Page 54 of Sweet Like a Psycho (Secrets of Suburbi 2)

“Just fix her truck.”

He leaned back under the hood. “So you really don’t think she’s guilty?”

“She wasn’t involved in that fire. I’m sure of it.”

“Does this mean you’re actually done with the investigation that you were supposed to be done with last week? For real this time?”

“Yeah.”

“So…you could just stop poking around. Leave her alone and move on with your life.”

“I don’t want to move on.” I leaned against the truck. “I like her.”

“But you clearly don’t trust her or you would have just asked her about her parents and her old house yourself.”

My first reaction had been to get him to look into it. But it was only because Violet had made it pretty clear she was done talking about them earlier. She was skittish. Another sign of someone who’d been abused.

“Done.” He slammed the hood of the truck closed. “Good as new. Well, kind of.” He stared at the beat-up truck. “A little rusty for brand new, but still good. I’m going to go shower and I’ll be back for dinner. Anything else I should grab besides the wine?”

“She doesn’t drink.”

“It’ll help her loosen up. Loose lips.” He winked at me.

I thought about when she’d had Nyquil and didn’t realize there was alcohol in it. She did talk more freely, but that could have been the fever. I wanted her to open up to me naturally. Not like this. Especially with Damien around all evening. “I doubt she’ll have any. Sure you don’t want to make dinner plans with whoever you’re hooking up with right now instead?”

“Nah, I wouldn’t miss tonight for anything. I’ve always wanted to see inside that house ever since I was little. The thing was always boarded up. It still gives me the creeps.”

“You don’t have to come back!” I yelled at him as he climbed into his car.

He flipped me his middle finger and pulled out of the driveway.

I shoved my hands into my pockets and looked at the house. I never should have asked Damien to pull her parents’ case file. It just gave me more unanswered questions. The part that bothered me the most was that it was like Julie had said. Technically, Violet’s parents had died in a boating accident in Florida. The case was closed but their bodies weren’t found. On paper, they had officially drowned. Unofficially? They were still missing. But missing people that didn’t want to be found weren’t a top priority. Violet had made it clear she didn’t like her mother or stepfather. So no one wanted them found.

To anyone else there was nothing to think about. Case closed. But what if she had done something? What if even a tiny piece of the rumors were true? I tried to shake away the thought as I picked up both mugs of hot chocolate and walked up to her house. I should just let it go. What did the past matter? The issue was that it was ingrained in me to keep looking.

Violet opened the door before I knocked. She must have seen me standing out here looking like an indecisive idiot. She stepped out and closed the door behind her.

“He’s watching TV. I thought maybe you wanted to be there when I tell him we found Lizardopolous, so I haven’t told him yet.”

“I thought you didn’t have a television?”

“We don’t. He subscribed to Hulu without my permission and is watching it on the computer. He said everyone else in school has it.” She shrugged.

It was pretty clear she hoped it would help him fit in better. Based on what I saw earlier, I’d say it wasn’t working. “How is he doing?”

“Tough day at school. I think I’m going to start driving him.” She looked nervous about the prospect.

“I could take him if you want.” I had no idea what made me say it. I didn’t even know when his school started in the morning.

“Oh. No, I couldn’t ask you to do that. I mean, unless my truck is still shot.”

“Nope, it’s all better.” I smiled at her.

“That’s a relief. Thanks for calling Damien to come out. I’m not sure what I would have done otherwise. And I’m glad he’s coming for dinner. When he refused to let me pay him I was wor

ried he’d hang this over my head or something. It’s the least I could do.”

The way she was staring at me was making it hard to process what she was saying. Her eyes were captivating, but there was something else there aside from just beauty. It was pain. She was staring at me with so much pain. And I wanted to ease that for her. I wanted to erase what the people in this town had done to her. I wanted to fix it.

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