AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“First off, have you given some thought to the fact that whoever poisoned your mother is the same person who is coming after you?”
He had... a great deal of thought since Joe mentioned it. Before that all he could think about was that Piper had let him down badly.
“If they knew you liked Pip, then she’d be another target just like your family. Another way to hurt you, Dylan.”
“She baked those donuts.”
“Got that, but also got that she did so early in the day, and those donuts would have been sitting out back for a while—two hours in fact—to rise. Plenty of time for someone to put poison in.”
“A dozen of them? Come on, Fin, that’s not feasible.”
“Neither is someone targeting every member of your family. You told me at the lodge that whoever is coming after you is someone with smarts. This would take that.”
It would, Dylan knew that too. He’d stood in this exact spot and tried to work through this and come up blank.
“The staff at Phil’s, Piper included, would never let a stranger walk out back and into the kitchens.”
“Which is messing with my head, because that means that someone we know is doing this shit to you.”
“It also points to the fact it was Piper, as there are no other suspects. Sounds pretty incriminating to me.”
“You’re an FBI profiler. You of all people should understand that even though something appears bad, often there’s another angle to look at it from.”
He did, and saw it all the time in his world.
“Christ, I don’t want it to be her.” He exhaled loudly. “I really don’t want it to be her, but... hell, I freaked out when Mom told me, and I—”
“Put your foot so far inside your mouth you nearly choked on it?”
Dylan grunted his agreement. Everything Fin said, he’d already thought up. He of all people knew what an intelligent criminal could do, but he’d acted before thinking, accusing Piper.
“I saw Joe about an hour ago. He told me everything, and said he hoped that wherever you were it was a long way from him because he’s pretty sure he’s going for your eye next.”
“He can try, but this time he won’t be so lucky. I was looking away, and he caught me off guard.”
“Hardly the act of a gentleman, but still something I would have done had I been there. Piper has always been special to me.”
She was special to Dylan too... or had been before he’d accused her of attempted murder.
“When I first came here to Ryker, she was only young and finding her way, a bit like me. We became friends and looked out for each other, because while we had the Trainers, we both needed a special someone to relate to, and she was it for me.”
“I should have waited before going to see her,” Dylan said. “But I was angry and confused.”
“It’s fair to say you messed up big-time, bud.”
Dylan exhaled loudly.
“I’ve met plenty of scumbags in my lifetime, Dylan, and believe me when I say she’s not one of them. Piper Trainer is one of the sweetest, most loyal, and loving women I know. And it’s lucky for you I’ve calmed down or I’d be blackening your eye about now for Joe.”
He drank more tea, enjoying the warmth.
“Okay, let’s go.”
“Where?” Dylan straightened.
“Your friend Mickey is here, and I came to find you.”
“And you’re telling me this now?”
