AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Mimicking is a form of flattery,” he jested.
“Flatter someone else, then.”
Voices on the third floor and footsteps on the stairs redirected their attention.
“I’m capable of going alone, Asa. Get a grip,” Fiona said.
“I’m only saying he can go with you.”
“No. We talked about this,” she countered as they entered the room. She was toting a small carry-on bag.
“What’s happening?” Ty asked.
“Four female bodies were found in Natchez Trace Park. Mass grave. One’s fresh, and two girls hiking last week are missing. I’m meeting with the Investigative Branch Services of National Parks this afternoon. Asa’s taking me to the airport.”
“Why SCU?” Violet asked. The same question she asked every time they were handed a case or consult.
“The bodies are wearing identical rosaries around their wrists. And...they’re dressed in habits.”
“Bad ones? Bad ones get you killed every time.” Ty grinned over his coffee mug. “I’m kidding. Nuns being targeted?”
“No.” Fiona poured a travel mug of coffee while Asa scrolled through his phone and glanced at his watch. Seemed he always had, always was and always would be waiting on Fiona. “They were costumes. So...there ya have it.”
“You mean, there you habit,” Ty said. Owen nearly spit out his coffee, then raised his fist. Ty bumped it with his own.
Fiona shot him a glare, screwed on the lid and pointed at Asa. “We’re not gonna be late. Stop looking at me like that.” She breezed past him toward the door. “I should be back by the end of the week.”
“Ty, walk with us.” Asa motioned him to follow.
Great. “Now am I in trouble?”
“No.” Asa paused at the bottom stair. “Hurricane Jodie became a category 5 and made landfall at Elbow Cay, Bahamas. If their new projections are right, the Outer Banks is going to take more than a hit. It could be decimated.” At the moment the sky was blue like Texas bluebonnets. Not a cloud to be seen. “I could send you with Fiona. This UNSUB isn’t expecting you to leave the island. If he finds out you’ve gone, he’ll make a mistake.”
“He’ll kill Ahnah.”
“You don’t know for certain he has her.”
Except his gut screamed otherwise, and he would not leave his son.
“If I leave, he’ll make a mistake, but it’ll be at a life’s expense. He has a process, which means they’re probably all alive for now. We have time.”
“Short window if what they say about the hurricane proves true.”
“Now who’s making us late?” Fiona called. “You in or out, Tiberius?”
“Out. Besides, I don’t have time to pack.”
“You never unpack. We all know this.” Fiona stepped inside the rental and closed the door. She had a point. Ty never unpacked his suitcase no matter where they went. Never knew when he’d have to roll out quickly, but the truth was he didn’t like unpacking because it felt like putting down roots. Even after all these years living in Memphis, his apartment was simply a place where he crawled into bed at night.
Wouldn’t call it home.
His last home had gates. Guess he never wanted to be chained. Wanted to be able to escape at any moment. That’s how he felt inside. Like he was always scaling walls but never reaching the top, never reaching freedom. At some point he might need to simply give up and quit climbing. Because once he scaled it, where was he supposed to go? What was beyond the wall? What was freedom?
“I’ll behave,” Ty said to Asa.
“That’s bunk and we know it.” Asa clapped him on the back. “I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”
Ty watched them drive away and went inside. “Who’s in charge while they’re gone?”
