AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I suspect it’d been the perfect place to take her.” Zach strode toward the bedroom. “No one would see him here or even know the house existed.”
“Well, we know one thing,” I said. “She sure as heck loved him with all her heart.”
Kipp’s eyebrow arched. “What makes you say that?”
I spied a large spider who worked on his web in the corner of the ceiling. “Because no woman would come to a place like this unless she loved him.”
“Maybe it’d been the only option. Obviously, he wanted to keep their relationship private,” Zach called out from the bedroom.
“Private is one thing.” I grimaced as the stench of mold filled my nose. “Downright grungy is something else entirely.”
Kipp inclined his head in agreement.
“Come here, you two,” Zach shouted. “I’ve got something.”
I rushed into the bedroom only to encounter a complete mess. Vodka, whisky, just an obscene amount of empty alcohol bottles littered the floor around the bed while tissues were scattered about.
Zach glanced over his shoulder. “Appears that someone’s feeling a bit of remorse for what he’s done.”
“Ya think?” I retorted. “Jesus, he’s drowning himself in booze.”
Zach reached into his pocket, pulling out a pen and a paper bag. He lifted one of the bottles and placed it inside the bag, as well as a tissue. “I’ll get this to the lab to see if they can lift any prints or obtain a DNA sample. Might be the break in the case we need.”
I’d seen this on television, so the revelation made me blissfully happy. “Oh good, DNA found means case closed.”
Zach sealed up the bag. “You shouldn’t believe what you see on TV.” He shook his head as if it annoyed him my thoughts went there. “It takes weeks—sometimes months to get a DNA sample confirmed. Then who’s to say we have the sample on file to match it to the suspect?”
“We will if it is a cop,” Kipp said.
“If we’re assuming right and the killer is a cop, we’ll find a match. It’s part of protocol when you join the force to give a DNA and fingerprint sample,” Zach continued, since he didn’t hear Kipp’s response.
“Oh, okay, well, that’s great.” I clapped my hands. “We can go then, right? I’m all done here?”
Both men shook their heads. My happiness plummeted. “But you said you’ll have the cop’s DNA, so what else do you need?”
“It’ll take months…”
Zach sighed. “You’ll—”
I waved my hand to indicate Kipp had already started to explain.
“To see if a match is found. It’s best for us to continue on here and see where it leads us, which means, of course, that you’ll get to spend more time with me, beautiful.”
/> I blushed and hated he caused such a reaction in me. I tore my gaze from him and looked at Zach. “Okay, well, tell me what I can help with so we can get out of here. It stinks and I feel my allergies acting up from all the dust.” I sniffed to prove my point.
Kipp chuckled.
Zach rubbed his own nose with the back of his hand. “Since the air is bothering you, why don’t you and Kipp go and search outside. See if anything stands out.”
Great, more alone time with Kipp!
The idea, though, of being out of the retched place was too appealing to pass up. “Good plan.” I spun on my heel and nearly walked straight through Kipp. He had come up right behind me and I hadn’t even noticed his presence, which surprised me. I always sensed a ghost’s nearness and that meant I forgot what he was or got used to him being around. Both possibilities weren’t good.
Kipp grinned with a playful edge. “Despite your attempts to deny it, you are all too happy to spend some private time together.”
My cheeks burned deeper and I did what I continually had done, ignored him as I walked by and exited the bedroom, striding toward the front door. I hated that Kipp might have been right.
He’s a ghost. He’s a ghost. He’s a ghost.
