Page 38 of Take a Hike
“Not your fault.” Fifi waved a hand as if being kidnapped wasn’t that big a deal. Charlie had to admit that it was becoming fairly common in their family, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t terrifying and horrible for all the sisters. “You’re not responsible for your dad’s actions. We had to learn that the hard way about our mom—and poor Norah about her dad too. If you end up being a militia mole and snatch Charlie, then we’ll be having a different conversation.” The sweetness of her voice just made the warning that much more threatening, and Charlie grinned at her sister.
“If he kidnaps me, he’ll regret it even before you catch up with him.” The thought of all the ways she could torture Kieranmade her smile widen, especially when he side-eyed her warily.
“What can I get you folks?”
The server’s voice made Charlie jump, and she glared at Fifi and Bennett. “What happened to warning us about an ambush?”
“She’s not ambushing you.” Fifi rolled her eyes in a very non-penitent way. “Ambushers don’t bring you food.”
“You never know,” Charlie said darkly, but then pasted on a smile as she turned to face the startled-looking server. “Ribs, please, and mac and cheese.”
She waited impatiently as the others ordered. The server had barely made it out of eavesdropping distance before Charlie jumped back into their previous conversation. Kieran was actually talking about himself, and every tiny nugget of personal information he dropped was fascinating.
“So you had no idea that your dad was in the militia?” she asked.
“I knew he was interested in the Freedom Survivors,” he said, surprising her once again by his willingness to share. Maybe low blood sugar lowered his defenses. “He likes firearms and isn’t the biggest fan of the government, but I didn’t know he was actually a member.”
“Are you two close?”
His mouth curled down in a way that seemed more sad than angry, which made Charlie instantly feel guilty for probing. “Guess not as close as I thought.”
“What’s your mom think of all this?”
“She died when I was nine.”
The flat way he shared that heartbreaking information made it hit harder, like a kick to the stomach. “Sorry.” Feeling the urgent need to erase the sorrow she could see in his eyes, even if that meant he returned to his usual crabby self, she bumbled on. “Siblings?”
“No.”
That made everything that’d happened to him seem extra tragic, since her sisters were her bedrock. “Well, I’m just stepping in it all over the place here. Should we talk about the murder? That might make you feel better.”
He twitched one eyebrow higher than the other. “The murder I’m accused of committing?”
Charlie actually groaned out loud at that but went still when he laughed. It was like a hummingbird flying close to her, Charlie thought. When she heard his rare and beautiful laugh, she didn’t want to move in case she scared it away.
“It’s fine. We can talk about Cobra.” He looked up at Fifi and Bennett, who were watching the two of them, looking fascinated and a touch horrified.
“Why are you looking at us like you’re watching a train crash?” Charlie asked.
Bennett and Fifi shared one of their annoying silent-speaking looks. “Because listening to you dig your hole deeper and deeper is just like watching a traffic accident,” Fifi said as B nodded in agreement.
Kieran gave an amused snort, which made Charlie jump and look at him. He seemed to be inordinately amused tonight. It must’ve been the low blood sugar. The tiniest smile faded ashe asked, “What’d you find out from Belly?”
“First of all,” Fifi started as Charlie settled back, glad that the focus was off of her inability to make polite conversation. “The coroner is hilarious, and I promised her we’d go join her after this is all over for ladies’ night at the Springfield Bar. She couldn’t give us too much information, though, just because the remains had been treated pretty roughly, between the murder and the elements and wild animals and such. Cause of death was likely a blow to the head, and she’s thinking time of death was four to six months ago. He was last seen about five and a half months ago—”
“Right after you fought him at the grocery store,” Charlie interjected, holding back her snicker when he glared at her out of the corner of his eye.
Fifi, well used to her sister’s sidebars, continued smoothly, “So law enforcement is now assuming Cobra’s death was sometime between four and five and a half months ago, but most likely soon after he disappeared.”
“Well, that narrows it down a little, I suppose,” Charlie said doubtfully, although she was trying to look at the bright side of things. “You only need to find an alibi that covers six weeks. Too bad you weren’t in jail with Clint.”
Kieran very slowly turned his head until he was staring at her. “Yeah. Too bad.”
“Since we can’t turn back time and get Kieran to commit a crime in order for him to have an airtight alibi,” Fifi said in her peace-keeping tone, “let’s focus on finding the real killer.”
Charlie pulled the list Rory had printed out of her pocket and unfolded it, flattening the creases as best she could. “So weinterrogated a very Kevin-like Kevin at Ro—”
“Here you go!” The cheerful voice of the server interrupted her, and Charlie quickly yanked the list into her lap.
