by Jane Hinchey
It was quiet for a moment, then he said, voice devoid of emotion, "You said you were going? Then go. I don't want you here. I don't want you in my house. I don't want to see you again. Ever."
"You won't," she assured him, seeming not to give a damn. "I'm leaving town."
"Go then."
"I'm going." The front door flung open and Lexi marched out. She stopped when she saw me, drilled me with a hard look, before marching down the path without a word. I hadn't seen another car out front so wondered how she got here, but the front door closing quietly drew my attention back to Mike.
"Wait." I knocked softly, and the door opened, Mike holding onto the frame as if he didn't have the strength to hold himself up.
"Now's not a good time, Harper," he said.
Ignoring him, I pushed my way inside, waited for Archie to follow before closing the door and pointing to the sofa. "Sit." Both Archie and Mike obeyed.
"I guess you overheard that?" He flopped his head back and stared up at the ceiling.
"I did. And I'm sorry," I said quietly, taking a seat on the opposite end of the sofa, Archie in the middle.
Mike turned his head to look at me. "Should have known it was too good to be true." Tears glistened in his eyes and my heart broke for him.
"You loved her?"
He nodded. "I did. Stupid mistake. I told myself not to, I warned myself she was trouble. But I couldn't help it...I did it anyway."
"We don't get to choose who we fall in love with." I nodded in agreement.
"That's right." He pinned me with his gaze. "Your man cheated on you, right? That must have hurt."
"It did." But not as much as the pain I could feel rolling off Mike in waves.
"But you're here, starting over, surviving." And I knew what he needed—he needed hope. At this moment he needed reassurance that he wouldn't die from this pain, that he would love again, that it was entirely possible that one day, he'd be happy.
"We were at the university's Christmas Ball," I began. "It was a big deal. Fancy dresses, posh food, all the stops were pulled out for this one event that the university put on for its staff. And I'd been looking forward to it. Simon and I had been together a long time. We were comfortable with each other, I guess you could say. So, I didn't think much of it when we got separated. I knew his colleagues; I didn't need him to hold my hand. I socialized, I danced, I had fun. But I hadn't seen him in a while, which was odd. Usually, I'd spot him across the room and we'd smile and wink and work the room. It was our thing, you know?" I lapsed into silence for a moment, remembering. Then, taking a deep breath, I continued with my story. "I started to get a bit worried. Had something happened to him? Was he unwell? I'd left my phone in my coat pocket at the check-in kiosk, so I went back to get it, to phone him to see where he was, to see if he was okay. The coat check-in was unattended, so I opened the door to the closet and found him. Simon. My fiancé."
"With another woman?" Mike asked, leaning forward now, all ears.
I nodded. "With a woman." I didn't notice the tears sliding down my cheeks. "A student. And then I knew. I knew why we hadn't set a date for our wedding, how we really hadn't talked about it at all since he'd proposed. Because he didn't want to marry me—I was a front, a cover. And along with the hurt came the anger. The mind-melting overwhelming anger. I couldn't control it, it just...launched out of me...I didn't even have my wand. Magic just flew from my fingertips and changed him into...well, it doesn't matter. The truth of it was, he was human, and I used my magic to harm him."
"I'm so sorry, Harper. That sucks." Mike was shaking his head.
I sniffed and wiped the tears from my cheeks. "It's okay." I shrugged. "Of course, I was fired from my job pretty much immediately. My boss had been there. Seen the whole thing. Then my witch’s license got suspended. I was as low as I thought I could get. So, I came home." I turned to him and placed my hand on his knee and smiled. "And it was the best thing I'd ever done. Being back here in Whitefall Cove made me realize so many things. That I hadn't been truly living in East Dondure. I was going through the motions. Yes, I had a job I loved at a big city library. But that was all I had. I didn't have many friends. I didn't have a life. I was going through the motions, but not living."
"But you had a man who loved you. Or at least you thought you did," Mike pointed out.
