His hands gripped her shoulders. “I can’t.” He pushed her away, then stood. “I need to go to work.” His voice cracked on the last word.
She slumped back into the pillows both relieved and disappointed. “Drop me home.”
“No. I want you to stay here.”
“And what should I do while you’re gone?”
He’d changed from jeans to slacks and a button down shirt. The color wasn’t opened revealing a solid neck. His pulsed bounced through a vein at his throat. So he’d been aroused too.
He hadn’t rejected her outright.
“Surf the net. I don’t really care. Just don’t go out or open the door for anyone.”
She sighed, not thrilled, but resigned. “Okay.”
Zach left, then Grace pulled on her clothes.
Chapter Nineteen
Zach ran into his ex-boss outside his store front office. Cars whizzed past on Main Street as he stopped to talk to Kent Winger. The man squirmed and Zach wondered what the man had to hide.
“Wanted to see your new digs and how you were getting along,” Kent explained.
Zach hadn’t been close to his old boss so the visit was a complete surprise. He must have some other motive.
“Come on in then.”
The man’s gazed darted to his watch then ran up and down the street. “No time.” He cleared his throat. “How’s Dolores doing?”
“She’s getting released today.”
“That’s great.”
His boss looked around the street and not at him during the exchange.
“You okay?”
“Sure. Why not?”
“No reason,” Zach said, but he tucked this behavior into his brain in case it continued.
“See you around.”
Zach stared at his boss’ back before he entered his office. The encounter left him with too many questions. Where did Kent figure into this puzzle? He shook off the nagging feeling that the answers were in front of him. “is HHeOdd.”
Mark, Grace’s friend, sat at his desk. Not phased by his appearance, Zach slid into his chair, then eyed this weasel of a man. He didn’t expect to believe anything he said.
“Shall we add breaking and entering to your list of sins?” Mark gave him a shrug and a sheepish grin. That probably worked on women, but Zach was inured to lame excuses. He’d heard them all. “So what’s your story? The detectives from last night are looking for you.”
Mark licked his lips. His clothes were rumpled, but the man himself was freshly showered. Wherever he spent last night had running water.
Zach’s sympathy level didn’t budge. This man had run out on his alleged best friend and on a criminal investigation. The latter was awful, but the former was unforgivable. Zach only understood loyalty. Probably why Dolores was still in his life.
“Uh.”
Zach held up his hand. “Don’t lie. You’re in some trouble already. You’re the best suspect.”
Mark straightened in his chair, his eyes wider than the prairie. “Me? Why would I try to kill Dolores?”
“Dolores?”
“Wasn’t that who the killer was going for?”
Guess Grace had told him about someone being after Dolores. He’d play along. “You’ve met her?”
“No.”
Mark’s gaze darted away. Why would he not want them to know he met Dolores? Zach leaned back in his chair wishing he’d stopped for coffee on his way over here. This shaggy dog story could have waited another minute.
This rodent might go whining to Grace that he didn’t treat him well. “Coffee?”
“No. Never drink the stuff.”
Not drink coffee? Next he’ll find out he’s a vegetarian or a Mormon. His caffeine craving would have to wait. He eyed the cold, empty pot of his maker then turned his attention back to Mark. “So spill it. Where have you been?”
“I got scared.”
“That you’d be suspected of attempted murder? Got that right. You running didn’t help.”
Mark stared at his shoes. “Probably not.”
“And you running out on your best friend, doesn’t sit well for me. She was scared last night.”
“I came back, after everyone was gone. She wasn’t home.”
“She was with me. I couldn’t let her stay there by herself.”
Mark’s head bobbed. “It’s all clear to me now.”
“What is?”
“You’re after Grace.”
“Whatever my feelings are for Grace don’t concern you.”
“I’m her best friend. I don’t want to see her hurt.”
“The fact that you left to save your own skin when she’d been shot, that damages your credibility with me. I’m not telling you anything.”
Mark showed no reaction, as if he had no remorse.
“You need to turn yourself in. I can call the guys now.”
Mark stood. “I’ll do it, but only for Grace.”
He trudged out the door as if he had weights on his shoulders. Zach felt no pity for the man.
Before Zach could call Grace, his phone rang.
“We’ve had another fire. Same MO,” Ed Bauer said as he entered Zach’s office. The man looked around as any cop would to acquaint himself with the surroundings.
“And you want me to do what?” Zach said.
Ed sat. “Don’t know, but I need to blow off steam. We live in one of the most expensive counties in the country.”
“Arson is basically a white collar crime. Why would it surprise you it would happen here?”
“A serial arsonist?”
Zach leaned back in his chair. His old friend had a point. One fire for hire in a year was plenty. But they’d had three of them, including Grace’s apartment building. “Have you rounded up the usual suspects?”
“All have alibis.”
Zach shifted forward and tented his fingers in front of his face. His mind had been on Grace and Dolores most of the day. This was a welcome change. “Good ones?”
“Some of them in prison.”
“That’s pretty solid. Why come to me?”
“Venting. You may look at something differently than I have.”
“Clearly this is someone from somewhere else.”
“No, shit. Your sister have her crystal ball charged up?”
“I’m not sure where Celia is.”
Ed dropped his card on Zach’s desk. “Tell her to call me. I’m out of ideas.”
He left.
