“Still … we weren’t quiet.”
“Not everyone has your supersonic hearing.”
“I guess.” Galen exhaled heavily and searched the living room a second time. It looked completely normal. “I guess we can consider ourselves lucky. You need to lock your front door even when you’re home. That’s the safe thing to do and you should be practical.”
Oh, that was rich. “Two nights ago you said I didn’t have to lock my doors in Moonstone Bay.”
“I said nothing of the sort.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You did so. I remember because I pointed out that someone had already broken in and you said not to remind you.”
“Yes, well … .” Galen’s lips twitched. “Fine. I was wrong. Is that what you want to hear?”
I grinned, triumphant. “Twice in one day. That has to be some sort of record.”
“Whatever.” Galen rolled his eyes. “I’m not comfortable with you spending the night here alone even though May clearly chased off whoever was trying to break in. That doesn’t mean he or she won’t return.”
I knew where this was going. “You’re going to suggest spending the night, aren’t you?”
Galen snickered. “Only so I can be your bodyguard and make sure you’re safe. That’s what a good sheriff would do, and I am nothing if not diligent when it comes to my job.”
Ugh. Whatever. “You’re only suggesting this so you can make fun of me tomorrow morning. I don’t want a repeat of that. I felt like an idiot.”
“I know. I found it funny.”
“Well, you won’t find it funny tomorrow morning when you’re the one in that position. I’m over that whole thing. You’ll be the one whining.”
“I have no doubt I will be whining.” Galen strode to the door and shut it, engaging the locks before sliding the security chain into place. “I need to check the other door and all the windows before we head up to bed.”
“I don’t remember inviting you to stay.”
“Oh, who are you kidding?” Galen puffed out his chest. “You’ll cry if I leave and we both know it.”
He was so full of himself it was almost painful. That didn’t change the fact that I would sleep better knowing he was in the house. “I could make you sleep on the couch.”
“You could, but you won’t.”
He was so smug. “You don’t know that. I could change my mind.”
“You won’t.” Galen moved toward the kitchen. “Don’t make threats you can’t keep.”
“What makes you so sure I can’t keep them?”
“I just told you. I’m exceedingly good at my job.”
“We’ll see.”
“We certainly will.”
IT TURNED OUT I COULDN’T maintain the threat. I barely put up a token fight. Also, once I told Galen about what happened at the cemetery – the part where I was convinced I was being watched but kind of forgot about it when I ran into Booker – he was practically glued to my side. He didn’t seem to think I was imagining things. We were both thankful to share a bed … and wake next to one another in the morning.
“Good morning, Sunshine.” Galen’s smile was slow and lazy as he stretched next to me. “How did you sleep?”
That was a dangerous question. In truth, I had no business sleeping as hard as I did. I couldn’t remember sleeping that well. It was a bitter pill to swallow. “I slept like crap because you snore.”
Galen chuckled. “Oh, sweetheart, don’t kid yourself. You’re the one who snores.”
“I do not!”
“You sound like a table saw hacking through rock,” Galen countered. “Luckily, it only happens when you sleep on your back. I can quiet you if I shove you over to your side.”
I was officially mortified. “No. That is … no.”
“I’ll record it for you next time.”
“Don’t even think about it.”
Galen tickled me into submission as I tried to claw my way out of bed, laughing as he kissed my cheek and smoothed my flyaway hair. He seemed to be in a good mood despite everything that had happened the previous day. I couldn’t fully understand his lazy attitude.
“What’s the deal with you?” I asked after a beat, staring hard into a set of eyes that reminded me of a rolling surf. “I thought you’d be all business this morning.”
“I thought so, too.” Galen sobered, but only marginally. “It turns out all I needed was a good night’s sleep to rebound. I feel better than I have since Trish Doyle turned up dead.”
“That was three days ago.”
“I still feel better.”
“Well, good.” I didn’t know what else to say. “What’s your plan moving forward?”
“Well, I’ve given it some thought.” Galen rolled to his back and grabbed my hand so he could study my palm, his mind clearly busy. “I’ve decided that I don’t care what the prosecutor’s office has to say. Something doesn’t feel right about this entire thing. I’m not done investigating even if they want me to be done.”
I was impressed … and unbelievably relieved. “So, you’re not letting it go. That’s … good.”
“I thought you would think so.”
“I definitely think so.” I licked my lips and gathered my thoughts. “Where will you start?”
“I’m not sure. I have a few ideas. Why do you care?”
“Because you care.”
“Uh-huh. Are you sure that’s the only reason?”
“Fine. I might be a little curious,” I conceded. “It doesn’t feel right to me either. I saw the look on Ashley’s face at the festival. She was surprised … and a little bit devastated. If that was an act, it was the best act I’ve ever seen.”
“I agree.” Galen pressed a kiss to the palm of my hand. “We should get moving. You can shower first because you take longer to get ready. I’ll run back to my house and shower and change. Then I’ll pick you up and take you to town for breakfast so we can come up with a plan.”
I was understandably confused. “We’re coming up with a plan? As in you and me?” I wagged my finger back and forth for emphasis. “We’re doing this together?”
