“Can you get that?”I called.“I’m covered in flour.”
With Ridge, I wouldn’t have bothered to ask, but less than a week into living with Justin, I’d already realised how very different the two men were.I was only the lodger-slash-cook, but he treated me as more of an equal than my husband ever had.And despite the stressful circumstances, my heart beat faster every time I saw him.Saylor would lose her mind if I told her.
“On my way.”
Shiro trotted after him, happy to have a new friend, especially one who knew where the leash was, and I soon heard voices, plus a volley of excited yips and a shriek.The loudest voice was Justin’s.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
My gut clenched.Tell me Ridge hadn’t found this place?I wiped my hands on a dish towel, resisted the urge to pick up the bread knife, and hurried toward the hallway, only to bump into a beautiful brunette coming the other way.
“You’re…you’re…”
Either Violet Miller, A-list superstar, or an uncanny lookalike.I’d seen every single one of her movies, even the erotic thriller that Ridge said was practically porn.
“I’m looking for the bathroom.Heck, I shouldn’t have drunk so much coffee.”
“Uh…uh, the bathroom is right there.”
She disappeared, and I walked along the hallway in a daze to find a group of people I’d only ever seen on screen.Alexa was clinging to a blond man’s neck as Shiro bounced in front of them, and I figured the shriek had been hers.
“Was that…?Was that…?”I asked, pointing along the hallway.
“Just get this dog away from me!”
“Shiro, sit,” I told him, and he sat.“That woman looked a lot like Violet Miller.”
“Dawson is dating her,” Braxton Vale said, and he seemed to find the whole situation amusing, judging by his laughter.Ari was trying to placate Alexa.
“The dog’s just playing around, right?”She looked to Justin.“Right?”
Alexa wasn’t convinced.“Have you seen the size of its teeth?”
“Shiro doesn’t bite,” I told them.“He’s confused by the shrieking.”
“Alexa’s scared of dogs,” Justin explained.“She got badly bitten when she was younger.”Then to Alexa, “If I’d known you were coming, I could’ve put the dog in another room.”
“She’ll be okay,” Ari assured him.“Just give her a few minutes.Nolan has a dog, and Shiro can probably smell the treats she keeps in her purse.”
In response, Alexa rummaged in her oversized tote and tossed a handful of snacks across the hallway.
“Fine, whatever, there you go, mutt.Now shoo!”
“What are you doing here?”Justin asked again.
“Isn’t it obvious?We’re here to help find Amie.I bet the police haven’t done much, am I right?”
“They think Justin did it,” I blurted.
“Of course they do.He’s the obvious suspect—male, single, the last person to see her, a past murder suspect.”
“But he has an alibi for nearly the whole evening.”
“That’s the difference between them and us—they’d rather keep pushing for a neat, easy solution while we’ll look for the truth.Did you tell them about Brett?”
Justin nodded.“They said they’d check into it.”
“Well, they have ‘procedures’ to follow.We’ll get to him first.”
