"How much?" I asked.
"Twelve grand."
"That is a lot of money. I wonder if it was enough for this Jerry guy to kill over, though?"
I was about to ask Reggie where she wanted to go when she got a text. "Hey, we'll have to figure that out later. Can you take me back to the diner so I can get my car? My mother's in Shady Acres and they need me to come check on her."
"Is she okay?" I asked.
"Probably. It's usually nothing serious. There's a nurse that works there my mom doesn't like and sometimes they get into it."
"Sure, I'll drop you off. You can call me if you need anything."
I dropped her off and headed back to my house where I found Thorn's cruiser waiting in my driveway. The driveway was double wide, so I pulled in without blocking him. As I got out of my car, he got out of his.
"Fancy meeting you here",” I said and then instantly felt really, really stupid. "Sorry. That was dumb. I'm just..."
"Can we talk inside?" His tone was serious.
"Sure. Yeah. Come in",” I said and walked up to the front door. "Can I get you a coffee or a Coke?" I asked once we were inside. "Come on in and sit down."
"I'll take a beer if you have it",” he said.
"Really?"
"Yeah, I'm off duty. It's fine if you don't have one. I don't want to impose."
"No, of course. You're not imposing. Let me grab one from the fridge."
I had no idea if I even had any beer, but I was about to find out how much the house liked Thorn. I walked into the kitchen and grabbed the refrigerator handle. When I opened it, there was a six-pack on the top shelf. "Do you like Wicked Dark Ale?" I called out into the living room.
"It's one of my favorites," he called back.
Apparently, the house liked him a lot. "Okay. I'll be right there."
I grabbed his beer and myself a Coke and walked back out into the living room. Thorn was seated in one of the wingback chairs, so I set his beer in front of him and plopped down on the sofa.
"Is this a social call, or is what you need to talk to me about so serious you need a drink?" I asked.
He studied me again, and again, it felt like his gaze went right through me. I felt exposed around Thorn in a way I never had around another man, but I also felt safe. It was like he could see right into me, but I knew he'd never use that against me.
"I heard you went out to the old Coke plant",” he said gravely.
"How would you have heard that?" I asked too quickly.
"Ah, answering a question with a question. That's classic deflection",” Thorn said just before taking a long draw from his beer. "I'd hoped I was wrong."
"I mean... how would you even know that?"
"Kinsley, if you don't think I have eyes in that clubhouse, then you have vastly underestimated me",” he said.
"So what? You have a vampire informant?" I asked.
"Given what this town is and what you are, is that really so outlandish?" he asked.
"So, now you're answering a question with a question",” I said.
"You got me there",” he said and leaned forward. "My informant told me that you now owe Azriel Malum a favor."
I had to wonder if his informant had also told him what kind of effect Azriel had had on me. I suddenly felt as though I'd done something wrong. I didn't want Thorn to know how attracted I'd been to Azriel. It was really bizarre. Why did I care?
"He's going to look into Merrill's death. We could solve the murder with that information." I was getting defensive.
"We?" Thorn said with an incredulous laugh. "I'm the sheriff. You shouldn't be making promises to the likes of Azriel Malum just so I don't have to do my job." Thorn shook his head. "I'm taking the favor on. Whatever he ends up asking you for, I'll fulfill it."
That actually made me laugh. "I don't think you're going to be able to fulfill Azriel."
"What?" he said and scooted to the edge of his chair. "So you knew what he might want, and you agreed anyway? Why? Why would you do that, Kinsley?"
The way he said my name burned me with shame. I'd been under some sort of spell when I was near Azriel, but away from him as I dealt with the hurt in Thorn's eyes, I wasn't under any kind of spell.
"It's because I'm a witch",” I said and hoped that could save the conversation. "Whatever else you're thinking is from some sort of misplaced jealousy."
"Misplaced jealousy?" Thorn's cheeks turned red, and I knew I'd embarrassed him. "I just met you. What I care about is your mother and father. They are my friends, and I'd hate to see their hearts broken again because you got yourself caught up with an evil vampire."
"My parents?" I said and stood up. "Look, I was seventeen years old when I left this town, but I am a grown woman now. I don't need your approval or theirs. I certainly don't need you going all alpha on me and pretending like you can defend my honor with Azriel. I don't need my honor defended."
"Fine",” Thorn said and stood up. "Fine." He started for the door.
"Wait, where are you going?" I said. "You haven't finished your beer." For some reason, I didn't want him to leave that way.
"What?" He stopped and turned around.
"You haven't finished your beer",” I said.
"You want me to stay?" His eyes narrowed and his brow knitted.
"I don't want you to go",” I said. "Not like this."
He walked back over to the chair and sat down. "I understand why you left",” he said. "I loved my old man to pieces, but there were times I wanted to run too."
"It was never about my family",” I said. "I never wanted to get away from my family. I just didn't want to be what I am."
"The head of your coven?" he asked.
"Yeah, that. I wanted a regular life. Plus there's all this stuff in the prophesy about me saving everyone. That's a heavy burden. I guess in my dumb young head, I thought that if I left, it would never happen. Or maybe that fate would pick someone else."
"That's not the way it works",” Thorn said.
