The Perfect Couple (Last Stand #4)(68)
Author: Brenda Novak

"What happened?" she asked. "Have you heard from Sheryl?"

"She called me while we were searching for Samantha."

Tiffany could feel that moment of acute pleasure slipping away from her. "What’d she say?"

"She said my father never came home last night and asked if I’d seen him."

"So she didn’t know he was coming over?"

"No."

"That’s a relief." Trying to judge his expression, she shaded her eyes from the dappled sunlight that filtered through the pine trees.

"It sure makes things easier."

"What about the search for Sam? How’d that go?"

"Like clockwork." He grinned. "No one found anything. I even ordered pizza and invited everyone back to the house for lunch. I thought that was a nice touch."

She gasped. "What about the blood? Are you sure we got it all?"

"We got it all. I was very careful about that. And the more people who stomped through the house, the better. If the police ever do search our place for evidence, it’ll be that much harder to find."

"Oh. Good."

"I told you I’ve got it all under control."

Tiffany kicked a pinecone to one side. "Is Sheryl very worried?"

The white lines around his mouth and eyes told her how exhausted he was. "She’s getting that way."

This news made Tiffany’s spirits plummet. She liked Sheryl almost as much as she’d liked Paddy and didn’t want her to suffer. "How’d you leave it with her?"

"I told her I’d go out and look for him." He pulled his cell phone from his pocket, even though they both knew there wasn’t any service up here.

"So you can’t be out of contact for too long."

"No. It’ll seem strange if I am."

Tiffany didn’t want to spend another night here alone. "What about Mother’s Day?"

"What about it?"

"We had plans."

"Yeah, well, our plans have changed. I’d better go. I just came to make sure you were okay."

Tiffany wanted to take that as further proof of his love, but then he added, "I couldn’t risk you letting Sam get away like Rover."

He started to get back into his car, but she hurried over to catch him before he could close the door.

"Wait! I should go back with you. I can’t be gone if Paddy’s missing.

That’s a family crisis. It’ll seem weird if we’re not together, and doing whatever we can."

His sudden scowl told her he was about to refuse her, but then he seemed to reconsider. "You’ve got a point." He glanced toward the shed. "I guess there’s no reason you have to stay up here."

"No. Sam’s got her collar on. She’s not going anywhere." Tiffany preferred to be able to mourn Paddy with Sheryl, to offer as much comfort as possible. It was the least she could do.

"Then we’ll leave her some food and a blanket in case it gets really cold and come back when we can."

"Okay." She no longer cared about punishing Sam; she just wanted to go home with Colin. "I’ll get her ready," she said and started back, but Colin caught her elbow.

"Wait. Are you sure you got that stake in the ground nice and tight?"

"Positive."

"I’d better check myself. Get in the car." He got a big quilt, some granola bars and a jug of water from the cabin, then stalked off to the shed.

When he came back, he gave her an affirmative nod. "A man twice my size couldn’t pull that stake out of the ground, but I drove another one in, just to be sure. Get in."

Tiffany silently wondered if they’d find Sam dead when they returned, but she refused to let that stop her from leaving. Sam had to die sometime.

She’d known that from the beginning.

The way Kino, who’d been sleeping at Jonathan’s feet, came to attention alerted Jonathan when Zoe entered the kitchen.

"Do you really think your psychic friend will be able to help us?" she asked.

Wondering if he’d made a mistake by telling her, he glanced up from his computer, where he’d been cross-referencing the electronic files a second property manager had sent him that morning against the list he’d compiled of anyone who’d ever had contact with Sam.

"We’ll see. I sent her Sam’s sweater, along with the teddy bear she won at Disneyland a few years ago. I hate to give you false hope, especially when today’s search proved such a disappointment, but Jasmine’s done some amazing things in the past."

"She’s that good?"

Realizing he had the opportunity to make a new friend, Kino lumbered over to her. Obliging him with a thorough scratch behind the ears and a warm smile, Zoe perched on the arm of a nearby kitchen chair. She was wearing his sweatpants, her own T-shirt and no shoes. He’d brought her home from the hospital only an hour ago and had carried in her luggage, but most of her stuff was still in her car, in those black bags. Understandably, when she’d left Lucassi’s she hadn’t taken time to pack with any kind of organization, which was why she’d needed to borrow his sweats. She’d gotten out of the shower to discover she had a shirt in her suitcase but no casual bottoms.

"She’s that good," he said. "But her particular gifts don’t solve every case. That’s the problem."

She pulled her hair into a ponytail and secured it with a rubber band.

She wasn’t wearing any makeup, but she didn’t need it. She had beautiful skin, eyes he could drown in.

Having her so close, smelling like heaven, reminded him of last night and the sight of her without most of her clothes. The resulting charge of testosterone shot his concentration all to hell. "How’re you feeling?" he asked.

"Better." She met his gaze with a directness that surprised him, that let him know she wouldn’t refuse a sexual advance. Since he’d already revealed his interest, she was probably expecting one. But he also knew he’d be foolish to get involved with her in that way. Zoe was a survivor for a reason.

She’d barely blinked at her breakup with Lucassi. She wouldn’t invest in a relationship emotionally, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to be on the losing end of another affair.

"I’m glad."

She angled her head toward the computer. "Any luck with the rental records?"

"Not yet. But I still have a lot of names to go through, and this is just one of two companies. I’ve been in touch with others who manage properties in the area."

"But these two are the ones that manage the cabins closest to where Toby was found. Didn’t you say that earlier?"

"That’s right. He was so badly injured he couldn’t have traveled very far, so these are the best places to start."