by Gina LaManna
My face turned as red as the soles of my Christian Louboutin heels.
Nobody dared say a thing.
“Anyway,” I said, clearing my throat. “I really appreciate you coming here to set the record straight, Becky. Grant didn’t seem to inspire a lot of warm and fuzzy feelings in most people, which is probably why it’s been difficult to pin down who wanted him dead the most.”
“I swear I didn’t kill him. I loved him, and I might have been upset, but I never would have done anything physical,” she pleaded. “And once I realized he’d been messing with me, and he’d probably said the same thing to a hundred different women, I stopped caring so much. I just—I’m tired. I want to move on. I needed to get this off my chest, but I swear I have confessed to everything. I didn’t kill Grant.”
“I know, we believe you—” I started, but I was interrupted by Cooper’s next question.
“Where’d you go tonight after bingo?” he asked. “Your exact route, please.”
Becky frowned. “I get the feeling you don’t believe anything I’m saying.”
“I believe what you’re saying just fine,” Cooper said. “I just want to be sure you’re not leaving anything out.”
Her lips tightened into a thin line. “I assure you I’m not, Chief Dear.”
“Then you won’t mind giving me an in-depth description of where you went after bingo.”
Becky looked annoyed, but it didn’t hold her up for more than a few seconds. “I went home, okay? I was upset because of what Patty had told me, so I went home to lick my wounds. Then I came here.”
“Late on a Sunday night, you went home, settled in for—oh, an hour or so?—and then decided to come back out on a snowy evening just to get a few things off your chest?”
“You don’t have to believe me,” Becky snapped. “But it’s the truth. I’m sorry I came here—I didn’t do anything wrong, and I was just trying to help.”
“I believe you,” I said again. “Cooper, what are you doing?”
His eyes blazed, and I knew. He was still furious that someone had tried to flatten me like roadkill, and while the thought of his protectiveness was touching, I got the feeling he was trying to force a square peg into a snowflake-sized hole. Becky hadn’t tried to kill me—I just knew it.
“I believe you,” Cooper said finally, looking at Becky. “But I had to be sure.”
Becky’s face paled. “Oh, my gosh. They came after you, didn’t they?”
Her question was directed to me, and I gave a little shrug. I wasn’t one for being the center of attention, hence the reason I styled others for the spotlight. “It’s not that big of a deal.”
“Yes, it is,” Becky said. “And I suppose if you want proof, you could swing by and check out my driveway—there are fresh tire tracks there from my car to show I went home after bingo. I know it’s not a hundred percent dependable, but it’s something. I wouldn’t have had time to be two places at once.”
“Where do you live?” Cooper asked, pulling out his phone and opening a notes app. As Becky gave him her address, he frowned. “She couldn’t have gone home and come after Jenna. There wouldn’t have been enough time. Becky, what time did you leave the bingo hall, and can anyone else verify?”
“Sure. The entire bridal party was there until nine thirty,” she said. “Ask any one of them. I suppose Patty left a little early, but she was upset.”
Cooper glanced at Matt, and I could see the two of them wondering if she’d been upset enough to take to the roads with a rage.
“What color car does Patty have?” Matt asked in his first foray into the conversation. “Did you notice?”
Becky scrunched up her face. “I think it’s like this purple-maroon sort of color, but I can’t be sure.”
“Could be described as ‘dark’,” Matt mumbled. “Especially on the stretch of the road where it happened.”
“What happened?” Becky asked, looking between the two men. “Do you think it was Patty?”
“I don’t know,” Cooper said, “but I have my work cut out for me. Thanks for coming, Becky. Is there anything else you can think of that you’d like to share?”
She bit her nails. After a minute, she shook her head. “I don’t think so. That’s all I’ve come to say. That, and I’m sorry.”
I stood and crossed the room to Becky, squatting awkwardly next to her chair and giving her a hug. “It’s okay.”
Becky’s thin fingers grasped me back. “I don’t know why you’re hugging me, but I appreciate it.”
