Cole flagged Kaylyn down as soon as she rounded the corner, and handed over her leather jacket. “Did you ever check your messages last night?”
Of all things, messages had not come up as a top priority. “No. Was I supposed to?”
“Apparently, Cassidy sent the clips to you. They headed out on a new case, but we should go get set up and see what we captured. He wouldn’t tell me anything, and I’m not quite sure how to interpret the crazy grin he had when he asked about it.” She shrugged, and pulled her keys out of her coat pocket. “How was your night?”
And here we go again. Slipping into her coat, Kaylyn decided the truth surely couldn’t be more complicated than trying to talk around it. “I dropped off some papers for Leon and stayed and had dinner with Jonah.”
“He must be itching to be back in charge,” Cole said.
That was easy enough. “He also drove to work today, so I’m going to throw the stuff from my car into yours, if you wouldn’t mind meeting me at his place so I can drop off him and his car.”
“How selfless of you, sis. Going for a commendation or a speeding ticket?” Cole clucked her tongue and spun toward the front door, her quiet shoes squeaking against the tiles. Jonah wasn’t the only one itching to get to work.
Kaylyn hoped that meant things were going better at home, but she still didn’t justify that question with an answer. Instead, she asked the day guard to keep a special eye on her prized automobile and followed Cole to the parking lot to transfer the computer case from her trunk to the floorboard of Cole’s passenger seat.
“Don’t have too much fun,” Cole said as she slid into the driver’s seat. “I’ll pick up some coffee then pick you up.”
Kaylyn waved then pulled her coat around herself as she watched Cole speed off. Rather than walking back through the office, Kaylyn took the sidewalk around to the back of the building to where the deep blue Aston Martin was parked.
“Must be a cushy job,” a voice from behind her called out.
Chad. Kaylyn stopped in her tracks and closed her eyes. “Are you stalking me?”
“Small town. I saw your old car parked out front and you walking around the building, so I thought I’d stop for a chat.”
“Pass,” Kaylyn looked to the back door, hoping that Jonah would hurry the hell up with whatever he was doing. But the slow patter of shoes behind her said Jonah wasn’t going to come out soon enough. “That means go away,” she said, spinning toward Chad’s face.
She wasn’t some fifteen-year-old girl that he could push around anymore, and she intended to make that quite apparent. He took another step forward, leaving only inches between them. She had to crane her neck to see his face.
He took another step, bumping against her, and although she tried to hold her ground, she had to take a step back to rebalance herself.
“What do you want?” She kept her teeth clenched, and her hands fisted at her sides. He’d never been violent or this pushy in high school, but it had been years since she’d seen him, so she had no idea what he was capable of now.
“A little fun,” he whispered, knocking her against the car, and for the first time, she noticed the smell of alcohol. He must’ve had a damn late night of drinking if she could still smell it on him at nearly ten in the morning.
“I find it amazing that you’ve become an even bigger bastard since high school.” The back corner of the car dug into the back of Kaylyn’s leg. “You’re on camera, and—“
The back door screeched, so Chad ducked backward and stumbled around the corner as Jonah descended the stairs.
“Friend of yours?” Jonah asked as Chad disappeared around the corner.
I really need to get out of this town. Kaylyn ran her hand down her face. “No.”
“Should I report him?”
“He’s just an asshole, and if he comes back, I’ll file a report.” She reached for the door handle and waited for Jonah to unlock the car, hoping they could stay as light on conversation as possible.
The car chirped and she settled into the driver’s seat, moving it forward so her feet could at least touch the pedals. Much like her first time in the car, it smelled like a blend of leather and Jonah’s cologne. The latter grew stronger as he climbed into the car next to her. However, unlike the first time, she no longer found the smell all that unpleasant.
Until the smell ignited the memory of falling asleep in Jonah’s bed.
She sighed at the sound of the engine as it roared to life and shifted the car into reverse to navigate out of the small rear parking lot that Jonah insisted on using.
