Page 64 of Romeo

“I am.Please, come in.”

She steps into the house, a clipboard in her hand.“This is a beautiful home.”

“It’s not mine,” I tell her.“It belongs to a friend.She’s currently napping upstairs.”

“Understood.Where would you like me to start?”

“This way.”I head up the stairs, and Melody follows.When we reach the top of the stairs, I ensure that Jules’s door is closed.The last thing I want is her getting woken up when she’s already had such an insane day.I push open the door to Jules’s grandfather’s study then step aside so Melody can go in.

She studies the space, specifically eyeing the bloodstained carpet.“We’ll have to cut this portion out, but I have a match for it in the van.”

“You do?”

“I do.”She makes a note on her clipboard then sets it aside and retrieves a measuring tape from the purse she’s carrying.After measuring the stain, she writes something else then slips the tape back into her purse.“I can have it fixed in an hour or so.”

“Thank you.And you can do it quietly?”

“You won’t even know I’m here,” she replies with a smile then leaves the room.I study the stain on the floor, recalling how wide-eyed and wild Jules had looked, kneeling there just last night.

She’d been in a frenzy.And if she wants things back to normal, then the best thing I can do is give her that.Maybe then, she can find some peace.

“I’ve got that information you asked for,” Tucker says, holding up his cell phone the second I get downstairs.He and Dylan are in the dining room, but Elliot and Bradyn are nowhere to be seen.Probably out checking the perimeter of the house.

“On Glen Dodger?”

“Yeah.And I have to say, there’s some pretty interesting things I discovered once I dug just a smidge below the surface.”

Crossing my arms, I lean back against the wall.

“Who’s Glen Dodger?”Dylan turns away from the window he’d been staring out of.

I don’t keep things from my brothers.We tell each other everything, but this feels too personal.And until I know it has something to do with the case, I decide to keep quiet on the specifics.“He’s a pedophile with ties back to Jules’s grandfather.”

“You left that part out at first,” Tucker replies.“You should also know that he’s preparing to announce his candidacy for governor.”

“What?”I demand.

“It’s all here.”Tucker shows me his phone.I scan through the images, noting quite a few of the doctor alongside children overseas.My stomach churns.How many innocents have suffered at his hands?

About halfway down the page, sure enough, is the doctor’s announcement that he’s considering running for governor.

And then things really start to make sense.“If you were running for public office and were worried your darkest, most evil secret would come to light, what would you do?”I ask, handing Tucker back his phone.

“Tie up all loose ends,” Dylan offers.

I glance toward the stairs.Was the killer hired to kill Jules, and her grandfather got in the way?Or does Glen Dodger believe that she told her grandfather everything?

Furthermore, how much does Odie know?Was he a target too?And if so, why did it take so long to get to him?

“Looks like we get to pay the doctor a visit after all,” I say, a savage smile on my face.“I, for one, am looking forward to it.”

After ordering pizza,the six of us are sitting around the formal dining room table, plates in front of us.For the most part, my brothers have kept the conversation going, though Jules has been quiet ever since she came downstairs.

Romeo lies at her feet where he’s been since the moment she took her seat.He senses she’s upset, and as she absently reaches down and strokes his fur every few minutes, I have to imagine his presence is bringing her at least a bit of peace.

I haven’t had a chance to show her the repaired study flooring, but my hope is that it will ease a bit of her pain, knowing things have been put back into order in that room.

“Any update on Odie?Is he safe?”she asks.

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