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Lucy dialed Cody’s number on her cell phone. His voicemail picked up. “Cody, it’s Lucy. Call when you get this message. It’s important.” She hung up, her stomach still unsettled. “I’m going to change,” she said. She just needed a few minutes alone. “I’ll be down in ten minutes.”
Sean watched Lucy walk up the stairs. She’d reacted as he’d expected, if a bit subdued.
When Lucy was out of earshot, he asked Kate, “What do you think about this Lorenzo?”
“Sit down,” Kate said.
Sean was surprised at the command. He sat, though he didn’t like being ordered to do anything.
“Cody wasn’t happy when Lucy broke up with him,” Kate said. “But that was over a year ago. I can’t see her remaining friends if he was actively pressuring her to get back together.”
“Maybe that’s why he’s following her. He hasn’t gotten over her leaving him.”
Kate considered. “This was the first time he’s made such contact. He was satisfied in the role of friend until—” She stared pointedly at Sean.
He resisted squirming. Kate’s unspoken question asked about his intentions, and he wasn’t surprised.
“So he sees Lucy and me together and he flips out and sends the flowers.”
“I don’t know why he didn’t sign the card,” Kate said. “I don’t see why he wants to scare her, when his goal—at least I’d think it had be his goal—would be to win her back.”
“Maybe he’s looking to run in and protect her. Trying to scare her so she feels she needs a cop around.”
“What am I? Chopped liver?”
“You know what I mean. The macho protective crap.”
“You do pretty well with the macho protective crap,” Kate said.
Sean frowned. “That’s not the same thing.”
Kate grinned, and Sean realized she was baiting him. She said, “Lucy’s right, though—Cody needs to hear it from her. She’ll make him understand. And if he crosses the line, I’ll come down on his ass so hard he’ll move halfway cross the country just to avoid me.”
A man’s voice came from the doorway. “Remind me never to get on your bad side, sweetheart.”
Sean turned and saw Dillon Kincaid—Kate’s husband and Lucy’s brother—standing in the doorway, a suitcase at his feet.
Kate jumped up and ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him long enough that Sean averted his eyes. “I thought you wouldn’t be home until after midnight,” she said.
“I came as soon as we found the bodies,” he said.
“I’m so sorry, Dillon.” They exchanged a look that said more than words could, and Kate added softly, “The families deserved to know the truth.”
“What’s going on with Lucy?” Dillon walked over to the table and shook hands with Sean. “Good to see you again. Patrick said you’re helping keep an eye out for Lucy while this Morton situation is hammered out.”
“Yes, sir,” Sean said.
“Thank you,” Dillon said.
“I’ll let Kate fill you in on what’s going on. I know you have some catching up to do. I’m going to check on Lucy.”
Sean knocked on Lucy’s door and heard her mumble something, but he didn’t know whether it was “come in” or “go away.”
He walked in.
Lucy’s room was large, the same footprint as the garage below, but with dormer windows protruding from the slanted ceiling. It was relatively neat, though her bed wasn’t made and she had stacks of books and notebooks on every available surface, as well as two tightly packed bookshelves. She was sitting on the far side of the room, in an oversized chair.
“I’ll be down in a sec,” she said.