I was already shaking my head. "That's the thing. I think we both knew that we didn't really love each other. Not the way lovers should. We were friends. I think he proposed to cover up his affair with a student, not because he had an overwhelming desire to marry me. And I accepted for the same reasons. I’d hit thirty—time was running out.”
Mike snorted. "That's ridiculous. Thirty is plenty young."
"I know that. Now. But at the time? God, there's this pressure for a woman about turning thirty. You're meant to have your shit together. So, I was ticking boxes. Great job, tick. Fiancé, tick. Kids were next on the list." I squeezed his knee. "So I get it. When you find someone who makes your heart sing, you just cling on and don't want to let go because deep down your terrified that this is it, this is your one shot at happiness and even if it doesn't fit right, you try and make it, you try and squeeze and manipulate it, to fit, to work, because otherwise? Otherwise, you're going to be alone."
Mike leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his head hanging low. "That's me and Lexi alright," he admitted. "What I told Jackson was true. It did start as a one-night stand. She picked me up. I was flattered, this young, hot, woman chose me! And our chemistry? Let's just say we fit together just right. So, when she turned up the next night, and the next, and the next...I didn't turn her away."
"Did you know she was a fox shifter?"
"Oh yeah, could pick it out a mile off. And she knew I was a wolf. I thought that was the appeal for her—the taboo. She likes to walk on the wild side, she's daring. All the things I'm not. So, of course, I fell for her. Hard. I thought I could win her over, I thought she was starting to feel the same way. And today, when she called me and asked me to come to Bean Me Up, that she was tired of all the sneaking around? Oh man, that was music to my ears. I practically ran the entire way, and she met me out the front and kissed me and I felt it all the way to my toes. I haven't been happier than I was at that moment."
I didn't tell him I thought her public display of affection had been for our benefit. No need to kick a man when he's down. Instead, I asked, "So what changed? Why did she break up with you hours later?"
He shrugged, flopping back on the sofa again. "I wish I knew. She came around, told me it had been fun, but she was moving on, leaving town. I told her I loved her, begged her not to go and she laughed in my face and...well, you probably heard the rest." Turning his head, he looked at me. "Don't want to be rude, but what are you doing here anyway?"
I cleared my throat, glanced at Archie and then back at Mike. "I actually wanted to talk to you about Lexi. About why you lied about your relationship with her."
"Right." He snorted.
"Yeah. Um. They found a car, out at the fox's compound that they think might be involved in Bruce's shooting."
"And you think Lexi was involved?" He didn't look surprised. Just sad.
I shrugged. "Possibly? I mean, Jackson has his forensic team on it, and I have no idea why Lexi would try and kill Bruce..." I trailed off. I was at a dead end with my investigation. Lexi was leading the way as my number one suspect, but I had no motive for her, only opportunity.
"Maybe it had something to do with when she used to live here?" Mike suggested.
"What do you mean ‘used to live here’? Hasn't she always lived here?"
He shook his head. "Nope. She came to town a few months ago. That's one of the reasons why I hooked up with her—a fox—because she was passing through and there'd be no repercussions with the pack. Then she decided to stay a while. I thought it was because of me."
"But she told you she used to live here? In Whitefall Cove?" I pressed.
"Yeah. We
took a drive one night. And she pointed out this old house, abandoned, run down and boarded up and she pointed to it and said she lived there as a kid. Seemed really sad too."
"Do you remember where it was?" My excitement was evident in that my voice had gone up at least two octaves.
He cocked his head. "You think it's important?"
"It could be."
"Yeah, it was over on Wiltshire. Don't recall the number. Don't think there was one, but it's a faded old weatherboard with wooden boards nailed over the windows and an overgrown front garden. Can't miss it. Neighbors must be pissed at living next to such an eyesore."
Standing up, I headed toward the front door. "Sorry I've gotta run," I said, then stopped and turned back. "You'll be okay?"
He nodded. "I'll be fine. It's not the first time I've had my heart broken. Probably won't be the last. Just feel foolish that I was taken in by a fox. And a young one at that." He'd risen to see me out and I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tightly.
