“I … what are you saying?”
“Ethan seems like a lovable lout who lets everyone tell him how to live his life,” Jack explained. “He went into business with his father, even going so far as to attend his father’s alma mater. He dated a manipulative girl who took control of him in high school. He managed to break away from her after a summer apart and seemed really happy until he went to the same school with her and coincidentally ended up in bed with her even though he doesn’t really seem to love her.”
“I hate to be the practical one here – mostly because I’m not used to it – but men often think with their … you know.” I pointed toward his crotch and enjoyed the way he uncomfortably shifted. “How can you be sure Ethan didn’t simply get drunk and fall on top of Lisa? Things often seem like a good idea when you’re drunk.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Jack said. “When you care about someone, you don’t cheat on him or her. Ethan might not be the smartest guy in the room, especially when it comes to recognizing manipulation, but he’s loyal. He wouldn’t have cheated on Harley. She can’t see that because she’s so hurt by what went down, but I see it.”
He was so passionate about the subject I couldn’t argue the point. “Well, let’s say Lisa is guilty of all of this. Let’s say she tricked him into believing they had sex, sat back and watched while Harley dumped him, managed to finagle her way back into his life and even faked a pregnancy to get him to propose … how does that lead to her trying to kill him?”
“I don’t have all the answers. The thing is, Lisa either faked a miscarriage or owned up to not being pregnant at some point. No matter how slow Ethan is on the uptake, he had to realize she was supposed to be showing at some point.”
Jack was right. His hypothesis might not have been completely on the nose, but it certainly had all the hallmarks of being close. “Lisa doesn’t really strike me as the type to like camping,” I admitted after a beat. “Maybe she knew Ethan was going to break up with her – and sooner rather than later – and she had no choice but to kill him if she wanted his money. She probably had to sign a pre-nup before the wedding, so the only way to get her hands on that money was to inherit it.”
“Now you’re thinking.” Jack shot me an enthusiastic thumbs-up. “So, Lisa either suggests a camping trip or agrees to go with Ethan because she knows she needs to keep up appearances. They go to a place not far from home, but where they can be isolated. She probably hired someone to come in and grab Ethan … and somehow he got away.”
I thought about the vision. No matter what, Lisa had looked terrified when she’d fled the campsite. “Is it possible that Lisa was in danger even if she did plan everything?”
“I don’t see how. She created the danger.”
“What about the paw prints?”
Jack sighed, sounding weary. “Charlie, those could have been planted. They could’ve belonged to animals simply running wild. A werewolf attack doesn’t fit what we’re looking at.”
“No.” I had no choice but to agree. “Do you think the hospital knows? I mean … Lisa said they wouldn’t allow her to see Ethan. Maybe the police know something and they’re not making it public. Maybe they ordered the doctors to keep Lisa from him.”
“That makes sense.” Jack started typing on his laptop again. “I’ll check the police files to see if they’ve updated the reports. You should get on the phone with Chris. Someone needs to get back to the hospital to keep an eye on Lisa.”
“Here comes Chris now.” I inclined my chin toward the door, widening my eyes when Chris – and the cadre of people who trailed in his wake – barreled in our direction. He was breathless when he stopped, and the look in his eyes was so wild I involuntarily leaned back. “What’s going on?”
“We just got word from the hospital,” Chris gasped, his hands on his knees as he struggled to regain his breath. “It seems that Ethan Savage has made a miraculous recovery. I mean … miraculous. He’s awake and talking, and the police are on their way to interrogate him.”
“How do you know that?” Jack asked.
“Hannah got a tip from one of the orderlies.” Chris’ smile tipped down. “Apparently he has a crush on her.”
Hannah didn’t bother to hide her amusement. “He’s been very helpful … and he’s kind of cute, but in a puppy way.” She patted Chris’s arm in a reassuring manner. “I prefer big dogs to little puppies.”
I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing at her unintended double entendre.
“Anyway, apparently Ethan Savage was drugged with something that should have killed him. It’s called Nightshade. Not available locally. He should’ve died from the amount found in his system. It had been in his system for days and he should’ve been close to death. No one knows how he survived, but he woke up and he’s been talking nonstop.”
I knew how he woke up. A certain blonde with glowing blue hands saved him. I had to wonder if she knew what she was saving him from when she did it. Either way, she did something miraculous, and I was astounded.
“How did the poison work?” Jack asked, forcing me back to reality.
“Well, it was diluted and cut with a psychedelic,” Hannah answered, perching on the arm of my chair. “I think whoever poisoned him wanted him to wander around the woods confused so that when his body was eventually found it would look like an accident. A byproduct of the poison is that he’d be ridiculously thirsty.”
“Which is why he stuck close to the river,” I mused.
“And probably why he survived,” Hannah added. “He might have imbibed enough water to flush his system.”
“That’s good.” That wasn’t entirely true, but it was still good. “Do they know who poisoned him?”
“That’s the other part of the story,” Chris said, his eyes gleaming. “When word spread that Ethan woke up, someone told his wife and she disappeared from the hospital. Apparently she walked out on her own. What do you make of that?”
Jack and I shared a weighted look.
