He plopped a kiss on his mom’s cheek, and she beamed up at him. As for me, it was all I could do not to let my jaw hang open. He was even more handsome out of uniform. His sleek physique and wavy brown hair, just like his mom’s, looked photoshopped even though he was standing right in front of me.
“I’m sorry I scared you.” His laugh was almost silent—a whisper. But it made his green eyes squint a tiny bit at the edges.
“How did you get in? I have a security system.”
“You’re going to have to change the code from my birthday if you want to keep me out.” He poured himself a cup of coffee and came back to sit on the couch across from us. “Is Dad away on business again?”
Marlene nodded. “I keep trying to get him to retire, but he’s worried we’ll fall back on hard times.”
“I’d never let that happen,” Eli said. “I’ll talk to him. He shouldn’t be leaving you alone, especially with all the crime around here. Maybe we should look at getting you a different house. Somewhere safer. Like Cherry Creek?”
“I have enough firepower in this house to protect the entire population of Prairie City. Not that they need it now that that criminal is dead.”
She sure talked a big game in front of her son. When I’d first arrived, she looked like a scared old woman.
“Okay, Mom.” Eli held his hands up in surrender. “I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“Thank you, darling.” Her smile was the same one I got from my mother when I told her I’d ironed my laundry. Pure love and pride.
“We’re being rude.” Eli turned to me. “Rylie, was it?”
He remembered my name?
“Yes.”
“What brings you to my mother’s house?”
A fake Nikki giggle escaped my lips and was instantly disgusted with myself. “Sorry. Um, I was just here—”
“She wanted to ask about the murder I saw.” Marlene took another sip of her coffee.
“You saw a murder?” Eli’s eyes widened as he looked from his mother to me and back again.
“Yep.” She put the mug down on a stained glass tile coaster. “If you came around more often, I’d be able to tell you these things.”
“Have you spoken to the police about it?” He asked his mother then turned to me. “You’re not a cop, right? You’re a park warden or something.”
“Park ranger, and no, she hasn’t spoken with the police.”
“We have to speak to the police immediately.” He pulled his mom up to a stand. “We’re going down to the station to tell them everything.”
Great. So Luke would know Garrett was for sure with Boy Boy. Heck, he’d probably even get Marlene to identify him.
“I know the police. I work with them a lot. I could pass along the information.” I hated lying, but I wanted—needed—more time to figure out what was going on.
Marlene patted her son on the hand. “Rylie’s a good one. She has it under control. Plus, I don’t want to go down to any gross police station.”
Eli seemed torn. He probably knew the right thing to do was to take her down, but for some reason, he looked like he wanted to trust me.
I stood and walked towards the door. “Thank you so much for the coffee, Mrs. Hudson. And thank you for speaking to me. I hope it will help get an innocent man out of jail.”
“That man I saw on the TV?” Marlene asked.
“Yes. I don’t think he really killed Boy Boy,” I said.
“Oh, well I’m sorry to tell you this, but I’m sure he did,” she said.
“What? Why?” I asked.
Eli stood off to the side taking all of this information in.
“Because he was most definitely the man who was with Boy Boy that day. And when Boy Boy shot that scrawny guy, that other man looked murderous.” She frowned. “I’m guessing he did it not too long after I saw Boy Boy fire that gun.”
No. She couldn’t be sure it was Garrett. From her deck and in the dark, it was impossible to make out the details of someone’s face.
“Didn’t I see you with him at the meet and greet?” Eli asked, the puzzle pieces seemingly coming together in his mind. “He’s an assistant or something right?”
“Accountant,” I replied. “And yes. I was with him. We were—are—dating.”
It looked like Eli’s shoulders dropped a bit, but maybe I was starting to see things.
“Oh, honey. You don’t want to date murderers. Even the ones that get rid of other murderers. They’re still pretty bad.” Marlene patted me on the shoulder.
I shook my head. There’s no way he could have killed anyone. Even another murderer.
“Love is blind.” She followed me to the door. “Would you please come back again for coffee? We can watch for thugs off my deck.” She whispered the last part in my ear so Eli couldn’t hear.
“That would be lovely. Thank you, Mrs. Hudson.”
“Marlene. You have to call me Marlene now. We’re friends.”
Eli Hudson’s mom was my friend. This could easily be the weirdest day I’d ever lived.
“Okay, Marlene. Thank you. I’ll see you again soon.” She waved as I walked back to Cherry Anne.
The sun was high in the sky making the changing leaves on the Aspens glisten. The three amigos would definitely be leaving their fishing spots soon. I revved the engine and put it in gear before I heard a tap on my window.
Eli’s face stared into my car. I hit the roll down button and put the car back in park. “What’s up?” I asked.
“Eww, what’s that smell?” he said taking a step back.
“What smell?” I asked sniffing the air like Fizzy always did. “I can’t smell anything.”
“Maybe it’s out here,” he sniffed, made a face, and then shrugged. “You’re not going to tell the police what my mother told you are you?” Even up close his skin was so smooth, I’d think it had been retouched.
“Why would you think