"I'm sorry you're hurting," I said.
"Me too," he agreed with a lopsided grin, then stood back, waiting for Archie and me to pass through the door before closing it behind us.
"Right," I said to Archie when we were back in the car, "Wiltshire Drive it is. We have a house to check out."
Chapter Nineteen
Lexi's childhood home was exactly as Mike had described it. A rundown dump. It looked like it needed to be bulldozed and I wondered why it hadn't been. Pulling out my phone, I texted Jenna asking her to dig into who owned the property and when the Sawyers had lived in it. Instead of texting back, she called.
"Do you have a lead?" she asked without preamble.
"I believe I do," I said. "Well, maybe. It depends."
"Harper!"
"I went to see Mike tonight and he told me about this place, that Lexi had told him she'd lived here as a kid. I didn't know Lexi was new to town—or old to town—or whatever."
"From what I know she turned up a while back, I don't recall exactly when. Got a job as a barista at Bean Me Up."
"And lives out at the fox's compound. Great place for fox drifters," I confirmed.
"I'll see what I can find out. Where are you?"
"I'm at Thirteen Wiltshire Drive," I replied.
"What? You're there? Harper, it could be dangerous," she warned.
"Jenna, no one's here. It's boarded up. I’m going to have a quick look around the outside and then head back to The Dusty Attic. Archie and I have been working on the crime board this evening and we've made some real progress. Meet me there later if you want."
"I will," Jenna promised. "I've just submitted my copy for tomorrow’s story on the car they impounded from the fox's place. I'll see what I can dig up on the Wiltshire house and I'll meet you at The Dusty Attic in a few."
Disconnecting the call, I opened the door and climbed out of the car, looking at the dark shadow of the house where Lexi Sawyer had grown up as a child. What had happened here that the house was now abandoned?
"You coming?" I asked Archie. He strutted past with his tail in the air as if affronted I'd asked such a question. Using the flashlight app on my phone, I followed my cat down the side of the house and into the back garden. I'd been intending to walk the perimeter of the house, but when I got to the back door and the wood planks that had been nailed over it were now on the ground and the door ajar—well, who could resist? Archie was already inside. With his feline eyesight he didn't need my phone to illuminate the way.
The floorboards creaked as I stepped over the threshold and straight into what was once the kitchen. It smelled old and musty, but also an earthy smell. I swung my light around, then caught sight of Archie as he disappeared through another doorway.
"Archie! Wait!" I didn't know why I was whispering, but I hurried after my cat regardless. Then I noticed it. On the floor, in the dirt and dust, not just Archie's paw prints, but bigger paw prints. And booted footprints. Someone had been here. "Duh, Harper," I whispered to myself, "obviously someone has been here, that's why the back door is open." Archie darted left and I hurried after him. Pausing in the doorway of the bathroom, I couldn’t believe my eyes.
"Meow!" Archie announced.
I nodded. "I see it," I told him. A potted plant sat in the bathtub. "We have to assume this is the missing borrio bud plant." I moved closer and snapped a photo. I sent it to Jenna with the question: Is this yours?
She texted back immediately. Yes. Get out of there now.
I didn't need telling twice. Lexi was the murderer. She'd killed Whitney and had tried to kill Bruce and had already threatened me. And despite my burning curiosity to find out why she'd done those things, self-preservation was high. I was in an abandoned house at night, it was spooky as all hell, and I'd just discovered who the killer was. I knew how horror movies went.
"Let's go," I whispered to Archie, hurrying back down the hallway and out the back door.
Archie was behind me when I heard a sound I'd never heard from him before. A growl. Long, low and deep. Then he launched himself through the air, hit me in the back as he used my body to springboard his momentum over my head. I lost my balance and fell, smashing my face into the dirt. Spitting out rubble, I lifted my head to see Archie, yowling and growling in front of me, his fur on end, his tail resembling a Christmas tree. He spat and swiped his claws out. Another growl joined the mix, different from Archie's and I rolled to the side to see a fox at the corner of the house. Archie spat again and shuffled forward, his warning clear. He was protecting me. The fox backed up, cast us one last glance, then ran away.
