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“A presentation for work that’s due the week after next.”
The aroma of coffee wafted through the air, and she sniffed, looking for the source. “Maybe we can take half a day to settle somewhere and work. I could use some quality time with a computer. Do I smell coffee?”
“If you use the term loosely.” He chuckled and handed her his paper cup. “It’s the K-cup from the motel coffee maker. Not the best.”
She sipped at the lukewarm coffee-flavored water and hummed. “It’ll do for now.”
“I have some bad news,” he said.
“Of course you do.” She sat up, covered a yawn, and threw her arms above her head to stretch. When she looked at him, he was staring at her with a look she couldn’t read. “Well, lay it on me.”
“I ruled out the people you said had already quit and checked out the rest. They’re all posting pretty much nonstop, and they all have alibis for last night. None of them are the shooter.”
“So, somebody’s friend?”
“Maybe.”
“Great,” she said. “Where does that leave us?”
“I don’t know. I had a police buddy try to find the source of the threats, and he hit a dead end too. The IP address is hidden behind a million VPNs, so there’s no way to tell whose account it is or where it’s coming from.”
A soft, mewing noise outside interrupted their conversation. She got up to investigate, but he jumped in front of her.
“Wait,” he said. “It could be someone trying to lure you out.”
The noise sounded again. Noah grabbed his gun and peeked out the window before inching open the door, leaving the deadbolt chain engaged. Something tiny and furry shot between his legs and under the bed.
“What the…?” he said.
“Please tell me that’s not a rat.” Just in case, she jumped onto the bed.
He shut and locked the door and put down his gun. “Hand me the flashlight,” he said, kneeling to look under the bed.
She hopped from her bed to his and handed him the flashlight from his nightstand.
“It’s a kitten,” he said. “Come here, dude.”
“A kitten?” Daisy said gleefully, jumping off the bed and kneeling next to him. “Here, kitty, kitty.”
He stood. “Not what we need right now.”
She finally coaxed the little guy out, using a piece of jerky from her purse. It was so young. She wasn’t even sure it could eat solid food. “Here,” she said, thrusting the tiny beast into Noah’s hands. “Hold him for a sec.”
She found a plastic cup in the bathroom, used a pocketknife to cut the bottom off, and poured two coffee bar creamers into it. “Here you go, little one,” she said, taking the cat back and letting it drink from the makeshift bowl.
“I’m not sure I want to know the answer to this,” Noah said. “But just what do you plan to do with that?”
“Um, we’re keeping him. Obviously.”
“What if he belongs to someone?”
“We can ask the clerk when we check out, but it doesn’t look like anyone’s taking care of him. He won’t be any trouble at all. First chance we get, we’ll stop and buy supplies. There must be a feed store around here somewhere.”
His only response was a grunt. “I’m gonna take a shower, and then I need food.”
“I showered last night and can be ready in five minutes.”
“If you want to post something today, do it just before we leave town.”
