“Heard about Andrew from the morgue,” He said.
“Word’s out already, huh?”
“Oh yeah. It was all the talk at the liquor store. Bad?”
“Bad.”
He nodded and looked away. We’d seen some bad things in our day, most of which still visited us in our deepest, darkest sleep. When we allowed ourselves to sleep, anyway.
“I need a favor.” I said.
“Besides this?”
“Yep.”
“I need you to determine Josh Davis’s whereabouts last night.”
His eyes narrowed, but true to form, he didn’t ask. “Will do.”
“Also, have Wolf pull a list of current clients at Kline and Associates and then compare that list to criminal records.”
Wolf Blackwood, our head of security at Steele Shadows was known as much for his genius-level IQ as his ability tohack into secure systems. My personal favorite thing about him.
“Also, have him compile another list of every retailer in the area that sells mini spy cams. Give that list to Jagg and have him talk to the owners. Try to get the names of everyone in the area who purchased one recently.”
“Done.”
“One more thing. Tell Jagg to stay close to Andrew’s case and to keep me up to date.”
“Will do. Need anything else?”
“Not right now.”
“Alright, bro.” His gaze flickered to the cabin on the hill. He didn’t ask what I was doing there, or who she was. Not because he didn’t care, but because I had no doubt he already knew. He’d probably had Wolf pull everything on the homeowner as soon as I texted him the address. Gunner very likely knew more about Rose than I did at that point.
We were protective of each other. Always had been.
Gunner helped me pull Spirit from the trailer then slipped back in the truck. He looked up at the sky. “Gonna get cold.”
“I’ll be alright.”
“Talkin’ about the tacos.”
I grinned, pulling Spirit away from the truck. “Night, bro.”
With a nod, the window rolled up and the truck disappeared down the dirt road.
The wind whistled through the trees as I stroked Spirit’s mane.
“Thanks for coming.”
She snorted.
Gripping her reins, we made our way back up the hill, although this time, I took the woods to avoid being seen.Spirit walked slowly, smoothly beside me. A content partner. Happy to just be.
Taking note of every rock, tree, log, twig, I took mental inventory of Rose’s property, then, journeyed deeper into the woods to do one more perimeter check.
An hour later, I perched myself between two boulders, with Spirit next to a thicket of pines that blocked the wind. The rain had stopped, but the temperatures had dropped. I settled in, my eyes locked on Rose’s cabin just past the tree line. From the spot I’d chosen, I could see her entire house and most of the back yard.
