

“That isn’t necessary.”

“I think it is.”

Madison gave up arguing. A few seconds later, she heard Jaime beeping outside. “I’ve got to go.”

He didn’t kiss her cheek, didn’t touch her. He just nodded gravely, followed her to the door and watched as Hector stepped from the van to help her into the front passenger seat. Hector waved to Kyle, then crawled into the back, slamming the side door.

“Mucho macho, that man,” Hector said, shaking his head.

“Indeed!” agreed Michelle from the rear seat.

“He’d make a good model,” Jaime said. “Good face.”

“Great body,” Michelle added.

“He’d be good on the poster,” Hector mused. “What do you think, stepsister of mucho-macho man? Would he pose?”

“Well, we’ll all be together again at his father’s gallery opening,” Madison commented lightly. “You can always ask him.”

“You can always ask,” Jaime agreed, glancing from the road to Madison with a half smile on his lips.

“Well, that’s Sunday,” Madison said.

“Right, we have our work today,” Michelle said. “Can’t think too far ahead. But, Madison, look at you! You’re just glowing today. Don’t you think so, Hector?”

“She’s pure neon,” Hector agreed.

“You had a good night, eh? Thank God!” Michelle laughed.

“What?” Madison gasped.

Hector and Jaime laughed softly, and she knew that they hadn’t known a thing about her night until she gave herself away.

“Jaime, just drive, will you, please?”

Dan was being wonderful.

True to his word.

He let Kaila sleep, waking with the kids, getting them fed and dressed. He insisted that she make the most of his free time and go to lunch with her friends.

She played tennis, showered and joined some of her friends in the clubhouse. She didn’t have to drive anybody anywhere, so she sipped wine throughout lunch. Toward the end of the meal, the waiter brought a silver tray with a small, beautifully wrapped box on it with a gift tag bearing nothing but her name.

“A secret admirer?” Candy Fox, a petite brunette married to another of the attorneys in Dan’s office, inquired.

Kaila shook her head, smiling. “I think it’s from Dan. He’s been extra sweet lately.”

“See what it is,” suggested Tara Anderson, mother of two, part-time tennis coach at the club, and the third and final member of their lunch party.

She opened the box. Wrapped in delicate pink tissue was a pair of fragile “edible” panties. They were white chocolate with a red candy rose for the crotch. Kaila felt her face turn a million shades of pink.

“Whoa! How…how romantic!” Candy gasped. “How sexy. Boy, are you going to be getting some tonight, honey! I wish David would send me a gift like that now and then. The man is such a boob. On my birthday he goes out and buys me kitchen utensils!”

They were beginning to draw attention from nearby tables. Kaila quickly closed the box, flushing. “It’s strange….”

“What’s strange?” Tara asked her.

Kaila shrugged. “It’s just…it’s just not like Dan. He did send me flowers recently, but most of the time, well, he’s a kitchen-utensil kind of man, too.”

“Did you have a fight?” Candy asked. “You know how guys like to suck up after a fight!”

“No, not really. In a way, but it’s already over. I mean, he’s home watching the kids, being just great.”

“A man home all day with his little kids—no wonder the edible lingerie. He’s already planning to ease his frustrations!” Tara announced.

“Maybe,” Kaila murmured.

“Honey, he’s on a romantic binge! Enjoy it!” Tara advised her.

Kaila smiled suddenly. Dan was being good. So good. Twinges of guilt tore at her heart. She did act like a spoiled rich kid sometimes, thinking that the world was passing her by while she changed diapers. She prayed silently that God would forgive her; her children were so important to her! She loved them dearly, and they deserved a far more patient mother. Dan, too, was being great. Working so hard and still realizing that she needed a break. Lord, she even had Anna, for God’s sake! So many moms with little kids had no help. She had so much.

She blinked furiously, realizing how close she had come to destroying her marriage. She had been so blind and selfish that she might actually have cheated on Dan.

She sipped her coffee and smiled at Tara. “I hope he’s good and frustrated, because he’s going to have one hell of a night!” She was going to be good to him. She was going to wear her gift and make up for being such a bitch lately.

Tonight…

Including airport time, it took less than an hour to get from Key West to Miami by plane. By noon, Kyle was back at Jimmy’s office, reading and rereading the forensic reports on all the victims, hoping that something else would jump out at him.

Jimmy came in, taking a chair and staring at Kyle. “Guess what?”

“What?”

“Remember Harry Nore, derelict, bad teeth, found with your father’s Saint Christopher medal and the butcher knife that killed Lainie Adair?”

Kyle frowned. “What about him?”

“They let him go.”

“What?” Kyle demanded incredulously.

Jimmy nodded gravely. “Believe it or not,” he said in disgust, “the shrinks let him go. The doctors were supposed to let us know if they ever let him out, so they sent us a letter that we just got—but he’s been out for about six months now.”

“Six months?”

“And the murders started four months ago. All redheads, like Lainie, like you said.”

“Redheads, yeah. Like Lainie.” Kyle shook his head.

“So what do you think? Could he be doing the killings?”