Page 74 of Skeletons in the Closet

What the fuck?Where was he going?

I flipped my attention back to Tallus, who was still pretending to chat on the phone as he returned to the gathering, the empty latte cup in hand as though he was enjoying a hot drink.

The man from the shadows was gone. My heart skipped a beat, and I whipped my gaze left and right, certain he was sneaking up behind Tallus from somewhere out of sight.

I couldn’t find him. He was nowhere to be seen.

“Shit.”

I spun, scanning the gathering, the streets, the harbor front, and the parking lots in the distance. No one fit his vague description. Everyone at the vigil held lit candles in the air while Olivia recited poetry. Tears rolled down several people’s faces. Sean’s kids were crowded around the older couples’ legs.

Then, the group broke out in song.

Where had the guy gone?

“God fucking dammit.” I broke free from the vigil and took long strides toward Tallus, who was flawlessly acting a scene, unaware we’d lost both the stranger by the building and Sean in a matter of seconds.

Tallus frowned when he saw me barreling toward him. His steps faltered.

I snagged his arm as I raced passed, spinning him toward the Jeep, nearly hauling him off his feet with the momentum.

“Whoa, Guns. Easy. What the hell?” Tallus almost lost his phone but saved it at the last second, stuffing it in his coat pocket.

“Hurry up. Sean left. I want to see if I can find him and follow him.”

“What?” Tallus glanced back at the vigil. “Where’d he go?”

“I don’t know. Around the corner up there. And the guy near the building noticed him and fucking vanished while my back was turned.”

“He what?” Tallus whipped his head around, stumbling to keep up since I hadn’t let go of his arm and was practically dragging him along at top speed. “But he was there a second ago. I saw him.”

“And now he’s gone.”

“Where’d he go?”

“No fucking idea.”

We got into the Jeep and scanned again to see if I could see the man who’d been nearby. No sign of him. I decided to go after Sean and revved the engine, throwing it in drive.

“Did you get a look at the other guy?” I asked as I took the corner where Sean had vanished.

“Kind of. White. Forties. He was covered. Wore a silly hat like you, so I couldn’t get his hair color.”

“It’s not silly.”

“It’s a little silly. No one wears fedoras anymore. Well, except you and that guy.”

I growled.

“Anyhow, I’ve never seen him before. He was dressed nicely. Black trousers. Shiny black dress shoes. Seemed professional. Ithought maybe you guys were part of the same fedoras-are-us club. I didn’t ask for his card.”

“You’re not funny.”

“I’m not sure I value your opinion on funny. Do you ever laugh? Scratch that. Do you ever smile?”

“Stop talking. Look.” In the distance, I recognized Sean’s sleek BMW as it left a public parking structure and turned onto the street.

“That’s Sean’s car.” Tallus pointed. “Mr. Money Bags.”

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