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“Really? I suppose I shouldn’t want them to buy because I was a witness…”
“Dear girl,” said Kane, “a sale is a sale is a sale. It doesn’t really matter why. I started your latest book last night. I have to tell you, it’s damn good. I really didn’t want to like it at all, but I had trouble putting it down.”
“Thank you, Ezra. Coming from you, that means a lot. You knew Cobain a whole lot better than either of us; who do you think did it?”
“Isn’t there some kind of law about interfering in an ongoing investigation?”
Ryker nodded. “There is, but I don’t have a lot of faith in Detective Middleton’s ability to solve anything more taxing than a child’s crossword puzzle.”
“Agreed. He’s left a message that he wants to talk to me. I think somebody misinterpreted my somewhat gleeful behavior last evening.”
“Well, you weren’t exactly broken up about his death,” said Lori.
“No, and I’d had more than my fair share of alcohol. Cobain and I were neck-and-neck for a prestigious emeritus position at Yale. With Cobain dead, I’m pretty much a shoe-in.”
“So, you had motive,” said Ryker.
“I did, but so did pretty much every other writer in that room last night, not to mention Lockwood himself. I’m just worried I’ll be the convenient fall guy. I’m so damn tired of being everyone’s stepping-stone to something better including now, it would seem, for whoever really murdered Cobain.”
Ezra stood and tossed some money down on the table before turning and leaving.
“I don’t know about you, but nothing he said makes me think any less of him as a suspect,” said Lori.
“If anything, I think he’s given us and anyone else who cares even more of a reason to think he’s guilty as sin.”
“But we have no hard evidence.”
“No, but while cops have to follow the evidence, we’re not cops. Sometimes it’s best to start with a theory and work from there. If the evidence doesn’t fit, you may have to change your theory, but at least with a theory we have some place to start.” He glanced at his watch. “Your event is about to begin; you go ahead, and I’ll pick you up about noon.”
She nodded. “If I get free sooner, I’ll give you a call.”
She started to walk away, but was stopped when he caught her hand, stood up, and brought her back to him. Lowering his head, he pressed his lips to hers and when she sagged into him, he slipped his tongue inside her mouth, using it to stroke and tangle with hers and awakening every erotic synapse in her body. Until Ryker, she’d always thought she liked sex, but he seemed to have switched on every receptive neuron in her body.
“Have fun, do good, and I’ll see you later,” he said, tucking a stray lock of her hair behind her ear. “I miss you already.”
She grinned. “I’ve read this dialogue. I miss you more.”
He kissed her forehead, the tip of her nose, and her lips lightly. Lori sashayed her way out of the restaurant, headed for her first panel discussion, the sound of a low, wolf whistle following behind her.
CHAPTER 12
RYKER
Ryker spent the morning trying not to think about Lori or remembering how good the sex between them last night had been. They’d made love like a couple of horny teenagers who couldn’t get enough. It had been the best sex of his entire life. He’d worried this morning in the shower about what he would do when she returned home to Chicago. It was then that he realized he had the perfect solution: he would convince her to move to Maine like she’d been considering. She just needed to realize Bleak Ridge was the perfect place for her.
He also spent a little time down at the dock where Cobain had been killed. The place was still wide open and had not been cordoned off to preserve the scene. Even though he searched the area, Ryker found nothing. At this point there was probably nothing left to find, which meant the only link between the killer and Cobain was Lori’s presence as a witness. He glanced at his Rolex and headed up to his car. He needed to get to the hotel. He didn’t want to keep her waiting.
She was standing outside wearing the sheepskin coat as he rolled up in front of the hotel. She didn’t wait for him to get out and open the door, but just got in on the passenger side, leaning across to kiss him. It wasn’t a long kiss, but it was meaningful.
“I went back to the crime scene,” said Ryker.
“Did you find anything?”
Shaking his head, he said, “I’m afraid not. They still don’t have any crime scene tape up. It’s just wide open. It’s almost like Middleton doesn’t want to find anything.”
“Is he really that incompetent?”
“Unfortunately, yes. But what makes it worse is that the dock where it happened isn’t even used much, so it’s not like it would be a huge inconvenience for people.”
