The kitchen door swung open, and he glanced over his shoulder. Dulcie and Juan gestured him over. Checking onDaphne, he ensured the blanket was tucked around her and she was still sleeping, then he rose and slipped quietly into the kitchen.
“Where are Amber and Dottie?” he asked.
“They started dinner but ran out of greens for a salad, so headed into town with Marley. I’ll be surprised if the stores haven’t been wiped out, but they’ll get fresh air if nothing else,” Juan replied.
He nodded. “What’s going on? Need something?”
“Mantis called. Beeks was found dead an hour ago. Shot in the left temple and his body dumped south of town,” Juan replied. They’d all adopted Daphne’s moniker for the man.
“They’re fleeing ship,” he said, wondering why Ryan hadn’t called him. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he noted four missed calls. Two from Ryan, one from Mantis, and one from an unknown number. He’d silenced it earlier and forgotten.
“And culling the dead weight,” Dulcie said.
Lovell shoved his hands in his pockets, the hearty, homey smell of Bolognese and fresh bread an odd juxtaposition to the topic. “Wonder why Beeks was the one to die?”
“According to Daphne, Weeks had the Alien while Beeks had the Taser. Maybe just the one with the greater power won?” Juan suggested, although the tone of his voice told Lovell he didn’t really buy that story.
“Why kill him at all?” Dulcie said. “Daphne didn’t say anything about there being tension between the two, did she?”
Lovell shook his head. “No, but she did point out that they seemed like amateurs hired to do the job rather than professional assassins. Maybe amateur hour took over, and it was something as dumb as Beeks saying the wrong thing to Weeks and pissing him off?”
Both Dulcie and Juan shrugged. They’d seen weirder things. “Ryan put alerts out for both men. They’ve posted their picturesonline, and the local paper has picked it up,” Juan said. “It’s an odd turn of events, but it does seem as if they were leaving town and Weeks dumped the body on the way, so I guess that’s good news.”
“How was he found?” Lovell asked. It didn’t really matter, but curiosity got the better of him.
“He was dumped over a cliff, but a tree had come down in the storm, and he got caught in it. A snowplow driver spotted him,” Dulcie said.
“I wonder if the bullet will be traced to other crimes,” Juan said.
Lovell inclined his head. “Might give us an idea of where the Alien was stolen from or whether it was stolen at all.”
“What’s your plan now?” Juan asked, lifting his chin in Daphne’s direction. Lovell’d been listening and hadn’t heard her stir yet. Her body needed rest, and he was glad she wasn’t fighting it.
“She mentioned a cabin she plans to go to,” he said.
Both his brothers’ eyebrows went up. “She knows she’s safest here, right?” Juan said.
Lovell’s gaze drifted to the door, then back again. “She’s not flighty or inexperienced. She’s lived through dangerous situations and isn’t turning a blind eye to any of this. I think she should stay here, too, but I’m not going to assume this place she’s found won’t be as safe as the clubhouse—she’s too smart to make that kind of mistake.” He paused. “But I do want to know more about it. I’ll ask when she wakes.”
Juan glanced at his watch. “Philly and Callie should be here within the hour, too. They’ll want to hear.”
“I think they already know,” Lovell said, recalling the comment about HICC being connected to the cabin. “Between last night and this morning, though, I haven’t had a chance to talk to Philly.”
“And they seemed okay with it?” Dulcie asked.
Lovell nodded. “Another reason to understand exactly what this alternative is before trying to convince her to stay here.”
“Regardless, even if it’s Fort Knox, you’re not going to let her go alone,” Juan said.
“Philly and Callie will likely be there with her,” Dulcie pointed out. Only they wouldn’t. One of the reasons Daphne was going to the cabin was to pull this shitstorm away from Callie and the baby. He paused on that thought and hid a smile. He still couldn’t believe Philly was going to be a dad. He’d be a good one, especially with Callie by his side.
“We’ll see,” he replied, not wanting to reveal what he knew. That right belonged solely to Callie and Philly. “Any chance Weeks was caught on camera while leaving town?”
Juan frowned. “That’s a good question. What’s he driving?”
“He had a Volvo last night, but it was the third car he and Beeks stole, so who knows if he still has it,” Lovell replied. “I’ll call Ryan and find out if he knows or has a good guess.”
“There are live cameras at the pass ten miles south of town,” Dulcie said. “If they haven’t already, it would be good to check those. That’s not to say he couldn’t circle back, but with his face plastered all over town, it wouldn’t be the smartest move.”
