“I did. The little girl who’s staying there desperately wanted to keep the ‘pretty birdy’ but the pissed off grackle didn’t agree. Her mom acted like a pterodactyl was attacking every time the bird flew, while the girl called to it like a cat and threw a tantrum when I relocated it back outside.”
It’s a story that usually would’ve had her laughing and teasing me, but she only flashes a half-hearted smile and turns her attention back to cooking.
“Is everything okay? Did you hear from the fire marshal again?” I ask.
“No, no new updates. I’m fine. Just tired.” Silver’s night must’ve been as long as mine since she slept half the day.
I spent nearly twenty-four hours parked near the address left on the demanding letter, and if Joshua Haney lives there, he isn’t home much. There was no sign of him. Once my head cleared enough to concentrate, Justus and Landon agreed that the first thing we need to do is find out as much as possible about the guy I’m supposed to kill. If we can find out who wants him dead, then maybe it’ll be a clue to who is trying to pull my strings.
Justus is watching Joshua’s place tonight and I need to try to catch up on some sleep. Between staking out the target’s house, responding to work orders from the cabins, and tossing and turning over the problem when I try to sleep, I’m running on fumes.
A shower perks me up a little, and I hear the front door open as I’m returning to the kitchen. Calli’s voice rings out. “I just heard about Lucky’s! And you spent the night in jail? Why didn’t you call me?”
What?
Silver stands at the stove, stirring a pan of gravy while Calli stares at her. “I knew you were in St. Louis, and I had a lawyer that could get me out.”
“But, the diner…”
Silver sighs and nods. “I wasn’t ready to talk about it yet. I was going to call you tonight.”
Calli rushes over and hugs her. “Are you okay?” Silvergives her a look that’s a mix of exasperation and amusement. “Right, stupid question.”
“What happened?” I demand, joining them. Calli glances at Silver, who pulls the gravy pan from the burner.
“Diana called me before dawn yesterday to tell me someone vandalized the diner. They smashed the windows, flooded it, and spoiled all the food.”
I don’t need her to tell me who was responsible. “I’m going to break that little fucker in half.” The words spill out on their own, but I mean it.
“No, you aren’t,” Silver replies, slipping a pan of biscuits into the oven. “I’m handling it.”
Calli’s question is cautious. “And handling it got you locked up?”
Silver closes the oven and leans against it. “Austin came in yesterday evening with his wife. We’d spent all day cleaning up, organizing, and scheduling repairs. He stood there with a fucking grin saying what a shame it was, rubbing it in. So I punched him in the mouth.”
Calli’s eyebrows shoot up. “I bet that felt good.”
“So good. You should’ve seen his wife freak out. It was stupid. I lost my temper, but even after that, he was so smug. He said he wouldn’t press charges if I apologized, like we weren’t standing in the middle of his own crime scene.”
“And you didn’t apologize?” Calli asks.
“I hit him again,” she says with a shrug. Her eyes meet mine when a snort of laughter escapes me, and it’s the first genuine smile I’ve seen from her today. “Anyway, I have a lawyer dealing with it. I’m sure his plan is to blackmail meinto selling Lucky’s to get him to drop the charges but that isn’t happening. With no criminal record, a simple assault isn’t going to put me away. You know my ex dropped the charges before so that won’t count against me. The lawyer said it’ll likely be a fine and probation. I’m more concerned with getting the diner open again.”
She’s acting like this is no big deal but the look in her eyes betrays her. She’s upset. Of course she is. It wasn’t enough that she lost her house and is under suspicion because of it. Now, she has a criminal record and owes even more money while her business is temporarily bringing in nothing.
“How long do you expect to be closed? What can I do? Did you get the building secured?” I ask.
Calli grins at my rapid fire questions while Silver opens the refrigerator and shakes her head. “I don’t need anything, but thanks. The windows are boarded up, and everything’s locked. Camille met the technician there to install some security cameras today. I should be able to reopen in a week or so once the windows are replaced.” She picks up the carton of eggs and looks over at Calli. “Stay for dinner? Or breakfast food for dinner, anyway.”
“Yes, I want to hear more about you punching that prick in the face. Did he bleed?”
Silver chuckles and nods. “From his mouth and nose.”
Silver’s mood seems to lighten a little through dinner while she and Calli talk and catch up. The only thing I can think about is that she didn’t call me. All that happened and she didn’t send a text or even tell me about it. It’s not like I have a right to know her every move, but she was in trouble.
Calli leaves after dinner, and Silver curls up on the couch to watch TV. It’s clear she isn’t paying any attention to it. She’s in her own head, the way I have been lately.
I sit right beside her, and she barely notices until I ask, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
