Page 26 of When You Least Expect It
“Can we get back to you, Mitchell, and Aunt Judy?”I asked, ready to move on from my lack of progress with Myer.“I mean, I’m all for you guys eloping, but I can also puncture holes in all of her tires on the day of the wedding.”
“And that’s what makes you my most favorite person in the world,” she sighed gratefully.“I can always count on you to help me whenever I need it.”
“Well, I’m always willing to sacrifice a little for the greater good,” I assured her.
“Let’s see if you still feel the same when Mom forces you to have a big wedding to make up for me and Mitchell eloping,” she remarked pointedly.
“Then it’s a good thing that I’m single,” I quipped.
“Not if the pie works.”
“I’m not going to start a new relationship on a foundation of deceit,” I told her primly.“What if it becomes his most favorite dessert and expects me to bake it all the time?”
“Okay, that’s a valid point,” she muttered.“But the low-cut shirt thing might still work.”
I did a quick mental rolodex of my closet and came up with nothing.“I don’t have anything sexy like that in my wardrobe.I’d have to borrow something of yours.”
“I don’t have any sexy clothing,” she informed me.“Mitchell prefers sweats and t-shirts.”
That surprised me.“Really?He does?”
“He says that it’s easier to undress me when I’m rocking the homeless look,” she replied.
“He’s got a point.”
“Okay, well...let me know if I have to run interference with your cult, and I’ll let you know if I need you to slash all of Aunt Judy’s tires,” she said, signaling that this conversation was over.
“Will do,” I replied before hanging up the phone.
After a few seconds, instead of getting back to my prep work, I grabbed my laptop, then looked up Jury Patton.While I still didn’t believe that he was dangerous, it wasn’t a bad idea to find out as much as I could about him and what they were doing across the street.Plus, armed with the names of his little cult members, maybe I could find out what their stories were.
Three hours later, my eyes were dry and scratchy, and I was borderline terrified of religion now.While I couldn’t find any personal social media accounts on Jury Patton, there’d been plenty of religious ones, and I wasn’t sure which Bible he was getting his inspiration from, but it was clearly not the King James version.
In fact, whatever it was, I was certain that there was a pentagram on the front.
Chapter 12
