Two police cruisers pulled up behind the county vehicles.Neighbors poked heads out of doors.A few stood outside watching in various shades of dress for the day.Pajamas.Casual summer clothes.Business suits.This would be the talk around the water cooler.
The fireman tilted his head to the police officers ambling toward them.“We should go speak with them.”
Alicia nodded.
An ambulance parked behind the line of emergency vehicles.He eyed Grace’s injuries and then Callum.“Perhaps you want to take her to be cleaned up.”
She agreed and went in one direction with Callum, while Alicia met the police officers as they walked into her house.
“Sherlock tried to kill you,” he said.
“Apparently, he’s not the only one who tried this morning.”She fell into step with him.“Why would Dominic do that?Smoke us out and just disappear.”
Callum’s silence didn’t sit well.
“Really.I don’t get it.If he wanted to send another message, he could have used FedEx again.Maybe spice things up with UPS or DHL or go all-American with USPS.”
His silence unnerved her.
The EMTs took one look at Grace and set to work.
Twenty minutes later, the cat scratches stung worse than before, but she’d been swabbed and smeared with antibiotic cream, covered in bandages, and ordered to see a doctor if signs of infection surfaced.
Callum had been on the phone, pacing as he kept an eye on her.He was more agitated than when the front window had shattered.
The fire trucks left.More police cars arrived, with men and women who had a decidedly more detective feel than those who initially arrived.
Callum ended his phone call and returned to her side.He took her hand, inspected one arm, then the next, gently placed her hand by her side, and then tipped her chin up to inspect her neck and chest.“Sherlock beat the hell out of you.”
“All for saving his little furry life.”She fell into step alongside him as they walked into the backyard.“What’s going to happen?”
“If it’s Dominic’s people, a police investigation that will probably turn up a whole lot of nothing.”He shrugged.
She faltered.“If?Who else would it be?”
They settled onto the chairs on the patio outside the kitchen.“No idea.This feels messy.”
“Alicia and I already decided that Dominic can pay to redecorate her entire house.”
Callum’s lips twitched.“Did you?”
She nodded.“I don’t know how we’ll ask him to do that, but I never doubt Alicia.”
“After what I’ve seen, I wouldn’t either.”He leaned back and stretched.“What a way to start the day.”
Grace stared at him.Other than demanding she get in the car, he was the epitome of calmness.
His head tilted.“What’s that look for?”
“You’re incredibly cool under pressure.”
The corner of his grin hitched.“It’s not like a missile hit us during breakfast.Speaking of which, I’m starving.”He stood up and offered a hand.“Let’s get changed and grab some grub.We’ll pick up something for Alicia, too.”
“Cal, you’re acting like this is not a big deal.”
“No, I’m acting like we need to fuel our bodies, because today is going to be a fuckin’ headache.”
Okay, well, that made sense.“It’s not normal, how calm you are.”
