Page 34 of Through the Fire
“My gun?” He glanced down at the empty hands resting in his lap and then back at her.
“Your Springfield nine-millimeter pistol.”
“Oh, I gave that to someone who needed it more than me.” His voice trailed off at the end, making the last few words a mumble. Turning his head, he looked into the trees bordering the yard.
“When was that?” she asked, and he looked at her blankly. “When did you give your gun away?”
“What gun?” His eyes narrowed. “Who are you?”
“I’m Kit.” She gestured toward the step. “Mind if I join you?”
When he didn’t object, she sat next to him, and Justice settled by their feet. Bendsie was wearing a coat and boots, she was happy to see. His hands and cheeks, although red from the cold, didn’t have the waxy appearance of frostbite. For an elderly man who’d just wandered a few miles, he looked better than she’d expected.
“Hugh,” she said, once he’d finished talking on the radio. “Mind lending Bendsie your gloves?”
“’Course.” He immediately removed them and helped Bendsie put them on. “How’s that? Warmer?”
“Murdoch, is that you?” Bendsie asked, rather than answering the question.
“That’s me,” Hugh said, straightening from his crouch.
“How’s that wild kid of yours? Still think he’s going to follow in the footsteps of your jailbird brother?”
Hugh’s smiled turned into a grimace as Kit raised an eyebrow at him. “Nah,” he said. “Hugh grew up to be a cop. He still likes picking locks, though.”
“A cop.” Bendsie shook his head. “Imagine that. Thought that kid would be locked up by his eighteenth birthday for sure, after that prank he pulled.”
Hugh’s forehead wrinkled. “The thing with the green paint?”
“No, the cow stunt.”
“Right.” Hugh looked amused and a bit nostalgic. “I’d forgotten about the cow.”
Kit looked back and forth between the men after they both fell silent. “You can’t just leave it there. What happened with the cow?”
Hugh made a zipping motion over his lips, and Theo’s squad car pulled up in front of the house, distracting Bendsie before he could answer. As she helped the elderly man stand, Kit decided she’d have to stop in and have a chat sometime. Not only could she check on him, but she also might be able to get the details of Hugh’s wild childhood. She needed to hear the cow story—and hopefully get some ammunition to torture Hugh with when he teased her about Wes.
Payback would be sweet.
Chapter 11
Alex slid into her seat at the kitchen table, feeling the thrift-store chair wobble underneath her. “Hello,” she said shyly in her best Elena voice. Jules and the younger kids answered, but Sam stayed silent, simply eyeing her for a long moment before returning his attention to his plate.
Sam always looked at her as though he could see right through her. I just need to work harder to win him over, she thought grimly. He’s a guy, after all. He’s bound to crack sooner or later—they all do eventually. She caught his gaze and shot him a sweet smile, but he frowned and focused his attention on the cat that had draped itself across his shoulders. The cat was eyeing her with almost as much disdain as Sam was.
“Here you go,” Jules said, setting a glass of water and a plate in front of her. “How are you feeling this morning?”
Alex faked a flinch. “Okay, but I’m still a little shaken up about that poor woman who was killed, especially since they haven’t caught the guy.”
“I know. It’s terrible.” As she settled in a chair between Dee and Tio, who was absently tracing shapes in the condensation on his glass, Jules gave a visible shiver. “I still can’t believe that happened. I thought all of that was over.” She gave Alex a sharp but sympathetic look. “Do you know anything about who might have done that? I know it’s scary, but you have to remember that none of what happened to you is your fault. Theo can help you if he knows what’s going on.”
Alex had been surprised when she first realized how earnest her housemates were, how they honestly cared about keeping her safe. It made things much easier. Dropping her gaze to her lap for a moment, she said hesitantly, “Nothing happened to me. I mean, I don’t know anything.”
Reaching across the table, Jules patted her shoulder. “Just remember that help is here when you need it.”
A slight twinge of guilt pinged in Alex’s stomach, but she ignored it the way she always did. “Thank you.”
