Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.
Looking away, she gives me a tight smile. “I think I’ll nap for a little while but don’t let me sleep too long.”
“All right.”
“Thank you. Again.”
“Anytime, Miss Harrington.”
Any damn time.
26
TOM
Someone better be on fire.
Snatching my phone from my pocket, I scan through the messages before swiping at the screen and calling Royce.
“What’ve you got?”
“No sightings of a dark sedan or anyone lurking in the area around the little libraries on the days Kat or Colt posted.”
Of course not.“What else?”
“I sent Ozzy to check something out at Hazel’s place. Comments and accounts started going crazy after the award announcement, but the negative ones didn’t really start filtering in until the book signing was over.”
“What are you thinking?”
“I want to see what Ozzy finds first—there are a lot of accounts and I’m just trying to see if I can separate out where they’re coming from. Also, the ex-boyfriend also chimed in on a couple of posts, but Colt got wind of that and he’s pissed.Roan is involved and now management is too. As far as I can tell, he’s not Kat’s stalker, at least not the one who set her books on fire.”
“We’re still on Hazel, the aunt, and the local author? Have we found her yet?”
“She’s on vacation with her family but should be arriving home on Sunday. I thought you and Grimm could go pay her a visit. She posted some bullshit narrative about Kat winning the award because of her connection to Colt rather than her own merit.”
“Anyone believe that?”
“She has a hefty following of haters, but as far as I can tell, Dahlia doesn’t ask or imply people should boycott Kat. She just bitches about her. There’s also three new accounts with no posts or followers bashing Kat across several platforms in the comments.”
“When were they created?”
“After the signing.”
“What about for Sloane?”
“Everything is fairly status quo at the moment.”
Pacing around the kitchen, I pause, leaning my hip against the edge of the white countertop as I let my eyelids flutter shut.
Today was full of noise, and even though it’s a challenge, especially with thoughts of Kat clouding my vision, I can finally see more pieces of the puzzle falling into place.
“Where is she on the release schedule for the final book?”
“Uh,”—the sound of rustling papers fills the line—“she told me it’s finished but she hasn’t announced it yet.”
“What do you think about teasing the book tonight with a release date? Or at least tease that a release date will be announced soon.”
“Why tonight?”
