Let Me In by Adam Nicholls (best romantic novels in english txt) 📖

The press room at the Metropolitan Police precinct was a sea of journalists in neat rows that reminded Morgan of his wife’s HUCINS events. Only this crowd was a more hungry, selfish one that would probably sacrifice their own mothers if it meant getting to ask the first question.

Emma, who sat beside him on a panel up front, had been instructed by the police to keep her answers brief and to the point. Certain details about Nick Hansen were yet to be revealed, and Morgan saw hilarious irony in that; the same people keeping cards close to their chests didn’t even have the whole scoop.

But Morgan did.

He knew everything the police did, and then some. The responsibility was monstrous—keeping information like Emma and Nick’s relationship a secret was an obstruction of police justice, but as Gary kept pointing out, there was still value in vigilante justice. After all, it was him who’d hired Morgan, and he’d done so only to be a part of this so-called justice.

Where was this justice, anyway?

Morgan hadn’t seen any.

Not yet.

While Emma Cole responded to a barrage of questions from young and insensitive journalists, Morgan scanned the crowd. He didn’t know what he was looking for, but he did stop to wonder if the killer was out there. After the way he’d somehow gained unforced entry to the homes of his victims, and not to mention that even Emma hadn’t recognized him on that ill-fated night at HUCINS, Nick Hansen was sure to be a master of disguise. Although the cliché of it made him uncomfortable, Morgan knew it was true.

Any one of these people could be Nick Hansen.

Any of them could be the DC Carver.

When the timer reached thirty minutes, the police captain announced the end and dismissed the journalists, shuffling them out of the room while they complained as always. While they made their exit, Morgan helped Emma out of her seat and escorted her to the hallway behind the panel, where he was due to take his exit.

It already felt like goodbye.

“When will I see you again?” Emma asked, gazing up at him.

“It’s hard to say. I’ll catch you at HUCINS?”

Emma sneered. “Maybe when this is all over.”

“Right. I’m on it,” Morgan said, doubting it himself. The truth was, he had no idea where to go from here. All he could do was keep his ear to the ground and pray Gary would be there to fill in any details he missed. “What will you do?”

“Try to adjust, I guess.” Emma wrung her hands and glanced toward the far end of the corridor, where Matthew stood waiting with her coat slung over one arm. “Perhaps I’ll consider telling him the truth. He deserves to know, right?”

As much as Morgan wanted to stay out of their relationship, he couldn’t help but nod. That was seconds before Emma Cole threw her arms over his shoulders and hugged him, holding her body close to his as her chest heaved with the threat of tears.

“Take care, Mr. Young,” she said, sliding off him. “And please, find Nick Hansen.”

“I will,” he promised, watching her leave. But would he? It was tough to say. The investigation had come to a standstill, and as if he didn’t already have his doubts, Emma was barely out the door before Captain Bray stormed toward him, his gray hair flapping with the speed of his strut.

“Hey, you,” he said, pointing his finger in Morgan’s face.

Morgan stepped back.

“You’ve done your part here, but now it’s time to call it a day.”

“What do you mean?”

“I know you’ve been talking with Detective Lee about the case, and I’m sick to death of seeing you whenever I turn around. It may have escaped your notice, but police work is for the police.”

“I’m trying to help.”

“I don’t give a shit.” Bray stomped forward, knocking shoulders with Morgan before heading toward the exit Emma had used only moments ago. He walked as if the black suit he wore empowered him, making him more than a grumpy, cliché police captain. “That’s your last warning. Don’t waste it.”

Morgan opened his mouth to complain, but by then the captain was gone. Now, he was left all alone in the corridor with nothing but a head full of seemingly useless information, the sweet memory of Emma Cole’s bravery through her ordeal, and the sour recollection of the captain’s threat. No matter how much he tried to forget the latter, however, he knew it would only grow to be a larger inconvenience.

After all, he had enough problems without making the MPD his enemy.