“Wonky quilt.” He snaps his fingers my way. “Those aren’t weird at all. I was thinking about picking up a few for Christmas to give to my mother and sisters. I figured they love that kind of stuff.” He gives an affable smile, and I instantly like him.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Anything.” He takes a step in close, and I can see Jasper from my peripheral vision heading this way.
Great. Leave it to Jasper to jeopardize my case. He, of all people, should know better.
“Hunter, what do you know about a woman named Laurel Crabtree?” There, I blurted it out in haste because I can feel the lead homicide detective in the case breathing down my neck. Don’t get me wrong, I very much want him breathing down my neck in less than a couple hours.
Hunter inches back a notch. Why in the heck would this woman be asking about Laurel?
A breath hitches in my throat.
He knows her! He knows Laurel. This could crack everything wide open.
Hunter shakes his head. “I’m sorry. I’m not sure I know who that is.” No use in getting caught in that dragnet, too. It’s bad enough I’ve been taken down to the sheriff’s station twice to be quizzed about Ember’s untimely demise.
My mouth falls open as I give an incredulous huff.
Jasper dragged him down twice and has yet to tell me?
“Oh, come on, Hunter. You know about Laurel.” I’m this close to shaking him. “How did Flint make her disappear?”
A heavy groan comes from him. “Okay, look, I know enough to get me into trouble. Ember came to me once and mentioned the girl.” He blows out a deep breath. There’s no way I’m going to tell her Ember swore if anything ever happened to her that Flint would be responsible. That would be tantamount to pinning Ember’s murder on him. And not a bone in my body believes he did this.
I nod. “He could have very well done this.”
He inches back once again. “Laurel was—Ember told me a few things when we met up for coffee a few months back.”
“You had coffee with her after what she did to you? After she caused you to lose your license?”
“What can I say? I’m a lover, not a fighter. Yes, she utterly destroyed me, but when I bumped into her, she seemed frantic. Out of sorts. I was concerned.” Ember on a good day was harmful to others. Ember on the edge of oblivion was downright dangerous. “She said Flint was cheating on her. She thought maybe some chick by the name of Laurel Crabtree was back in town. I guess a couple of years ago Flint was an alderman. He had an affair with a summer intern, a high school student by the name of Laurel Crabtree. She was under eighteen. I don’t know the details. But according to Ember, there was legal trouble looming, and then all of a sudden the girl was gone.”
“As in missing?”
“As in I don’t know. But Ember felt strongly that something went very wrong. She said that Flint destroyed Laurel’s life, and now he was trying to destroy hers by way of humiliating her.”
Funny. That seemed to be her MO.
I nod. “I saw you talking to Flint. You seem as if you’re on friendly terms.”
He glares in the direction the councilman is currently working the crowd.
“We’re not.” In fact, we’re anything but. I’ve made a deal with the devil, and now I have to hope everything works out the way we planned. And if it doesn’t? I’ll be the one to roast once again. “Goodnight, Bizzy.”
My mind spins just trying to make sense of his thoughts.
“Will I see you at the parade? It’s the last day of the Founders’ Day celebration. We’ll have free donuts!”
Ugh.
Again with flaunting the murder weapon in people’s faces?
A dark laugh strums through him. “I’ll be here.” He glances past me once again. But only because he will. Flint and I have unfinished business. He owes me for what I’ve done for him. And if he pays up, I just might come out of this mess on top.
Jasper steps up as soon as Hunter disappears into the shadows.
“Well, Detective Wilder?” He sheds an easy smile, and all the stress between us seems to up and disappear.
“Let’s go home,” I say, wrapping my arms around him. “How does some hot cider in front of a roaring fire sound? There’s a lot to process tonight.”
“Sounds like heaven.”
Chapter 14
As soon as we get back to our cottage, I jump in the shower while Jasper makes some hot cider, and we reconvene on the living room sofa as the fireplace rages.
Fish and Sherlock are playing with the kittens, and every now and again they zoom by in a furry blur.
Jasper wraps his arm around me as we snuggle and munch on a platter of apple cider mini donuts that I swiped from the café kitchen.
“Your hair is wet.” He lands a kiss to the top of my head. “Hey? Why wasn’t I invited in that shower?”
“Because you gave me the stink eye while I was conducting a rather thorough investigation this evening.”
His chest broadens with his next breath. “Just tell me the divorce isn’t on the table.”
“Eh, that’s Macy’s deal. I think if you were her husband, she would have already kicked you to the curb by now. But I have a sneaky suspicion she would have at least had the courtesy to tie you up and teach you a lesson first. Matrimonial manners and all. Would you like me to tie you up and teach you a lesson, Detective Wilder?” I bat my lashes up at him, doing my best to flirt.
His chest bounces with a silent chuckle. “I’ve got the cuffs if you’ve got the time. What did you glean?”
“Other than the fact I directly
