Page 107 of It's a Wonderful Knife
Once I felt pretty sure I wasn’t going to throw up, I moved toward the back door and locked it. Then I headed to the front door of the barn. I stepped outside and slipped the chain and padlock back on the door. I wasn’t locking the barn up to keep the murderer out. It was obvious the killer could get inside at will. The padlock and chain hadn’t kept them out. But locking the building would keepotherpeople out, and the fewer people who trampled through the murder scene, the better.
I moved around the building, and Max joined me. “Ready?” I asked.
“Yeah.”
Our breaths were visible as we headed toward the main house. Max slipped his arm through mine as we walked. The fresh smell of pine trees and the clear night sky might have been romantic any other time. Instead, we were walking through the dark night with a killer on the loose. I could hardly believe what a nightmare this festive holiday had turned into. I’d had such high hopes, and it had been nothing but a shitshow from the moment we got on the bus in Rainy Dale. I was sure Max couldn’t wait to get the hell out of here, and I couldn’t wait either.
“We should get to go home tomorrow, right?” Max asked softly, as if reading my mind.
“You guys will. I might have to stay a while longer.”
He stopped walking. “Why?”
I sighed. “Because I’m responsible for the crime scene, which is pretty much what this entire farm is at the moment.”
“But how long would you have to stay?” He sounded unnerved.
“I don’t know. As long as they need me.”
“You’re not solving the case though, right? The local police would do that?”
I blew out a shaky breath. “I sure as hell hope so, Max. I’ve had about all I can take of this place. I… I just want to go home.”
His expression softened, and he wrapped his arms around me. “Me too. I hate it here. I love you, Royce, but I really, really don’t want to ever come back here.”
I laughed gruffly, pulling back to study his face in the moonlight. “I’m sorry for bringing you here.”
He tilted his head. “I’m sure it would have been great… if not for… you know… the killer part.”
I groaned and started walking again. “Speaking of which, we should get inside the house.”
“One of them is a killer. I can’t quite wrap my head around that.”
“Me neither, but it’s probably a fact.”
“Maybe the homeless guy broke out and he’s the one who killed Richard.”
I grimaced. “I highly doubt that. Leo took shifts with Jameson keeping an eye on him. I’m sure someone would have told me if he escaped.”
We reached the main house, and from inside, the sound of laughter and Christmas music floated down the steps. It was obvious everyone felt safe and happy, believing the killer had been caught. We were about to barge in and burst their bubble. I felt guilt, even though I knew it wasn’t my fault. I couldn’t just pretend Richard hadn’t been murdered.
Moving up the steps, movement caught my eyes. I glanced over and saw Jax entering the house from a side door farther down on the porch. My heart raced as I tried to think of a reason he’d be out this late at night. It was completely possible his reason was mundane. Just because he’d been outside didn’t make him Richard’s killer. But it definitely meant I knew who I wanted to talk to first.
Max must have noticed him too because he said softly, “Jax just walked in the house.”
“Yes.” I opened the front door for Max.
He brushed past me, his face tense. I followed him into the house, and everyone turned to look at us.
“I thought you boys had gone to bed?” Mona smiled warmly.
“Uh, no,” I started, not sure how to tell everyone the dreadful news.
She waved us in. “Well, come in. We’re about to watchIt’s a Wonderful Life.”
Elle was sitting next to her on the couch. “I made buttered popcorn and hot chocolate.”
Girdy was sitting on Todd’s lap, smiling at us. “You two should definitely join us.”
