Page 91 of A Secret to Die For

“Only one.”

It had been a pretty blue ranch-style home with a cosy kitchen and a yard full of flowers. Dad used to sit on the deck and paint them in the summer. In watercolour, mainly, but sometimes he used oils.

“What about her office?”

“At the Capitol? I don’t know. I went there maybe twice? There was an elevator, so I’d guess more than two.”

“Blue, you can’t get into a congressional office,” Luca warned.

“Why would we need to do that?” I asked.

“A woman isn’t going to waste her last words. When you were under attack this morning, what was going through your head?”

“How does that freaking help?”

“Just take a deep breath, stop, and think. In and out, that’s it.”

I did as she instructed and tried to put myself back in the bathroom. The last place I wanted to be.

“I was…I was scared for Garrett.” That traitorous bastard. “And then I heard footsteps, soft ones coming across the portico and into the living room, and I hoped with every atom in me that Luca would catch whoever was out there and make them pay.”

“Your mom probably had the same thoughts. She told you that she loved you, and she wanted justice. So she gave you a message.”

“A message? But it was gibberish.”

“I bet it means something; we just need to work out what. How many floors at The Lookout?”

“Two. Unless you count the attic, but nobody ever goes up there.” My eyes flew open. “Wait, you don’t think…?”

“Does it have windows?”

“Small ones.”

Blue grinned. “Who wants to drive?”

31

SARA

“Haven’t you caused enough trouble for one day?”

EJ blocked the hallway, hands on his hips. When you’d spent your whole life backing down, standing up was hard to do, even when you had Luca, Brooke, and Blue at your back. For one wild moment, I considered inviting Jack Morrow and his crew inside, but we’d left them at the far end of the driveway where they belonged.

“I just need to get some things.”

Uncle EJ nodded at the key in my hand. “From the attic?”

“I—”

Parker appeared behind him. “Let her take what she wants, Dad. It’s only a bunch of old junk up there.”

“She can’t walk in here with a group of people and expect to start rifling through family possessions.”

“Actually, she can.”

“Says who?”

“Says Grandpa’s trust deed.”

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