Page 15 of See You Again
She gave him a sarcastic look. “Okay, let’s start with why do you think it was thallium?”
James’s shoulders relaxed a little. “The deceased was tested for other poisons and toxins during his illness. But only a basic toxicology panel. Dahlia, Luke’s girlfriend, listens to your podcast and recognized some similarities between the case on your show and my… client’s.”
He pushed his glass forward and nodded at Annie. “I know it has to be ingested, but in the last weeks of his life, the deceased only ingested food and drink prepared by someone he trusted.”
“That’s why poison is so insidious.” Her lips pinched, and she spun her glass in her hands. “Most victims are poisoned by someone they trust. You don’t suspect someone you love to hand you a smoothie laced with something toxic. Thallium doesn’t have to be ingested though. It can even be absorbed through the skin.” She paused. “Is Lia Everton really a fan of my show? Sorry, you called her Dahlia.” Cami’s voice was a little too casual for it to be an innocent question about Luke’s movie star girlfriend.
James ignored it. “Mrs. Woodson, the deceased’s housekeeper, is the one who brought us the information. She prepared his meals. If she were the poisoner, she would never have mentioned her concerns.”
“Good point. So not through the food and drink.” Cami traced the rim of the glass with her fingertip again, her plump lips pursed. “There have been cases where the victim continued to be poisoned even while in the hospital. Or, it could be that enough of the heavy metal had already been administered before the victim suspected something, and the damage was done. With long-term, low-dose exposure, it’s possible the victim’s organs were too damaged to recover, even if he was no longer exposed to the poison. It’s irreversible after a point.”
Her dark brows knit between her eyes. “Wait. The housekeeper brought it to whose attention? You said our?” She leaned closer, and he caught another delectable whiff of the warm orange and cinnamon scent he’d always associated with her. Only Cami would permanently smell like Christmas.
“That doesn’t sound like a client who was accused of murder. Are you talking about someone you know?”
Damn. He’d forgotten how perceptive she was.
“I’m not sure it’s a good idea to talk about this in public.” She tipped her head at the people around them.
James’s lips thinned. She was right. A group of young men had migrated down the bar, crowding close behind her. She glanced over her shoulder at them and then hopped down from her chair.
“Do you want to get together for a coffee? I can tell you everything I know about poison.” Her lips tipped up in an adorable lopsided smile.
The sudden undeniable urge to keep her there swept through him. He didn’t want her to go, and despised the fact she still had that effect on him. But Cami was right. This wasn’t the time or place. Besides, he needed to remember his interest in her was solely to do with finding out what happened to his father.
Clamping down on his tongue to keep from saying something he’d regret, James fished inside his suit jacket for a business card.
“Here, give me your phone.” Cami extended her hand, palm up.
To his surprise, James handed it over and ignored the spurt of excitement when her phone dinged with a text message as she passed it back.
“There, now you have my number.” Her teeth caught at the corner of her lip. “I’m happy we ran into each other.”
Conflicting emotions skated across her eyes. She didn’t want to leave any more than he wanted her to go.
James held her gaze, and in an instant it was as if the years since he’d last seen her hadn’t happened. The betrayal.
What would have happened that night if he hadn’t heard her talking to her friends?
“Me, too,” James rasped.
“So… um… goodnight.” Cami turned without looking, her eyes still on his, and collided with a server carrying a tray of glassware.
With a yelp of horror, the server lost his grip on the tray, and the contents of several pink cocktails, and what looked like a pitcher of sangria, showered over her.
Cami’s jaw dropped as rivulets of pink ran down her face.
“I’m so sorry!”
Annie passed over a bar towel, glaring at the horrified server.
Cami gingerly sponged at her face and dress with a grimace. “Well. That’s the perfect end to this night.”
And then she laughed.
A loud, full sound that sent warmth wrapping around his heart, a blow against the walls he’d so carefully built.
With a sigh, Cami handed the towel back to Annie. “This will be fun to explain to the Lyft driver.”