Part 12 (1/2)
”Can the props be repaired?”
”Not a chance. We'll have to arrange for new ones in the morning.”
”And in the meantime?”
”We'll get a couple rooms at the hotel downtown. It'll actually save us a trip back over here tomorrow to speak with Patty Tate.”
Kayden hated to miss out on the last-minute preparations for Cole and Bailey's wedding, but there were plenty of helpers to fill in, and it was important they keep at the case. The sooner they solved Conrad's murder, the better.
”So what are you guys thinking?”
”Though the circ.u.mstantial evidence surrounding him doesn't look good, I'd be surprised if Stuart Anderson turns out to be our man,” Jake said, leaning against the file cabinet, his arms crossed, a smattering of whiskers covering his cheeks and jawline.
Her dad had always had the same five o'clock shadow. If he were still around, he'd like Jake. The two had more in common than she'd let herself realize-reserved, understated, intelligent, patient, more at home outdoors than indoors.
”Care to elaborate?” Landon asked.
”He's too preoccupied with himself, too impulsive, to pull off something like this by himself,” Jake said.
”Kayden, what about you?”
”I agree with Jake. I don't see Stuart masterminding this. I'd put my money on the wife.” Kayden rolled her shoulders, trying to ease the tightness. ”She would need help with the chalk, though, so I suppose that might bring us back to Stuart.”
”Tell me about her.”
”She's smart, savvy, shrewd.”
”To a point,” Jake said. ”She says she didn't know her husband had been having an affair for years.”
”That's right. Vivienne's surprise over the duration of the affair seemed quite genuine. Perhaps she knew he'd been fooling around but didn't realize it'd been with the same woman for the entire time.”
”So you think the wife and Stuart Anderson may be working together?” Landon asked.
”I definitely have my suspicions on that count,” Jake said. ”It seems pretty clear the two are more than friends.”
”You think they're having an affair?”
”It sure seemed that way,” Kayden said. ”If not, they've got a very peculiar friends.h.i.+p.”
”Interesting.” Landon's voice garbled momentarily on the other end. ”If that's the case, the pertinent question may be which affair started first.”
”We can ask around tomorrow. See if we can get a more concrete timeline nailed down.” Jake stepped from the cabinet, moving toward the back of her chair.
She struggled to keep her attention on the conversation, but her focus s.h.i.+fted to Jake's presence behind her. She wasn't willing to give in to it, but his nearness caused an undeniable pull.
”Let's run through tomorrow's agenda.”
Jake went through the list of people they'd be visiting-Patty Tate, Natalie Adams, and Brody. Without any hard evidence of his involvement in the vandalism of her plane, he'd get away with it, and she hated the injustice.
”I'll get you that warrant as soon as possible,” Landon said. ”Sheriff Marshall is connecting me with an Imnek judge in the morning. We'll see if we can't expedite things and get you a look at Brody's books.”
”Thanks,” Jake said.
”You two did a great job today. Now, get some rest.”
Kayden nodded. Rest sounded very good.
Something was rattling. What was Piper up to now? Kayden rolled over, covering her head with a pillow.
The noise s.h.i.+fted to hissing.
Go to sleep, Piper. We need . . .
We. That's right. She was in Imnek, with Jake. He was in the hotel room across the hall. She wasn't home. . . . So who was making noise outside her room?
She opened her eyes and cast the pillow aside. 5:11 a.m. Too early for maid service.
Rubbing her eyes, she sat up. Listened. There it was again. Hissing.
Slipping off the covers, she padded to the door and peeked out the peephole. Empty.
She glanced to the sliding door. The hissing had stopped, but she thought it had been coming from that direction.
Grasping ahold of the curtain, she peeled it open . . . and stumbled back.
You're both dead. You just don't know it yet.
The words were scrolled across the sliding gla.s.s door in red spray paint, dripping letters reminding her, eerily, of blood.
Brody had gone too far.
11.
A knock rapped on Jake's door. He rolled over, looking at the clock. 5:20 a.m. Another knock, followed by Kayden's voice.
”Jake, open up. It's me.”
Kayden?
He shot up in bed. ”Coming.” He raced for the door. Kayden was an early riser, but not this early. If she was knocking on his door, something was wrong.
He yanked the door open to find her in her PJs. A lilac tank top and pastel polka-dot bottoms. Probably not her first choice in nightwear, but they hadn't planned an overnighter, so she'd had to pick up something at a local store. Maybe they didn't have a large selection, but to be honest, he liked the soft colors on her. She looked beautiful but shaken.
She stared at him, her gaze lingering on his bare chest and then s.h.i.+fting to his face. She blinked, a soft flush creeping up her cheeks.
”What's wrong?”