Page 114 of Cold Case, Warm Hearts

Josie smiled. “Thanks anyway.” She sneaked a glance at Aspen. “I think this is a great town, but it seems like you have history here.”

“My parents did.”

“Will you go back to… Where’d you move here from?”

“Hawaii. I hadn’t planned on going back…” But why not? Her plan to see the States, to broaden her horizons, was based on nothing but a flimsy dream. She should go back to what worked. Kona worked. Kona was home. The people there were warm and friendly, unlike this cold, horrible place.

Maybe she was romanticizing Hawaii and demonizing New Hampshire. Under the circumstances, her bias felt fair.

“I came to Coventry to get a fresh start,” Josie said. “And it’s been good for me. But if I had history here? If people whispered behind my back? Sorry, but who needs that? Maybe you should go someplace where nobody’s ever heard of you or your mother.”

“Why’d you need a fresh start?”

Josie’s open expression shuttered as if she’d pulled a cord. “No particular reason.”

A lie, but Aspen didn’t call her on it. She could hardly handle her own problems.

Problems that would be solved if she’d give up this foolish investigation. Her mother was dead and gone. So was her father. Christiansen was right that Dad would never have sent her into danger, which meant Aspen had misunderstood what Dad wanted from her.

She didn’t need to be in Coventry. She didn’t need to know what had happened to her mother.

She wished she hadn’t learned what she had. Did she really think the rest of the story would bring closure? Or peace? No chance.

There was no peace to be had in Coventry, New Hampshire. Not for Aspen, anyway.

It wasn’t evennine o’clock, but Aspen slipped into her new flannel pajamas as soon as she got back to Grace’s house. She padded down the stairs in her socks and found Grace in the kitchen.

“I’m making some tea,” Grace said. “I thought it might warm you up.”

“Sounds good.” Aspen still hadn’t gotten warm after her stroll in the freezing cold weather. Grace’s car had been idling in front of the coffee shop when Josie parked. After thanking her new friend for the ride, Aspen had slipped into the passenger seat.

Though she must have had a lot of questions, Grace hadn’t asked any of them on the ride. Instead, she’d made small talkas if it were perfectly normal that Aspen’s date with Garrett had turned into a ride from a stranger.

She’d let Aspen slip upstairs the second they walked into the condo.

Now, she leaned against her kitchen counter, nibbling a granola bar. Still not asking questions.

Aspen answered the unspoken one anyway. “Garrett lied to me.”

Grace nodded.

“He pretended to care about me, but he was only spying on me for his uncle.”

That garnered a reaction. “Why would his uncle want him to spy on you?”

“That’s a good question.” Aspen sighed, the sound loud in the quiet place. “There’s a reason, but Chief Cote asked me to keep it quiet.” Aspen had given Grace the bullet points about what she was doing in town, so Grace knew about her mother and the bombing.

The kettle whistled, and Grace poured steaming water over teabags in two mugs. “I don’t know Garrett that well, but I think he’s trustworthy. He’s got a good heart.”

As if Grace could tell that just by looking at a person.

Grace seemed to read her thoughts because she added, “I’ve been told I’m insightful.”

“People can surprise you.”

Grace smiled but didn’t agree or disagree. “Sugar? Milk?”

Aspen blew across the hot liquid. “This is fine. What kind is it?”

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