Page 96 of A Secret to Die For

“Not like that. Not the way you’re thinking of doing it.”

“He deserves a shallow grave.”

“There has to be another way. And if you’re in jail, how will you win Saralisa back?”

Those two women were the only thing that stopped me from grabbing a gun right now. I lumbered to my feet and began pacing—wonkily—because Gracie was right. If Mandell was playing a game, then sacrificing my freedom would be another victory for him. That had to be a last resort.

When I put my anger aside and looked at the problem objectively, there were a few points we might be able to turn to our advantage. Firstly, I’d put a dent in Mandell’s plans last night when I took out his man. Secondly, the corpse at the pool house was yet to be identified, and it was possible the cops would find a link to the congressman. Or Harless, seeing as he was the man who liked to get his hands dirty. And thirdly, Mandell didn’t know how much we already knew. He had come after Saralisa, probably because whomever Carson Broad foolishly delegated the DC investigation to had screwed up, but he had no idea she’d fingered Harless as the man who’d killed her parents. He was just tying up loose ends.

“Will you come to Oregon with me?” I asked Gracie. “I don’t mean stay at home or even in Roseburg, but I could really do with someone in my corner.”

“I’ll come,” she said softly. “But if I see Mandell, I’m the one who’s gonna end up in jail.”

33

SARA

Day three post-Garrett, and my heart ached every bit as much as when he’d torn it in half in the early hours of Sunday morning. I’d spent yesterday with Brooke, alternately crying and cuddling her dog, but today, I’d come to the craft store. Mindlessly stacking yarn on the shelves was better than being alone with my thoughts, and it wasn’t as if anyone could shoot me now, not with the three stooges sitting outside in their shiny black SUV.

Darla had flown back from Virginia yesterday, and I was grateful she was working today’s shift rather than Paulo. I adored him, but I’d had enough drama for one week. Darla’s quiet calm was exactly what I needed. Nothing seemed to faze her.

“Should we take those gentlemen in the car some coffee, hun?” she asked. “Or do they bring their own?”

“Honestly, I have no idea.”

“I’d better go ask. It’s only polite.”

“Darla, when you were living at The Lookout, do you remember anybody moving things out of the attic?”

“Can’t say I recall. Why do you ask?”

“I think my mom left something there for me, but I didn’t realise until now, and we couldn’t find it when we went to look.”

“What did she leave?”

“That’s the problem; I have no idea.”

“I’m sure if there was anything valuable up there, Marianna would have found it and sold it after your grandpa died.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

Darla headed out to the parking lot to offer drinks, and the stooges would probably get snacks as well because she’d brought several bags of treats back from the airport. I went to the break room to put the kettle on.

“Three coffees, two with milk, one without, and the black coffee needs sugar,” she announced when she came back. “We should plate up some of those cookies too.”

See?

“How was Virginia?”

“The new store is looking wonderful. It’s big enough for a proper coffee bar at the front, so I’m hoping that’ll lead to additional passing trade.”

“Come for the cappuccino, stay for the crochet class?”

“Something like that. We’ll have a lovely work area too. Paulo wants to add a couch, but I’m not so sure about that.”

Darla stacked half a dozen cookies onto a plate, then added some wrapped candies for good measure. I felt slightly guilty for ignoring Jack Morrow, but at the same time, I hated being followed constantly. Although I did feel safer with the team around. My head was just such a mess right now, and after Garrett, there was no way I’d ever get tangled up with another rich, handsome, sexy, strong, commanding man again. Especially one with a tongue like a lizard who— Gah. I had to stop thinking about him.

“I think a couch would be nice, especially if you want people to treat the place as a social hub as well as a store. People could sit there and knit.”

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