Newburgh Heights, Virginia

“Somehow I never imagined you as a stalker, Morrelli.” Tully was not pleased to see the Boston A.D.A.

“I brought Maggie some flowers. She wasn’t home. I left them. Nothing strange about that.”

“Was she expecting you?”

“No, she wasn’t. Not that it’s any of your business.”

“You’re sitting in a parked car outside her house. I’m checking on her house. It’s my business.”

It had been a long day. Tully wondered if he’d be reacting differently if Emma wasn’t waiting for him just yards away. Something about needing to bring out his Glock while his daughter was in the vicinity set him on edge. He didn’t like it and he wasn’t about to let Morrelli off the hook for putting him in this position. Besides, if Morrelli was important enough to Maggie, wouldn’t she have called him? Boston was about an eight-hour drive, an hour-and-a-half flight. Not exactly a spontaneous trip just to deliver flowers.

“So you dropped off the flowers,” Tully said, leaning on the rental like he was ready for a long explanation. “Maggie’s not here. Why are you still here?”

“I saw someone go inside her house. Thought maybe I should stick around and make sure it was okay.”

Tully shook his head. Morrelli was good. Convincing. Classic good looks with an easy charm. No wonder he was an assistant D.A. Tully didn’t know him very well. The first time he met him he thought Morrelli was a bit too slick. Too good looking. Too cocky. Too incompetent. Tully and Gwen had traveled to Boston, to Suffolk County’s courthouse. Morrelli’s territory. Gwen was only supposed to interview a kid in federal custody and had almost been stabbed inside the interrogation room. Morrelli had been in charge. In Tully’s book that was reason enough for him to hold a grudge against the guy.

“So you think burglars are in the habit of bringing teenagers along?”

“Teenager? To me she looks like a pretty young woman.”

He smiled up at Tully, obviously unaware that Emma was his daughter. Tully flexed his hands, kept them from balling up into fists. It was the wrong thing for Morrelli to say. “You’ve already pissed me off, Morrelli. You’re lucky you’re not kissing concrete right now.”

“Did something happen to Maggie?” Morrelli’s eyes were suddenly serious. Maybe he finally sensed Tully’s anger was real.

“She’s fine, Morrelli. She’s out of town for the weekend. That’s all.”

Morrelli looked past Tully’s shoulder.

Tully glanced back and then spun around to find Emma with Harvey pulling her on his leash, coming up the sidewalk.

“Is everything okay, Dad?”