The engine rumbled and roared beneath her as she hit highway, and she was far more content listening to it than conversation. This was one car that could convince her to part with her beloved Chevelle—if absolutely necessary. And if she could convince someone to give her a major raise or Christmas bonus. It was smooth and sleek in every way and oozed of luxury as well as power. It was the ultimate dichotomy of any sexy sports car.
Especially one worth more than she made in two years.
The ride to Jonah’s house was short, and despite his feeble attempt to make small talk, mercifully quiet. As she parked and cut the engine, her body felt empty with the lack of noise and vibration. She really needed to find more reasons to commandeer his car.
But that’d only encourage all of the damn fraternization crap. She let out a deep breath and climbed from the car. “All in one piece.”
“How long is Cole planning on taking?” Jonah asked.
“Coffee stop.” Kaylyn took a step back and peered down the driveway, where her sister’s car would appear at any moment. “She should be here soon.”
Jonah waited in silence across from her, closing his door and leaning over the roof of the car. She feared the rush of emotions that might erupt if she even looked at him.
She kept her eyes downward, concentrating on the trees, the clouds, anything except the man standing less than five feet away. Why was it for once in her life, when she wanted nothing more than peace—when she’d actually stayed on the safe path—her past followed her more than ever? Now it wasn’t even simply co-workers gossiping about her, it was the Council.
“Be honest, Kaylyn,” Jonah whispered. “Are you okay?”
She nodded but didn’t take her eyes off the driveway, waiting for her sister’s arrival. The air around her felt heavy, like it was pressing her down and squeezing the oxygen out of her lungs.
Jonah rounded the front of the car and came to stand next to her. “You know, I’m going to interpret that as a no, right?”
Kaylyn snorted, but the burning behind her eyes eased. “I wanted a normal, drama-free week.”
Jonah pressed his hand between her shoulder blades.
There was the unavoidable thing that made him different.
Leon let her have her walls. He worked around them, pressing her boundaries, but respecting them. Jonah cracked them open, crawled inside, and saw parts of her that she was afraid to see for herself.
A business partnership—even a friendship—with Jonah changed everything.
She’d sworn to never let it happen, but she’d already let it go beyond any of that.
Kaylyn’s phone buzzed and she slipped it out of her pocket. “Sorry, it’s Cole.”
Kaylyn walked down the driveway wondering why the hell her sister was calling rather than showing up when she desperately needed an escape plan. “What’s up?”
“So um, I may have a situation.” Her sister’s voice sounded strained.
“What kind of situation?”
“Well, it’s one of those you need to see it kinda things. Hang on—” The phone went silent then beeped with a text message.
Kaylyn glanced at her screen, filled with an image of a stack of furniture and DVDs strewn around the living room. “What the hell, Cole?”
Jonah peeked over her shoulder before she put the phone back to her ear.
“Vivian was the only one here,” Cole explained. “Said it
happened while she was in the bath. Since you’re with Jonah, you care to relay? I’ll get a hold of Leon.”
“Uh,” Kaylyn glanced over her shoulder. “I’ll let him know.”
Jonah was watching her, eyebrows raised as she hung up the phone. Rather than explain, she showed him the picture on her cell phone. “Look like anything you’ve encountered?”
“Redecorator from hell,” he grumbled, and she hoped he wasn't literal. “This happened when no one was around?”
“Only Dan’s mother was in the house.”
“How old is she?”
“Um,” Kaylyn gave him a sideways glare. “I don’t really know, like fiftyish.”
Jonah’s mouth flattened, and he cocked an eyebrow, but didn’t speak.
“How does that—” Kaylyn began until realization came over her. “Oh.”
Jonah made a sound halfway between a laugh and a grunt. “I’m coming with you.”
“If it’s a poltergeist—”
“After everything that family has been through, it’s not going to be easy to convince them it’s ‘just’ a poltergeist. You need someone there a bit further removed from family.”
