Scone Cold Killer

by Lena Gregory

  “I don’t understand. You already knew Reynolds was dead. What did you hope to gain by going to the hotel?”

  “I was hoping to take a look around and see if there was any indication why he was at my house.”

  “And how did you expect to do that? Did you think the clerk was going to open the door to his room and let you have a look see?”

  “No.” She sulked. She knew it was childish, but she couldn’t help it. “Not exactly.”

  “Then what exactly were you thinking?”

  “I thought if I could get into his room, I might be able to find something.” She caught her lower lip between her teeth and looked up at him from beneath her lashes, hoping he’d be willing to let it go at that.

  No such luck.

  “That innocent look doesn’t work on me. Just ask Savannah.”

  Savannah shook her head.

  Great.

  “So, when the clerk told you he wasn’t there, you thanked her politely and went home, right?”

  “Um…about that.”

  “Stop right there.” He held up his hands as if to ward off the truth. “Let’s just pretend the two of you left when the clerk said good night, went straight home together, and Joey saw you come in and hung out with you for a few hours. Let’s also pretend I arrived at a crime scene that hadn’t already been tampered with.”

  “Crime scene? What are you talking about?”

  “The man staying in that room was found dead. In your yard. That means I get to search his room before anyone else does.”

  “Then you’ll be thankful I didn’t go in and get any papers or anything before someone else did.”

  “Someone else?”

  “Well, hypothetically, of course…”

  “Of course.”

  “Hypothetically, a man and a woman could have arrived at the bed and breakfast soon after us…I mean me…”

  Savannah winced.

  “And they might have paid the clerk a few hundred dollars to let them take a peek in the room to see if Reynolds was there. When he wasn’t, they thanked the clerk politely and left. At least, one of them did. The other never got in the car. Hypothetically.”

  Unless Caleb Williams had been the man in the room. Then he had gotten into a car and left. But she knew all too well what it felt like to be innocent and in the crosshairs of an investigation, to be suspected when you had no involvement in anything illegal. She’d keep her mouth shut about Caleb. For now.

  Hunt propped his elbows on the table, shoved his fingers into his shaggy hair, and sat that way for quite a while.

  Gia kind of felt bad for him. He wasn’t in a good spot. Thanks to her.

  After a few minutes, he held out his hand.

  Without a word, she set aside the dishtowel and handed him the will.

  “Get your stuff,” he said.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Get your things. I’m taking you home.”

  “You mean, it’s safe for me to go home now?”

  “Yup. As long as I’m with you. Which I will be for the foreseeable future.”

  “Will be what?”

  “With you. Now let’s go. It’s getting late and I still have to swing by my house and pick up a few things.”

  “You mean, you’re staying with me? At my house?”

  “Yes.”

  “What will Sonny think of that?” All right, petty, but she couldn’t help it. Who did he think he was issuing orders and expecting her to just jump up and obey?

  “She will not be the least bit amused, but right at the moment, I really don’t care.” He stood and pushed his chair in, then leaned over her with one hand on the table and one on the back of her chair, caging her in. “You will learn to trust me one of these days, Gia.”

  She slid her chair back and stood toe to toe with him. “Somehow, I doubt that.”

  “We’ll see.” He turned and walked out the door without so much as a good-bye.

  “I’m really sorry, Savannah. It’s my fault he’s angry with you.”

  “Angry?” She laughed. “Trust me, honey, that was not angry. That’s just a little miffed. He’ll get over it.”

  He stuck his head back in the kitchen. “Uh-uh. You two don’t get to be alone together anymore, since you obviously can’t be trusted.”

  Savannah lowered her head and let her hair fall into her face to hide her smirk.

  Hunt ignored her and pinned Gia with a stare. “Coming?”

  She sighed, said good-bye to Savannah, and turned up her nose as she strode past him into the hallway.

  Thor got excited and dodged between her feet.

  She tripped and would have gone down if not for Hunt catching her arm. So much for her grand exit.

  Chapter 22

  Gia headed straight for the kitchen. Joey had fed Thor, so all she had to do was let him out and she could go to bed. Thankfully, Hunt had followed her home in his own car, after a brief detour to his house where she waited in the car, so she’d been spared his wrath during the half hour trip home.

  The front door closed before she made it out the back door with Thor. She cringed as she listened to his footsteps coming toward the kitchen. He pulled a chair out and set his duffle bag on it, then turned to her.

  She braced herself for the lecture she fully deserved for involving Savannah in her problems.

  “Is there still any barbeque leftover from the other night in the fridge?”

  She stared at him for a moment, unsure what exactly he was up to. “There wouldn’t be if I’d thought of it before I ate half a box of Cheerios for dinner last night.”

  “Good, I’m starved.” He started taking food out and piling it on the counter. “Did you eat dinner?”

  “Actually, I had a couple of tacos in the park earlier.”

  “Are you hungry?”

  He opened the bag of chicken and the scent of barbeque sauce wafted out.

  “I could eat.”

  “Do you have plates around here somewhere?”

