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“Sounds good,” she agreed. “After we’ve cleaned up all these messes, maybe you’d like to come over to my apartment sometime and we can drown our sorrows together over a cheesy Hallmark movie that would never happen in real life and a couple of pints of chocolate-chip ice cream?”
“You’ve got a deal, sister,” I said, laughing as I raised my hand to offer her a high-five.
She slapped my palm with hers. “Do you think we’re really becoming friends now?”
I smiled. “Definitely.”
Chapter Six
Logan
I stood at the stove in my kitchen, stirring together the eggs and milk beginning to scramble in the frying pan. It was a little after 7am and I’d been up since 5 am after tossing and turning all night. After deciding it was no use to try and actually get any sleep, I rose, showered, and went to the grocery store to stock up on food and home goods. I don’t think I could ever recall seeing a grocery bill that high. Either the cost of food had risen while I’d been busy, or I was getting too used to bachelor life. Or maybe both.
The toaster popped and the tops of two slices of golden-brown bread peeked out. I moved the pan of eggs to a cool burner, taking time to butter the toast while it was still hot.
After scrambling the eggs, I made up my breakfast plate, poured a second cup of coffee, and carried everything to the table to eat while reviewing all the events that had occurred in the past couple of days for the thousandth time in my mind.
I was now convinced that Ainsley, Kristin, and Edward were hiding something. All three of them were acting way too suspiciously yesterday. Was Edward ill? Had he really cheated on Ainsley? With Kristin, maybe? But then why would the women claim to be besties? Or maybe Kristin had been with Ainsley to support her? But if that were true, wouldn’t they have gone out to eat somewhere instead of enjoying dinner together with Edward? And what did any of them have to do with the murders?
I scooped a bunch of eggs onto a slice of toast and bit into it. None of it made any sense. I’d gone back to the station after wrapping up at the crime scene last night and pulled up the background data on all four victims again on my computer, as well as what I had on Ainsley, Edward, and Kristin, too. But I hadn’t been able to find any connections between them that I didn’t already know about. Interestingly, Kristin’s social media presence was just as low and bland as Ainsley’s. Edward, on the other hand, was much more active. I wondered if Ainsley was aware how many women’s accounts he was following, much less the private chats he was having with some of them which were less than honorable, to say the least.
I finished my breakfast and drained my coffee cup. There was only thing left for me to do. It was time for an old-fashioned stakeout.
***
I lowered the binoculars from my eyes and rubbed the sore impressions in my skin. My legs were already cramping, and it was only 11:15 am. I’d been sitting in my car in the alley that lay to the east of the Adams’ house for nearly four hours and hadn’t seen anything out of the ordinary. Ainsley’s SUV was parked under the carport of the detached garage, and Edward’s truck was pulled up onto the gravel. A light had come on in the kitchen around eight o’clock. I thought I’d seen the curtains flutter once, but after that, nothing. Should I make another unannounced visit? That might cause more problems for Ainsley though, which was the last thing I wanted to do. I still didn’t think she’d done anything wrong, but there was a strong possibility that she was covering for someone else…Maybe Edward…Or Kristin. Did one of them have something on her? Were they blackmailing her to keep her silent about whatever she knew?
This case, and this redhead, were making me crazy. I wasn’t used to not being in control of things, and I definitely wasn’t enjoying the feeling.
Suddenly, the back door opened. I sat up straighter and raised the binoculars to my eyes. Ainsley and Kristin came out of the house together. Both of them were wearing coats with hats pulled low over their eyes, but I could tell it was them by their hair color and builds. What was Kristin doing there?
The women hurried to the carport and got into Ainsley’s car. Once I heard the motor start, I powered up and idled the cruiser while waiting to see what direction they would head. Wherever these ladies were going this morning, I was going, too.
***
To my surprise, they pulled into the parking lot of the same grocery store outlet I’d visited earlier today. Were they planning to bake cookies or something?
I watched Ainsley as she parked, and she and Kristin hurried into the store. I noticed Ainsley held a piece of paper in one hand. A list?
I turned down into a lane and parked the cruiser at the very end. Then, I jogged through the lot and slowed my pace as I approached the sliding glass stores of the establishment.
It didn’t take me too long to find the women inside. They were in the spice aisle, huddled over a bottle of something or other. Maybe they really were planning to bake cookies. Ainsley looked up, and I darted around the corner. I didn’t want them to know I was there, even though it would be easy enough to say I was shopping for myself. I’d even picked up a cart on my way in and thrown a few items into it just to look the part.
I continued to follow the women around the store, but the other items they selected made me doubt any cookies were on the horizon. A bunch of spices, dried pig snout, black licorice, refried beans, and a jar of vegemite. What the heck? I was more confounded than ever.
Rocking back on my heels, I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples as I waited for the women to make their way through the check-out.
“Logan?” My eyelids popped open.
“Oh, hi, Ainsley,” I said, trying to sound casual. “Kristin.” I nodded in her direction. She wiggled her fingers at me.
“What are you doing here?” Ainsley asked, placing her free hand on her hip.
I cleared my throat. “What do you mean? Shopping, same as you.” I lifted my cart to show her.
“Uh-uh,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m not buying it. You were following us, weren’t you? Why?”
“What are the two of planning to do with the items you just bought?” I asked directly, sidestepping her questions. “They don’t make any sense.”
