Page 160 of Watch Me Burn
“How did I not hear you arrive? And isn’t that your car outside?”
“No, that’s your Tahoe.” His expression is carefully neutral, but I catch the hint of amusement in his eyes. “And you were a little busy when I arrived.”
“That doesn’t answer my question. Why are you here? At the sanctuary?”
“Wanted to make sure there were no loose ends to tie up.”
His presence today has nothing to do with the loose ends related to Caleb Hunter’s death. He’s here for Maren.
“Any word?” I keep my voice low, mindful that she might still be close enough to hear.
“Yes. Boulder police discovered evidence linking Hunter to several unsolved murders. Sheriff Mills got the call at nine twenty-one this morning. Since Boulder’s outside her jurisdiction, their locals are taking point.”
“And the neighbor situation?”
Cade gives me a withering look. Hunter’s eighty-five-year-old neighbor had exited his apartment to walk his dog just as Cade was finishing the staging of Caleb’s place, minutes before sunrise. The job had taken longer than planned. The building's security cameras and what Cade found inside the apartment had complicated things.
“Handled. According to the old man’s statement, he saw Caleb exit his apartment carrying a duffle bag. Limping. Hoodie on.”
I hold his stare, searching for any hint of doubt, then nod once. “You’re the master, Cade. But you’re absolutely sure this never comes back to Luna? I don’t give a fuck what happens to me. Just not her.”
“You’re both safe.”
Luna emerges from her office, carrying a diaper-clad raccoon waving a stuffed monkey in front of him. His other paw rests on her right breast. I sigh. He and I are going to have to have a talk.
Maren trails after them, and when she spots Cade, she scowls. “Why is he still here?”
The air between them crackles with an electricity neither of them will acknowledge.
“I’m just going to give Ricky a quick bath, and then I’ll head into the house to fix us some lunch.”
“I’d be happy to make lunch.” Cade’s offer lands in the space between them like a grenade.
Luna and Maren stare at him like he’s just announced he’s taking up interpretive dance. I don’t. I’ve tasted his cooking. The man can turn basic ingredients into something that belongs in a restaurant.
“You obviously have your hands full, and I’m more than happy to whip something up for all of us.”
He moves toward the door without waiting for permission or protest. Luna’s gaze finds mine again, questions written across her face. Maren’s eyes burn holes in Cade’s back as he disappears through the doorway.
“He’ll probably poison us.” Maren holds her hands out to Luna. “Here, let me give Ricky his bath. Go make sure he doesn’t put arsenic in whatever he’s going to ‘whip up.’”
She takes Ricky and stomps through the doors leading to the bathing area, her footsteps heavy enough to echo on the tile.
Luna turns to me. “There goes my grilled cheese and soup. Can I trust him in my kitchen?”
“Cade is a certified master chef. He trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.”
Her eyebrows shoot up. “You’re really going to have to give me his story sometime.”
“No can do. Cade’s story is his own to tell.”
The front door chime rings. Fuck! What now? I follow Luna to the lobby. Sheriff Mills stands just inside the entrance, her expression serious.
“Hi, Karen.” Luna keeps her voice light. But her body tells a different story, the way she angles herself toward me, closing the gap between us. “What brings you by?”
Karen removes her hat, running a hand through her hair. “Came to update you on the Caleb Hunter situation. Got some news from Boulder PD this morning.”
Luna tenses beside me, and I wrap my arm around her waist. I love being able to touch her in the daylight.
