“What are you going to do? Call animal control or the humane society?” Selene waves Cori away, but Cori gets that gleam in her eyes.
“Don’t.” The one word is a warning, but Cori doesn’t answer. From the way she turns her face and juts her chin, I know she’s going to cause that man some trouble. “Well, whatever the consequences are, you’ll have to deal with them.”
“I’m convinced that man is connected to all the changes in this town, and the thing is, he’s been here in plain sight. I checked the plates on his car to see who it’s registered to. It’s registered to a woman by the name of Haddie Richardson.”
“So?” Selene asks. “That’s probably his momma or somebody. You’re hypnotized by a man who drives his momma’s car.”
“Oh, please. I was pretending so I could get the criminal’s secrets.” Cori is lying. She’s always been deathly afraid of dogs.
“Anything else, Cori?” I ask. “Do you know the man’s name?”
“No,” she admits.
“Then how the hell do you know he’s a criminal?”
“Doesn’t that seem strange to you? I even questioned Ms. Hazel about him, and she asked me if I was the police or something,” Cori says.
“Ms. Hazel is on the take.” Selene nods her head.
“I’ll keep you guys posted. I’m going to follow his ass all week while I’m on Mr. Armstrong’s clock.” Cori claps her hands together. “But it’s nice out. Let’s go to the community pool. Selene and I brought our suits.”
She jumps up as if she didn’t just say she’s going to intrude on a man’s life and investigate something that’s none of her business.
“Kids pee in that pool,” I complain. “Hold on.”
I pick up my phone and press Rip’s contact. He answers on the second ring.
“Hey,” his deep voice says.
“Hi, baby. You busy?”
“Never for you.”
“Can I go to your house and swim in your pool?” I hold my breath and wait. The man likes his privacy, and there has never been anyone else over when I’m there. He won’t even allow food delivery or mail services on his property. He sends his mail to a P.O. Box.
“Thorny, why are you calling to ask me such a dumb question? I told you this thing is forever.”
I want to ask him what the hell forever has to do with me using his pool, but I don’t. “Can Selene and Cori come, too? If not, we’ll go to the community pool.”
I can hear him making a groaning sound in the back of his throat, and I wonder if he’s twisting his neck until it cracks.
“Please,” I add.
“Okay, but keep them out of my office and the basement. And no food deliveries.”
“Thank you.” I give the girls a thumbs-up, and they high-five each other. I leave them in the living room and go to my bedroom to get my suit. “What time will you be home?”
“I don’t know. This is taking longer than I thought.”
“I miss you.”
“I miss you, too.”
“I love you.”
“Me too, baby. Forever.”
Chapter 47
