Page 72 of Rot In Knotty Pieces

“Normally, yes. But in the mood she’s in tonight, no, I can’t.”

“Let it go, then.”

I whistle and watch Blaze walk out onto the street, Sage follows a moment later.

“Let's hole up and get some sleep,” I say in exhaustion.

Sage leads us through the village until we get to a tiny cottage with no lights on. It’s number 7 James Lane, and it’s got a rock walkway and a white picket fence with a whole yard of bushes that I bet flower like crazy and upset everyone with an allergy.

“Strange looking hotel,” I muse.

King is sitting in a recliner that looks like it was made seven decades ago, if the mustard-ribbed fabric is anything to go by. Merle is curled up on his lap, watching us with fear-filled eyes.

“It’s okay, it was just a friend,” I soothe as soon as I see the tension in her.

She visibly relaxes, and King’s almost silent purrs get louder as he, too, calms down. I wait until Blaze is in, then shut the door. Sage and I move through the house, checking the windows, doors, and searching for cameras or listening devices.

“Whose house is this?” Pix asks. “Why aren’t we in a hotel?”

“Don’t know and upgrade, do you like it? I hired it for a few weeks. Paid an exorbitant amount, too, but they rent it out all the time. It was the only one available. Two bedrooms, small. No food provided,” Rolly says and pulls out a kettle from under the sink. “Thankfully, we still have supplies.”

We’re all staring at him.

“When you commit a crime, the first thing you want to do is make sure you have somewhere to escape or hole up in. As soon as Kestrel mentioned this town, I went online and hired it.”

“When?” I almost shout. “How did you even have time?”

Rolly just flicks me a wicked and exasperating grin. “Now, I can’t be giving away all my secrets.”

He fills the ancient kettle and starts it boiling while I start hunting for wires or listening devices with more vigor. I am ruthless and determined, and I manage to find one single camera, but it’s deactivated. I study it, wondering if anyone would put one camera in and nothing else. But they did disable it. I check, and it’s not connected to the power, no battery either.

Sage pauses beside me. “I did a quick investigation. He’s a widower. He doesn’t understand computers by the sounds of it. His social media presence is non-existent; he just has one to advertise this cabin. He’s sixty-nine years old and just likes to sit in his garden.”

I look back at the camera.

“When did the property change hands?”

Sage grins. “I knew you were going to ask that, sexiest stepbrother.”

I snarl at him. “We agreed to nix that term forever and always.”

Sage steps closer so his chest is pressed against my shoulder. “Anything that gets you to look at me with such heat is always worth occasionally flinging about. And seven years ago, there was a real estate listing.”

I do a rough calculation on the camera and figure it could easily fit in the before-seven-years-ago time period. Looks like the old guy is in the clear for tonight.

“If you want to play games, Brother, I can play them harder.”

Sage groans, his eyes sparkling. “Don’t tease me so.”

“Fuck off!” I say, laughing despite myself.

Sage follows me into the kitchen.

“Do you remember that night?” I ask.

“What night? There were so many of them. The teasing, the long looks, the illicit brushes of my hand against yours. You losing your temper. Which one?”

I chew on the inside of my cheek and reach for the kettle as it flicks off. I take my time filling the mugs with the soup sachets in them.