  She opened the cabinet where she’d managed to get the plates put away, took two out, then pointed toward a drawer. “The silverware is in there. I don’t have much to drink, though. A couple of bottles of water.”

  “That works.” He took two bottles of water out of the refrigerator. “Do you have a microwave somewhere, or should I stick it in the oven to heat?”

  “Actually, I’m pretty sure I was using the box with the microwave in it as a table in the living room.”

  He laughed and shook his head, then disappeared into the living room. He returned a few minutes later with the microwave in his arms. He lowered it into one corner on the counter and plugged it in. “Okay if I put it here?”

  “That’s fine.”

  She put the plates on the table while Hunt warmed the foam containers with the potatoes and gravy, then heated the chicken.

  Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore. “Why are you being so nice to me?”

  He grinned, that cocky grin that made her want to slap him upside the head. Or maybe throw her arms around his neck and kiss him or something. “Would you prefer I be nasty?”

  “You know what I mean.” She huffed out a breath. In all fairness, it wasn’t anything he did that had her so irritated. It was the fact that she was drowning in her own guilt. “I’m sorry.”

  His puzzled expression seemed genuine. “Sorry for what?”

  “For making Savannah go to the bed and breakfast with me.”

  “Gia.” He moved closer, until he stood face to face with her, then slid his fingers through her hair and tucked the loose strands behind her ear, but he didn’t let go.

  A shiver rushed through her.

  “No one makes Savannah do anything. She’s her own person. She makes her own choices. And if she chose to go with you to t
hat bed and breakfast, I trust she had a damn good reason for doing so.”

  “I…uh…”

  “I only wish you’d trusted me enough to talk to me.”

  “I…um…”

  The microwave dinged, saving her from having to answer. Except, he made no move to get the food.

  “I want to help you, Gia.” His husky voice lowered, and he leaned closer. “I am going to help you, whether you let me in or not, but it will be a lot easier if you do.”

  She looked into his eyes, such a deep brown they seemed bottomless. “I’m sorry. It’s hard for me.”

  “I know. I understand how hard this must be on you. And the fact that you had to go through so much of it alone breaks my heart. But you’re not alone now, Gia.”

  She wanted so badly to lean a little closer, to wrap her arms around him, to lose herself in him.

  “You have family now.”

  Family. Right. She took a step back, trying not to look too disappointed. “Thank you, Hunt.”

  He yanked her hair. “Any time. Now, let’s take our food out back and eat on the deck and let Thor run around the yard and tire himself out.”

  She smiled, though her insides were a jumbled mess of confusion. “Sounds like a plan.”

  They each filled a plate and took them out onto the deck.

  Thor took off as soon as they opened the door. Luckily, he didn’t wander far, especially after dark.

  Hunt sat on the wide top step, leaned his back against the railing, and took a bite. “Not quite as good leftover, but still delicious.”

  Gia settled down opposite him on the step. She popped a piece of potato into her mouth. “Mmm… I didn’t even realize how hungry I was.”

  “So, tell me, do you think you’ll stay in Florida once this is all over?”

  Gia stared up at about a gazillion stars, more than she’d ever seen at one time. She didn’t want to lie to him, but she honestly didn’t have a clue where her life was headed. “I haven’t figured out what I’m doing yet. Right now, I just want to get through each day.” True enough. Until Bradley’s killer was caught, she couldn’t leave anyway. “Captain Hayes stopped by the café earlier.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah. Seems he’s not convinced of my innocence.” She tried to keep the comment flippant, but Hayes’s accusations still stung. She forked some shredded chicken into her mouth and chewed, but it suddenly seemed too dry.

  “Don’t worry about him. He’s an ass.”

  She covered her mouth to keep anything from flying out when she laughed, then forced the bite of chicken down. “Savannah seems to think so too.”

  “Savannah is the kindest soul I know. She wouldn’t hurt a fly, wouldn’t wish harm on anyone, and she detests that man.”

  “So I saw.” She moved the food around the plate with her fork, suddenly not as hungry as she’d been, then put the plate down. “I didn’t know.”

  “Didn’t know what?”

  “About Savannah’s mother. She never told me.”

  Hunt dropped his fork onto his plate and set the plate aside, then got up and held out his hand to Gia.

  She studied him for a moment before putting her hand in his and letting him pull her up.

  He weaved his fingers through hers and descended the remaining steps to the yard. He picked up a ball and tossed it to Thor, then strolled along the perimeter of the yard with Gia. “Savannah was young when her mother was killed, and she almost never talks about her. I never really knew if she didn’t remember much about it or if she just kept it inside.”

  “I always considered us very close. I thought I knew everything about her. She told me all about growing up in a family full of boys.” The memory of some of the escapades Savannah shared over the years brought a smile. “She talked about her dad, her brothers, her cousins, her friends. But not her mother. All I knew was that she passed away when Savannah was young.”

  “Savannah found her.”

  A vice squeezed Gia’s chest, making it hard to take a breath. She stopped walking and faced Hunt. Tears leaked out before she could stop them.