“We have some things to share with you,” Jack said. “You’d better sit down.”
DINNER WAS LOUD, and I didn’t miss the fact that Harley positioned herself at a corner table in the dining room so she could eavesdrop. I didn’t begrudge her the information – after all, other than Ethan she’d been hurt the most – but I could tell that Jack’s notions regarding Lisa’s machinations were something she’d never considered. Now that she could wrap her brain around everything, she was open to the idea of Lisa being the cause of everything.
“Where do you think Lisa will run to?” Millie asked, cutting into her slab of prime rib with zest. “If you guys are right and she’s broke, she probably won’t be able to run far.”
“I’m going to guess that a woman like Lisa had an exit plan,” Jack replied. He sat next to me, his presence warm, but he didn’t go out of his way to look at me. I understood – mostly because I found it necessary to look away from him most of the time, too – so I decided to pin my attention on Harley. She looked somehow lost … and also found. It was interesting.
“By exit plan, do you mean that she had money stashed with a fake passport and a plane ticket out of the country?” Laura asked. “I know that’s what I’d do if I planned to murder my husband.”
Jack made a face. “Of course you would. That’s who you are.”
“Hey, I’m not saying she was right,” Laura protested. “I’m simply saying she’s not an idiot.”
“She’s not,” Jack agreed. “She’s not our problem, either.” He slid his eyes to my plate. “Why aren’t you eating?”
“I’m watching Harley.” I saw no reason to lie. “She’s absorbing all the information.”
“I’m sure she’s interested.” Jack kept his voice low so only I could hear. “Do you think she’ll go to Ethan?”
I nodded without hesitation. “I think that’ll be the one good thing to come of this. She’ll go to Ethan. They’ll talk. They’ll make a go of it.”
“Do you
think they’ll make it?”
I shrugged. “I think that the right couple can make a go of anything.” Jack’s expression was thoughtful when I glanced back at him. “What?”
“Nothing. I was just thinking. You should eat your dinner.” He tapped the side of my plate. “You need to keep up your strength.”
“Why? Our part of this is pretty much done. Lisa is in the wind, Ethan is safe, and I’m fairly certain werewolves weren’t involved.”
“You’re very right on that front.” Jack seemed pleased about that development. “That means we’ll be leaving tomorrow. We’re getting up early, so make sure you get a good night’s sleep.”
I was taken aback by the sudden shift in our travel plans. “Why are you so excited by that?”
“Because, once we’re home, I can spend some time thinking, and hopefully we can come to some sort of agreement.”
“Agreement?” I didn’t like the sound of that. “Do you expect us to shake hands, smile and go our separate ways when you decide it’s not a good risk?”
“How do you know I’ll decide that?”
“I don’t, but that’s how it feels.” For the first time since our conversation regarding the possibility of a relationship I felt real anger about allowing Jack to have all the power in the decision. “You should probably be careful. If you take too long to decide I might just find something else to entertain me.”
Jack knit his eyebrows. “Is that a threat?”
“No.” I wiped the corners of my mouth with my napkin and stood. “I think it’s more that I don’t like the idea of you getting to decide everything. Why don’t I have a say in any of this?”
Jack balked. “Charlie, we talked about this.” He furtively glanced around the table and scowled when he realized Laura was watching us with unveiled interest. “This is not the time to talk about it again.”
I couldn’t agree more. “I have no intention of talking about this.” I slid around my chair and pushed it forward so it served as a barrier of sorts between Jack and me. “I’m going to go chat with Harley. I think she needs a friend. I know I do.”
“Wait.” Jack made a grab for my wrist, but I evaded him.
“I need some time, too, Jack. You have thinking to do and so do I. I also want to make sure Harley is okay.”
Jack extended a warning finger. “We’re going to have a talk about this before the night is over.”
“I can’t wait.” I plastered a smile on my face as I crossed to Harley. She looked guilty about being caught staring, but my intention was to put her at ease. “How are you feeling?”
Harley shrugged, noncommittal. “A little confused.”
“Join the club.”
“What are you confused about?”
“Men … and how stupid they are.”
Harley chuckled. “I think it’s funny that you’re so worked up about Jack when he’s clearly crazy about you.”
“He’s definitely crazy.” I leaned back in my chair and glanced at the clock on the wall. “Aren’t you usually gone by now?”
“I am, but Fred had to leave because of the Lisa situation. He got a call and the police demanded he come to the station to be questioned.”
I was confused. “Why would Fred have to go to the station to answer questions about Lisa’s disappearance?”
“He was Lisa’s family’s attorney for a really long time before he bought the inn. He kind of wanted this to be a retirement business. He thought he could run it and hunt to his heart’s content.”
I eyed the pitiful deer head on the wall behind Harley’s head. “Yes, well, he seems content with his killing … and stuffing.”
“He still did some legal work for Lisa’s family up until last year when they lost everything,” Harley explained. “He was close with Lisa – kind of like an uncle – so I’m sure he’s confused by what happened. He was fond of her, so he won’t believe what’s being said about her.”
“Do you think he knows where she is?”
