“Here you go, ma’am.” Jenkins hopped out and rushed around to CJ’s door.
She’d scarcely emerged when he offered, “I’ll walk you to the door.”
“That’s not necessary.” He could see the door from here.
“I have my orders, ma’am.”
He was right. He climbed the steps next to her, waited as she unlocked the door. Edward had given her a key.
“Thank you again, Detective.”
He nodded and double-timed it back toward his car. He pulled out his cell phone as he went. CJ wondered vaguely if it would be Braddock calling with news.
Not another murder, she hoped.
CJ went inside and closed the door behind her. A few taps of the keys and the warning tone of the security system was silenced.
After checking the door to see that she’d locked it, she wandered through the house. Surely Edward was home by now, but it was awfully quiet if he was. He’d left well before she and Jenkins had.
Wine would ensure she slept well. She’d abstained from alcohol at the party, mainly because she’d wanted to be fully alert for anything the girls getting loose might have said. But now she could relax.
She stepped into the kitchen. Froze. Her heart rocketed into her throat.
The man turned from the sink and relief flooded her.Edward. “Whew.” She pressed her hand to her chest. “You scared me. I didn’t think you were home yet.” She couldn’t help staring at his choice in attire. She’d never seen him dressed so casually. Black tee, black trousers. Different. He was generally dressed as if he were headed to the university to teach. She’d never known him to wear anything less than a crisply starched button-down shirt and elegant trousers.
“Sorry for the fright.” He smiled. “I just returned.” He finished drying his arms with a hand towel.
That was another thing. His shirtsleeves, even in hot weather, were always long, never short.
She shook her head. She was obsessing. “Don’t mind me. With all that’s happened, I’m a little skittish.” She moved to the massive double refrigerator. “Would you like to have wine with me?” When she closed the fridge door to look to him for his answer, he was mopping his face with the towel. Now, that really was bizarre. Not like him at all.
“That would be quite refreshing.”
She carried the bottle to the generous island. Told herself not to stare at him, but simply couldn’t help it. She blinked, looked again.
“You have ...” She rounded the corner of the island, took the towel from his hand, and dabbed at his forehead. “There was blood on your forehead.” Had his wound from the knock on the head been oozing? “Are you all right?”
He stared at her a moment, then seemed to snap to attention. “I’m fine, really. I came home to quite a mess. That’s all.”
“What happened?” Her pulse jumped.
He took the towel from her hand. It was then that she noticed it was quite bloody. Far more so than simply wiping those few drops from his forehead would have made it.
“A neighbor’s cat had been hit by a car.” He sighed, the sound weary. “I picked it up from the street, tried to do what I could.” He shook his head. “But it was too late.”
“It’s a wonder it didn’t scratch you.” Instinctively, she surveyed his arms and hands. The vision of those words scrawled on the bedroom wall in cat’s blood flashed across her retinas. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
“Yes, yes, I’m fine. The poor thing was a bit far gone to give me any trouble. It died soon after I came to its rescue. I wrapped it in a plastic bag until morning. I didn’t see any point in upsetting the neighbors at this hour.”
She couldn’t help herself. She had to hug him. “You’re too kind for your own good, Edward Abbott.”
“Did you have a nice evening?” He opened a cabinet door and tossed the badly soiled hand towel into the trash.
“I did.” She smiled, relaxing again. “It was nice. Exactly what I needed to feel, as if I’d done right by Shelley’s memory.”
A shadow passed over Edward’s face, something akin to irritation or frustration. “I’m glad you have that behind you.”
His comment seemed strange. Maybe he was still annoyed that she hadn’t allowed him to host a memorial service for Shelley. “Did your meeting go well?” She was beginning to think it hadn’t. Edward rarely showed such a moody side.
