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With a death grip on Ben’s hand, I blow out my breath one more time. “Okay.”
I almost sound normal.
My gaze moves from Cole to Leo, before landing back on Ben. “How did you discover that Stella did it?”
Ben stares at me for a second, assessing, like he’s still not convinced I’m ready. Then he says, “I hacked her computer. And along with Leo”—Ben glances at him, and they exchange tiny chin lifts—“we found enough evidence to convince the police to bring her in for questioning.”
“Like what?” Now that I can focus on the details of the situation, it’s easier.
“Receipts in her email, for one,” Ben answers. “She bought isopropyl alcohol; in both liquid and spray form. A doorstop. And her search history was… concerning.” He pauses, his tone going soft. “Are you sure you want to know this part?”
Not really. “Yes.”
“She had searched a number of concerning topics. How to set a fire and make sure it burned quickly. Where to hit someone in the head to knock them out.” His jaw tightens, anger making his voice rough. “What are the best ways to kill someone. How to dispose of a small woman’s body.”
I’m not sure whether to cry or laugh. “She searched those things? On her own computer?”
“She did,” Ben grits out. “But without any evidence to investigate her, the police never looked. I should have looked. I’m so sorry, Thea.”
“No.” I spin in my chair to face him. “I should have told you about her sooner. About the funeral… I just never imagined…”
Never imagined a sixty-something country club woman could put a gun to my head and order me to drive? Knock me out and shove me in a closet, then try to burn down the building with me inside?
Cole jumps in, soothing. “Thea. There was no indication after the car accident that it could be Stella. No reason for you to think of her. You hadn’t spoken to her in over a decade; she doesn’t even live here. Why would you suspect someone from that long ago?”
I’m not sure if Cole wants me to answer his rhetorical question, but I do anyway. “I just feel stupid. Like I should have figured it out before the library—” My voice catches, emotion surging hot and fast. The library. All the books. Everyone inside. “If I had, the library—”
“Sweetheart, no.” Ben brushes my cheek, his finger coming away damp. I didn’t even know I had started crying. “You couldn’t have known. And what happened to the library wasn’t your fault.”
I’m not sure I believe him. But I nod, my lips pressed tight until I can speak without sobbing. “How did you convince the police? To consider her as a suspect?”
“I went through surveillance footage in the vicinity of the library,” Leo answers. “Security cameras of buildings nearby. Some traffic light cameras. And I was able to track her movements to and from the library. She’s the only one leaving from the rear of the building, five minutes after everyone else.”
“It turned out that Stella inadvertently forwarded her receipts to the police,” Cole adds, a hint of dry humor tinging his words. “Bad luck for her. But combined with Leo’s findings…”
“And she saved her search history.” Ben’s lips twitch. “Really unwise. Especially if someone is going to search for the kinds of things she did. And then to email them to someone in the police department? Stupid, really.”
Oh. This swell of love for him. My brilliant, incredible boyfriend.
“Ben.” I almost start crying again. “I love you.”
“Ah, Thea.” He kisses my forehead, so tender and sweet it steals my breath. “I love you.”
For a second, I forget that Cole and Leo are in the room with us. I forget that I was almost killed twice. All I care about is the man next to me; the one who’s captured my heart.
But then the harsh reality intrudes, and I realize I still don’t have all the answers. I don’t even have half of them.
Or—oh, crap, I didn’t ask, and they didn’t say—is Stella in jail? Is the evidence enough? Is she out on bail? Could she still be coming after me?
“Thea, what’s wrong?” Ben clasps my suddenly trembling hand between his. “You’re shaking.”
“Is she in jail? Do they think she did it? Are the police investigating? Is she getting bail? Has she already?” Each question is more panicked than the one before. “Is there going to be a trial? Will she be out the whole time?”
I’m breathless by the time I stop talking, my pulse thundering in my ears.
“She’s in jail.” Cole’s expression is calm, not worried in the least, which makes me feel a tiny bit better. “And she’s not getting out. Trust me.”
“How do you know?”
