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Her features are pinched, a marked difference from when we lay in bed just a few hours ago, relaxed and sated. I wish I could pick her up and carry her back to bed, kiss her until all the stress fades away again. Or turn back the clock and not answer the phone at all, so we wouldn’t be having this meeting with Cole.
Gently, I say, “I’m not sure. It’s possible.”
But judging from Cole’s tone when he called, I’m thinking it’s not.
When my phone rang, Ari was still snuggled next to me, warm and soft in my arms. I thought about turning off my phone, silencing the outside world, and enjoying a lazy Saturday at home with her. We could laze in bed for another hour, then we’d make a gigantic brunch, followed by a relaxing afternoon watching movies and cuddling.
But then my practical side kicked in, nagging at me, asking,but what if it’s something important?
So I answered Cole’s call, and now I wish I hadn’t. All he said was a somber, “We have news about the shooting. Do you have time to meet today?”
I wanted to press him for more information over the phone, but Ari was right there; there was no way she wouldn’t hear it too. And selfishly, I wanted to have at least a few more hours before hearing news I had a sinking feeling wouldn’t be good.
Not that either of us could relax. For the last few hours, Ari’s been too quiet, huddled on the couch in the living room, staring at one of the books I bought her but not actually turning any pages. I tried to get her to eat, but she just pushed the food around on her plate until everything was cold and congealed and soggy. And she keeps giving me these fake little smiles every time I ask if she’s okay.
It’s a stupid question. Of course,she’s not okay. But I don’t know what else to say.
Ari’s sitting rigidly beside me, clutching my hand, and shooting brief glances toward the time on the phone. Cole said they’d be over at two, and it’s just a few minutes short of that now.
“Maybe they found out it was an accident,” Ari offers quietly, doubt bleeding through her words. “A hunter, maybe. Or a kid messing around.”
The black-clothed person I saw with the full-face mask wasnota hunter. And my property isn’t remotely close to any hunting grounds. But I’m not going to say that. So I just go with a vague, “Maybe.”
The doorbell chimes, and Ari flinches, her fingers tightening around mine. “It’s okay, hun,” I soothe, glancing at my phone. “It’s just Cole and Finn.”
“I know. Sorry.” She grimaces, shaking her head. “I don’t know why I’m so jumpy.”
“It’s fine, Ari.” I stroke her hair and press a soft kiss to her head. “I’m just going to let them in.”
Forcing another small smile, she meets my gaze. “Of course.”
When I greet Cole and Finn at the door, their grim expressions confirm exactly what I thought about this meeting. Pitching my voice low, I ask, “How bad is it?”
Cole’s jaw goes tight, his gaze shadowing. “It’s not good.”
My stomach turns to iron, dropping to my feet. “Shit.”
As we head to the living room, it feels like I’m being led to the gallows. Every step is one closer to receiving news I don’t want Ari to hear. Because I knowit wasn’t a hunter or an accident. And any other outcome is going to upset her. Badly.
Ari tries to put on a good front as we come back into the room. She smiles at Cole and Finn, asking brightly, “Cole. Did you have a nice Thanksgiving?”
Cole takes a seat on the other couch, returning her smile. “I did. We managed to pull together an edible meal. Not as good as I heard yours was, though.”
“It was fantastic,” Finn agrees. “I haven’t stopped thinking about that caramel apple pie.”
“Oh, Finn.” Ari shifts her gaze to him. “I have some leftovers for you from yesterday. Not as much as I thought I’d have, since we had extra guests. But there should still be enough for a meal or two.”
“Ari, you didn’t have to do that.” Finn’s somber expression lifts a little. “But I won’t turn it down, either.”
Ari keeps smiling at the two men, but it’s brittle and strained. Her eyes are worried and anxious, and when I take her hand again as I sit down, it’s shaking.
After another few minutes of small talk, we get to the point of the meeting. Cole sets his shoulders and says, “So, our news. We found the shooter.”
Ari sucks in a breath. “How?”
“We had to pull footage from cameras in the area,” he replies. “Video doorbells, traffic lights, CCTV, and satellites. From there, we cross-checked vehicles and possible suspects that were in the vicinity at the time of the shooting. The shooter parked several blocks away, so we had to follow his path using several different cameras.”
“He used his own car, so once we found that, we had the identity of the suspect.” Cole pauses, then explains, “The reason it took so long is because Leo had to use some…creativemethods of accessing much of the footage.”