“I’m a hugger,” I said. “And I know what it feels like to be dumped when you don’t expect it.”
As we parted, Becky gave me a grateful smile. We might never be the best of friends, but at least we’d moved past enemies and into an odd sort of truce.
Matt walked her to the front door after we said goodbyes and waited until she’d gotten into her car and pulled away from my house. Then he returned to the living room and stood at a distance while Cooper and I remained on the same couch.
The whole aura suddenly shifted to one of discomfort, so I stood and crossed my arms over my chest. “That was interesting, huh?”
Nobody was fooled by my faux-nonchalance, nor did they pretend to be. Cooper merely glanced down at his phone. “I’m going to head over to Becky’s to check for the tire tracks. I warned her to park on the street—I’ll be able to tell about what time the tracks were made based on snowfall levels.”
“I don’t think she did it,” I said. “Why would she come here to confess?”
“I can think of plenty of reasons she’d come here to confess, even if she had done it,” Cooper said. “But I agree that it probably wasn’t her. I’ll still be following through to be safe.”
I shrugged. “Fine by me. What about Patty leaving early?”
“I have a feeling,” Matt wondered, “that you might find her if you check the Blue Tavern.”
Cooper gave a nod. “She’s a regular there, and she enjoys her—ah, adult beverages. Especially in times of stress. I’ll swing by there to verify her alibi after Becky’s.” He sighed, then shook his head. “I’ll spend the rest of the night cross checking vehicle registrations for ‘dark’ cars with the names of the bingo attendees. Thankfully, Stacey had a sign-in sheet, so I have a full roster of attendees.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, my face pinching in frustration. “I really wish I paid more attention in the moment. I know a dark car isn’t much to go off, but—”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Matt said. “What were you supposed to do when a car was crashing onto the sidewalk? You did the right thing taking care of yourself first, and we’ll figure out the rest of it.”
Cooper cleared his throat at Matt’s mention of the word ‘we’, and the room fell into stony silence again.
“What can I do?” I asked. “Speaking of we. I’m part of this, too. Remember?”
“Get some rest,” Matt said, at the same time Cooper said, “Sleep.”
I frowned. “That’s not very exciting.”
“I’ll be doing a drive by on the hour until about four, and then I’ll have Rick take over,” Cooper said. “I’ll be back at it in the morning.”
“And I’m supposed to just hole up here and wait?” I asked. “I don’t think so.”
“Just for tonight,” Cooper said. “Give me a few hours to sort through what we have, and I’ll be back first thing in the morning.”
“You’ll be useless if you don’t sleep,” Matt said. “Plus, we’re out of urgent leads to follow. It’ll be a quiet night. Rest.”
As if on cue, a yawn cracked through my brave exterior and rendered all my tough talk useless. I rolled my eyes at the involuntary motion and finally shrugged. “Fine. But tomorrow, I’m back in the loop. You’ll give me something to do that’s helpful, or I’ll go insane.”
“Fine,” Cooper agreed.
Matt moved first. “I’ll get the bed ready with some clean sheets.”
“I’ll take the couch,�
�� I said. “Really—I feel more comfortable here.”
“If someone comes in the house,” Cooper said, “it’s better if Matt’s on the main floor.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “I can defend myself. I want to sleep on the couch.”
Cooper gave a guttural sigh, explaining without words that he thought I was being difficult. “Wait here.”
As if I could go anywhere. I had a night-long prison sentence right here in Matt’s living room. At least there was hot chocolate and coffee and super warm showers and magical blankets. Things could definitely have been worse.
Cooper returned and handed me a canister. “Pepper spray,” he explained. “Keep it near your head just in case. I don’t think anyone would dare break into Matt’s house, but you can’t be too safe. And, just in case, I’ve jotted down my cell number so you can call me in case of emergency.”
I glanced at the ugly black can of pepper spray and frowned. “I’d really prefer a pink one.”
