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“Yes, of course. Estes, so nice to see you again, dear,” Mary said. The two women were roughly the same age, and considering the size of Redemption, it was no wonder they already knew each other. Rebecca, however, had only been in town for a little over a year, so like me, she was still putting names to faces.
“Wait. Clarke... Like Deputy Clarke?”
Alexis smiled brightly. “He’s my brother, and this is our mom.”
I ignored the pointed looks I got from the ladies. I was seriously going to have to consider letting them all go and replacing them with people who didn’t give a damn about town gossip. Or with robots.
“So, what brings you in?” I asked, even though I already had a sneaking suspicion.
Mary took my hand in both of hers, giving it a pat and holding on. “Oh, sweetheart. We heard what happened to your house. That’s just the most terrible thing.”
That wasn’t a surprise. News of the break-in at my house had spread through town like wildfire. I’d been fielding questions left and right from people visiting the library, in the line at the coffee shop, and in yoga class at Aurora’s studio. Surprisingly, it wasn’t just curiosity that had tongues wagging. People were actually worried about me. My friends especially. I hadn’t had a moment’s peace since that night. It was like the whole town had taken a vote and decided they were going to watch over me like hawks. Between work and home, I hadn’t been alone longer than it took to go to the bathroom.
“We wanted to come by and check on you,” Alexis tacked on, but I had a sneaking suspicion it was more than that.
“Oh, well, thanks. It was a little tough, but I’m getting through.”
Mary’s hands tightened around mine. “Of course you are, dear. You’re a fighter. Saw it the first time I laid eyes on you.”
Tilda chimed in then. “Our Lyric’s tough as nails,” she stated passionately, and I would have been lying if I said it didn’t feel good to hear the pride in her voice. “Still, I’d like to find the person who did that to her so I could tar and feather them.”
I gave her a smile, my annoyance with my crazy volunteers fading in the wake of their support.
“Have the police found anything yet?” Mary asked, concern crinkling her brow. “Any idea who it could have been?”
I shook my head. I’d been asked that very thing at least five times a day since the break-in, and the answer was always the same. I had no idea who it could have been, and so far, the police were as stumped as I was. I kept telling myself it was just a random act of violence, but the more time that passed, the less I was sure about that. “No. Nothing yet, but I’m sure they’ll find whoever it was.”
“Yes. You’re absolutely right, dear. I know my son, and he won’t rest until whoever it was is brought to justice.” She looked to the other women standing around, pride swelling in her expression. “My son takes his job very seriously.”
“Maybe too seriously sometimes,” Alexis grumbled under her breath.
My head jerked her way, and I could see from the look on her face that she hadn’t meant to say that out loud, but my curiosity was piqued, and there was no undoing it. “What do you mean by that?”
She opened her mouth, but Mary answered before she could get a word out. “Oh, nothing. Just that he’s the serious sort is all.”
I wasn’t quite sure I believed that, but I let the subject drop and didn’t pry, no matter how badly I wanted to.
“Now, dear, the other reason we swung by was to invite you to family dinner on Sunday. I figured if you’re coming, my son won’t have an excuse to miss it.”
My eyes widened and nerves began to swirl in my belly. There was no way I could attend a family dinner with the Clarkes. That would be crossing so many lines I was trying desperately to keep in place. “Oh, Mary. That’s really nice, but I couldn’t—”
“You don’t have any food allergies, do you? I’d hate to make something that could make you sick.”
What was happening? “Oh, um... no?”
“Wonderful! Then we’ll see you on Sunday. Seven o’clock. And tell that boy of mine to bring a bottle of wine.” She started walking away, talking over her shoulder as she went. “A nice one! None of that cheap stuff.”
I stood with my mouth gaping open, wondering how I’d just gotten roped into attending dinner with Holton and his entire family.
“Don’t beat yourself up,” Alexis leaned in to say quietly. “She’s got a gift. No mom can guilt like Mary Clarke. Trust me.” She started walking backward, giving me a small wave. “See you Sunday, Lyric.” Her face stretched into a wide, shit-eating grin. “I can’t wait.”
ChapterEighteen
HOLTON
By the timeI pulled up to the library, the headache I’d been dealing with all damn day was beating behind my eyeballs like the drummer of a goddamn metal band. I threw my truck into park and squeezed my eyes closed, pressing my fingers into my temples to relieve some of the pressure building there. My skull was like a boiler about to explode if it wasn’t dumped properly.
It had been a week, and we were still no closer to figuring out who had trashed Lyric’s place than we’d been the night it happened, and the longer we went with no new information, the more my tension grew.