  “She came home from school and found her in the kitchen. They never found who did it.” Hunt caught one of her tears on his finger. “Savannah… She’s strong. But she keeps a lot inside. I worry about her.”

  “I know.” And Gia had put her in danger. Now she felt like an even bigger jerk. She lowered her gaze, turned away, and resumed walking.

  Hunt accepted the change and walked beside her. “Did she tell you Leo asked her to marry him?”

  “What? No.” Maybe Savannah didn’t share as much as Gia thought.

  “He’s asked every year since she came back to Florida, and every year she says no. It’s obvious she has feelings for him, but she won’t even date him seriously. As far as I know, she’s never had a serious boyfriend.”

  “Come to think of it, she never really dated in New York either. Occasionally, she’d go out with a male friend, or in a co-ed group, but not a real date. I always kind of assumed there was someone back home she cared for.”

  “Leo loved her even then. He bought a ring before she left, but he never proposed.” Hunt laughed out loud. “Not even when I caught him and jacked him up against a wall and threatened him.”

  “Why did you do that?”

  “Because I thought if he asked her she’d stay.”

  “So why didn’t he ask her?”

  “That’s what I asked him. And he told me he couldn’t ask her for that exact reason. He loved her too much to ask her to give up her dreams. So, instead, he waited for her to come back. And he’s been waiting ever since.”

  Gia tried to digest everything he’d told her. She had to admit, she felt a little hurt Savannah hadn’t shared so much with her, but her friend obviously had her reasons for remaining quiet. Just like Hunt had his reasons for sharing. Gia knew him well enough to realize he would never gossip about Savannah. “Why are you telling me now?”

  “Savannah has been happy since she found out you were moving here, happy in a way I haven’t seen her in a long time. She withdrew after her mother’s death. She was still the same happy kid she’d always been, friendly to everyone, but she changed too, became distant. She held everyone at arm’s length. She never got very close with anyone, never trusted anyone enough to let them in. Until you.”

  They finished their circuit of the backyard, and he stopped before climbing the steps to the deck. “It’s obvious you and my cousin are close. I honestly believe she’d have told you about her past if she could have. I just…” He raked a hand through his hair. “I guess, I just wanted you to keep her in mind while you’re deciding what to do. Not that I want you to do something that’s not right for you, but I think you and Savannah are good for each other. Need each other. Family is important.”

  Gia nodded.

  “Anyway, that’s all I really wanted to say.” His cell phone rang, and he pulled it out and checked the screen. “I’m sorry, I have to get this.”

  “Sure.”

  He pressed the phone against his ear. “Yeah?”

  “Where are you?” A woman’s voice came across the line clear as could be, breaking the serenity of the night. And whoever it was, was not happy.

  “I’m at Gia’s.”

  A long, awkward pause followed.

  “Did you need something, Sonny?”

  “Yeah, but don’t think we’re not going to discuss this later.”

  “Yup. What’s up?”

  As much as she wanted to stand there and listen to the rest of his conversation with Sonny, Gia forced herself to walk away. No way was she getting in the middle of a lover’s spat. As far as she was concerned, Hunt was just a friend. Though she was starting to regret that just a little. The more she got to know Hunter Quinn, the more she thought he might be a man she could learn
to trust, a man deserving of her trust.

  She opened the back door and called Thor from his favorite digging spot beneath the big tree in the middle of the yard. After cleaning the sandy dirt from his paws, she took him with her to the bedroom to hunt for some sheets for the couch. If Hunt was really staying with her tonight, he’d need something to sleep on. She hit the jackpot in the fifth box she opened and pulled out a clean sheet and a light blanket. He’d have to settle for using the arm of the couch as a pillow, since she couldn’t seem to find any.

  When she returned to the living room, he was still outside on the deck by the back door, phone pressed to his ear, so she left the bedding on the couch, settled Thor in his crate, put on shorts and a T-shirt, and lay down in bed.

  She picked up the novel she’d started, but had only read a couple of pages when her eyes started to close. For the first time since she’d moved in, she started to doze off feeling safe and unafraid. Half asleep, at the total mercy of her subconscious, she fell asleep thinking she could get used to having Hunt around.

  “Gia.” A man shook her shoulder.

  Was she dreaming?

  “Gia. Wake up.”

  She shot up to sit in the bed and yanked the blanket up to her chest. “Hunt?”

  “Yeah. Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I need you to look at something for me.”

  “What?” She scooted up farther, until her back hit the headboard, then pulled her knees up to her chest. “What time is it? Is something wrong?”

  “You’ve only been asleep for a couple of hours, and I wouldn’t wake you if it wasn’t important.” He sat on the edge of her bed and scrolled through something on his phone. “I heard from one of the detectives in New York. They’ve been following up on anyone who made threats against Remington in the past, and they found one man, a victim. He boarded a flight for Orlando the day after your ex flew down, the morning of the murder, then disappeared. No one’s seen him since.” He settled on an image, enlarged the picture, and held out his phone. “Do you know this man?”