“Okay, princess,” Cooper said. “We’ll get you a pink one tomorrow. For now, this one will work. I’m going to take off, so I’ll see you both in the morning. Matt—thank you for your help.”
Matt gave a nod that wasn’t entirely friendly, but it was respectful enough. The two men walked toward the front of the house, and I followed them from a safe distance. As Cooper shrugged on his jacket and stepped outside, his dark, piercing gaze met mine. He raked his eyes over me like hot coals, and I shivered.
“Goodnight,” Cooper said quietly, and then he was gone.
Once he’d left, Matt silently turned on a heel and returned to the living area. He shuffled through some blankets, plunked a few soft-looking pillows on the couch, and eventually stepped back to survey his handiwork.
“How does that look?” he asked. “Anything else you need?”
“Matt, I’m sorry.”
He looked up, feigning nonchalance. “Sorry for what?”
“I have a feeling you know something happened between me and Cooper tonight,” I said. “I swear I didn’t mean for it to happen, and I told him the same thing that I told you. I’m not ready for a relationship.”
Matt scrunched up his face with a melancholy grin. “Lucky guy.”
“Excuse me?”
Matt gave a grin that lit up his face, despite the frustrated shake of his head. “He got in a kiss before you shooed him away, didn’t he?”
I didn’t expect to laugh, but I did. I burst into a fit of giggles that happened to be contagious because Matt began laughing too. I eventually padded across the room as the chuckling died down and rested my head against his chest as I gave him a hug.
“I hope you know that I appreciate you,” I said. “And all you’ve done for me.”
“I know.” He squeezed me tight, then rested his cheek against my forehead. “I just—I like being around you, Jenna. I hope that even if you choose...even if you end up dating Cooper, we can still be friends.”
“Of course!” I backed away, surprised. “Always.”
He gave me a thin smile, then planted the lightest of kisses on my forehead. “Get some sleep. I’ll be upstairs if you need anything.”
I climbed under the covers as Matt began shutting down the house. He flicked off the lights and checked the door locks, and everything felt so safe and secure here in Matt’s little house that I was drifting to sleep by the time I heard his footsteps climbing upstairs to his bedroom.
As my mind entered sleepy la-la-land, I wondered if I was doing things all wrong again. Matt was clearly interested in me—he was such a nice, stable guy in a nice, stable home in a nice, stable neighborhood. He was nice, nice, nice, and handsome.
I didn’t have a track record for dating nice guys...and look where that had gotten me. Maybe it was time for a change. Maybe I should try looking at the nice guy for once, I mused, as my mind flicked over to Cooper.
While Cooper was nice in a way, he was more of a wild card. He was a challenge, he drove me bonkers, he got under my skin. I equally wanted to push him away and pull him closer. But in my experience, fires that burned bright, flamed out quickly.
Maybe, I thought with a sigh, I’d be better off keeping both as friends.
Even in sleep, an uneasiness washed over me. I doubted that would be possible. Realistically, I’d have to make a choice sooner or later. But for now, I wouldn’t think about that. I’d focus on finding Grant’s murderer first because somehow that felt like the easier problem to solve.
Chapter 22
Morning sunlight dripped through the windows and plinked onto my face, gently washing me awake from my cozy little burrow on Matt’s couch. The magical blanket had once again provided me with a deep, restful sleep, and I was beginning to believe in its special powers. I debated asking Matt if it was for sale.
The smell of percolating coffee wormed its way through to the living area and perked up the rest of my senses. I sprawled, yawning as happily as if I’d been on vacation. I curled the blanket around my shoulders and padded barefoot into the kitchen. “What’s the price tag on this magical thing?”
I stopped talking at once because Matt was on the phone. I hadn’t heard him speaking from the other room, and at first, I thought it’d been me being totally oblivious, but upon closer inspection, I realized he’d been purposefully murmuring quietly into the speaker so as not to be heard.
“—I’m sorry, I can’t be there this morning. I need someone to cover for me,” he said. “I have a, uh, family emergency.”
