She should leave it to the professionals, but she wouldn’t. Not entirely. She didn’t want to go poking around. Napa was remarkably small when it came to full-time residents. Carter and Jess would find out faster than she could pour a glass of wine if she started putting her nose where she shouldn’t. And the last thing she needed was to draw more attention to herself.
But she had Leo.
Well, Collin and Dulcie had Leo. If she gave him a list of organizations, he seemed the sort who’d be happy to look into whether any had a connection to Justin and Kurt. If he found one, he could point Carter and Jess in the right direction and away from wasting time on her.
“What are you thinking?” her mom asked, standing on the other side of the table, arms crossed, head tilted. Waiting.
She had no intention of worrying her parents any more than they were. She’d keep her plan to herself. But once the Sundaram machine got running and her help was no longer needed, she’d make a list and send it to Collin, who could forward it to Leo. She’d catch up with them all later tonight when she returned.
“Woolgathering again. Shall we set the table?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
The door opened, and Dulcie’s footsteps echoed down the hall. He paused, and the low rumble of his voice was followed by Gretchen’s before the footsteps continued. Monk ran a hand through his hair, then over his face, his eyes never leaving the flames in the fireplace.
“Monk?”
He turned, dipped his head toward his phone that lay on the coffee table, then went back to staring at the fire. In his peripheral vision, he watched Dulcie pick the device up and read the message from Leo. He held the phone for longer than a single reading required, but Monk didn’t blame him—he’d read it three times.
“Fuck,” Dulcie said, sinking onto the couch.
“Yeah.”
“I think it’s time to call in the family.”
Monk nodded. “Yeah. Gretchen also placed an earworm in my head about the possibility of more drugs in the house. Like hell do I want anyone to stumble across anything, so we need to do a full search. The…dungeon needs to be taken care of. I haven’t set foot down there.” He paused and let out a disgusted huff. “Hell, I haven’t even brought myself to go through the restof the house except this wing, my old room, and a few other spots very briefly when searching for Kendall.” He paused again. “And then there’s that.” He nodded to the device still in Dulcie’s hand.
“And then there’s this,” Dulcie said, setting it back on the table.
“And it’s Christmas Eve in four days. Fuck me,” he muttered, slouching in his chair. Life was spinning too fast on its axle, tipping and wobbling to stay balanced. When it did find its footing and stabilize again, it would never be the same.
Not for him. Not for so many.
“One thing at a time,” Dulcie said. “I’ll call Mantis. I assume you’re going to take care of that?” he asked, gesturing to the phone.
“Yeah.”
“Have you already started the process?”
“Leo’s submitting the paperwork as we speak.”
“Any chance it will be denied?”
“Not unless there’s an objection.”
They both stared at his phone, then Dulcie rose and pulled his from his pocket. “I’ll call Mantis and take care of Gretchen. You go talk to Kendall.”
“Any words of advice?” Monk asked, rising and swiping up his phone.
“Honesty,” was all Dulcie said.
Monk nodded. He couldn’t be any other way right now. Even if he wanted to. With another deep breath, he stepped away from the fire and toward the stairs. Two flights later, he knocked on Kendall’s door.
“Come in,” she called.
His stomach churned, twisting and sour. Not bothering to brace himself, he swung the door open and stepped in, his eyes meeting Kendall’s dark ones. In seconds, he studied her,as if seeing her for the first time. Thin and gangly, but healthy. Taller than average and with her dark hair severely cut, sharp cheekbones, and wide-set eyes, she reminded him a little bit of a child version of Uma Thurman inPulp Fiction.
“She’s dead, isn’t she?” Kendall said.
