Read OBSESSION (The Bening Files (Novella) Book 4) for Free Online Page B

forehead. The stereotype was beyond wrong. Rough childhood didn’t equal a future life of crime.
    Then why did he have this sense of urgency humming through his system whenever Amanda’s partner was around?
    “They estimated the child was born at thirty weeks’ gestation. She spent a week in the NICU before doctors diagnosed her with a heart defect that resulted in surgery, followed by more time in the NICU.”
    “That explains the extended time spent with the state. Couples may wait years and pay a hefty fee for an adoption, but a sick child is never anyone’s first choice.”
    Even the adoptive parents they’d chosen for the fraternal twins Paige carried wanted a full work up and a million promises the pair—a boy and a girl—would be born healthy.
    The couple was an irritating combination of mushy-goo-goo love and over-exaggerated gestures that came through as one giant show. At least to him. They looked the same on paper as they did in public.
    Perfect clothes. Fancy vehicles. Hand-picked careers. Impeccable pedigrees.
    Fake.
    But, hey, that and the open adoption wasn’t his call. Not an easy decision for an adult, let alone a thirteen-year-old.
    “So what’s the issue, Robinson?”
    “If I knew, I wouldn’t need you, would I?” He shifted and instantly regretted the motion as pain crawled across his sternum. “Something isn’t ringing true.” He shuffled the pages again. Scanned incident reports involving fights that would have been considered minor had she been with her own family and not in foster care.
    “Based on what you’ve told me, I’ve got little to assess. The situation you described doesn’t have enough detail. Being in foster care could easily have as many positive implications as negative.”
    He knew this. It wasn’t good enough.
    “And being in a few fights doesn’t provide much insight either. I’d say exhibit A is average, those conflicts being pretty much par for the course with a kid in the system. Maybe she has lingering abandonment issues. Beyond that, I’m sort of grasping at really short straws.”
    “That’s helpful.” And typical of Dexter’s seeing-both-sides-to-any-argument attitude.
    It was one thing for Robinson to get info on Davis and share his suspicions with Amanda. Sharing it with Dexter? No holds barred? Well, that was either a step in the right direction or completely unwarranted and the kind of thing that ruined lives.
    “I’m not a profiler. I don’t like labeling someone who may or may not be guilty based on some facts on paper.” He paused, the silence lengthening with the background noise. “It comes down to basic human nature. What leads a person down one path, while another, with similar circumstances, goes the opposite direction? When you come up with a cookie-cutter answer for that let me know.”
    A knock sounded on his door seconds before Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jordan Bening strolled inside, folder in hand. A grim look covered his friend’s features. Robinson held up a hand. “You’re the one with the psychology degree. And a knack for being right on target about people, Dexter.” Whether he wanted to admit it or not.
    Quiescence reigned for a beat. “This isn’t for an active case?”
    Robinson tapped the edge of his desk with an index finger. “Nope.”
    “You can’t go through her life and try to foresee every single danger.”
    He could try, even if that wasn’t exactly his angle with Amanda. “She’s a little preoccupied right now, so I’m watching her back.”
    “And you’re plate isn’t full at all?”
    “Got all my ducks in a neat little row.” Epic lie of the century. Between work, his recovery and ensuring his family thrived—a.k.a Amanda slept and ate and that Paige did the same—there wasn’t time for much else.
    He hadn’t been altogether successful on either account.
    “You know, if you’re not into this thing with Paige one hundred percent—”
    “I’m in.” There was no question in his