I wanted to see Elijah and hear him tell me that I was going to be okay. Instead, he didn’t look in my direction after his initial shock that I was at his crime scene. He just went about his investigation, which included talking to Milo and Memphis then sending them home in the back of their squad cars. I knew that neither of them chose to leave me by myself at the crime scene. Why isolate me? It was like Elijah was angry at me or something, but he would have to care about me for that to happen.
I felt my blood drain when the coroner loaded the black bag into the back of his van and drove off. There was only a scattering of officers and crime scene personnel on the scene by the time that Elijah could no longer delay talking to me. He approached the squad car with long, confident strides and pulled the rear passenger door open briskly. I expected him to ask me to step out of the car like he had Memphis and Milo, but instead, he climbed in beside me and shut the door.
Earlier, I would’ve been so grateful to have him sit beside me but not after an hour of waiting and being ignored. I was cold, afraid, and angry. I didn’t want him to see me as weak, so I mentally held myself together. I imagined a warm blanket, but not his, wrapped tightly around me and willed my teeth to stop chattering. I felt his intense regard as he looked me over from head to toe, but I didn’t dare look at him for risk of falling apart.
“What were you doing here tonight, Maegan?” Elijah finally asked.
“I’m sure Milo and Memphis told you.” Yeah, my voice was as frosty as you’d expect it to be.
Elijah released a frustrated sigh then said, “I want to hear it from you.”
“Thom Renzo sent me an email and gave me the okay to look through his parents’ estate to see if there is anything I’d like to buy for my shop,” I told him. “I was supposed to do it last week, but he canceled our appointment at the last minute.”
“How’d you get in?”
“The email contained the code to the lockbox on the front door.”
“Was he supposed to meet you here?” Elijah asked.
“He didn’t say, but I assumed not since he provided the code and there was no other vehicle parked here.”
“Hmmm.” His response caused me to turn and look at him.
“What’s that mean, Detective Markham?” He looked surprised that I addressed him formally.
“Is that typical for someone to trust you to go looking through their heirlooms by yourself?”
I turned in my seat to face him the best I could. “Are you implying that I’m not trustworthy?”
“Not at all,” he replied, shaking his head. “I’m just asking if that’s typical of someone to show you that much trust.”
“I’ve earned a reputation as an honest and reliable business woman. I have never cheated anyone, and I’d never steal anything!”
“How do you feel about killing people?”
I’m sure my dramatically raised brows and slacked jaw made me look like a cartoon character. Nothing was funny about the situation. “Right this minute, Detective?” I asked.
“You look mad enough to kill right now,” he said. “Are you having murderous thoughts?”
“Toward you?” I crossed my arms over my chest, drawing his attention to my full breasts, even though they were hidden beneath a thick coat. “Why would you think that?” Did he think I was still pining after his cock, bemoaning the fact that his lips were no longer pressed against my pussy?
“It’s just a vibe I’m picking up on.”
“Hmmm, how astute of you.”
“It does come in handy,” he quipped. “Why don’t you run me through your night, so that you can get home. I’m sure Lulu misses you.”
He listened without interruption while jotting stuff down in his little notebook. When he was finished, he closed it and tucked it back inside his pocket. “So, the spider is responsible for your hair?”
“What?” I raised my hands up to my head and was horrified when they met what felt like a rat’s nest. I scooted over and looked in the rearview mirror of the squad car and was horrified by my reflection. “Oh my God. Could this week get any worse?”
“Hey, your hair looks better than Thom Renzo’s,” Elijah said.
Just like that, the tenuous hold on my emotions snapped, and I burst into tears.
