Page 57 of Shadow Sabotage
“He buys expensive coffee instead of drinking what’s in the breakroom.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re grasping at straws, Hawkins.”
“He probably can’t even ride a horse.”
She laughed out loud. “So you’ll teach him.”
“He doesn’t live here.”
This time, my sigh was real. I slumped, looking down the line of stalls to the mountains beyond. They called to me. Felt like home.
No matter how much I wanted to roam and see the world, something still tethered me to this place. But he would be moving on. And the odds of him ever coming back to Wildwood to work another case were ridiculously low.
Cheyenne sighed too. “That could be a problem. But you know, sometimes things work out. I was hesitant to get back together with Rhett because I thought he was going to be moving on, but look at us now. We’re getting married and building a life together.”
“I know.” I squeezed her hand and gave her a smile. For the first time in a while, it felt real. Vance was right. I could be truly happy for her and honor my feelings, too.
I hated feeling left behind, which was why I absolutely could not get involved with Vance. He was only here for the case. Hell, that was probably the only reason he was even being nice to me and pretending like we were real partners.
When this was over, I’d probably never hear from him again.
At precisely nine o’clock,Vance and I stood on the Evanses’ front porch, waiting for someone to come to the door. He’d briefed me on his plans on the way over. My job, for this one at least, was just to observe.
In a perfect world, Leslie would be caught off guard by our visit. But the odds of that were nearly zero. Even if Tony hadn’t called to let them know he’d been questioned, we had to assume they knew we’d connect Tony to Katelyn eventually.
When Leslie answered the door, the look on her face told me she knew exactly why we were there. “Come in,” she said, sighing. “I’ve been expecting you.”
I glanced at Vance. His face was a mask. The man would make a great poker player.
Hell, I was a great poker player, too. Just wasn’t a skill I’d ever thought to use in my job. But interviewing a mother whose son was a person of interest in a homicide case was very different. We had to tread lightly, Vance had warned.
So I followed his cue and kept my face neutral while Leslie led us through the foyer to their sitting room, fighting back the urge to laugh at the sight of her. She was wearing a ridiculously tight pencil skirt and stiletto heels so high that she wobbled on the tile floors, making me worry she’d break an ankle before all this was over.
She waved us into the sitting room with a graceful flick of the wrist. I perched on the edge of a green velvet chaise lounge, keeping my face as straight as if I were trying to bluff my way into a win against Cole and Rhett.
Leslie reminded me of one of the housewives from reality TV. She’d designed this house herself—a house that was completely out of place in Wildwood. It was like someone had picked up a mansion from some California beach town and plopped it down where it didn’t belong. She also loved that her husband held power over the town. His job wasn’t much to brag about in my opinion, but it kept Leslie at the top of the pecking order.
She loved being on top.
If I was reading her right, she wouldn’t mind being on top of Vance, either. When she sat down across from him, she kepta professional posture, with her ankles crossed and her hands folded lightly in her lap. But she ran her eyes over his body and looked at him through long lashes, giving him a seductive smile.
It took everything I had not to roll my eyes.
“I’m sure you know why we’re here,” Vance began, giving her an opening to talk.
“Yes.” She nodded. “I knew when that poor girl was found so close to us that it would open everything up again. I feel terrible for her, of course, but I hope that Tony’s connection to her can continue to be kept quiet.”
Vance ignored the plea. “What exactly can you tell me about hisconnectionto her?”
She shrugged, but her eyes flitted to the door like she was nervous. “There’s not much to tell, really. They barely knew each other. ”
A lie.
When we remained silent, she lifted her hands helplessly. “I mean, they went on a few dates. But it was never serious, and it had been over for a long time before she disappeared.”
“I understand she came here and stayed with him for Christmas break last year.”
Leslie’s lips thinned. “Well, yes, that’s true. But Tony often has friends come visit. He’s a popular guy.” She deliberately relaxed her posture. Smiled.
