Nari looked at the murder board. “I’m going to come up with an exact timeline based on all the notes of Lassiter’s crimes from the beginning to right now.” She still wasn’t clear on everything and maybe putting the timeline on paper would show some sort of additional pattern they’d missed. “I assume we’re proceeding as if it’s Lassiter for sure?” If Angus said it was Lassiter, she believed him.
“Oh, that newest note was definitely from Lassiter,” Angus said, looking dangerously sharp in the morning light.
“Okay,” she said, checking his stance for stress. Yep. Definitely stressed, but apparently in control. Man, he was tough.
Angus took a deep drink of coffee. The lump on his temple had decreased dramatically, leaving a tough-guy purple bruise. “Also, I talked to Wolfe while walking Roscoe, and they’re tied up securing the cul-de-sac with a gate and some other warning systems. So they’re out of commission for the day.”
Jethro moved to the kitchen and made himself tea. “I can play wingman. What’s the plan?”
“Well, if Nari is coming up with the timeline, how about you and I take another run at interviewing the paramedics and the doctor who all pronounced Lassiter dead? There must have been a crack in that system.” Angus looked at Nari, his gaze direct. “I’ll leave Roscoe with you, and with the security measures in place, you’ll be fine. But I need you to stay here. Please.”
The “please” sounded like it hurt, but at least he was making an effort. She rolled her eyes. “I’m not going anywhere today.” The need to organize the timeline would drive her all day.
He apparently decided to ignore the eye roll because he approached the table and took two of his file folders. Then he moved toward her, an unreadable glint in his eyes.
She froze, not sure why.
“’Bye. I’ll check in.” Then, right in front of Jethro and Roscoe, he kissed her full on the mouth.
Warmth spread through her, making her whole body tingle. She couldn’t think of an appropriate response, so she just enjoyed the feeling and tried not to pay attention to Jethro’s reaction. Her brain kicked back in once Angus had opened the door. “Wait a minute. Somebody keeps trying to kill you. Shouldn’t you lie low for a while?”
He paused, looking over his shoulder. “I’m armed, and I’m sure Jethro is as well. I’d rather the next attempt happened away from you anyway.” He disappeared into the hallway.
Jethro hesitated, his dark-blond hair still wet from his shower. “I’ll cover his back.” He looked like he wanted to say something else, but then shrugged his shoulders. “Engage the dead bolt as soon as we go. I’ll call when we’re headed up so you can unlock it for us. Thanks.” Then he was gone.
Nari looked at Roscoe, who’d sat on his hindquarters to watch the proceedings. “I guess it’s you and me, boy.”
He panted and went into the kitchen, where Angus had left a bowl full of dog food and some water. Roscoe sighed and looked over his furry body toward her.
She grinned. “You’d much rather eat that than anything I could cook for you, although I will refill your water.” His happily wagging tail spurred her on, and she lifted her burner phone to her ear to call Pippa.
“Hello,” Pippa said, the quiet sound of her typing coming over the line.
“Hi. Am I interrupting?” Nari asked, leaning down to grab the water dish.
The typing stopped. “No. I was just finishing up some financial records for a couple of clients. What’s going on?” Pippa asked.
Nari took a deep breath. She’d wanted to keep her emotions to herself to figure things out, but her mind wasn’t working fast enough. It was time to confide in a friend, and Pippa had great insights. “Angus and I slept together.”
“It’s about time,” Pippa said, laughing. “All right. Tell me everything.”
Chapter Thirty
“Thank goodness Brigid is so good at her job,” Jethro said mildly, sitting in the driver’s seat of his car and staring out the window at a nice single-family home in a large subdivision in Virginia.
That was the truth. Angus looked through the file folder, although he’d already memorized most of the contents. Okay. All of the contents. “I don’t have a badge and you’re a college professor, so there’s a chance this guy won’t talk to us. Last time I met with him, I was casual, so maybe he won’t mind some more questions.” He scouted the peaceful neighborhood with its small, manicured lawns and now empty flower beds, not seeing a threat.
Jethro did the same. “How did the two attackers find you and your lawyer yesterday, do you surmise?”
“Dunno,” Angus said, looking again at the white-painted house with dark-blue shutters. “They caught my tail at the police station, that’s for sure. How they knew to find me there, I don’t know. Could be luck, but something tells me it’s more.” He hadn’t figured it out yet, and frustration tasted like sour candy in his mouth. “Somebody knows too much about us.”
“You think somebody in Metro or the HDD is involved?” Jethro asked.
Angus prodded the lump on his head. “I don’t know. Lassiter is a serial killer who works alone, but he did have a lot of money, so maybe he bribed somebody for information? But who? If not, how?”
“So long as they’re not here looking to shoot me,” Jethro muttered, stepping out of his vehicle.
Angus followed suit. “It’s not like you’d catch any attention with a Bentley Continental Flying Spur,” he returned, carefully shutting the door of the ridiculously expensive black automobile.
