Second Honeymoon

Chapter 69

THE NEWS REPORT? The fact she was now here in my house? It would’ve been flat-out redundant to ask what division she was with at the Bureau.

Still, “I’m assuming the BAU isn’t making house calls to everyone named John O’Hara in this country, are they?” I asked.

“No,” she said. “It’s just you, I’m afraid.”

More afraid than I should be?

We sat down at the kitchen table, and I watched as she reached for her shoulder bag and pulled out items as though it were the first day of school. Notepad. Pen. Folder. There was one thing I knew she wouldn’t have on her, however.

“My file…DNR?” I asked.

“DNC, too,” she answered. “You’re quite famous.”

“Infamous is more like it.”

“Self-deprecating, see?”

When your file is marked both “do not remove” and “do not copy,” chances are you’ve managed to FTU a few times over the years.

Fuck things up.

“So you’ve obviously seen the news report,” she began. “There’s a guy out there killing John O’Haras and only John O’Haras.”

“Except the news report didn’t say anything about the killer’s gender, and you just did. A guy. You know who he is?”

“Not only that, I’ve met him. Had a beer with him, in fact. Long story.”

“How romantic. Have I met him, too?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “I’m sure of one thing, though. He really—and I mean really—must not like you.”

“Why’s that?” I asked.

“Something to do with his sister’s death.”

My mind immediately kicked into overdrive as every case I ever worked flashed before me like a slide show on steroids. There were a few possibilities, but something in my gut was pointing to a single name. Hell, I’d just been reminded of her only minutes before, with Dr. Papenziekas.

Talk about something in my gut. She was pure poison, up and down, all around. It still hurt just saying her name.

“Nora?” I asked. “He’s the brother of Nora Sinclair?”