“What is it doing in my house?” I snapped, tugging my T-shirt down to cover myself. Apparently, I had not worn proper underwear for a make-out sessionora holdup at gunpoint.
Nick flinched as Mrs. Haggerty gesticulated wildly with her gun. “I have a right to defend myself. There could be a murderer in the neighborhood! A dead man was buried behind my house and the killer is still at large.”
“Which is one of many reasons it’s a bad idea for you to have this,” Nick said, taking a cautious step toward her. “May I?” He reached out a hand for the gun. She looked put-upon as he deftly and gently relieved her of the weapon. “I promise, you and Finlay aren’t in any danger while I’m here. Are there any other firearms in the house?” he asked her.
Mrs. Haggerty crossed her arms. “Of course not. Who do you think I am? A felon?”
Nick’s jaw tensed as he refrained from answering that.
I clutched a hand to my racing heart. “Please, Mrs. Haggerty. We’re all safe. You can go back to…” I narrowed my eyes at thewinter coat zipped securely around her. A flashlight handle stuck out from one of the pockets, and the ends of her nightgown protruded from the hem. Her legs were clad in a pair of my black yoga pants, the long ends of which were tucked into a mismatched pair of my socks. I raised a suspicious eyebrow at her orthopedic sneakers. “I thought you had gone to bed?”
“I did,” she said defensively. “I wanted to be fresh for my Friday night watch. Weekends are busy in South Riding. All those hoodlums and teenagers running around making mischief,” she griped, “toilet-papering houses and vandalizing mailboxes… I was in my room getting dressed when I heard a kerfuffle down here and decided to investigate. Your gentleman caller is lucky I see so well in the dark. Otherwise, he might have been shot.”
I didn’t bother pointing out that it was in factmyroom she was occupying. And that if her night vision was so exceptional, she would have chosen matching socks.
“Still, I think it would be best if I hold on to this,” Nick said, unloading her gun.
“Fine, but I expect my personal property to be returned to me in the morning. I’ll just be going,” she said as she headed for the door.
Nick called after her, “Mrs. Haggerty, I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go out by yourself so late at—”
She either didn’t hear him or didn’t care to let him finish as she slammed the door behind her.
Nick hastily pulled on his pants. “Why is Mrs. Haggerty sleeping in your house?” A sheen of nervous sweat still glistened in the hollow of his throat as he shrugged on his holster and tucked her empty gun in his belt.
“Because her house has no power or water and she needed a placeto stay. Her grandson dropped her off a few hours ago. He didn’t know what else to do with her.”
“So you agreed to let her stay here?” he asked, struggling to keep his voice low. “She’s a suspect in a murder investigation, Finlay.”
“Wasa suspect,” I clarified as I picked my pants off the floor and turned them right side out. “What was I supposed to do, Nick? She had nowhere else to go.”
“She had agun. In yourhome.”
“Don’t remind me,” I said, dragging on my clothes. “I had no idea she had that thing in her suitcase. I’m sure Brendan didn’t either. He promised to have her out of here as soon as her heat’s back on.”
Nick took my chin in his hand. “Tomorrow,” he said, his stare unrelenting. “Promise me you’ll call her grandson first thing in the morning and tell him to pick her up.”
Normally, I would have objected to being told what to do in my own home. But after what she had just put us through, no one was more ready to be rid of Mrs. Haggerty than me. “I’ll call him tomorrow.”
Nick seemed to relax at that. He pulled me against him, his heart still quick in his chest as he pressed his lips to the top of my head. “You okay?”
I nodded. “I should probably go with her.” I peeled myself from his arms to put on my sneakers.
“Wait for me. I’ll go with you in a minute.” He cast a glance toward the stairs. His eyes had taken on that sharp, focused look. I had known enough cops in my life to recognize it. “Give me permission to search your room first.”
“You can’t do that! You don’t have a warrant to go through her things.”
“I’m not searching her room. I’m searching yours. She broughta gun into your house, Finn. I’m not leaving you alone here tonight without making sure she’s not a threat to you.”
“But—”
“Do you trust me?” His eyes bored into mine. There was only one right answer.
“I can’t believe I’m letting you do this,” I said as I put on my coat, “but don’t go poking around in my drawers.” There was a dangerous glint in his eyes as he started up the steps. “Two minutes, Detective,” I called up after him. “I’ll wait for you outside.”
I waited for Nick on my front stoop, looking both ways down the street for signs of Mrs. Haggerty. I caught the flash of her bright white sneakers as they passed under the streetlamp at the end of the block. She turned left at the stop sign and disappeared from sight.
“Shit,” I muttered, venturing out into my front yard to keep an eye on her. I turned back to my house, but Nick’s shadow was still moving behind the curtains in my bedroom. I couldn’t very well let an eighty-one-year-old woman wander the neighborhood alone at night. He would just have to catch up.
