Her gaze went to the gun hanging on his belt. Was it a weapon to protect her? Or force people into talking and revealing information they were loath to share?
“He’s worse than something you scrape off your shoe,” West told her.
“Why? What’s wrong withNoel Larson?” Was this another person she had to worry about?
She already worried about a relationship with West, the man who proclaimed to love her.
Proclaimed it to her face, and then whispered in her room he was trying to find out information from her.
Could she trust anyone in this town?
“Everything. The man is a con, and a liar. All he cares about is money.” He jammed a handthrough his short hair. “He’s also your landlord. Was he pressuring you for the rent?”
“N-no. He asked if I remember him. I told him no.”
West gave her a level look. “I also believe he had something to do with the bomb blast that killed Tia. Just a gut feeling. And you’re the only witness, so he’s not allowed back. I’ll pay your rent.”
Quinn shook her head and winced. “No. I pay myown bills. At least, I think I did. I don’t want any help.”
“Fine. Then when you get home, give me the rent check and I’ll keep him from breathing down your neck and give him no reason to have any contact with you. None.”
West continued, checking her IV and nodding. “And the fact he had his dirty hands on your morphine drip gives me mighty cause for worry, sweetheart. He might have triedsomething.”
Fear tightened her stomach. The pretty red roses on the nightstand suddenly looked ominous. Not pretty and an offering of friendship to a sick person.
She gestured to the flowers. “He gave me these. Can you get rid of them?”
West studied the flowers, sniffed one. “They’re probably nothing, an excuse for him to visit. I’ll send them to the lab, just in case.”
Quinn wishedshe could recall something. Anything. She felt like a person navigating through a minefield. Anything could blow up in her face.
Anything already had. Who could she trust? Not this Larson fellow. But West was trustworthy. Certainly he seemed up-front and honest. Except he’d talked about her to that mysterious Mike person, as if his interest zeroed in on her ability to find Demi.
Yet therewas the memory of that kiss. Had West Brand seduced her to find Demi, her sister?