"How would you know?" I teased, and he smiled. "Anyway, at this point, I think all of that saving the world stuff is metaphorical."
"Probably. A lot of that ancient prophesy type stuff usually is."
"Would you like another beer?" I asked when I noticed he'd nearly drained the first since he'd sat down.
"I shouldn't",” he said.
"Why, because you're leaving right away?" I asked.
"No",” he said. "Not unless you want me to."
"Let me get you another beer",” I said. "Maybe I'll have a glass of the Moscato I have in the fridge."
There was an awkward silence that hung in the air when I came back. After I handed Thorn his beer, we both sat and sipped our drinks without saying anything for a few minutes. Finally, I couldn't stand it anymore, and I blurted out a question that had been bothering me since Reggie had put ideas in my head earlier.
"So, what's going on here?"
"What do you mean?" Thorn asked.
I let out a sigh. "I mean this",” I said and waved my hand through the air indicating him and our drinks on the table. "We've been sniping at each other like we know each other since right after we met. You're frustrated with me like you know me. Is it really just because you're friends with my parents?"
I grabbed my wine and took a huge gulp of the sweet, fruity nectar.
"Well, that's strange",” Thorn said as he looked at me with fascination.
"What? What is it?"
"The teal parts of your hair are turning pink",” he said. "With the purple, it's more unicorn than mermaid now."
I'd almost forgotten that my hair changed colors with my powers or my mood. Or whatever.
"You're deflecting by talking about my hair",” I said and took another gulp of my wine. "But, that's fine. If you don't want to talk about it, or if I'm nuts and there's nothing to talk about."
"I've wanted to ask you out",” he said and took an equally large gulp of his beer. "Actually, I've wanted to kiss you since
the moment I laid eyes on you the first time." Thorn's eyes went wide. "Crud. I did not mean to say that out loud."
"You know you could",” I said.
"Kiss you?"
"Ask me out on a date",” I said, but I'd meant the other too.
"Would you like to have dinner with me, Kinsley?"
"When?"
"Are you available tomorrow night?"
"I'll need to check my calendar",” I said and his shoulders slumped. "I'm teasing. Yes, I'll have dinner with you tomorrow night. What time?"
"I'll pick you up after my shift. I'll need to go home and shower first, but I can be here by six if that will work."
"Sure",” I said.
Before either one of could say anything else, Thorn's cell phone rang.
"I have to take this",” he said and stood up.
"Go ahead."
He walked into the dining room and answered. I didn't hear much of the conversation except for him saying that he understood and that he'd be right there. When he came back out, his face fell.
"Crap",” he said.
"What? What's wrong?"
"There was a bad accident out on the highway. The state police have asked for my help. I said I'd go, but I've had two beers. I feel fine, but I shouldn't. I'll have to call them back and see if one of my deputies can go."
"No. I can help you with that",” I said.
"With the beers?" He seemed puzzled.
"Yeah, come here",” I said. "I can sober you right up."
He crossed the room and I stood up so that we were standing face to face. I took both of Thorn's hands in mine and closed my eyes. My mind's eye searched inside of him until I found what I was looking for, and then I did a little chant that I remembered from when I was much younger. When I opened my eyes, Thorn was looking down at me, but that time, I didn't shrink from his gaze.
"What did you do?" he asked and squeezed my hands tighter.
I giggled suddenly feeling a bit tipsier than I had when I started. "It was some empathy magic. I took any intoxication of yours into me. You're a big guy, so I've got a good buzz going on now."
His lips drew back into a grimace.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"I have this overwhelming urge to kiss you," he growled. "But, I can't because you're drunk."
"I'm not drunk," I protested.
He kissed my forehead and then my cheek. "I have to go."
When Thorn let go of my hands, I felt an empty spot inside of me. That was the first time I really knew I was in trouble.
Chapter Twelve
A couple of hours after Thorn left, I was completely sober, and it was still fairly early. Instead of just finding a movie to watch or maybe playing a video game on my laptop, I decided to go talk to Jerry Sprigs.
I looked him up on Google and found his home address. My phone gave me the option to get directions, and since the older-than-dirt GPS in my car didn't work, I accepted.
"Where are you going?" Meri asked as he sauntered into the living room from the dining room.
"I'm going to go over to this Jerry Sprigs's house and ask him about his connection to Merrill",” I said.
"Can't you just read a book or something?" Meri asked.
"No. I want to start moving inventory to the shop tomorrow, and I need this cleared up."
"You know this guy is going to think you're a real loony-toon showing up on his doorstep to ask him about a murder",” Meri said. "You might even tick him off if he gets the impression you're accusing him."
"The whole town already thinks I'm terrible and possibly a killer. I'll take my chances",” I said.
"I'm going",” Meri said.
"Great, now the whole town will think I'm the crazy cat lady too",” I said.
"You're welcome," Meri snarked.
We got in the car, and I set my phone down on the seat. Much to my surprise, Meri could actually read the directions and help me navigate. That was good because I hated the little voice when you had the turn-by-turn directions on. All those years and they never got a better voice. The female robot voice was so creepy.