Kaylyn scratched at the cover of her phone, debating whether it was worth it to try to argue with the man. “Cole is getting a hold of Leon; I think you’ve pushed yourself enough today.”
“I wasn’t asking, Kaylyn.” His glare shut her up temporarily as he climbed back in the car. “I hurt if I sit, I hurt if I sleep, I hurt if I walk around. At least I’ll be doing something productive. And as long as you’re driving, I don’t have to abstain from my pain meds.”
Her heart thrummed in her chest, pushing her closer to the edge. He didn’t even have to break down her barriers, most of the time he slid right through them like a ghost. “Right. Well, Jonah on pain meds reasoning with people; glad I’m going to be a spectator.”
Chapter 14
When Kaylyn and Jonah pulled into the driveway, three cars were already filling the space, and an older woman was sitting on the front porch smoking.
“I wouldn’t suggest leading with the menopause PK theory,” Kaylyn said, setting the parking brake in Jonah’s Aston Martin.
She was having a little too much fun driving his car, but being driven around wasn’t a complete downside to everything—and it beat riding around in Leon’s truck, which was the very reason Jonah hadn’t called for a ride this morning. “I wasn’t intending to, but it could be interesting.”
“You haven’t met Vivian. Interesting... well that’d be one way to describe it. I think she has the sense of humor of a zombie—sometimes she has the demeanor of one, too.”
Jonah glared at Kaylyn without turning his head to face her. The woman next to him was almost a mirror image of the one he’d met—the one who’d struggled against him every time he attempted to help her. Was it possible that Leon actually had a reason to be concerned with Kaylyn’s sudden change?
He discarded the thought, deciding it was best to concentrate on the task at hand.
The older woman put out the cigarette and crossed her arms, giving Kaylyn the full brunt of her glower.
“Jonah,” Kaylyn said, “meet Vivian. Jonah’s our new boss,” she said, flipping a hand in his direction.
“Cole didn’t mention you were bringing anyone else,” she said flatly. “The house is—”
“A mess,” Kaylyn finished. “Yeah, isn’t that why we’re here?”
Vivian pinched her lips together and yanked open the door, waving her arm for the two to enter. “Cole and Dan are in the kitchen,” she said.
The door slammed shut, but Vivian didn’t follow—apparently opting for another cigarette instead.
Cole opened her mouth as if to speak when they entered the kitchen, but without a sound, she closed it again and blinked.
“He made me do it,” Kaylyn answered simply.
“Um, yeah,” Cole raised her eyebrows, holding out the vowels. “I get yelled at because I come into work early and don’t get enough sleep. Boss, you aren’t exactly leading by good example right now.”
Jonah squinted at her, but a tall lanky man leaning against the counter cleared his throat. “Can we please discuss the demon y’all set lose?”
“Demon?” Jonah’s voice growled as he spoke, wondering where on earth the other man had heard about a demon.
Cole rolled her eyes to the ceiling and stood there frozen for a second. “He’s being melodramatic. Again. And when I try to come up with a rational explanation—”
“Excuse,” Dan interrupted. “You all try to make excuses for the stuff you attract.”
Jonah was beginning to regret tagging along. It wasn’t going to be an investigation, more like a family feud. “Can you tell us exactly what happened?”
“Stuff has been moving all around the house,” Dan said, waving his arms over his head and spinning in a circle.
“Stuff like?” Jonah asked. “When does it happen? Is anyone around?”
Kaylyn raised an eyebrow in his direction. “You’re supposed to be the tactful one,” she whispered. “Broken ribs make you grumpy.”
The entire room went quiet—all eyes set on Jonah. He thought about making a sarcastic remark about no one complaining when the girls quibbled. Instead, he rubbed a hand over his face then braced both of his hands against the counter. “There is no evidence of a demon here,” he explained calmly. “But we do need details—even the little things you think might be irrelevant or easily explained.”
