Page 50 of Deceiving Grier

“Pretty far-fetched, if you ask me,” Jett said, with a chuckle. “Maybe you should be writing fiction.”

“The idea has been suggested before,” I admitted. Grier had said pretty much the same thing, though less kindly when he learned about the Mackenzie story.

Jett snorted, but his expression quickly turned serious. “I mean, you weren’t totally wrong. The fire was weird. First the break-in, then the fire.”

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “Wait… break-in?”

“You didn’t know? Someone broke into our house and wrecked the place.”

“When?” I asked. A faint prickle crept up the back of my neck.

Jett shrugged. “Few weeks before the fire, I think. Maybe a month. I don’t remember exactly.”

“Did they take anything?”

“Not really. They trashed the place—everything was wrecked. My room got it the worst, and someone took my laptop. Not that big a deal. I really only used it for school. All my personal stuff I keep on my phone, so I didn’t lose anything important. Still, it was a hassle.”

That sounded like more than a hassle, and for the house to have been broken intoandvandalized a month before someone set it on fire sounded like a pretty strange coincidence. I could likely rule out Greyson Mackenzie having had anything to do with either event. So who did that leave, and what was the connection? Who would break into a house rented by students, trash the place, and only steal a laptop? A lot of work for little reward. Who would set fire to the same house a few weeks later, nearly killing one of the occupants, and why?

I had no answer.

“What did the police say?” I asked.

Jett snorted. “Not a lot. I don’t think they took it too seriously. They kept asking who we were dating and if we’d had any ugly breakups. I’m pretty sure they thought an angry ex was responsible, but Alistair was the only one seeing anybody—seriously, at least—and Finn sure as hell wouldn’t have trashed our place.”

Jett fished his phone out of his pants pocket, looked down at the screen before typing something, then returned his phone to his pocket.

“I should probably get going,” he said, standing.

“You going to The Dunes?” Probably a dumb question. It was Saturday night after all. Where else would Jett go?

He nodded. “I’m meeting the guy from the bookstore.”

He’d been seeing someone for a few weeks now, whom he’d met while working at the university bookstore. They’d gone out a few times, but Jett hadn’t brought him around the house. Grier had doubted Jett was serious about the guy. He was rarely serious about anyone.

“Did you want to come?” he asked, brightly.

“So, I can stand around watching you and the bookstore guy make out?” I shook my head. “Nah, I’m good. Grier’s calling me later, anyway.”

He and his team were at an away game overnight. He’d texted me earlier to let me know they’d won, and he was going out for drinks with the guys. He planned to call me when he got back to the hotel, but I didn’t expect to hear from him for another few hours yet.

“Did they win?” Jett asked, concern marring his usually affable expression.

“Yeah. They made the playoffs.”

“Good,” Jett said with a sigh. “I’ll be glad when the season’s over, and he doesn’t have to worry so much about his scholarship.”

I nodded, relieved that I wasn’t the only one who noticed and didn’t like the way Grier took his team’s losses on himself, obsessing over his every mistake.

“Tell him I said congratulations when you talk to him,” Jett said, making his way to the front door. He flashed me a quick grin. “I probably won’t be home tonight. So don’t wait up.”

After Jett left, I switched off the television, stood and made my way to the study, replaying the conversation we’d had in my head. I flicked on the lamp at the corner of the desk and sat down in front of my computer. I should have finished up the assignment I’d started working on earlier, but I already knew I wouldn’t be able to focus. The prickle at the back of my neck had morphed into a low hum just beneath my skin.

I couldn’t stop thinking about everything Jett had said about the break-in and the fire. Could both incidents just be coincidences, each completely unconnected to the other? Two separate events that had nothing to do with each other?

I didn’t believe it, but my instincts had been wrong before. My assumptions about Greyson Mackenzie, Grier and Jett were obvious proof of just how off my gut feelings could be.

What could the break-in and the fire have in common aside from the destruction of property and a close timeline? Not much that I could see.

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