Since I wasn't breaking in, I pulled my car up to the curb in front of Jerry's house. I tried to get Meri to stay in the car, but he insisted on coming in. Knowing I was never going to talk him out of it, I opened the passenger door for him and we made our way up the walk to Jerry Sprigs's small front porch.
I heard what I thought could have been shouting coming from inside the house somewhere. It also could have been a television turned up loud, so I rang the bell. The noise inside stopped, but I still didn't know if I'd interrupted an argument or someone inside had just turned the TV down when they heard the doorbell.
Eventually, the door opened. A man in his late thirties with shaggy brown hair and a mustache stood there sizing me up. "Can I help you?" he finally said.
Seconds later, a woman appeared behind him. Instantly, I recognized her as the woman who'd confronted me in front of the shop. Fury overcame her face, and she tried to push past her husband.
"Jerry, let me through," she barked at him.
"Whoa, woman. What is your deal?" he asked without moving.
"Get out of my way," she demanded.
"You need to chill. You stay in this house, you hear me," he demanded.
Somehow, he managed to step out onto the front porch and close the front door without her getting by. I was certain that his actions were only going to enrage her more, but she did listen to him and stay in the house.
I waited for the television to come back on, but it didn't. So, either I'd interrupted an argument, or she was watching us from one of the house's windows.
"Why does my wife want to attack you?" he asked.
"I don't know",” I said. "I saw her in the town square this morning. I was waiting to see about a rental space. She came across the street and started yelling at me about my family basically being trash. She also thinks I killed Merrill Killian."
"I don't know about the family thing, but I know she doesn't really think you killed Merrill",” he said and rubbed the back of his neck. "You're Kinsley Skeenbauer, right?"
"I am",” I said.
"So, if she did that earlier today, what are you doing here now?" Jerry asked.
"I didn't know she was here or your wife. I came here to talk to you."
"Me?"
"Yeah, my friend works at the diner, and she overheard you telling someone that you were going to put a lien on Merrill's estate because he owed you a lot of money",” I said.
"Why do you care?" Jerry asked. "Did he owe you money too?"
"No, I care because your wife isn't the only person who thinks I killed him",” I said. "I'm trying to start a business here in Coventry, and I don't need this hanging over my head."
"So, you're here to find out if I killed him?" Jerry asked.
I could tell by the sudden shift in his demeanor that he was offended. I had to think fast, or he was probably going to open his front door and let his wife have a go at me.
"No, of course I don't think it's you",” I said as sincerely as possible. "I just heard what you said about the lien, and I wondered if you knew anyone else who might have had the same interests. Like someone who he owed more money to or someone that might not have handled it as professionally as you are."
Complementing him did the trick, and I saw Jerry physically relax. "I know he owed some biker loan shark money."
"Yeah, I've already looked into that. It went nowhere",” I said.
"Wow, you're on top of this," Jerry said and took a step closer to me. "It's admirable to see such a beautiful woman have such a take-charge attitude."
Gross.
I took a step back and almost fell off the small concrete porch, but Meri's magic caught me before I could fall on my butt in the grass. I decided to use Jerry's sudden shift in... attitude... toward me to my advantage.
"So, where were you the night he died?" I asked in a fake flirtatious voice. "I mean, just so I can cro
ss you off my list." I winked at him, but I also almost threw up a little. Oh, well, a girl had to do what a girl had to do.
"I worked until nearly eleven at Mary Water's house over on Crow's Mill Street,” he said and put his hands up in mock surrender. "Am I off the hook now, officer?" He winked back at me.
I had to stifle a repulsed shiver that ran down my spine. I needed to get out of there before the guy either tried to grope me or his wife busted down the front door and ripped my hair out.
"I swear I wasn't here to accuse you,” I said and turned just enough so that I could back down the steps to the sidewalk without falling. "Well, it's getting late. I've got to run."
"Hey, I thought we had something here," he protested.
"Your wife is right inside,” I said and hurried away.
As I was getting in the car, Jerry was looking back and forth between me and his house. It was like he was trying to figure out if he should come after me or just go inside. I got out of there fast and didn't look back.
Chapter Thirteen
I decided that I'd had enough run-ins with weirdos, vampires, and freaks that day, so I went home to watch a movie and go to bed. I was in my pajamas on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and my laptop when I got a text message.
Sorry I had to leave in such a hurry. I'm home now. I hope you have a good night. The text was from Thorn.
It's okay. You can make it up to me tomorrow. I'm glad you made it home all right and didn't have to be out on the highway all night. I texted back.
I was just there to make sure the wreck didn't cause a pile-up. Traffic reduced significantly after I arrived, so I didn't have to stay long.
That's great. I'm looking forward to tomorrow. I answered, hoping that didn't sound too desperate.
Not as much as I am. ;-) It's been a long day, but I'm glad we got to have a drink together.
It was nice. I'll let you sleep, and we'll talk tomorrow. Good night, Thorn. I said.
Good night, Kinsley.
I set my phone down and restarted my movie. After a few minutes, my face started to hurt from smiling.
Fortunately, a sinister tapping on the glass at my front window saved me from my happiness. "What is that?" Meri asked. He'd been snoozing next to me and the sound startled him awake.
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