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“Unless, of course, there’s a break on the Kavanaugh case.”
She made a face. “I’m not holding my breath. There aren’t any new leads on the fire at his house, and the connections on his list are eluding me as adeptly as they eluded him. The only consolation is that we won’t have to postpone our date.”
“There is that.” He leaned down and brushed his lips across hers. “A sample of what’s on the menu for our picnic.”
Her heart stopped. Raced on.
Oh man.
“I, uh, may want a full serving of that.”
“I’ll be happy to oblige.” He waggled his eyebrows and winked. “I’ll call you later.”
“Good luck with your grandmother.”
He gave her a thumbs-up and strode down the path to his car.
Bri watched until he drove away. Once she lost sight of him, she closed the door and ambled back to the living room. Picked up their empty mugs. Continued to the kitchen and eyed her laptop on the table.
She could review the origin and cause reports again for the fires on Les’s list. Give the autopsy reports one more skim.
But she’d done that last night, and her efforts had yielded zilch.
Maybe it was time to admit the truth.
Unless a new clue dropped into her lap, the puzzle Les had left her—along with the identity of the arsonist who’d set the fire at his house—would forever remain a mystery.
“WHAT DO YOUMEAN YOU’RE LEAVING?”Alison frowned at Sophie as her sister hovered in the living room doorway, suitcase in hand, laptop case slung over her shoulder. “I thought you were staying until tomorrow?”
“I was, but our organist texted me to ask if I’d play at the nine o’clock service tomorrow. A family emergency came up.”
“You have a family emergency here.”
Sophie shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Readjusted the strap on the laptop case. “You’ll be fine. You’ve always been strong. And I really need all day tomorrow after church to prep for school this week. I’m behind.”
Setting aside the magazine she’d been reading, Alison studied her sister.
Ever since her slip yesterday about Larry, Sophie had seemed subdued. Preoccupied. Troubled. She’d gone to bed early last night and hadn’t appeared in the kitchen until midmorning, yet the shadows beneath her eyes suggested she hadn’t slept well.
Why?
Could she possibly suspect her big sister had played a role in the demise of Larry and Nate?
No.
Sophie loved her, and if you loved someone, you believed in them until they gave you cause to do otherwise.
She’d never done that. And a mere mention of Larry wouldn’t be sufficient to set off any alarm bells.
“Are you certain you feel okay?” Alison rose and crossed to Sophie. “You don’t have one of your headaches, do you?”
“I did last night. It’s not as bad today.”
Ah. That could explain why she looked tired. The stress-induced headaches that had always been the bane of her existence could knock her flat, and this had been a stressful week.
“Another reason you should have said no to the organist.”
Sophie rummaged through her purse for her keys. “I’ll be fine by tomorrow, and playing the organ relaxes me. I’ll call you later tonight.”
