SC 05 The Scum of All Fears by Barritt Christy

Author:Barritt, Christy [Barritt, Christy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Cozy Mystery
Published: 2013-09-14T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 20

“You do realize this is your fifth cup of coffee,” Riley muttered the next morning. I sat at his dining room table, my elbows propped on top, and exhaustion tugging at every cell of my body.

I shrugged and waited for him to fill up my mug anyway. I needed the caffeine. He obliged, and I pulled my cup back across the table and took a glorious sip. “It’s either this or an energy drink. I’m beat.”

He sat across from me with his own cup. “You didn’t sleep well?”

Riley had offered to let me stay in his room last night, while he’d camped out on the couch. Tim had stayed in the spare bedroom, but even with Tim in one room and Riley in the other, I still didn’t get much sleep. I couldn’t blame it on lack of AC or even my adrenaline, which still coursed through me after that confrontation with Newell.

Mostly it was because I was thinking about Clarice.

I remembered the pictures of the other women at the crime scenes. I remembered reading what they’d been through before they died. My heart ached when I thought of anyone going through that, but especially Clarice.

I rubbed my eyes before taking another sip of coffee. “I don’t think I will sleep well until Clarice is found and Milton Jones is back behind bars.”

Even though I was both mortified and furious that Colin and Clarice had recorded me without my permission, I still didn’t want to see Clarice—even Colin, for that matter—suffer.

Riley pointed to my Allendale Acres mug. The luxurious resort had gifted us both with one after I’d helped solve a missing person’s case there. “Why don’t you take that mug to go?”

“What do you mean?”

He stood. “We’re going to go talk to Stephen Alexander.”

“You’re going too?”

“I have just as much at stake in this as you do. I want Milton behind bars. He’s made this personal.”

“What about your work?” I knew he was behind.

“I’ll call Mary Lou and ask her to reschedule. I don’t have any court dates for the rest of the week, so I should be okay.”

“Sounds like a plan.” I wasn’t going to argue. Having Riley along offered an additional layer of security.

Tim emerged from the back bedroom, bedhead fully engaged. Of course, he always looked like he had bedhead. He looked halfway homeless for that matter, and it wasn’t because he practically was. He had the means to look clean. He chose to forfeit them. “Where you guys going?”

“We’ve got to talk to someone about a case we’re working on,” I told him, standing up.

“Cool. Can I tag along?” He stared at me, no hint of jesting in his gaze.

I paused. “Really? It’s nothing exciting.”

He shrugged. “Yeah, I don’t have anything going on. I was hoping to pal around with you.” He stared back and forth between Riley and me.

I wanted to say no. I wanted to explain to him why it would be a bad idea. I wanted to keep this simple and stay on track.

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