Page 92 of Reading Between the Lines
“Noel. She didn’t talk highly of Weston either. Kept mentioning him stealing her ideas.”
“I don’t think that’s grounds to kill him.”
“Probably not, but it could have invoked a fight. There’s Chett, too,” I said, remembering the kennel and Echo. “And it was his dad out in the woods with a rifle.”
Tallus’s face turned contemplative. “Why do you think Chett’s father was out there? It’s not his property.”
I rolled some ideas around and shook my head. “I don’t know. Unless he suspects his kid is up to no good and did something wrong. He could be protecting Chett’s secret.”
“But what would Chett have against Weston? Apparently, they were best friends.”
“Chett seems more loyal to… Fuck me. To Loyal. He strikes me as the type who would abandon a long-term friendship if it meant being popular, and for some fucking reason, Loyal seems to be the top dog in that group. The one to impress. Chett might even do the popular kid’s dirty work if asked because he’s desperate to be one of the cool kids.”
“And you think Loyal wasn’t a fan of Weston.”
“I guarantee it.”
“Why?”
“No clue, but the way he acts with his sister makes me think he didn’t like Weston getting cozy with her.”
Tallus stole the last strawberry from the tray and popped it into his mouth. “Is that it?”
“Atlas. I’d like to have another word with that fucker. I have a feeling we can press him for more information. That kid has no loyalties to anyone.”
“Do you think he knows what happened?”
It was my turn to consider. “Maybe. I have a hunch he doesn’t know for sure, but I think he suspects.”
Tallus clicked his tongue in a familiar way. He did it when he thought hard. “So what do you want to do?”
“Find out who dropped a goddamn tree on me and rearrange their face.”
It wasn’t exactly a joke, and Tallus didn’t laugh. Sorrow pinched his features as he stared at my bruised shoulder. “The question is, who could have done that, D? It’s no easy feat scaling a tree and rigging it to come down on us. It must have been while we were in the woods, investigating the cabin. If it was a warning, then who’s warning us?”
I picked through options as I scowled at the leftover cold scrambled eggs. Tallus was right. Whoever had done it was skillful, smart, and efficient. “We were in the woods for close to forty minutes.”
“During school hours.”
“That doesn’t fucking matter. Kids skip all the time.”
“Did that seem like something a teenager could do?”
“Not alone, but as a group… Two or three of them…” Or were we looking at an adult? A crazy man and his dog, hell-bent on keeping us away from the cabin. Why? To protect his son? Chett was lower on my list of suspects, but not if he’d become Loyal’s grunt.
I covered the breakfast tray and moved it aside with a grumble of pain. “I need a fucking shower. Delaney’s sorting out a rental for us. We can pick it up in an hour. We have a handful of kids to interview.”
“They’re in school until three.”
“Nicholas isn’t. Let’s head back to the kennel and find out what he knows about Chett’s relationship with the twins. I’d also like to know what the fuck his old man has been doing on Abercrombie’s property. If Nicholas doesn’t know, he sure as hell can find out for us.”
With a plan for the day, I focused on how exactly I would make it happen. Getting out of bed was the first step. Showering was the second. If I could manage both tasks, I would consider it a win.
I hadn’t been bullshitting Tallus. The joint was more mobile that morning, if not stiff from swelling. As much as I wanted another hefty swig of whiskey, I left the bottle on the bedside table and rolled my aching ass out of bed with a slurry of curses.
Tallus hovered like he wanted to help but was afraid to offer. When my knees trembled, he held out a hand. I took it and let him guide me to the bathroom. He ran the water until it was warm and pulled the curtain, starting the shower.
“Want me to leave?”