“Yesterday morning all of the dishes were dumped out of the dishwasher and strewn across the counter,” Dan said. “Last night before Cole came home, we found a bunch of stuff rearranged in the living room, but this afternoon, stuff started flying everywhere. Family albums, DVDs... Even the furniture was moving.”
“Your mom was the only one here at the time?”
Dan glared at Cole but didn’t answer.
Jonah muttered a curse in Irish that he knew no one present would understand. “You said stuff was flying, that implies that someone saw it.”
“Mom,” Dan said, “She came down, yelled at me. When we came upstairs, I got a DVD chucked at my head, then she stormed out of the house.”
“When I got here she nearly kicked us out,” Cole said, lowering her voice, “not that she really wanted us staying here in the first place.”
Dan scoffed and opened his mouth, but Jonah didn’t have a good feeling about what was going to come out so he threw his hand up to silence him.
“Any other details that you two are aware of?”
Dan shook his head. “I’m going to go check on Mom; she’s been out there for a while.”
“It’s like living in a war zone around here,” Cole sighed.
“You could come stay with me,” Kaylyn offered, leaning over the kitchen counter to inspect the broken dishes that had been left there. “Why don’t you work some juju on the place, boss?”
Cole squinted at Jonah. “I’d say it might make everyone feel better if they trusted a damn thing we say. Do you think this has something to do with Todd?” She stepped forward and turned over a few pieces of a broken coffee mug to reveal the photo.
“It was his mother’s day present to Vivian last year. And this one”—she pointed to some reddish fragments—“was his favorite mug. He used it every year when we were here for Thanksgiving. Vivian refused to throw any of it away. There were a few other things broken too, but it seems an odd coincidence.”
“Any connections in the living room?” Kaylyn asked.
Cole nodded, “That’s where he always wanted the chair while he was watching television.”
“Did they connect it with Todd, or did you?” Jonah asked.
Cole shook her head and propped her arms on the island. “Vivian went downstairs to yell at Dan for doing it. But I swear when I walked in, I smelled Todd’s cologne.” Cole looked to Kaylyn then back to Jonah. “I set up the cameras I borrowed earlier,” she pointed to the top of the cabinet and towar
d the living room. “I haven’t told Dan or his family that they’re here since they’ll accuse me of trying to spy on them. I’ll figure out how to review it all later. You didn’t happen to bring any equipment, did you?”
“I have a few things in my trunk,” Jonah said, glancing at Kaylyn, who still had his keys.
“Got it,” she said, straightening and heading for the door.
Cole began to follow after then returned her elbows to the counter and continued to stare at Jonah.
Jonah raised his eyebrows, waiting for Cole to voice whatever was on her mind. He didn’t quite expect it to be good.
“I guess after today, I’ll skip the comment about you two seeming chummy.”
“Back to that again.” Jonah silenced his groan and carefully leaned over the counter so no one else would run the risk of hearing. “Why does everyone find it so hard not to know every detail about Kaylyn’s personal life?”
Cole winced then shook her head. “She’s my sister.”
“And she’s not hiding a damn thing from you.”
She lowered her head, picking at one of her long nails, chipping at the bright yellow nail polish. “I did some digging and found out why you were transferred here.”
“It was only a matter of time. Seems that working for this organization leaves little to anyone’s personal life. I know Kaylyn’s been through the gossip wringer a few too many times, I’m probably headed there myself. I’m only amazed that it hasn’t happened yet.”
“Gerard Cloutier has basically threatened anyone with the gumption to talk. Seems, sending you here was also a message to anyone who might sully the name of his daughter. Although, I think they were counting on everything with Kaylyn discrediting you and leaving you jobless.”
“Seems that way,” Jonah murmured. “All the more reason, I’d like to avoid drama.”
Cole met his gaze and sighed. “It seems weird to see Kaylyn so....”
Before she could continue, the screen door slammed, and Kaylyn returned with a large black bag full of equipment. “So, what’s the plan, boss?”
Beyond the Divide (Fractured Legacy Book 2) Page 12
