Bella snickered. “Nice. Good one, but no. This is a very small town. If they knew I had a bodyguard following me around, people would talk.”
“Okay.” She extended the a in exasperation.
“Where are you from?”
“Why?”
“I figure you can be my cousin. Small towns are nosy. Keep it simple, right?”
Sarah shrugged. “I’ve had worse covers.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“I’m from Maryland.”
“Excellent. Sarah Webster from Maryland, cousin on my mom’s side. You’re on summer vacation—you teach college.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re the boss.”
“I am. Sort of.” Bella snapped the top on her thermos. “Want one?”
“I’m good. Now, I need details. All of them.”
“You want to drive—”
“I always drive.”
Bella put up a hand. “Lucky for you, I’m used to being a passenger. Logan doesn’t ever let me drive.”
“He’s a control freak. This doesn’t shock me.”
“Profiling my boyfriend
?”
“Long ago, princess.”
“Bella.”
Sarah gave her a side-eye and flipped the tail of her braid over her shoulder and headed for the massive black Escalade. “Princess.”
Bella tipped her head back. It was going to be two very long days. She climbed in and buckled up. She gave Sarah the address and they started down the winding drive.
“All right. Spill.”
“What do you need to know?”
“Oh, I don’t know…why a deer was eviscerated and left for four huge coyotes to mangle?”
“God.” Bella glanced out the window.
“So you didn’t look at the pictures?”
“No, they didn’t show them to me. Just said they took them for insurance purposes and Whole Home —the security company—said they had a copy for us for insurance.”
“Yeah, well I got a look at the pictures. It ain’t pretty. And you’re sure it’s this Aimee woman? Logan doesn’t have any other crazies in the closets?”
“Not that he’s mentioned. He has a few overzealous fans, but none that have ever been as unbalanced as Aimee.”