Zenith: A Lake Prophet Mystery by Easton Eli & Scott RJ

Author:Easton, Eli & Scott, RJ
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Love Lane Books Limited
Published: 2024-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Tiber

After lunch, I kissed Gabriel goodbye, and Duke and I continued our walk up and down Main Street. Before Gabriel had arrived, I’d been taking Duke on a find-the-scent tour. But putting that off for a meal with Gabe had been more than worth it.

Moving in officially. I liked the sound of that. I liked it so much it was a little frightening. It had taken me a while to let Gabriel in. My past history with men—cough, Jeff—had been traumatic, and I hadn’t been interested in meeting anyone.

But Gabriel’s combination of tortured-soul-in-a-gorgeous-body had wiggled right past my defenses. I’d always been a nurturer, and the dark places inside him called out to me. Called out for light.

I had no regrets. He was a good man. A truly good man. My only fear now was losing him.

Which was all too possible with another murderer running loose and someone from one of the past two cases out for revenge. God.

A tug on the leash got my attention. I looked at Duke, who’d sat down on the sidewalk to stare at me.

“Okay, okay. I’m present.”

Duke barked.

“I am. We’re looking for the scent from our front yard. I’m all in. Let’s go.”

We took our time. Duke sniffed everything and everyone. He was on leash, but he led me as I silently followed him. He didn’t give anyone on the street a second glance, sniffing the air to catch their scent, then ignoring them. He nosed around every door, the curb, trash cans.

I figured even if my stalker wasn’t a townie—Dell’s brother, for instance—he’d been close by for a few days at least. He had to have come into town for something.

He being metaphorical, of course. I had no idea of the gender of my tormentor, or even if there was more than one.

At the entrance of Grounds for Joy, Duke’s energy went into hyperdrive. He tensed, shaking, sniffed more enthusiastically in big woofs, and pawed at the door.

“Good boy, Duke. Good boy!” I rewarded him with a treat from my pocket.

I peered through the front window. Jade was at the register making a drink for an older, gray-haired lady. Two of the tables were occupied—one by a teenaged couple, and the other, by a single man, maybe forties, in a red-and-black plaid lumberjack-style coat. I’d never seen him before.

I swallowed. Should I go inside? Or call Gabriel?

No, I could do this. Gabriel was busy. I’d see if Duke responded to the guy in the coffee shop. If he did, I’d act my fanny off and apologize and not show any suspicion or recognition whatsoever. But I’d have ID’d him, and that was the point.

I pasted a neutral expression on my face and opened the door. Duke hurried in ahead of me, still vibrating with excitement and focused only on the scent. I waved a hello to Jade and didn’t even glance at the guy in the lumberjack coat as Duke sniffed the floor and followed the scent… right past the man. It was probably just as well it wasn’t him because he didn’t seem friendly.

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