Chapter Forty-Three
Shit. The high security location he had followed her to before came into view. This was definitely no trailer park. It must be that blond guy’s home, and there was no way that Rey would be able to get in. At least not from the front. The little bit of scouting he had done hinted at maybe a way in the back, through the woods. But he had to believe that it would be heavily guarded there too, with advanced sensors much like the ones he was able to recognize from his old job in use here.
He wasn’t going to be able to move on her tonight.
After seeing that bitch with the himbo, Rey had stayed in the parking lot, only moving to make sure there was always at least one car in front of his. The himbo had walked her back about 45 minutes after they had initially left, and then walked out alone afterwards. A few hours later, he had come back to the Center, and they left with two small children.
Rey had watched as they had strapped the children into the back seat of the red Subaru SUV, and the blond muscle head opened the driver’s side door for her. The way Rey used to, at the beginning, before things went sour between them. The throbbing in his hand reminded him to stop being such a pussy. He was only watching now because her days were numbered, and he was ready to add Blondie to the death count too.
He no longer cared about bringing her back toEl Monstruoalive.
Dead. Dead would work too. And maybeEl Monstruowould add her bones to the necklace he wore under his shirt.
* * *
Col pulled his hand back quickly. He had reached out to stroke his Lily’s arm gently, but she moved away, as if his touch burned. Since she had returned to the house with Aylwyn and the twins, it had been thus. He was perplexed as to whyfore this distance had suddenly sprung up betwixt them. He watched her now, her warmth turned towards Aylwyn.
And even Barric, that swine, had made no bones about his delight in her presence. He received many of her smiles as well. In fact, everyone did.
But towards him, there was only a chill, colder than the iciest winter storm.
“It’s bedtime, Clover and Brady. Time to say your goodnights to everyone!” Katie was trying to round up the two, but the little girl slipped away.
“Col,” Clover was tugging at his fatigues. “Will you tell us a stowwy again?”
“Yaahh!” Brady screeched his agreement. Col was about to answer, but Lily cut him off.
“I’ve got it. Don’t bother.” She managed to relay this to him without meeting his eyes. To him, that cut deeper than the sharpest sword. No, her turning away without another word to him, before marching off with the kids cut even more.
“Ooh, burn!” Aylwyn yelled, making a sizzling sound. Barric laughed, and Col’s mouth pressed tightly shut.
“It seems perhaps fortune may smile on me if I press my suit on Katie Cooper after all,” Barric said, ignoring the rumbling that came from Col’s throat. “Methinks that she is not looking favorably unto you.”
“Or perhaps our repast together today has reminded her that she need not settle on you.” Aylwyn laughed. He and Barric gave each other a high-five.
Col wanted to shift and beat both of them senseless, or at least Aylwyn for having the temerity to have spent his time at the Faire courting his Lily. But there was some truth in the fool’s words.
Mayhaps she was not his Lily after all. And mayhaps despite her protests the night before, in the harsh light of day she might have turned her favor towards Aylwyn. Certainly her behavior tonight would seem to indicate it.
He had never thought he would know what love was. But that was the only thing that could cause the pain he was feeling now. Love had to be placing her happiness above his own. He would step aside if it was Aylwyn she chose. He would hide the heartbreak that was tearing him asunder, and wish them well. Even as each smile that she gave to Aylwyn, each time she chose to look away from his direction was another wound in his soul, a death by a thousand Lily-shaped blades.
She would not accept his love. All he could offer her, then, would be his distance.
* * *
The house was modest, almost charming. And not at all where he expected a possible killer to be staying in. Using skills that Simon knew better than to ask about, Miller had gotten them into the small, two - story structure.
They had already parked the car a short distance away. The realtor had mentioned that there was a gravel road that passed for a driveway. They would be able to hear any car arrivals, but having their own car there would be a dead giveaway that someone uninvited was inside.
There was no other neighboring house —something that the client had insisted on, according to the Realtor —no one that could look into windows or see the beams of flashlights moving about, but Miller still cautioned them to move about carefully and keep their lights focused away from windows.
It didn’t take long to go through the living room area or the kitchen. There was a door leading to a basement or storage area, but they would check it once they finished the upstairs.
One room had signs of being occupied, with contents strewn about the desk. The bed was made, but bore a slight impression in the top cover, as if someone had sat on the edge of the mattress.
The hasty search did not yield Blake Rickert’s laptop, a Dell XPS 13. Blake’s associates had been interviewed by the police, and informed them that the dead realtor had the same model as the entire office. Miller had acquired that detail from his friends on the force.
The only signs of a computer they found was a charger for a MacBook. Well, Simon thought, if this person was the killer, leaving Blake’s computer out on the desk would just be too easy. Nor did he leave out his own computer, so that Simon could have a little look-see.
