He was reminded of Jill’s book again, because somehow those first few chapters had captured that perfectly… and he didn’t like his own unhealthy thinking reflected back at him in this moment.
So, he handed over the damn illustration.Nate studied it, then handed it to Sam.
“Well, this guy is some kind of artist, huh?”She glanced up at Cal.“Know anyone who likes art, doodling, or the like who might hate you?”
Cal shook his head.“I’m still looking through all my old cases, but nothing stands out on that score.”Because as silly as the drawings were, they did speak tosometalent.But also an understanding of him.His life.
Sam nodded.“Well, I’ve got to talk with Jake about this whole thing with his dad’s remains anyway.I’ve got a meeting with him tomorrow morning.I’ll bring this up too.Presumably, he’ll be the one to look into it if you take a formal report to the police.”
“I thought you were handling it.”
“I am.Doesn’t hurt to have the police handling it too.Especially if we end up finding this guy.You know better than anyone that police reports will work in your favor legally.”
She wasn’t wrong, much as he hated to admit it.“Yeah, okay.”
“Maybe you should come stay with us,” Nate said.
Cal looked from Nate to Sam, then laughed.“Yeah, no.”
“You shouldn’t be alone,” Sam agreed.“The security system here doesn’t seem to be doing its job.We’re armed—and licensed to be armed.The couch is comfy.You’ll be fine.”
“Spend a lot of time on the couch, Sam?”
“Don’t be a baby, Cal.I’ll promise to keep our lovey-dovey act to a minimum.”
Nate snorted out a laugh—quite the feat.
Cal wanted to argue more.What was someone going to do?Break in and doodle on him?
But the little squiggles of red drawn dripping from his mouth spoke to something a little more dangerous thandoodling, he supposed.And Nate and Sam were looking at him expectantly, like his answer mattered.
Like this allmattered, whether he wanted it to or not.He’d moved home forthis, even if his brain was a little bit one step forward, two steps back on accepting that he was home because he wanted to be—he wanted family and community and alife.
Deep down, under all the other shit, that was what he wanted.
“Fine,” he muttered.“But just until you beef up the system.Wouldn’t want Aly and Landon to be jealous I’m spreading my sunshiny presence around.”
Chapter Eighteen
Marietta Police Department
“You have tobe on your best behavior, Cal.”Sam didn’t know how she’d been talked into letting Cal tag along to talk to Jake.
She didn’t think he’d be much less antagonistic than Nate, and they needed to get along to get to the bottom of this.
But the threatwasagainst Cal, and Nate had mentioned Cal’s vague connection to Daryl Everly.
Sam didn’t know how it would all connect.She mostly thought it didn’t, that it was all small-town ties masquerading as clues.The threat to Cal seemed most likely connected to him being a lawyer based on the drawings, so whatever happened to Gerald Harrington—and Charles Hayes for that matter—just didn’t make sense to connect.Cal had been like ten when the two men had died, so he definitely didn’t connect tothat.
But some threads were thin and loose and needed tugging to tighten up into a knot.Maybe Cal wasn’t part of the knot, but apparently, he was going to be part of the tug.
If she could keep him from being a thorn in her side and decidedlyCalabout everything.
“Now Sam,” he drawled, “when have I ever not been on my best behavior?”
“Hilarious,” she muttered.
If she trusted Nate to deal with Jake—or vice versa—she would have made him handle this.For all his lawyer experience, Cal was nothing but a liability.
