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“How can I not?” She dropped her head into her hands. “We’ve just been ordered to take the investigation in a different direction, even though my gut instinct says it’s wrong.”
“Take heart, Officer McLeod. You’ve got me on your side.” Liam hooked a chair leg with his foot and dragged it to sit beside Cora. “If there’s one thing I’ve a lot of experience with, it’s bending the rules.”
“There’s an irrefutable fact,” she said through her fingers.
“Aye, well, it’s true. I propose we follow Boyd’s orderson paperbut do a side investigation on our own. Between the two of us, we’ll find the proof we need to convict Magnus in no time. It will be a pie walk.”
She smiled. “Cakewalk.”
“That, too. And did you see Boyd just now? The state of him! He looks five minutes away from falling flat on his face from exhaustion. If we’re careful, he’ll be none the wiser. Then, when we uncover the evidence needed to convict Magnus without a doubt, there will be nothing Boyd can say except, ‘Excellent work, McLeod, O’Connor. I was so very wrong. Thank you for proving it. Here, have a raise. And please, take a month’s vacation for all your hard work. Now, get out of my office before I change my mind.’”
This time Cora laughed, and Liam felt it all the way to the tips of his fingers and toes. He was going to do whatever it took to make her happy, and if he got to throw a degenerate scumbag like Magnus behind bars in the process, even better.
29
Cora stepped off the elevator to Finn’s penthouse on Saturday evening with Suzette and Liam right behind her. The first thing she noticed was the floor-to-ceiling window with a panoramic view of downtown Providence Falls at the end of the hallway.
“Wow,” Suzette said for the third time since they’d entered the upscale building. She balanced a dessert platter on one hand, using her other to photograph the view with her phone. The hall to his penthouse was decorated the same as the lobby, with rich, monochromatic hues and silver accents. To the left of the elevators, a narrow table lined the wall with a vase of fresh flowers and greenery. “I didn’t expect Finn Walsh to live in a place like this.”
Cora was equally surprised, though it wouldn’t be the first time Finn threw her for a loop. Yesterday he’d called Liam—another surprise, because she hadn’t realized they’d become friends—to invite them all to his sister’s going away party. Liam had accepted on behalf of all of them, and Cora didn’t have the heart to refuse. Ever since Finn had helped rescue her, she’d felt a nagging sense of guilt about the way she’d treated him. Granted, he’d been engaging in a dangerous, illegal activity the night of the cage fight, but he’d never meant for her to be involved. And now that her anger had dissipated, she had to admit it was nice to have him in her corner. He was a lot like the wickedly handsome Irishman standing beside her, except without the brash mannerisms and cocky attitude. Strange how Liam and Finn seemed so different, yet in essentials they had undeniable similarities.
“Where did you expect him to live, a barn?” Liam asked.
Suzette laughed. “I guess I just imagined him someplace like a basement apartment surrounded by video game monitors. Either that, or in a secret underground lair with bubbling test tubes. The latter being far cooler, of course.”
“Because you have a thing for comic book villains?” Cora asked as Liam rang Finn’s doorbell.
“I’ve always gravitated toward the bad boys,” Suzette said with a sigh. “Which is why I’m never going to try sinking my hooks into Finn, even though he has a hot car, and this building makes my heart beat fast. I have zero interest in good guys, and he is good to the bone. I bet he doesn’t even jaywalk for fear of breaking the law.”
“You might be surprised,” Cora said under her breath.
Liam shot her a curious glance just as the door opened.
“Cora, you made it! And you brought friends. Awesome.” Finn’s sister Genevieve stood in the entry, beaming at all of them. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail, and she wore denim capris and a white tank top. With her vivacious smile and the sprinkling of freckles across her cheeks, she looked young and fresh faced and ready to conquer the world. In a way, Cora supposed that was exactly what Genevieve was setting out to do. She was heading off to New York City soon, excited to start her new life.
Genevieve gave Cora a quick hug, and Cora introduced her friends.
“I hope you’re okay with Rice Krispies treats,” Suzette said, pushing the tray of dessert into Genevieve’s hands. “If not, blame Liam. He insisted.”
“No, I love these,” Genevieve said with a laugh. “They’re a classic.”
“We brought wine, too, just in case.” Liam held up two bottles of Merlot.
“Even better. Come and have a drink. Finn’s outside on the patio doing some magic on the grill.” Genevieve led them through the foyer and into a spacious kitchen where a lively group of her friends was playing cards.
“Everyone, these are Finn’s buddies,” Genevieve announced over the music. She made introductions while a girl in a black sundress set a plate of hot artichoke dip on the table.
“Hey, I know you,” she said, pointing at Suzette. “You work at the spa downtown.” Suzette struck up a conversation with her while Liam followed Genevieve into the kitchen with the wine.
Cora wandered farther into Finn’s home, admiring the gorgeous dark wood floors, the expansive open floor plan and the sleek, modern decor. It wasn’t quite the old English library scene where she’d once imagined a stuffy version of Finn sitting by the fire sipping cognac, but then he’d already blown that image to smithereens. No, this place suited him much better. It was inviting, but also a little mysterious. The walls were a muted grayish blue with crisp white trim, and there was a deep gray accent wall in the kitchen. The sunken living room had dark leather furniture and a plush area rug in front of a giant flat-screen TV. Even though the place was distinctly masculine, Genevieve’s decorative touch was noticeable. There were a few sparkly throw pillows on the sectional sofa, a fluffy pink blanket laid over an armchair and a pair of bunny slippers on the floor. A large, potted tree sat in the corner near a glass sliding door.
Cora caught sight of Finn outside at the grill, surrounded by a few men with pressed slacks and designer golf shirts who appeared to be his colleagues from work. Sunlight turned Finn’s hair deep bronze, and it struck her how handsome and relaxed he looked with them. Then again, he’d seemed just as comfortable in a fight cage surrounded by a dangerous motorcycle gang, so what did she know? Not much. Though, if she was being perfectly honest with herself, she was deeply curious.
Cora wandered past the patio doors to a narrow hallway filled with beautifully framed photographs. Some were brilliant images of wildlife. A blue jay in flight. A deer silhouetted against the backdrop of the setting sun. A close-up of a fox staring through tall grass. Other frames held photos of landscapes and natural elements like tide pools and meadows speckled with wildflowers. Cora stopped in front of a few close-up images of seashells. They were so crisp and clear, with such attention to detail capturing the different textures and striations, she felt as if she were holding each shell in her hand.
“Beautiful,” she breathed.
“Finn took them.” Genevieve came up beside her and handed her a glass of wine, peering up at the photos. “He’s always loved photography. When we were kids, he said he wanted to work forNational Geographicand take pictures all around the world.”
