She nodded, biting her lower lip.
“And don’t say anything to Darby. Just get up the hill, to the Jeep.”
She looked at the headlights cutting through the yard. “How do you know it’s Darby?”
“Just a guess. Straight to the Jeep. Not a word, got it?”
She stared at the patrol car.
“Okay? Sunny. You okay?”
“Yes.”
“Say it again.”
She inhaled deeply. “Yes. I’m okay,” a little stronger this time.
“Good. Let’s go.”
I slid my hand into hers and guided her up the hill while she muttered commands to her dogs the entire way. We split off at the driveway. I met Darby in front of his patrol car. He wore a Grateful Dead T-shirt, wrinkled, and damp with sweat. Khaki shorts and flip flops completed the incapable look. He shut his car door, gaping at the graffiti on the house.
“Damn.”
“Nice response time.”
“I was nearby.”
“I’ll bet you were.”
His gaze flickered to mine, then quickly back at the house.
“Have you found Kenzo Rees yet?”
His eyebrows raised. “It hasn’t been an hour since you called me and told me he was out of jail.”
“Hour’s a long time.”
“… No, sir. I haven’t found him yet.”
A moment ticked by.
“Did she get a look at who did this?” He glanced at Sunny climbing into my Jeep, her army obediently at the tires.
“No. We pulled up to it like this.”
“Do you know when it happened?” He pulled his notebook from his pocket.
“Within the last hour.”
“Was she home?”
“No. She’d gone into town to pick up dinner at Gino’s.”
Darby kept his eyes on the graffiti, avoiding mine. I gave him ten full seconds to explain why he’d been following me.When he didn’t, I decided to play along—let him sweat, get the full confession later. My gut told me there was more to his story than wanting to shadow me.
I also kept my theory to myself—that Sunny might know her intruder. I needed to prove it before my little shadow ran back to Colson. I didn’t trust Darby. Never had.
Right now, my only priority was Sunny—turning her house upside down, finding any trace of Kenzo Rees, and getting the bastard locked up again.