Galen nodded. “We are.”
“Is this because you’re worried about leaving me alone in case someone breaks in? If so, let me remind you that I’ve taken care of myself on more than one occasion and I can do it again.”
“I have no doubt that’s true. You’re still coming with me.”
“And why is that?”
“Because there’s no way you’re going to stay out of this,” Galen replied without hesitation. “You can’t seem to help yourself from getting involved. I get it. I would like to break you of that inclination, but I know that won’t happen.
“So, what does that mean?” he continued. “That means you’re my new sidekick. Oh, before you even open your mouth to argue, that wasn’t meant as a sexist statement. I am the sheriff. You’re going to be my assistant on this one. That means you’re essentially my sidekick, and I don’t care if you hate the term.”
“What … like the Robin to your Batman?”
Galen nodded. “If you like.”
“More like the Gus to your Shawn,” I muttered. “Even though everyone knows I should be Shawn.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Only the best television show ever. Psych.”
“I’ve never seen it. But if you love it that much we can binge it together.” Galen gave me a soft shove with his hand. “Get in the shower. I want you to look pretty when you’re Ethel to my Lucy.”
He looked so pleased with himself for the reference that I couldn’t hold onto my anger. “You think you’re funny, don’t you? It’s not going to be so funny when my sidekick overshadows your hero.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure.”
“Would you like to place a wager on it?”
“Absolutely.”
15
Fifteen
I ha
d no idea how a sheriff’s assistant was supposed to dress, so I opted for simple khaki cargo pants and a plain black shirt. Galen ran back to his house long enough to grab a change of clothes, and then we hit one of the diners for breakfast.
“I think you should’ve dressed in a cape,” he said once our food was delivered. “If you’re going to be a proper sidekick, you need a cape.”
He was enjoying this far too much. “I’ve decided you’re the sidekick. I’m going to solve this case and allow you to help.”
He cocked a challenging eyebrow. “Oh, really?”
“Yup.” I bobbed my head and mashed my over-easy eggs into my hash browns. “It makes the most sense. I have a keen mind for this sort of thing.”
“Have you worked in the investigative field before?”
“No. That doesn’t mean I won’t be good at it.”
“You’re probably right.” Galen leaned back in his seat and gave me a long once-over. “You still should consider a cape. I think you would look cute with it billowing behind you. Maybe a pair of those sexy Wonder Woman boots and a nice bustier to go along with it. Wait … what were we talking about again?”
I decided to ignore the Wonder Woman comments. “Sherlock Holmes doesn’t wear a cape.”
“Ah. Does that make me Watson in this little scenario you’ve cooked up?”
“Pretty much.”
“Good to know.” He shoveled a forkful of pancakes into his mouth and thoughtfully chewed, swallowing before speaking again. “Okay, I’ll play, Sherlock. You’re in charge, so where do you think we should start?”
I actually expected the question and was ready. “The funeral home.”
Galen furrowed his brow. “Why? We already know Trish is dead … and how she died. What good will stopping at the funeral home do us?”
“Because I called Lilac while you were at your house. By the way, I think I should probably see your house at some point, because I wasn’t certain you didn’t live in a box or something until someone mentioned you have a house. Lilac said that Maureen Doyle arrived on the first ferry this morning and was heading straight to the funeral home.”
Galen’s expression didn’t change. “If you want to see my house you’re more than welcome. I actually prefer visiting the lighthouse, because you’re right on the water and have an outstanding view. My house is boring … and small. You live in a freaking lighthouse. There’s nothing cooler than that.”
I kind of agreed with him. “Are you talking about the ocean or me being outstanding to view?”
Galen cracked a smile. “That was cute.”
“I do my best.”
“If you’re half as good at investigating as you are at flirting we might make some headway today. As for the funeral home, I still don’t understand why you want to visit. How is Maureen going to help our investigation?”
“I want to know more about the feud, and she seems to be one of the few who got away.”
“The feud?”
“You know … the feud. Wesley told me some about it. He said it started with Trish and Ashley’s grandfathers, who then passed it on to their sons. He also said that Gus and Henry tried to pass the feud on to their daughters, but the girls were sick of it, so they basically ended it on their own terms.”
“Unless maybe they didn’t,” Galen noted, his expression hard to read. “What do you think Maureen is going to tell you?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Gus got really drunk at Lilac’s bar yesterday – that’s where I was before I headed to the cemetery – and he swore he didn’t have an affair with Barbie Conner despite what the Moonstone Bay rumor mill claims.”
“If Gus was drunk, how do you know he was telling the truth?”
I shrugged. That was a fair question. “I don’t know. He seemed sincere. He was really upset.”
“His daughter is dead.”
“He didn’t seem as if he was making up stories,” I offered. “He never slipped up even though he was so drunk Lilac had to call someone to help pour him into a cab. If he was lying, don’t you think he would have slipped up?”
“I guess.” Galen ate some more, his mind clearly busy. “I guess we can go to the funeral home. It’s actually not a bad idea.”
I tried to refrain from being too smug. “Great.”
“I don’t want you to get your hopes up. Maureen might have nothing to give us.”