I frowned, then retreated from the kitchen before Matt noticed me standing there. I dug around for my phone. Once I found it, I located my mother’s number and dialed.
“Good morning, darling,” she hummed. “Do I hear the sounds of a happy girl? How was your date last night?”
“Mother, it wasn’t a date.”
“I don’t know who you think you’re fooling. Poor Matt.”
“I just called to see if I could use the truck today.”
“Do you have another date?
“No. And I’m planning to stay single for a while.”
There was silence both from my mother and from the kitchen. There was no way Matt hadn’t overheard me talking to my mom. His call must be over.
“The truck, sure,” Bea said finally. “It’s just—I thought there was something between the two of you.”
“Yes, and it’s called friendship,” I said. “Can you bring the truck by?”
“I’ll be there in a minute and will drop it off on my way to work. You will be coming into the store today, won’t you? We really need to get to work on some improvements, or I won’t have a store left to improve. The burst in spending from Grant’s Murder Day will only hold me over for so long.”
“You say that like it’s a holiday,” I said grimly. “I’ll swing by the store to drop you off, but I can’t stay long. I have a few things to take care of, and then I swear I’ll devote myself to you and the store for as long as you need.”
“Okie dokie, darling, that sounds good. Say, I wonder how Matt’s taking the news that you went on a date with Cooper.”
“It’s, ah, fine,” I said. “I am actually at his house right now.”
“Cooper’s?”
“Matt’s,” I said. “We’re also friends.”
“Hmm,” my mother said. “Interesting.”
“I’ll see you in twenty minutes,” I told her. “I have to run home and shower first.”
She gasped. “Why didn’t you shower before going over?”
“Long story,” I said. “See you soon.”
“Should I go to Matt’s house or yours?” Bea asked pointedly. “This whole situation is very confusing.”
“Mom, they’re twenty feet apart. Either one is fine.”
She harrumphed and hung up.
Matt appeared around the corner. “Making plans?”
“I’m sorry,” I said, grimacing. “I heard you turning down something that sounded like work this morning, and I didn’t want to be
the reason you missed anything important. I’m going to head to the store with my mom for a bit. I’ll be safe there—it’s public. It’s a Monday morning, and it feels like a fresh start.” I spread my arms wide and grinned. “Hopefully no murder attempts this week.”
His smile didn’t touch his eyes. “Coffee?”
“Oh, yes, please,” I said. “It smells heavenly.”
“I was planning to stay here with you this morning,” Matt said as he poured me a mug full. “Cooper swung by once already to check on you, but you were still out. We’re both invested in making sure you don’t find trouble by lunch.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll have a chaperone at the shop,” I said. “My mom will watch me like a hawk, and I’m sure Cooper will swing around too in his handy-dandy lookout vehicle.”
“I’m sure he will,” Matt said dryly. “Well, in that case—I suppose you’ll want to head home to change. Mind if I walk you over and sit with you until your mom comes? Coop would kill me if I let you out of my sight and into that house alone. At least until we catch whoever’s after you.”
“Sure,” I said. “So long as you bring the coffee.”
The next half hour was uneventful. Matt and I walked back to my place, and while I showered and changed, he played on his phone in the living room. Or that’s what I thought was happening until I came downstairs and found he’d whipped up a quick breakfast with supplies he must have brought over from his own house because I certainly didn’t have eggs in my refrigerator.
“I thought you might object if I told you what I was up to,” Matt said, grinning over my stove. “So, I slipped some supplies into a bag and figured I’d whip us up something to eat. I won’t last five minutes at work if I don’t eat breakfast.”
We were just sitting down to eat when a car pulled up out front. I figured it would be my mother, so I stood and wiped my hands on the sides of my plain black dress—one of my recent hauls from the thrift shop—and scooted to the front door. Before I could reach it, there was a brief knock and then the door swung open to reveal Cooper.
“My, this looks cozy,” he drawled, glancing over my shoulder at the kitchen. “Got enough for one more?”
