"I know everything about you," Chrissy Spencer slammed her hands against Knox's desk, causing the balls in his Newton's Cradle to shake.
Knox gritted his teeth together. Chrissy held a strong resemblance to her sister Jessica. Seeing her reminded Knox of his cheating ex-fiancée.
Knox reached his hand out to stop the Newton's cradle. "Chrissy, I've told you before not to come here."
"What? Are you afraid everyone will find out the truth?" Chrissy hissed.
"You need to see a therapist, not barge into my office."
Chrissy's mouth curled in disgust. "You think I won't find out what happened to Jessica but you're wrong. I'll find out."
"And here I thought you already knew what happened to her," Knox muttered.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Didn't you say I killed her?"
"You—"
A knock at the door interrupted them. Gloria, Knox's secretary, opened the door slightly. "Mr. Knox, you told me to tell you when she arrived."
"Good. Have Nessa come in."
Gloria gave Chrissy a worried look before nodding and backing away from the door.
"I haven't introduced you," Knox said.
"To who?"
"My new girlfriend." Knox grinned as the heavy door swung open. Nessa stomped in, her head turned back towards Gloria.
"I'm only a little late, Gloria. Haven't you ever heard of sticking up for a co-worker?" Nessa whispered.
She turned to see Knox and Chrissy watching her. Nessa cleared her throat and straightened her shoulders. "You asked to see me?"
"Yes. This is Chrissy Spencer, she's Jessica's sister. Have I introduced you two before?"
Nessa frowned and Chrissy glowered at both of them.
"Chrissy believes I killed her sister," Knox said. "She may try and warn you I'm not someone to be trusted and I'm not safe."
Nessa's eyes jumped from Chrissy to Knox. "Okay..."
"Nessa," Knox said, turning to Chrissy. "Talks to ghosts."
"Are you mocking me right now?" Chrissy practically growled.
Nessa shook her head "I don't think you should be—"
"Nessa, tell her what you told me about Jessica. What you've been telling me about her," Knox demanded, his eyes still on Chrissy.
"I really don't think—"
"Ask Jessica if I killed her."
"You're a piece of work," Chrissy whispered.
"No, I want to be done with this. You keep hanging around me like some annoying fly. Don't you get it? I had nothing to do with Jessica's disappearance. You think she's dead? Well here's a medium. Ask her how she died! Ask her if I killed her."
"Shut up," Chrissy mumbled. "Stop it. Just stop it."
"Why? It's okay for you to come marching in here like you own the place to throw idiotic accusations at me. Isn't it time you really found out the truth?"
"You're lying. She's not a medium." Chrissy was backing away from Knox's stony gaze.
"I've told you before. It doesn't work like that," Nessa said. "I'm not a phone operator who can get whoever you want on the line with you."
Knox ignored her and continued staring at Chrissy. "Did you send Jessica's ring to the police?"
Chrissy's face paled.
Knox sneered. "I've put up with you long enough. I don't know what happened to Jessica. You can't come here and throw a tantrum because you're hurting. I don't want to see your damned face again. You got that?"
Chrissy flinched at his tone. "You can't—"
"I stopped caring what happened to Jessica a long time ago. I couldn't care less about you. The next time you so much as utter my name past your lips, my attorneys will be all over your ass to sue you for defamation. Am I making myself clear?"
An audible gasp from Nessa went unheard. Tears sprung at the corner of Chrissy's eyes as she bolted past Nessa and out the door. Knox leaned back in his leather seat and closed his eyes.
"Don't ever do that again," Nessa snapped.
"Do what?"
"Use me to scare someone else."
"I didn't use you. She didn't even believe me."
"Yes, you did. You know I can't just call on Jessica like that."
"Whatever. You can go now," he said waving his hand in the air.
"Why were you purposely cruel to her?" Nessa asked.
"You don't understand."
"Explain it to me so I do."
"Chrissy is an annoyance. She's always accused me of hurting her sister. Sometimes I wonder..."
"Wonder what?"
"I wonder if Chrissy knows more than she's letting on. "
"Why do you say that?"
Knox shrugged. "Chrissy claims I murdered her sister but she's always hanging around me. Sometimes I feel like she's doing it on purpose."
"And what does she get out of that?" Nessa asked. "Other than looking crazy."
"She gets to see me."
Nessa's stomach turned at the idea. "You think she's making up accusations to get closer to you?"
"Yes, I believe so."
Nessa pulled out her phone and took a picture of him.
"What was that for?"
Nessa stared at the phone in her hand. "I wanted to take a picture off the most conceited man I know."
"I'm serious," Knox said. "Chrissy has always been a bit of a brat but I used to think she was adorable. Then I asked her sister to marry me and things changed."
"How so?"
"She stormed in here and told me Jessica was cheating on me."
"Why would she do that?" Nessa asked, taking a seat across from his desk.
"She wanted me to break up with Jessica. When I told her I wouldn't, she became furious. She started calling me an idiot and other names. That's when I realized it."
"What?"
"That all this time I had been looking at Chrissy as a little sister, but she was looking at me as something more. She was in love with me and she said so. That was one of the most uncomfortable conversations I had in my life."
"That's so sad." Nessa gazed at Knox who was staring at his hands.
"I never led her on. At least I didn't think I had. She cried before storming out just like she did today. Sadly enough, Chrissy was telling the truth about Jessica cheating."
"You don't think she had anything to do with Jessica's disappearance, do you?" Nessa asked.
"No, I don't think so. At least I hope not," Knox admitted. "But what if she's the one who's going around killing women who are somehow connected to me?"
"It's possible," Nessa said. "And if that's true and you just introduced me as your girlfriend, then I really need to be on my guard."
"Yes, that's true."
Nessa rolled her eyes. "Well you're my bodyguard so be ready to jump in front of me in case she comes running at me with a knife."
"I doubt she'd do that."
"You never know what a scorned woman in love will do. Or a desperate woman for that matter."
"No, she can't be a killer. Despite her infatuation with me, she's a good girl."
"You say that now, but—"
"No, I'm right about this. Chrissy wouldn't have murdered her sister," Knox said, raising a hand to end the discussion.
"If you say so." Nessa stood up. "Just remember."
"What?"
She opened the door to his office and looked over her shoulder. "No cheating on me. Even if we're in a fake relationship."
Her remark caused the corner of his mouth to lift. "How could I forget after the way you kissed me."
"That was called acting," Nessa growled.
"I'll practice with you as much as you'd like. We can have dinner first," Knox suggested.
"Like a date?" Nessa asked.
"If you want to call it that." he looked away while pondered his auggestion. His phone rang. He held up a finger, telling her to wait, and answered the phone. When the other person spoke, his eyes widened and he waved Nessa close.
"Who is it?" she mouthed.
"Edward Cruz," Knox said. "Yes, sir. I know exactly who you are. Your daughter is standing right in front of me."