“We won’t know until we ask.” I was prim and proper as I ate. “Besides that, I’m just getting started as Sherlock. This is only the beginning.”
Galen snorted. “You make me laugh. No matter what, you always make me laugh. Perhaps you’re the Jay to my Silent Bob.”
I frowned. “I prefer Sherlock and Watson.”
“Well, for now I’ll give it to you. Finish up your breakfast and then we’ll head to the funeral home. Even if we don’t get anything from Maureen, I’m convinced you’ll get a kick out of meeting Jareth.”
“Who is Jareth?”
“Jareth Kern. He owns the funeral home. He’s a little … different.”
Since everyone on Moonstone Bay was different in my book, I wasn’t particularly worried. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“We’ll see if you still believe that in an hour.”
JARETH KERN WAS NOT what I expected. Sure, I hadn’t spent much time in funeral homes – my mother was the only one close to me who died and I was an infant at the time so I didn’t remember her service – but I had a pretty good idea what a funeral home director should be like.
I pictured him to be in his fifties, clad in a well-tailored suit, with slicked-back hair and a kindly expression. Instead I found a man who looked to be in his late thirties, was ghastly pale, and wore what I could only assume was a polyester-blend suit straight from the rack of some discount mall.
“Oh, you must be Hadley Hunter,” Jareth enthused as we walked through the door of Eternal Twilight Funeral Home (seriously, that was the name, and I don’t think it was meant to be ironic). He extended his hand and gripped mine before I had a chance to react to the gesture on my own terms. “I’ve heard so much about you. I’m so glad we could finally meet.”
His hand was unbelievably cold, like, so cold I couldn’t help but worry about his circulation. “Oh, well, I’m happy to meet you, too.” I stared at his skin, marveling at the way the prominent veins spread like spider webs in certain spots. “I wish we could’ve met under happier circumstances.”
“Oh, there’s nothing happier than a death,” Jareth said with a straight face. “Death is only the beginning, after all.”
“Right.” I tugged my hand back and instinctively moved closer to Galen in an effort to absorb some of his warmth. I was unbelievably cold after the brief skin contact. “I … um … this is a nice place.”
Jareth beamed. “I like it.”
Galen slid me a sidelong look, something unsaid lurking in the depths of his eyes. “Are you okay?”
How could I answer that? There was no polite way to say that Jareth gave me the creeps. Or that I was afraid to look too deeply into his eyes because I was sure monsters lived there. “I’m fine,” I replied hurriedly. “I’m … fine.”
Galen didn’t look convinced. “You don’t look fine.” He flicked his eyes to Jareth. “Did you do something to her?”
Jareth squared his shoulders. “Of course not! What a thing to ask.”
“She’s off her game,” Galen persisted. “You did something to her.”
“What do you think he did to me?” I was confused. “He simply shook my hand.”
“Did you look in his eyes?” Galen refused to back down. “Did you make eye contact with him?”
“I … don’t … know.” That was true. The more I tried to capture the memory, the more I couldn’t remember looking into his eyes, even though it seemed that would be the normal thing to do. “Why does it matter?”
Galen pinned Jareth with a dark look. “I want you to knock it off. I’m serious. I mean … like, deathly serio
us. She’s not used to all this. I know you like playing your games, but … stop it.”
“Oh, fine.” Jareth made a tsking sound with his tongue and pressed the back of his hand to his forehead. At that exact moment I felt as if the cloud that had invaded my mind – and wrapped around my heart – dissipated. “There’s no reason to get worked up. I was merely testing her.”
“Testing me?” I was baffled. “Why would you test me?”
“Because May worked up an immunity to my powers, and I wanted to see if you were capable of the same.”
“Immunity. I … .” I looked to Galen for reassurance. “What’s going on?”
“There’s no reason to get upset.” Galen’s tone was conciliatory, soothing. “It’s just, well, Jareth likes to sow his oats sometimes. That’s what he was doing now. He won’t do it again. I promise.” Galen turned a pointed stare to Jareth. “Tell her you won’t do it again.”
“Good grief.” Jareth’s easy smile had completely vanished. “Is that what you want to hear? I won’t do it again. Stop being a killjoy.”
Galen rubbed his hands up and down my arms. “Better?”
That was an interesting question. “I guess. What did he do?”
“It doesn’t matter. He won’t do it again.”
“But … what is he?” I asked the question even though I knew it would most likely come off as rude. Given whatever Jareth did to tick off Galen, I figured we were well past pretending to be polite. “I mean … what are you?”
Jareth held his hands out and shrugged. “What are any of us?”
I didn’t like his evasive answer and turned my full attention to Galen. “What is he?”
Galen pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead, frustration evident. “He’s a vampire.”
Son of a … ! I didn’t see that coming. “Are you serious? Vampires are real, too?”
Galen shrugged. “Did you think shifters and witches were the only storybook creatures that were real?”
“No. I thought mermaids existed, too.”
Galen chuckled. “The world is bigger than you think, Hadley. There’s a lot for you to see yet. That’s the beauty of Moonstone Bay.”
Witches Just Want to Have Fun Page 41