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“Kaden,” she murmured.
He skipped over the pleasantries. “Something’s happened. Get your coat.”
Chapter 9
Lia had no idea why she readily obeyed Kaden Vaughn’s command to get her coat. Maybe because she was intrigued by what had happened. Or because she was bored with her latest research. Or because she simply wanted to spend more time in his company.
Whatever the reason, she didn’t hesitate. Plucking her coat from the peg, she hurried into the store to tell Della she would be gone for a while and then grabbed her purse before she stepped out of the back door to join Kaden in the alley. It wasn’t until he started moving toward his Jeep that she dug in her heels.
“I can drive.”
He glanced over his shoulder with a wry smile. “You’re going to have to trust me at some point.”
It wasn’t a matter of trust. He was a professional driver who had far more experience than she did behind the wheel. She just didn’t want to be a passenger. Not when it meant allowing someone else to determine where they were going, how long they would be gone, and if anyone else was going to join them.
Control issues . . .
That’s what her last boyfriend claimed, and Lia hadn’t argued.
Kaden continued toward his Jeep and, swallowing a sigh, Lia grudgingly followed. It didn’t make any sense to insist on taking her SUV. She had no idea where they were going and his Jeep was already running. Climbing into the passenger seat, she slammed shut the door and pulled on her seat belt.
“You see, that wasn’t so hard.”
She glanced toward him, meeting his teasing smile. “If you end up in a ditch, I can promise you that Wayne will have it posted all over the Internet.”
He didn’t appear particularly worried. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
He put the Jeep in gear and drove to the end of the alley.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Judge Armstrong’s home. I hope you know where it’s located.”
“Turn left.” She studied his profile, absently noting it was perfectly sculpted. Like everything else about him. “Why are we going there?”
“I was at the courthouse when a call came in saying the judge had driven his car through the back of his garage.”
Lia sucked in a sharp breath. “Oh no. Was he hurt?”
“I’m not sure, but it sounded pretty serious.”
“That’s terrible.” She paused. It was awful to think the older man had been injured, but she’d never been very close to the judge. In truth, she didn’t really like him. “Why are we going there?”
His jaw tightened. “Right now, I’m not willing to accept anything is a random accident.”
“Okay, but honestly, Judge Armstrong is seventy years old and a terrible driver.” She’d seen the man take out a mailbox, back into a dumpster, and nearly destroy the local bakery when he put his car in Drive instead of Reverse. He never slowed until he smashed into the building. “Even when the streets aren’t covered in ice.”
“It’s probably a waste of time, but I think we should check it out.”
“Okay.” Lia shivered at the sound of sirens that echoed through the streets. They were becoming all too familiar. “Take another left at the corner. We’ll circle around to the back. I’d rather not get trapped by the inevitable gawkers.”
He nodded, turning onto the narrow dirt path that would lead to the empty lot behind the judge’s house. Years ago, there’d been a laundromat, but the judge had the place condemned and torn down when he built his new house.
Parking the Jeep next to the curb, they climbed out of the vehicle and headed toward the massive brick home.
Kaden muttered a curse as he struggled through the snow that was up to his knees. “Good thing I bought some decent boots.”
She wisely followed his trail. There was no use in both of them forging a path through the heavy drifts.
