Page 72 of The Inquirer

“I need to ask you a few questions,” the officer said, moving so that he was between Isaac and me. “Your name?”

“Nyx Phoenix.” I wanted to repeat my question, but I kept my attitude in check. The Huxleys didn’t deserve to suffer for me being a smartass.

He jotted down what I assumed was my name. “And you’re stayin’ here?”

“I am.” I put my hands in my pockets and wished I’d thought to wear a dress that could handle the change in weather rather than jeans. “I’m from New York.”

“The state in general or the city?”

Smart question, I’d give him that. Most people, when they heard New York assumed it was the city, even if it wasn’t specifically said.

“City.”

“How do you know Bradyn Traylor?”

It took me a moment to realize that he was asking because Bradyn and I had just arrived together and not because he was being an ass. Well, at least not all because he was being an ass. I’d wait until the conversation was done before I decided anything else about him.

“I met him when I first got to Savannah, and he recommended the ranch as somewhere for me to stay while I’m in town.”

“Where were the two of you comin’ back from just now?”

“New York.”

He raised an eyebrow. “The city again?”

“We were in Rochester first and then went to the city for a few days.”

“Why were you there?” He did a decent job of not leering at me, but it didn’t take a mind reader to know what he was thinking.

“Business.” I would’ve enjoyed seeing his surprise if the circumstances had been different. “I’m a PI, and my investigation took me to Rochester. I went to the city to stop by my place and office before coming back.”

“You’re a PI.”

I gritted my teeth and tried not to be annoyed at his surprise. “Yes. My license is in my purse.” I gestured back to where I’d left the bags. “I can get it if you want me to.”

“That won’t be necessary,” he said. “I just need to know how long you were gone.”

“We left on Tuesday afternoon and got in on the one o’clock flight today.”

He closed his notebook. “All right. I didn’t think either of you had anythin’ to do with this, but my captain would have my ass if I didn’t get your alibis.”

Okay, so maybe he wasn’t an ass.

“Can you tell me now if the cabins are covered with the same shit as the house?”

“Pretty much,” he said. “Barn too. And two of the cabins were broken into.”

I went cold. “Which two?”

“Yours and Bradyn’s.” Isaac came up behind the cop. “I don’t know how bad the damage is. I just opened the doors to make sure you two weren’t there and then waited for the cops with my parents.”

“No one was hurt?” It didn’t look like it, but I needed to know for sure.

“No.” Isaac turned his attention to the cop. “Your partner wants to talk to you.”

“Probably wants to see if our stories match,” Bradyn said as he walked over. His tone was casual, but the lines around his mouth weren’t.

“Just doin’ our job,” the cop grumbled as he headed over to his partner.

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