A hint of a smile curled on his lips. “Agreed.”
“Now ... for the sucky part.” He tapped her back, and she got up, taking her warmth with her.
He followed her back into the room with Brady’s body and his siblings.
Someone among them had killed Brady. Joel shook out his hands. One of their friends, or worse yet, one of their family members was a killer.
He tried to sort it all. This guy knew no limits. Assuming it was a guy, but it had to be, right? Especially with slitting Brady’s neck. That took some strength. Some utter commitment to apply the right amount of pressure. Poor Brady. Had he fought?
Joel hadn’t seen any signs of a struggle on him. Had he not seen it coming?
Or had he assumed a friend would never hurt him? Whoever the killer was, he wasn’t a friend. He was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, a murderer masquerading as one of the group. All this time, he’d been right there waiting to strike. When would he strike again?
Sixteen
“WE ALL CAUGHT UP?”Iz asked Cassie as the four remained in the room with Brady.
Cass nodded and looked to Joel, who nodded too.
“Why do I feel like I’m the only one out of the loop?” Jayce asked.
“Because you are.” Iz ruffled his hair.
“Care to catch me up?” he asked, looking like a little kid waiting for the big reveal.
“Fine.” Iz huffed. “But then we need to turn our attention to Brady.”
“I’m quick on the uptake,” Jayce said.
“Really?” Iz cocked her head.
Jayce rolled his eyes.
“Okay, for the speed lesson,” Iz said. “May I?” she asked Cass.
“Be my guest.” She didn’t have the wherewithal to go through it again.
Iz moved through at the pace of a bullet train—unfortunately, her normal pace—hitting high notes that blasted their ears.
“Only-dogs-can-hear level,” Jayce said, rubbing his ear. “Bring it down a notch.”
“Sorry.” Iz took an actual breath. “You get it?”
“Yeah.” Jayce leaned against the far wall. “A friend or family member is not who we believed them to be.”
Iz shrugged. “That’s it in a nutshell.”
“Any idea who?” Jayce asked Cass.
“No. I hadn’t considered it being someone close to me. I mean, in the beginning, we went through anyone and everyone, but I settled in to it being someone who obviously knew me but who I didn’t really know. However, someone close to me would help explain how he always seems to know where I am. Where I’ll be. But who here could be that cruel?” She gestured to Brady.
“Not to get sidetracked,” Iz said, pacing the oriental rug on the floor in front of the hearth. “But everyone is going to freak when they realize Brady’s dead, and we’re effectively trapped in this old lodge with his killer and Cassie’s stalker.”
“That’s why we aren’t telling anyone,” Joel said.
Cassie frowned. “What?”
“We tell them Brady had an accident. He must have gotten turned around in the storm and took a bad fall.”
