Page 74 of Wild Justice

As far as she knew, her mom and dad didn’t know yet. They should still be in the middle of the Caribbean basking in the sunshine, drinking tropical cocktails, and playing shuffleboard. They could hear all about it when they returned from vacation.

By then, they might know more about how Allie Baker had managed to pull it off. The woman wasn’t talking much at that moment, still protesting that she was innocent. She’d called Lulu a few choice names, too, while being interviewed by the press.

The fact was that Lulu would have held off on arresting Allie if it had all been up to her. But Tony had been adamant that there was plenty of evidence. He assured her that the holes she was worried about were minor. No big deal. Every case had them, and eventually, they would be filled in.

“Open and shut cases are great,” Tony had said. “But you’re not going to get one every time. We have motive, means, and opportunity, Lulu. I’ve seen people convicted with far less. We found the murder weapon in her home. That’s pretty damning, if you ask me. You’ve done your job. Take the ‘W’ and be happy. This time the good guys won.”

Why didn’t it feel like a win? Was Lulu simply incapable of being happy about a human being a killer?

To quiet the voices in her mind, and get away from the nosy press, Lulu was packing her bags early the next morning to spend a weekend at the cabin. She’d invited Kai to go with her, and he’d seemed happy to have a few days to themselves.

Henry, on the other hand, had pretended to pout for a few hours. She had to admit that if she hadn’t been seeing Kai, she would have invited Henry to go with her. Maybe Chase, too.

But she was seeing Kai…

Eventually, Henry had laughed and said that he wasn’t upset at all, just busting her chops a bit. He was looking forward to having a couple of days of quiet to get a big project done for a client. She’d asked him if he was still thinking about leaving town, and he’d said that he would at some point, but that he didn’t have a date in mind. While he liked Harper, he wasn’t inclined to live there full-time. But he’d come and visit often.

Henry was a grown man, but she couldn’t help but be worried about him when she wasn’t around. He had so many demons in his life, baggage that would have ruined a lesser person. She wanted to be there for him, but she also had to live her own life. Henry would be the first person to tell her, too.

Hell, he had told her. Often. She couldn’t plan her life around his issues.

“That’s why I have therapists, Lulu. That’s not your job.”

Too often, Henry’s reaction to things was to back away from life. She liked to think that she’d helped him step away from his comfort zone every now and then.

The sound of Kai’s tires crunching on the gravel of the driveway brought her back to the present. She was supposed to be having fun this weekend. She wanted to spend some quality time alone with Kai. In bed. Out of bed. She wanted to have a deep conversation with him about life, love, and everything in between. She wanted to hold hands and stare at the lake or the fire in the fireplace for hours. She wanted to laugh and joke and be silly. Mostly, she wanted to get to know him better and figure out if she was truly falling in love.

“Ready to go?” he asked softly when she opened the door.

She’d told him that Henry would still be asleep, so they needed to be quiet.

The sun was only just now peeking over the horizon, and Lulu yawned widely before answering.

“I am. Can we stop at the coffee shop on the way out of town? I need some caffeine.”

“Good plan,” Kai approved. “I could use some coffee, too.”

Lulu was still yawning when they walked into the shop. It wasn’t all that busy yet as it was still early, but within a half an hour it was going to be hopping. They gave their order and stepped aside to wait. Chase was behind the counter helping to fill orders and gave them a wave when he saw them.

“Hi, Lulu. Kai.”

Lulu knew the voice well. It was Lisa. Henry’s ex-girlfriend? Had they ever really been boyfriend and girlfriend? It was strange to put names on relationships after a certain age. She wasn’t sure she wanted to call Kai her “boyfriend” because he wasn’t a boy. They were grownups. Was there some other name? Perhapssignificant other?Partner?

“Hi, Lisa. You’re up early this morning,” Lulu replied.

“I’m heading to visit my grandparents for a few days. They have a few things around the house they need help with. I’m glad to see you today. I was planning to leave this with Chase, but I can give it to you.”

Lisa held up a light blue wool cardigan.

“A sweater?”

“It’s Henry’s,” Lisa explained. “He left it at my place, and I’ve been wanting to return it. It looks expensive. I’m sure he’ll want it back.”

Now Lulu recognized it. She’d helped Henry pick it out a few years ago. He had to be missing it because it was one of his favorites. Henry loved his clothes, and he liked to be dressed well.

“Henry is being an idiot,” Lulu heard herself saying before she could stop the words.

Oh well, they’re out there now.

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