Get a Clue

Dante stepped forward. 'Both of you shut up. I already said I killed him-'

'Stop,' Shelly said again, louder now, but Patrick and Dante were toe-to-toe, looking ready to battle.

'Bugger off,' Patrick told Dante.

'STOP!” Shelly yelled before Dante could respond. She was still wrapped around Stacy, who was staring at everyone, wide-eyed. She seemed confused at Shelly's tears, but solemnly lifted a finger and stroked one off her sister's cheek. 'I love you, sissy.'

'Oh, Stacy, honey, I love you, too. Remember that, okay? Promise me you'll remember that if I have to go away.'

Dante whipped around and looked at Cooper with impotent rage and emotion shimmering brilliantly in his dark, dark eyes. 'You want to prove yourself to us, cop? Fix this.'

Cooper shoved a hand through his hair, leaving it standing straight up. 'First up, everyone to the great room.' He put a hand on Stacy, who was shivering. 'By the fire. It's colder today than it's been-'

'That's because it's clear outside,' Stacy said, and smiled.

When no one smiled back, hers faltered. 'It gets colder when there's no clouds to keep the warm air low.' She looked at everyone's face. 'It does.'

'Yes.' Dante ruffled her hair. 'You're right.'

Her smile wobbled. 'Am I in trouble?'

'No,' Dante said, looking at Cooper. 'You're not in trouble.'

'Goody.' She danced down the hallway. 'I can go anywhere now, right? No more hiding?'

'Right,' Patrick said. 'You go on, we'll be right there.'

'Don't stoke the fire by yourself,' Shelly called. 'Remember what happened last time.'

'Yeah.' Stacy bit her lip. 'But the fire trucks came really fast.'

Shelly let out a half-hysterical laugh, then covered her mouth, her eyes shiny. 'Yes. They came fast.'

'You go with her,' Lariana said to Shelly. 'Go ahead.'

'You go, too,' Patrick insisted, pushing Lariana after Shelly.

Lariana dug in her heels. 'Look, you tall, skinny beanpole, I don't need anyone watching out after me.'

'Sure, you don't. But maybe I be liking to watch after you.'

Lariana opened her mouth, but he set a finger to her lips. 'I love you, you bossy, infuriating, huffy woman. I love you, and I plan on loving you for the rest of me life, which will not be spent watching you waste away in a jail cell. Now, for once in your life, listen to me. Go. Please.'

For a moment Lariana just stared at him, her eyes brilliant with emotion. Then she slipped an arm around Shelly and led her after Stacy. Halfway down the hall, she paused and looked back at Patrick. I love you, too, she mouthed, and left.

Dante and Patrick stood united, facing Cooper, Patrick's eyes suspiciously bright.

'Does either of you want to tell me what the hell is going on?' Cooper asked.

Dante's expression went cool and distant.

Patrick's matched.

'Fuck.' Cooper shoved his fingers into his hair. 'Fine. It's obvious anyway.'

'If it's obvious, then you don't be needing us to say it,' Patrick said.

Cooper looked at Breanne in disbelief.

Breanne's heart went out to all of them, to the staff trying to protect the sweet, naive Stacy, and to the beautiful, tortured, sexy cop she'd begun to fall for. 'I think Cooper means it's obvious you're covering for someone,' she told them. 'And for whom.'

'Shelly didn't do anything,' Dante said. 'And when the police get here, she'll be gone. She was never here. She can't have been here.'

'Dante, Christ.' Cooper stalked the small hallway and whirled back. 'Her prints are everywhere. The evidence can't lie. The truth has to come out.'

'You have the truth.'

'What I have,' Cooper said unhappily, 'is four worthless admissions of a murder and not a single truth.' He stared at the two men, neither of whom backed down. Swearing again, he reached for Breanne's hand. 'Okay, your choice. Don't let me help you.' He looked at Breanne. 'The snowmobiles are out and running. There's still no cell reception. Our goal is to at least get to a place where we can call out for help. If not, we go all the way into town.'

Dante looked at his watch and raised a brow. 'You plan on doing that before dark, you'd better get moving. And don't get lost.'

Breanne gulped.

'Patrick is riding on one,' Cooper told Breanne. 'We're on the other. We'll be fine.'

Dante lifted a shoulder as if to say hope so.

Cooper began to pull Breanne out of the hallway, then turned back to Dante. 'Don't do anything stupid while we're gone. At least, nothing more stupid than admitting to a murder you didn't commit.'

Dante's face was granite.

'I mean it,' Cooper said. 'No one goes into the cellar. No one. Got it?'

'I think I know the definition of stupid.”

'Make sure that you do.'

Chapter 28

Among the great lines of all time:

1. This won't hurt a bit.

2. The check’s in the mail.

3. I swear I won't come in your mouth.

And… the granddaddy of them all (in my humble opinion):

4. I love you (this is the most troublesome).

– Breanne Mooreland's Journal Entry

Cooper had ridden motorcycles all his life, so he figured riding a snowmobile would just come to him. Luckily, it did. It was an awesome feeling, gliding along the thick, powdery snow, beneath towering pines instead of crowded freeways. So was the sensation of Breanne snugged to the back of him, her chest pressed into his spine, her legs straddled around his.

That he could get used to. But it was cold, at somewhere around zero, far colder than he was used to. Being out here for longer than they had to be was a bad idea.

They followed Patrick, and Cooper was grateful the snow had stopped, because he had no idea where they were or which direction to go in. There were two colors; azure blue sky, and stark white landscape. The snow had