She expected, maybe anticipated, either a general panicked “no” or an emphatic “yes.” The steady, piercing study shereceived from his dark eyes had her setting a pair of jeans on the counter and turning to face him more fully.
“Actually no,” he said, his voice quiet. “I like kids. Just assumed it would never happen for me.”
She cocked her head. “Why not?”
Before he could answer, her phone rang. Pulling it from her pocket, she frowned at the ID, then flashed it to Collin: Napa Police Department.
“Hello,” she answered. Collin gestured for her to put it on speaker. She tapped the button, then held the device out.
“Helia? It’s Carter.”
“Hey, Carter.”
“We have a few more questions; can we stop by to talk?”
She glanced out the window into the darkness. Granted, night came earlier in the winter, but still, it was after six.
“I’m not home right now,” she replied. “I can talk over the phone, or we can meet tomorrow.”
Carter paused, then sighed. “Can you tell me what kind of car you drive?”
Her brows dropped so fast she wondered if they’d stay there permanently. “A Mini,” she replied. Collin had barely fit into the passenger seat. Thankfully, Kendall, though tall, was flexible enough to sprawl across the back bench, allowing him to put his seat all the way back.
Beside her, Collin crossed his arms and glared at the phone. His facial expressions had always been subtle, and they’d grown even more so since his childhood. Still, she knew him well enough to catch his micro-expressions. And right now, the tension in his jaw and the tiny crease at the corner of his left eye told her he Was. Not. Pleased.
“Does Sundaram have any other vehicles?”
Collin nodded for her to answer. “Yes, we have a van and a truck.”
“And do you drive those?”
Again, Collin nodded. “I do. Several of us do, when needed. But I don’t think either has been taken out since last weekend. Why?”
“And you say you haven’t seen Kurt Fisher for a few years?”
Collin pulled out his phone and started typing out a text.
“Since before he moved,” she answered. “I told you, I don’t remember exactly when he moved, but I hadn’t seen him in a while when I heard about it. Again, why?”
“Because we have a witness that says they saw you with him last week,” Carter replied.
She sucked in a breath. Impossible. She opened her mouth to say as much when Collin set a hand on her arm and held out his phone out. He’d written a note, not a text.
“Ask when,” it said.
“When did this witness say they saw us?”
“A week ago, Monday.”
“What time and where?” she asked, not needing Collin’s notes to tell her what to ask next.
“Midmorning, near the Mount Saint Helena trail.”
She shook her head. “Aside from wedding season during the spring and summer, November and December are our busiest months at Sundaram. Not only was Inothiking on a weekday morning, but it’s a nearly ten-mile trail that takes five to six hours. It would never even cross my mind to try it during our second high season.”
“And last night?”
“What about last night?”
