Page 168 of Hidden Nature

“No. I’ll see them tomorrow. Tonight, they’ve got a romantic dinner and movie planned.”

“Then stay. Theo knows we’re sleeping together. He beat me home, and he asked. I don’t lie to him.”

“No, I wouldn’t want you to. It’s not some secret assignation, Nash.”

“Good. So stay. I’ll drive you home in the morning, or you can walk, since you like walking.”

“I’m so good at it now. It’s a perfect night for beef stew. Got a spare toothbrush?”

“As a matter of fact.”

He crossed over, pulled her in.

“This is the right time,” Clara said. “And the right way. You okay back there, doll?”

“All good, babe.”

“She’s getting ready to close. I can see her through the window. Nine o’clock. And I’m going to time it just right. Just like we planned. You be ready.”

“Always am.”

“All right then. Here goes.”

As Lori Preston stepped out of her empty shop, checked the door to make sure it was locked, Clara pulled the van next to her car.

And jumped out.

“Oh no! I couldn’t get here sooner. Don’t tell me you’re closed. I need a birthday gift for tomorrow. You’ve got those pink crystal holders for the tea lights? I saw on your Facebook page.”

“I sure do.” Lori shot out a welcoming smile. “I’m happy to open up for you,” she said, and turned away from her car.

Seconds later, without a peep, she was in the back of the van.

Clara pulled out, gave the tattoo parlor a quick glance, and drove out carefully.

“She doesn’t open until noon tomorrow. Nobody’ll even know she’s gone till then. And maybe even later. How’s she doing?”

“Out like a light.”

“Let’s keep her that way. I’m looking forward to hearing her story in the morning.”

“Me, too, babe.”

He’d started to look forward more to the after, but he liked the stories, too.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Dinner wasn’t as strange as Sloan imagined. After Drea brought in the stewpot, set it on the stove, she surreptitiously pointed at Sloan, herself, then made a talking signal with her hand.

Yeah, we’ll talk, Sloan thought, then put it, and everything else, out of her mind.

Better, she decided, to just be there.

It proved easy enough. After all, she liked her sister, she liked Theo, and Nash. There were definitely feelings. And it certainly didn’t hurt to take a night off from focusing on serial killers.

They sat at a folding table on folding chairs in the not-quite-finished dining room.

“Good thing we got this,” Theo began. “Since we tore out the office, we figured we’d need temporary office space. Drea, this is really good.”

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