“Nothing,” Franklin answered a little too quickly. A few seconds later, he followed that sentiment with a more honest “everything.”
I swallowed hard, fear infiltrating my heart. “Did something happen with Ten—”
“No, not that I know of.” Franklin briefly squeezed me tighter before releasing me. “Come inside, and I’ll tell you about it.” Looking over my shoulder, Franklin offered a polite, if a bit forced smile. “Agent Frost. Leon. Thank you for accompanying Boone today.”
Phlox waved Franklin off. “It was no trouble. It’s creepy cool watching Erasmus do his thing.”
“Indeed,” Leon agreed.
Warmth heated my cheeks. At least Phlox and Leon thought what I did wascool. I didn’t hold the creepy part against them. “Let’s get inside.” The evening was chilly. We definitely weren’t to the time of year where two a.m. was balmy. “I’m sorry, Phlox.I should have offered you a warmer coat.” Or maybe shawl? Pixie wings certainly made outer wear more challenging.
“No worries. I like the cool weather,” Phlox surprisingly answered.
“You do?” I asked.
Phlox’s fingernails grew into claws. “Pallas’s cat shifter. We’re made for the cold, not heat.”
Huh. I’d only ever heard that pixies loved the heat. Then again, a pixie wasn’t all Phlox was.
We shuffled inside. It was either late or early depending on one’s point of view. I immediately headed for the fridge, asking everyone if they’d like something to drink or maybe a snack. Franklin declined, but Phlox and I opted for a glass of sweet tea, all of us settling around the kitchen table. By far, Phlox and Leon appeared to be the liveliest members of our impromptu group.
“Any problems tonight?” Franklin asked as he heavily leaned back into his chair. The wooden frame creaked alarmingly, not that Franklin seemed to notice or mind.
“None,” I answered.
Phlox huffed. “Oh, there was a problem all right. That human male and his son are despicable.” Arms crossed, Phlox slumped. He was too short for his feet to hit the ground, but I’d bet tonight’s pay that he was tapping his bare foot, connecting with little more than air. “I still say you should have let Leon and me dispatch them.”
Franklin’s eyes widened in alarm. “Dispatch as in—”
Phlox made a slicing motion across his neck. “The world would be far better off without those two in it.”
I coughed, covering my grin with my hand. Franklin’s eyebrows nearly met his hairline. “It’s pretty clear Opal was murdered by her husband and stepson.”
Franklin’s eyebrows lowered, now scrunching in thought. “Any evidence beyond Opal’s returned soul’s word?” Franklinknew as well as I did that human courts didn’t always accept the testimony of the decedent. It was a rather tricky area of the law.
“Sheriff Andrews thinks so. Opal gave specifics—items Sheriff Andrews can follow up on and find concrete evidence to support her claims. I don’t think even a fairy lawyer could get Jackson and Devon Alcott off.”
“Good to hear,” Franklin answered before turning his attention to Phlox. Clearing his throat, Franklin said, “I don’t thinkdispatchingthem will be necessary.”
“Who said anything about necessary?” Phlox protested. “I’d call it a community service.”
“My beloved is correct.”
I wondered if Leon ever thought Phlox wasn’t correct. Was love truly that blind? I glanced Franklin’s direction. Was I blind to Franklin’s faults? Possibly. Then again, part of the reason I loved him so much was that we were often on the same page regarding a myriad of different issues. Was it possible to truly fall in love with someone that you disagreed with all the time? I wasn’t sure. What I was certain of was that I didn’t have the mental wherewithal to contemplate it right now.
“I’m glad nothing else happened,” Franklin said, pulling me from my circular musings. “I hated that I was too busy for you to ask me to go with you.”
I reached for Franklin’s hand, wrapping our fingers together and squeezing tight. “I should have called you earlier. I just—”
“I understand. I hate that I understand, but I do.”
Something in my chest eased. “You’re not upset with me then?”
Franklin’s answering smile was soft. “No. I’m upset with the situation, but not you.”
“You will make excellent mates for each other,” Leon said, his voice cool but oddly filled with emotion. “It is soothing being insuch close quarters with others as equally settled as my beloved and myself.”
Phlox leaned into Leon, placing a smacking kiss on his cheek. “You’re such a romantic.” Phlox winked before settling back in his chair. When he turned his attention to Franklin, any hint of warmth dissipated as he became all business again. “So, what’s putting those dark circles under your eyes, Mr. Homicide Detective?”
