I sat up abruptly. “What?”
He grinned, unrepentant. “Maggie and the rest of the family want to meet you. They’re annoying, but you can’t blame them.” He tucked some hair behind one ear that had escaped my braid, his fingers brushing my cheek so that I leaned into his palm. A man had never looked at me the way he had, not just like I mattered right then, but like I wasimportant. I wasn’t sure how to handle it. “The rest of them want to meet you in person.”
“How can I say no to either of those things?” I already knew Sage and Lila, so that was a start. I’d never refuse to take things back to his place or even enjoy a quickie if he was interested, but since he was with me, I had other ideas. “Is there a way we could go to King Creek first?”
King Creek wasn’t far from Briar Falls, and maybe we could catch Allison’s parents at home. I’d been nervous about talking to them without backup, but if Kipp was at least waiting at the curb, then nothing too terrible could happen. When I traveled, I carried a taser, but sometimes things got a little hot, and I wasn’t aboveliking the fact that a little bodyguard action was a nice perk of this new dynamic.
“I’d like to go talk to Allison’s parents. If you’d like to come with me, that’s fine, or you can wait in the car. I’ve been nervous to go on my own, and the case isn’t OSP’s just yet.”
“No problem. Whatever you want to do.” Kipp looked both ways and turned us around. “It’s been almost half an hour, and I know a great little picnic spot. I brought some lunch. Phiny spoils us all by bringing fresh things every few days. Today, I’ve got croissants and chicken salad for sandwiches with garden lettuce from Maggie if that sounds okay.”
“Okay? That sounds amazing. Way better than granola bars. We’ll be living it up. Gosh, you and your family are never getting rid of me.”
“I hope not.” He placed a warm hand on mine. “Now tell me about Allison’s parents. What do you know about them that has you nervous?”
Swallowing, I gave him the quick rundown on the abuse that was suspected. It was harder to confirm since CPS didn’t step in, but we were pretty sure. The muscles in his neck strained as his hands tightened on the steering wheel. “I’m glad you’re not going alone.” He cleared his throat, uncomfortable, and angled his eyes toward me. “I wanted to come clean about something.”
“Okay.” His eyes stayed on the road, but he shifted in his seat. It was clear that whatever it was, he didn’t want to tell me. My stomach flipped a little. He’d just told me we were going to Sunday dinner, and last night he’d said things would be okay. I was having good feelings about things. Was I wrong?
“I did a background check on you.” The words were almost forced out, and he cast a quick look at me. “We have a friend with a security company, and that first day we met … well,” he offered an apologetic glance. “I’m really sorry. It was a violation of your privacy, and I shouldn’t have done it.”
Lying a hand on the back of his neck, where I could stroke the small hairs that grew right along the nape and tapered into fine baby hairs, I soothed him as best I could. “It’s alright. You know I did one of my own on you. It was only fair.”
“You’re not upset?” he asked incredulously.
“Nope. My squad does background checks on everybody.” Shrugging it off, I let my fingernails scrape along his skin, enjoying the little shiver that was set off. Maybe later, I’d see what other reactions I could elicit. “All’s fair. I’m not hiding anything, but I’m glad you told me. It wouldn’t have felt good if you’d hidden it from me. If this is going to go anywhere real, then we should be honest.”
“Agreed.” He let one of his hands clasp mine before raising it to his lips, where he could kiss the back of it.
The town limits of Briar Falls slipped behind us, replaced by the long stretch of highway that cut through fir and pine like a scar. Fish had settled in the back, chin on his paws, eyes half-lidded and content.
Kipp, I’d learned to no surprise, played country on the radio. He was more laid back than expected, his hand easy on mine and the other competent on the steering wheel. Every minute I spent in his company made me like him more.
Letting myself relax against the seat I contemplated next steps.
A team would process the car, and it was almost guaranteed they’d find evidence. How could they not? There was no way she just walked away from that vista area on her own. Where would she go? Once Casper’s team fully stepped in, the paperwork would be pulled. Interviews would be redone. It was what I wanted. It was what Allison deserved. Still, there was a strange ache in the thought of letting go. There were still things we could do until then.
I had builtThe J & J Hourin my rage over the system and in my search for my own lost loved one. It had started because I couldn’t reconcile that stories ended simply because a department decided they were inconvenient or unsolvable.
“Talk to me,” Kipp said after a few minutes. He didn’t look at me, but his voice was pitched low and steady, meant for listening. “What are you thinking?”
“That this is the part where I’m supposed to be relieved,” I said. “And I am. Really. But it’s also the part where I start stepping back. That’ll be a little harder for me.” Even I knew my smile was tight. Feelings were complicated. “I’ll see if the Finches are home and if they’ll talk to me, put out another podcast. Casper said he’d process the car. I’m betting he’ll find something and then reopen the case.”
“You still get to care,” he said.
I smiled faintly. “Caring has never been the problem. Sometimes caring too much has been an issue.” Wasn’t that the truth? Instead, I said, “More eyes on what happened to Allison is what is needed. Professional resources are a good thing.”
“Yeah, they are.” He sent me a blinding smile that showed off a dimple, and when he turned his attention back to the road, I kept my eyes on him. “You want to stop for lunch before or after?”
“After.”
Nerves had settled into my stomach, and I wanted to enjoy the rest of the day. It sounded like a small piece of normal was headed my way soon, and it was going to be time to make some big decisions. If it wasn’t going to be necessary for me to stay here in Wildwood Meadows for acase, then would I leave? That was a problem for tomorrow’s Hattie.
King Creek was a place people drove through rather than drove into on purpose. I’d already taken a quick drive through once and got the sense that the town had faced its share of tough times, in more ways than one. The shops in the older downtown area were boarded up, and the mill that likely thrived ten years ago was now shut down. These days, the homes look faded and worn. Even the Dairy Queen was shuttered. Still, I’d been to plenty of areas where folks didn’t have much, so I knew not to make quick judgments.
Poppy had already pulled the property records for me for the Finches, and I directed Kipp to the house without issue. Moss grew rampant on a roof that looked like it might be rotting through in a few places, the shingles grey and baking in the summer heat. The yard was overgrown with weeds, but a well-tended vegetable garden thrived off to the side.
A battered Ford was parked in the driveway, looking like it needed a new paint job. The panels on the sides were rusted in spots, and the tires were almost bald. Whoever parked it hadn’t even been close to straight, leaving it up off the pavement onto what was the cement path to the door.