Harley immediately started shaking her head. “They weren’t that close. But he might know about some property the family still owns – hunting cabins and the like – and he might be able to share information that will help track down Lisa.”
“Oh, that’s a good idea.” I tapped my fingers on the table as I worked overtime to let my frustration ebb. “I don’t suppose you have anything to drink, do you?”
Harley’s eyebrows winged up. “You want to get drunk?”
No, that wouldn’t do at all. I had someplace to be when I was certain everyone had retired for the evening. But I had time to kill before then. “No, but I wouldn’t mind a little something to take the edge off.”
“You and me both.”
“Let’s do it.”
27
Twenty-Seven
I spent the stretch of evening after dinner and before bed doing my best to act normal. That was never something I wanted to be – even when hiding what I could do as a teenager – but I did my best to adopt that air now … and it felt absolutely ludicrous.
“What’s your plan?” Millie asked, moving next to me as I surveyed the room shortly before eight. We’d gathered in the bar to chat, compare notes and relax. I should’ve realized that even though everyone else seemed to be ignoring me that Millie wasn’t the type to follow the crowd.
“I have no idea what you mean.” I smirked when I realized I sounded like Zoe. “I’m just standing here.”
“You’re doing more than that.” Millie folded her arms over her chest as she regarded me. “Something happened, didn’t it?”
This time I wasn’t faking when I responded. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You and Jack. Something is … different … about you.”
I struggled to remain calm, but I could feel my cheeks burning. Given the muted lighting in the bar, I could only hope that little detail would escape Millie’s keen observation skills. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. We did research all afternoon. You saw the research we came up with.”
“I did.” Millie nodded and narrowed her eyes. “I did, but I thought something was off about you two last night. I pushed it out of my head because you had such a long day. But now something is definitely going on.”
Oh, geez. This was the last thing I needed. “Nothing is going on.” I couldn’t meet her steady gaze. I knew I would crack like an iPhone screen against pavement if I looked into her eyes.
“Yeah, well, I don’t believe you.” Millie leaned close and whispered so only I could hear. “I’ve been waiting for Jack to get out of his own way and make a move since right after you started with us. I felt the fireworks whenever you two were around one another and knew it was only a matter of time.”
I was dumbfounded. “What?”
“You heard me.” Millie snickered. “You two did … something. You … .” She waggled her fingers and pressed her eyes shut, as if she was using magic to somehow divine a secret. “You kissed!”
She said the words so loudly I thought there was no possible way the rest of the group didn’t hear. I snapped my attention to the small table next to the bar where Chris, Hannah, Laura and Bernard sat. None of them looked in our direction, though. When I searched the room for Jack I found him leaning against the bar and watching us. He didn’t appear to have heard Millie’s exclamation. He gripped a bottle of water rather than beer because he’d claimed he was barely over his previous hangover, but his eyes were trained on me. He looked deep in thought.
“You need to watch what you say,” I ordered Millie as I mustered a wan smile for Jack’s benefit. “You’re going to ruin things.”
Millie snorted. “That means there’s something to ruin. I was right, wasn’t I? You kissed.”
We did more than that. We made out … hardcore … and then he applied the brakes because he wasn’t certain I was worth the effort. Sure, that’s not how he worded it, but the more I thought about it, that’s how I felt. “It’s complicated. If you want
to jump all over someone for answers, I suggest you bother Jack.”
Millie’s eyes were keen as she looked me up and down. Then, out of nowhere, sympathy washed over her features. “He kissed you and then backed away because … well, he’s Jack. Oh, you poor thing.” She patted my shoulder as if I were a mopey teenager who needed something to brighten my day. “I swear it’ll be okay. He’ll come around.”
“Maybe he will.” I wasn’t sure how I felt about waiting for Jack to make a decision. My inner feminist thought it was a very bad idea. “Maybe I won’t be waiting when he does. Did you ever consider that?”
Millie immediately started shaking her head. “You’re strong, but you’re young. You’ve been head-over-heels for Jack since you laid eyes on him.”
I balked. “I have not.”
“You have.” Millie made a clucking sound with her tongue. “It’s okay. You can’t help yourself. And, look on the bright side, Jack is a really good man.”
A really good man who needs to think. “I’m sure he is.”
Millie’s snicker was grating. “Hold strong for as long as you can. It’s good to make him suffer. That’s likely to take longer than you want it to, so I’ll have a talk with him. He might pull his head out of his behind faster if I give him a little push.”
“That sounds great.” I scrubbed my cheeks, making a big show of feigning sleepiness. If I was going to make my escape, now was as good a time as any. “I’ll let you tackle Jack on your own. I’ve had a really long day and I’m tired. I think I’m going to bed.”
Millie grabbed my arms before I could disappear, turning me so I had no choice but to look directly into her eyes. “Don’t let Jack get you down. He’ll make the right decision. He always does. Sometimes it simply takes him longer than it should.”
She thought I was moping about Jack. That was … interesting. It was also annoying. I had a feeling it had something to do with my age. I’d rather have her believe I was turning pouty over Jack rather than try to follow me to the Winters house, so this was the best outcome I could’ve hoped for.
The Werewolf Whoops Page 24