Name Your Poison by Lolli Powell

Author:Lolli Powell [Powell, Lolli]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-09-29T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Gabe, Libby, and Logan all showed up at closing time. They and Adam escorted me to my apartment, where Logan and Adam refused a nightcap and went on their way. Libby pleaded fatigue and headed for the den.

“Want me to stay?” Gabe asked.

I shook my head, and I gotta admit he looked relieved. I couldn’t blame him, since he was probably imagining waking up to this face I was sporting.

“Not that I don’t like you in my bed, Detective Russell, but I’m whipped. I just want to take a pain pill and go to sleep.”

“Okay then.” He pulled me to him, kissed me on the forehead, and pulled back, his face serious. “I’d fight you over that if you didn’t have Libby staying here and Adam right across the hall. But I did ask patrol to make frequent passes around the place. If you hear or see anything that seems at all ‘off,’ you hit 9-1-1 and then call me. You hear me?”

“I hear you, Sheriff.” I mock-saluted him, playing it off, but I have to admit hearing the concern in his voice did make me feel all warm and gooshy inside.

We hugged and kissed, and I walked him to the door.

“Lock up behind me,” he said. “Immediately. I’m going to check.”

“Yes, Gabe.” I rolled my eyes at him. Did he really think I’d go to bed with an unlocked door after what had happened? I locked the knob lock and the deadbolt and watched as the knob turned and he pushed on the door.

“Satisfied?” I called out.

“Remember what I said,” was his reply.

“Right. Call 9-1-1 and then you.”

I went to the window and watched as he made his way to his car in the parking lot. He glanced up, saw me and waved, and I waved back. For a second, I wondered if I should call him and ask him to come back but decided against it. I was tired, and between my busted-up face and my sweaty pits thanks to working all afternoon and evening serving a thirsty crowd, I wasn’t feeling particularly attractive. I dumped some food in Jasper’s bowl, took a quick shower and a pain pill, and headed to bed.

Where I lay awake staring at the ceiling, my mind worrying the events of the past few days like a dog with a rawhide chew.

My face hurt, too, which made me wonder if someone at the hospital had stolen my pain pills and replaced them with a placebo. After a half hour or so, I headed for the kitchen and got a bag of frozen corn out of the freezer. I wrapped it in a large washcloth and lay back down with it across my nose. That helped the pain a little, but it didn’t stop me from going over and over everything that had happened since Miles Balton had collapsed on my floor. But I kept coming back to one thing.

Leandra Monroe and her flowers.

Something was really off there. She hadn’t given me the time of day before.

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