“That must have been difficult for you to hear,” Finn said. His green eyes were so intense she found it impossible to look away.
“It was,” she admitted. “I’m sure the driver was texting behind the wheel, since a few witnesses mentioned noticing erratic driving. To think that a text message cost my sister her life makes me so mad.”
Finn nodded but didn’t ask anything further. Eva’s initial annoyance faded as she looked at Finn. Dressed in his uniform, he was handsome enough to make her wish for a cure for her retinitis pigmentosa.
But that was akin to longing for the end to world hunger, so she did her best to pull her gaze away. Finn was good-looking enough to have any woman he wanted. He wouldn’t be interested in a woman who would be declared legally blind in a few years.
“Listen, I need to get back to headquarters. I still have paperwork to write up about Cocoa’s kidnapping and the attempt on you. Is there anything else you need before I go?”
The thought of him leaving brought a flash of panic, but she did her best not to show it. Remembering the hard grasp of the raspy guy’s fingers against her arm made her shiver despite the warmth. She forced a casual smile. “Um, no, I don’t think so. Thanks for lunch and, well, for everything you’ve done for us.”
“You’re welcome.” Finn stared at her for a moment, then reached for his phone. “Do you mind taking down my personal cell number? I’d like yours, too. You know, in case we find someone who matches the sketch.”
Eva wasn’t holding out much hope for the sketch but readily agreed to take Finn’s number. “Of course.”
They exchanged cell numbers quickly, then Finn called Abernathy over. “Eva, don’t hesitate to call if you need something, okay?”
“I won’t. Oh, I need to get Mikey’s car seat out of your SUV.”
“Leave it,” Finn said. “What time do you work in the morning? I’ll stop by and pick you and Mikey up, so you don’t have to walk or use the subway.”
His offer was sweet. “Are you sure? I hate to take you out of your way.”
“I’m sure.”
“Okay, then. I usually try to get to work by seven thirty in the morning. The preschool opens at seven.”
“I’ll meet you here at seven, then. That way you’ll still get to work on time.”
She nodded and watched as Finn took Abernathy outside and put him in the back of the SUV. After sliding behind the wheel, he backed out of the driveway and was gone before she could think of an excuse that would allow him to stay.
Reminding herself of her goal to remain independent, Eva locked the door and returned to the playroom to spend time with Mikey.
But as the hours dragged by, she found it impossible to concentrate. She made spaghetti for dinner and then gave Mikey his bath before tucking him into Pete’s bed, using the master suite because she was leery of the trellis.
Too wired to sleep, Eva moved through the rest of the house, going from window to window, peering into the darkness to make sure no one was out there. A mostly futile effort, since her eyesight was especially limited in the darkness.
People walked briskly along the sidewalks, and she did her best to catch a glimpse of them as they moved beneath the streetlight. From what she could tell, there was no sign of the stinky guy or raspy guy anywhere.
But the two men followed her into her dreams, turning them into nightmares, and her throat was raw from her silent screams.
* * *
At headquarters, Finn finished up his paperwork, then quickly performed a background check on Malina Kendall-Stallings to see if there could be any possible link between the attempts on Eva and the dead woman. He came up empty. Eva’s older sister had a clean record.
He squelched a flash of guilt for thinking the worst about her. As a cop, he wouldn’t be doing his job if he didn’t follow up on every possible lead. Yet he could understand why Eva had got upset with him. Her sister had been the innocent victim of a tragic hit-and-run accident. From the 110th Precinct officers, he’d easily validated that there had been no indication of foul play.
So what if she’d been fired from the guide dog training center? That didn’t mean she was involved in anything criminal. He needed to stay focused on finding Cocoa and the men responsible for the assaults against Eva.