“Yeah, I’m armed.” I removed my S&W LadySmith from my bag.
“Okay.” He pulled behind my building into the back parking area, and I saw that the door was ajar. “Stay here.”
Not in a million years. “No way. I’ll back you up.”
Saber was at least five minutes behind us.
“All right, but stay behind me.” Aiden jumped out of the truck and removed his Glock from the back of his waist, edging forward to kick the door open. He swung in high, and I went low. We’d practiced this a couple of times, just in case.
He flipped on the light. Melted snow on the stairs led to the second floor. He crept silently up the steps to the hallway, and I tried to do the same, my boots squeaking on the wet wood. He didn’t flinch or turn around; instead, he kept moving gracefully in that way he had, trying to open the few office doors on the way to mine at the end of the hallway. They were all locked.
My office door had been kicked open hard, and the frame was destroyed. Aiden surveyed the hallway again and then pushed the door open farther with his shoulder, stepping inside and flipping on the light.
I followed him and gasped at what I saw. Saul Nelson sat on the wooden floor, slouched against the reception desk, an arrow shaft protruding from his heart. His eyes were wide, and blood had dribbled out of the side of his mouth.
“Stay here,” Aiden said. “Back to the wall.”
I sidled with my shoulders to the wall and kept my gun at the ready. Aiden edged into Clark’s office and then made his way down the hall, clearing each room before returning.
Saber appeared at my side from the hallway, his gun out.
“The office is clear,” Aiden said. “Search the rest of the building again and then scout the area. Whoever broke in and dumped the body did it fast. When you’re done, check the camera feeds.”
Saber took off.
I looked at the dead man on my floor and sighed, returning my gun to my bag and reaching for my phone.
“Pierce,” the detective answered.
“Hi. Remember when I said I wouldn’t bug you again tonight?” I asked tentatively. “Well...”
Chapter30
Aiden helped me finish cleaning the blood off the floor on Monday morning after a few hours of sleep Sunday night. The police had searched the entire building again, and it had taken the crime scene techs a few hours before they finally removed the body. We’d subsequently been interviewed by Detective Pierce and then headed home for some rest.
“Thanks for this,” I said.
“No problem.” Aiden threw the remaining rag in a plastic garbage bag. “I’ll take this out.” His phone buzzed, and he looked down. “I have to go, Angel. The police have a guy on your office for the day, and I’ll pick you up tonight. Okay?”
“No problem.” I nodded at Bud Orlov, who had already taken point near the door. He held a cup of coffee and seemed to be in a decent mood. At least his hair looked cheerful with its buzz cut standing perfectly on end.
Aiden gave me a kiss and then left. I took a deep breath and walked back to my office, having worn comfortable slacks and a pink sweater as a nod to the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday. I didn’t have court today or much else on the books, so it would be a paperwork-filled day, which I enjoyed quite a bit.
Oliver, Pauley, and Clark soon showed up, each popping into my office to ask why Bud was once again guarding us. After I explained, Oliver shook his head.
“I’m telling you, this is a far more exciting place to work than I ever thought.” He didn’t sound very down about it, so I figured, at the very least, it gave him something to talk about with his friends at school. He moved to tidy the bookshelf to the left of my door, reaching down to lift the entire thing up with one hand just so he could move it an inch.
“You’ve been working out,” I mused. Good for him. I should follow suit.
A smile spread across his face. “Yeah. I know I can’t ask a girl like Violet out yet, but someday.”
The guy definitely had a crush. I sighed. “Listen, Oliver. Depending on what Buddy and Yara think, you could probably ask Violet out after she turns seventeen, but there can be no physical intimacy before she’s eighteen, if you know what I mean. And maybe way, way, way after that.”
He blushed a deep red. “Dude. I just like her. I wouldn’t push her. In fact, I’d do anything for that girl.”
“Does she know that?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Sure. I’m surprised she didn’t call me for help when she took off, but I think she was really trying to figure out how to leave town, which meant me, too.”
