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“Liam, I need you to ask Slice about some photos he may have of Lindsey,” Cora said. She quickly filled Liam in on the selfie she’d discovered at the gym. Then she told him about Magnus’s suspicious text conversation. “Finn said he’d let us know as soon as Magnus sets up a time and address to meet.”
“Good man, Finn. He’s been very resourceful and helpful with all this. Who could’ve guessed he’d turn out to be so...likable.” Liam sounded genuinely baffled, which made her want to laugh. “He’s changed so much in the short time I’ve known him.”
Now she did laugh. “No, he hasn’t; you’re the one who’s changed, Liam. When I first introduced you to Finn, you wouldn’t even give him the time of day. You disliked him for no reason, which makes you the odd man out, because everyone likes Finn.”
“Do you?”
“Of course I do.” What a ridiculous question.
“How much?”
“I—What?”
“Howmuchdo you like Finn?” There was an odd tension crackling in his voice.
Wait, was he jealous? Hope unfurled inside her for the space of a single heartbeat, but she shut it down fast. No, she wasn’t going to go down this road again. It was filled with potholes and detours and signs leading nowhere. Liam didn’t want her. At least, not in any serious way. Just last Friday he’d tried to set her up with Finn! Liam had sung the man’s praises like he was a car dealer and she was his gullible customer. No. Liam wasn’t jealous; he was just trying to sell her down the river to another man. It made her skin prickle with the same humiliation she’d felt that night after the elevator incident. But this time, she wasn’t going to spiral down into a slump. Whatever game he was trying to play right now, she wouldn’t be a part of it. It was time she stopped trying to read into things and just focus on the future—on all the things she could change. Liam wasn’t one of them.
Cora straightened her back and said in clipped, no-nonsense tones, “I like Finn a lot, Liam. Bunches and bunches. Now, if it’s all the same to you, I’d like to get on with today’s investigation. I’m heading back to the station to tell Captain Thompson about Lindsey’s photographs. Just talk to Slice and find out if he has more of them.”
“Cora, I’m—”
Someone pounded on the door and yelled Liam’s name. She heard the door bang open and someone call out, “Come on, Liam. He’s up.” Triumphant shouts suddenly rose in volume, and the group of kids began chanting a name in the background.
Liam raised his voice to be heard over the din. “I have to go. I’ll meet you back at the station in a couple of hours.”
She frowned, annoyed for all sorts of reasons, not the least of which involved a cocky Irishman who gave her emotional whiplash and made her head spin. “Two more hours is a heck of a long lunch break.”
“Aye, but it turns out Slice is an online gamer,” Liam said with a laugh. “He’s joined the teen tournament.”
“But he’s in his twenties.”
“The kids don’t care. They voted him into the circuit because he has some following on a channel, whatever that means. He goes by the name Blade Punner. Don’t ask, because half the time, I’ve no clue what these young people are on about.” He sighed wearily and added, “Kids these days.”
“Later, gramps.” Cora got off the phone, smiling in spite of herself. Yet another reason to be annoyed at him. Even when she wanted to stay miffed, he somehow managed to say or do something to amuse her. The really infuriating thing was that he wasn’t even trying. It was like a superpower, and he just couldn’t help himself.
She headed back to the station to tell Captain Thompson about the photo. For the first time in what felt like weeks, she was looking forward to bringing him some promising information about the case. To her disappointment, it had to wait, because when she arrived back at the station, Mavis announced he was gone.
“He took a personal day,” Cora repeated, letting the words sink in as she stared at Mavis in confusion. The receptionist was busy wiping the front desk down with disinfectant wipes. “Are you sure that’s what he said when he left?”
“Mmm-hmm. He said he had a doctor’s appointment, which wasn’t a big shocker, if you ask me. He’s been looking pretty green around the gills these days.” Mavis finished wiping the desktop and swapped a bowl of lollipops with a giant bottle of hand sanitizer. “All I know is, I can’t afford to get sick right now. My nephew’s wedding is on Saturday, and I can’t show up there looking like a truck ran over me and feeling like it backed up again. Especially since I just spent a bunch of money getting my roots dyed. I even bought a new dress at the Fashion Shack.”
Cora nodded in understanding, but her mind was still on the captain’s absence. In all the years she’d worked with him, he’d never once taken a free day for himself, let alone a vacation. Maybe he’d been battling some illness for a while and never told anyone. “I wonder if it’s something bad.”
Mavis suddenly looked wide-eyed and worried. “I mean, it’s polyester jersey, so I’ll have to wear Spanx, but—”
“No, I meant the reason for Captain Thompson’s doctor appointment.”
“Oh.” Mavis cocked her head, considering that for a moment. “Actually, I think his leaving had something to do with Alice. She showed up to visit him, and ten minutes later, she flew out of here like a bat out of hell. Then the captain went after her like he was on a mission. That’s when he said he was taking the day off. He seemed angry more than anything else.”
“I suppose that’s better than the alternative,” Cora said. If the captain was sick, there wasn’t much she could do to help. If he was having marital problems, she couldn’t help with that, either. But if Slice came through for them with a useful photo that helped identify John Brady’s killer, then that would do wonders for not just the captain’s morale, but everyone else’s. As for the mysterious text message on Magnus’s phone, Cora felt hopeful about that, too. Captain Thompson wouldn’t be happy that they’d gone against his direct orders and continued to investigate Magnus, but he wouldn’t be able to fault them with the outcome if it helped lead to the solving of the money theft, and possibly Lindsey Albright’s murder. It was an encouraging thought, and one she clung to for the rest of the day.
9
“THERE’S SLICE,” Liam said as Cora pulled into a spot in the Zippy Lube parking lot Wednesday morning. “Damn. He’s got that ogre of a man with him today. He’d better not give us any trouble.”
Slice Biddlesworth was in one of the garage ports leaning under the hood of a car while Bear, the huge biker who guarded the motorcycle compound, sat in a foldout chair in the corner. From a distance, the muscle-bound mammoth seemed relaxed and laid-back, which was a far cry from the way he’d been the day Liam and Cora tried to visit the Doghouse. Bear had been a formidable gatekeeper, refusing to let them inside. His flat gaze had dismissed Liam as forgettable but lingered on Cora with interest. Liam bristled at the memory of Bear flirting with her and inviting her to party with the Booze Dogs. He didn’t like the man for that reason alone and, judging by the way Bear was now scowling at them as they exited the car, Liam wasn’t likely to change his mind.
“If Slice has the pictures we asked for, then it’ll be worth it,” Cora said as she hurried eagerly toward the carport. It filled Liam with relief to see the spark of hope in her eyes. For the past few days, she’d seemed withdrawn and a little sad whenever they were alone together, though she hid it well. While Liam knew it was all his fault, he couldn’t allow himself to dwell on it. The pain of knowing he was the cause for her unhappiness was too much to bear, and there was nothing he could do to change it. Instead, he fought to stay cheerful and upbeat, doing whatever he could to help with their investigation. Cora loved Providence Falls and the people in it. She’d be thrilled to solve the recent crimes and see that justice was served. At least he could try to make her happy in this way.