Slowly Archie's hackles settled and his tail de-floofed. Clambering to my feet and ignoring the stinging in my cheek where I'd face planted, I scooped Archie up in my arms and kissed his head. "Thank you." Hurrying to the car, I deposited him on the driver's seat, then waited for him to move to the passenger side before climbing in after him and locking the doors.
"It had to be Lexi, right?" I asked, my hands only shaking a little bit as I put the key in the ignition and started the car. Archie's meow assured me that he was in agreement. Connecting my phone to the cars Bluetooth system, I called Jackson as I pulled away.
"I think the killer is Lexi Sawyer," I told him as soon as he answered. "She used to live in Whitefall Cove as a kid. At Thirteen Wiltshire Drive. I was just there, and it's abandoned now, but someone had been inside, and when I went in, I found the borrio bud plant that was stolen from Jenna's greenhouse in the bathtub."
"Where are you now?"
"Heading to The Dusty Attic. I'm meeting Jenna there."
"Good. When you get there, keep the doors locked. Understand?"
"Yes, I understand. But Jackson?" There was something in his voice, something that heightened my sense of danger. "Did you find something else? On Lexi?"
"I'll tell you later," he said gruffly.
"Okay. Is my Gran safe? Would Lexi go after her? Because a fox just saw me leaving that house. I think it's her."
"Shit," he muttered, which was all I needed to hear. "Is she at home. Alone?" he asked.
"She was on a date when I left. I'll call, see if she's home yet. If not, I'll tell her to stay put."
"If she's home, pick her up and take her with you to The Dusty Attic. I'll meet you there later. Do not leave until you've heard from me."
"Okay." I disconnected the call and glanced at Archie. "Shit's getting real, eh?"
Gran's date had been a bust and she was already at home, so I swung by to pick her up. "I'm perfectly capable of defending myself," she grumbled, waiting for Archie to move to the back seat so she could ride up front.
"I know you are." I tried to stretch my mouth into a reassuring smile, pretty sure I just ended up baring my teeth at her. "But humor me, okay. Plus, don't you want to know all that we've discovered? Archie and I were updating the crime board and it all started falling into place."
"Yes, I do, which is why I agreed to let you come get me." Gran was fearless, which I admire
d greatly because I currently had more than enough fear for the two of us. Lexi Sawyer had killed one person, attempted to kill another, and now knew that I knew. She'd be gunning for me for sure. Jackson had better catch her first or I'd be pretty pissed if she killed me.
We hustled into The Dusty Attic and I cursed at the frigid temperature. "Seriously!" I practically shouted, locking the door behind us. "I was here literally an hour ago and I left the thermostat on."
"I'll see to it," Gran offered, ducking into the storeroom and turning the heating back on. A knock at the door made me scream and I spun, peeked behind the blind to see Jenna outside. I let her in. "Quick, come in." I ushered her in and then locked the door again.
"What happened to your face?" she asked, pausing in the act of taking off her coat to peer at my throbbing cheek.
I put a hand up to my face, forgetting I'd used my cheek to break my fall. "I fell. It's nothing, just a scrape." I brushed off her concern. Gran came back out from the storeroom and lit the open fireplace and the warmth of a roaring log fire quickly dispelled not only the chill but also my fear. We were safe. Even if Lexi knew we were here, she couldn't get in. Just to be sure, I double-checked I'd locked the door.
"Jiminy Cricket but you're making me nervous," Gran protested. "Here." She pointed to the crime board I'd left on display. "Bring us up to speed on this." It was a distraction technique, but it worked. Gran sat in the armchair I'd pulled around for Archie earlier, Jenna perched on one arm, while Archie curled up on Gran's lap. I stood by the board and took them through what we'd discovered.
"Of course, we still need Jackson to confirm it was Lexi in the abandoned house on Wiltshire Drive," I said when I'd finished, "that it's her prints on the pot plant."
