And a redheaded nurse whom I barely know sayingresponsibility is sexyhas me completely losing my shit.
Internally.
And in my biological weapon.
Because all my brain sees are those dildos and vibrators scattered all over Sloane’s bedroom while I kneel in front of her and tell her everything I’ve ever taken responsibility for in my life.
“I think you might have to sit on him for a while so I can go take their statements,” Chester says to Tillie Jean.
“Ew. I’m not touching him,” she replies. “Let me call Max.”
“Getoffme,” Nigel says again.
“Let him go,” Sloane says. “If he tries to hurt Davis again, I’ll take him down myself.”
Chester and Tillie Jean share a look.
Tillie Jean grins.
Chester shrugs, then lets Nigel go.
Nigel climbs to his feet, glaring at all of us. “Sloane.Let’s go.”
She heaves another sigh. “If you want to be helpful, Nigel, you can go find a cat carrier for Peggy. I can’t go back in my house to get any of my things, because it’s a fucking crime scene, and I can’t transport my cat without a cat carrier.”
Nigel stares at Sloane.
Then he looks at me. “Go get Sloane a cat carrier.”
I don’t reply.
Not worth the breath.
Instead, I slip my arm around Sloane. “Chester. Can we give you statements from Tillie Jean’s house?”
He looks at me, and even lit only by the glow of houselights and headlights, I can see him going red again.
He answers me by speaking to Sloane. “That’s a really good idea. Sloane, you two head over to Tillie Jean’s house.” He points down the street. “Backup’s here. I’ll have one of them give you a ride. Stay close. We’ll have some questions.”
Nigel takes a step toward Sloane.
The cat hisses, and Nigel leaps back.
“This is not the way,” Sloane says quietly to him.
His jaw muscles tic while he stares at her.
He probably knows.
He knows he’s losing her. Might even be realizing he never had her in the first place.
And that makes him one more loose thread in her life that needs to be tied up.
Tomorrow problem.
Or Saturday problem.
At the moment, though, getting Sloane and her cat out of the rapidly cooling night air and away from her house is what matters most.
