“You mentioned you wanted to talk about something?”
Instead of looking at me, she focuses on her fingers, which are busy peeling the label off the bottle.
“I know.There’s something eating at me but I’m almost afraid to put it out there.I may be way off base.”
“Spit it out, honey.It’ll just keep eating at you otherwise.”
She flashes me a little smile before taking a fortifying sip of her beer.Then she sets the bottle on the coffee table and twists her body to face me, tucking one leg under her.
“I’m working on this murder case.Ryan Wells, a teenager not much older than Remi was found on Black Mountain, his dead body tossed down a cliff.His murder is connected to a group who is responsible for a large number of car thefts in some affluent sections of Spokane.His blood was all over a Mustang he stole, which was ditched on the side of a logging road here in Edwards County.”She blows out a breath through pursed lips.“The boy’s phone was missing.So was Remi’s,” she adds.
I’m starting to see where she’s going with this.
“Let’s see,” I continue.“And you figure since Remi was caught stealing parts off vehicles, and was later violently attacked, the two might be connected.”
She winces.“I may be paranoid because he’s my son.”
“Not paranoid, concerned.”
“Am I way off base?”
I shrug.“Not necessarily.The theft of catalytic converters is often organized.If you want to sell those, you’d have to have connections.It isn’t something I would expect a fifteen-year-old, who isn’t affiliated with some gang or coerced in some way, to venture into by himself.If it’s about money, there are easier things to steal and sell.”
She leans forward and nods.“Exactly.”
“But you need to get your son to talk.”
“Yes, and that’s my dilemma.He doesn’t know I know about the theft, and I want to tell him about what happened to Ryan Wells.Show him a picture to see if he recognizes the kid.But if I do that, I’m pretty sure he’ll guess you told me about what he did.”
“Probably,” I agree.“He’s a smart kid.”
She grabs her beer and slumps in her corner of the couch, downing half the bottle before she turns her eyes to me.
“He’d be so pissed at you.”
I wince.“Probably.Unless,” I continue, “I talk to him.I could bring up you mentioned this case you’re working on, tell him it got me thinking about his situation, and that I’m worried the two could be connected.Maybe learning the other kid was killed is prompt enough on its own, but if he still clams up, I’ll tell him he has to come clean with you or I will.At least then he knows it’s coming.”
She nods.“That could work.”
“I’ll see if I have a chance tomorrow.”
Tessa gets to her feet and hands me her half-empty bottle.
“I should go.Linc is home with Remi, but I don’t want to take any chances, especially considering what we just talked about.”
Understandable, but that doesn’t mean I want her to go.Still, I follow her back downstairs to the door, where she turns around to face me.
“It seems I’m always thanking you for doing me favors.It would make me feel a whole lot better if you’d give me a chance to return those at some point.”
That sounds like an opportunity I’d be stupid to pass on, and it just so happens we’re without witnesses tonight.
I find that stubborn strand of hair again, hanging down her face, and tuck it behind her ear.Then I trail the pad of my thumb along her jawline, stopping right below the curve of her full bottom lip.
“I have one,” I confess, my voice slightly hoarse.“I’d like to kiss you.”
She grabs hold of the front of my flannel shirt, pulls me closer, and lifts her face, those brown eyes shining with anticipation.
“I’d like to let you?—”
