LITMIR.BIZ

Скачать книгу

don’t discuss this with anyone, especially Quincy.”

      I nodded, but there was no way I was following that request.

      Yollie came out of another “conference” room at the same time, and we made our way to the lobby where Steven and Joss were waiting.

      I went right into Joss’s arms, tears springing to my eyes, and Yollie hugged Steven tightly.

      Steven just said, “Mom,” in a rough voice.

      Joss pulled me back to look at me, his fingers brushing my bruised cheek. “Are you okay? All your dad said was that you were near that explosion.”

      I shook my head. “Let’s get out of here.”

      “Do you want a ride home?” he asked Yollie.

      When she looked confused that he was offering, he explained, “I brought Steven here. I’m pretty sure they’re keeping your car for a while.”

      Yollie’s face pinched with worry. “Can you drop me off at the Rent-A-Wreck off of Main Street?” she asked. “Detective Ragnor said I’ll get my car back in a day or two.”

      Joss kept his arm around me as we left the station, the November air chilling my arms. It seemed so weird that the sun was shining and everyone was going about their business when something so awful had happened.

      The car rental office was only a few blocks away and we all stayed silent until Joss pulled up in front. I got out of the car to hug Yollie. “It’ll be okay,” I told her.

      She nodded and we watched them go in before pulling away from the curb.

      “Where’s Kai?” I asked, remembering that it was Joss’s weekend with her.

      “She’s helping Elliott with costumes,” he said. “Gemma will be picking her up soon.”

      “At my house?” I asked. That was just plain weird.

      “Maybe,” he said. “Is that okay?”

      I held back the Not at all I wanted to say. “It’s fine.” My voice sounded strained.

      He didn’t pursue it. “The news is saying someone died.”

      I nodded and told him what happened. After a few attempts at explaining what we were doing there, I had to start over at the beginning of the story when I picked up Steven at Benson’s house.

      “You did the right thing,” he said, his voice sounding offended that Yollie gave me a hard time for interfering.

      I paused. “I’m not sure now. Steven’s almost grown up and knows what he’s doing.”

      He came to a stop at an intersection and glanced over at me like he wanted to argue, but one look at my bruised face must have reminded him what I’d recently gone through. “What happened after that?” he asked instead.

      I told him about Yollie picking me up and heading over there, all the way through the explosion. He stopped the car hard in front of my house, with a look of disbelief on his face.

      “What?” I asked.

      “You smelled gas and went inside to save some guy you met once. And hated?”

      “I didn’t hate him,” I protested. “I didn’t think the concentration would be high enough…”

      “To explode?”

      I bit my lip and nodded. “Wouldn’t most people do that?”

      He gave an incredulous laugh. “No, Colbie. They wouldn’t.” Then he frowned, as if realizing what he was getting into by dating me and perhaps not liking it. Or maybe because that kind of thing doesn’t happen to normal people.

      “Well, I didn’t end up saving him because he was already dead,” I said.

      He reached over to grab my hand. “That was too close.”

      I nodded, remembering Yollie’s words. It could have been worse.

      “Let me open the door for you,” he said, as he came around the car.

      I didn’t really need the help, but I let him, since I could see how concerned he was.

      I focused on not limping and ended up bumping into him when he stopped. “Are you going to look into this one?” he asked. He knew my history with murder investigations.

      “No way,” I said. “Norma is all over this and doesn’t need any help. I’m staying away from it.”

      He lifted one eyebrow, clearly not believing me. Then he said, “Narrator’s voice: No, she didn’t.”

      “Not funny,” I said, even though it kind of was. I turned to the front porch to see a beautiful woman watching us.

      She waved. “Joss! I just saw the goats, and I swear they’re already bigger.” She was somehow both glamorous and athletic, wearing diamond earrings that shone through her long black hair. Sunlight caught the edge of her sunglasses, and her amazingly high cheekbones glimmered with some highlighter that I’d never be able to afford. Her cropped shirt showed rock-hard abs and her yoga pants were slung so low, they could be hip huggers.

      Dismay filled my stomach. This had to Joss’s ex-wife, Gemma. I mentally catalogued my explosion-blown hair, bruised face, and skinned knee. I couldn’t have looked worse if I tried. I stopped my hand halfway up to smoothing my hair and put it down, knowing it was futile.

      Joss stared at her, distinctly uncomfortable. He must not have thought ahead to what the two of us meeting would be like.

      “Oh my goodness,” she said, once she focused on me. “What happened?”

      Joss guided me up the stairs, keeping himself between his ex-wife and me. “She was in an accident but she’s fine.”

      I stopped and held out my hand. “Hi,” I said, proud that my voice was clear. “I’m Colbie.”

      She grabbed my hand with both of hers, squeezing a little too tightly. “I’m so delighted to meet you. Kai has told me so much about you and Elliott.”

      “Come in,” I said, working very hard to be gracious.

      Just then, my dad opened the door, looking confused at the combination of people on his porch. “What are you doing chatting out here? Come in and tell me what the hell happened.”

      “Dad,” I said, trying not to sound like my teeth were clenched. “This is Gemma, Kai’s mom. Gemma, this is Hank.”

      He blinked at her for a moment and then said, “Welcome. Kai’s a delightful kid.”

      “Thank you,” she said. “That’s so nice of you to say.”

      Joss seemed a bit dazed as we moved inside. Gemma stared around with interest, checking out the family photos that I’d recently put up in the hallway.

      Trouble stayed on the stair landing, watching the stranger intently from between the bars.

      Elliott and Kai took that moment to run out of the dining room wearing the Simba and Nala masks and singing, “I Just Can’t Wait to be King.” They even did some of the choreography before starting to laugh too hard to continue.

      “Oh my,” Gemma said at the same time Kai noticed her.

      “Hi, Mom!” Kai said. “Isn’t this mask cool?”

      I’d always thought that Kai looked like a miniature Joss, with his curly brown hair and blue eyes, but the high cheekbones and tiny nose were definitely her mom’s.

      Gemma nodded. “It certainly is. Do you have all of your stuff?”

      “My backpack’s in the kitchen,” Kai said.

      Gemma followed her for a few steps and then stopped when she saw the costume mess in the dining room.

      “It gets kind

Скачать книгу