“Isn’t the sheriff still out to get you?Or did you find a way to prove you didn’t start the fire?”
“I don’t think Hank ever sleeps.And nah.But I will.”
Cody’s brows lowered over his olive-toned eyes.“Something else on your mind?”
Quin snorted.Hell, if Cody only knew he was staying at Liam’s girlfriend’s house, that Josie had his head spinning in circles—no, scratch that.It wasn’t Josie who’d fucked with his head.That was his own damn fault.
Guilt.Of course it was guilt for abandoning his pal’s widow.Who wouldn’t be eaten up over that?Yet, something else hung around the edges of that guilt.Another gut-wrenching emotion.And acknowledging that would only make him a bigger piece of shit than he already was.
“Yeah,” he said.“Liam.”
Cody’s eyes softened.“Come in for coffee.I was just about to take a break.”
Quin followed him inside.The large front entrance opened up to a seating nook and coffee bar.He took one of the black leather chairs at the front window overlooking the porch and front lawn.
Cody went to the coffee machine, poured two cups, and took the seat across from Quin.“It’s nice to have you back.It’s been hard running the place alone.”
A pang of remorse chewed at Quin.
Quin warmed his hands on the mug.“I appreciate you running things.I know it probably hasn’t been easy.I’ll be sure to compensate you for the added work and stress while I’ve been gone—”
Cody sighed impatiently and waved his hand.“We don’t need to talk about that right now.It’s my business too, and I would have done whatever necessary to keep it going.I get why you had to leave.”
Quin gave one nod.
“So what’s Liam got to do with anything?”Cody took a sip of his coffee, his eyes watchful over the rim.
Quin stretched out his legs.“None of it makes sense.I inspected the harness that morning.It was in perfect shape.”
“And?”
“After he fell it seemed old, and part of the nylon fall protection lanyard was frayed...like it’d been cut.”
Cody drew his head back.“You think someone murdered Liam?”He shook his head.“The police ruled his death as accidental.A workplace injury.”
Quin rolled his lips together.“Did you see the harness?”
Cody shook his head slowly.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.He found the file of the images he’d taken last year and flicked to the clearest photo of the lanyard.Just seeing the neat line of cut material made his gut clench.“It looks as if someone cut the harness halfway.Just enough to weaken it in the event of a fall.”
Cody whistled through his teeth.“Fuck, man.”He stood and paced the room.“We need to find out who was working that day.I’ll have to dig and—”
“There’s more.”
Cody whirled around.His skin had turned a sickish-gray hue.“More?”
“Liam called Josie the morning he died.He left a voicemail saying something wasn’t right at work and that he needed to talk to her.”
Cody dragged his hand through his hair.“Well, did she tell the police?”
“She didn’t think of it until now.She’d thought his death was accidental until I told her my suspicions.”
“We should call Hank.”
Quin made a face.The sheriff was fair and just, but until Quin could clear his name about the fire, he had to keep his ass away from a jail cell.
Cody lifted a shoulder.“Right.I guess that’s not a good idea yet.”
