Adverse Possession (The Anna Albertini Files #3) - Rebecca Zanetti Page 0,78
I’m concerned.”
“Or it’s Barensky,” I said. “He’s involved in your current case, and Sasha was on it, and he came to my office.”
Aiden sighed. “I know, but this isn’t his style. He loves explosives. When I say love, I mean it in the most sociopathic, desperately-in-tuned way. Smashing heads not only isn’t his style, I don’t think he could do it, even if he wanted to. If he wanted either of those women dead, he would’ve killed them with a bomb. With fire and destruction. He’s pathological, and so is the way he kills.”
I shivered and dug into a drawer for a sweatshirt to put on and zip up. “Then why these two women? I don’t get it.”
“I don’t know, and we can’t find Kay Lewis. She’s the brunette who was with Bev during the car wreck and the food fight in the diner. She and Crash broke up the same night Carbine and Bev did.”
I sat on the bed. “Because of me?”
“No, because of me. Or because they’re assholes who’d rather ditch the women they were dating than ask them not to crash cars into my ex-girlfriend. They both wanted out and took the easy way.” He was quiet for several heartbeats. “I can’t wait until I’m out of this world. The cover should’ve been ended after the first drug bust.”
It was too bad he had to stay the night at the Lorde’s complex. “Can you sneak over again?”
“It’s too much of a risk,” he said.
I looked out at the deep and mysterious lake. “Have you had any luck finding Barensky or who hired him? Surely Sasha knew something?”
“No. She only met with an associate of Barensky’s who inquired about a delivery system, and she thought of the Lordes. The name of the associate was Abe, and she didn’t have any other information than that. Oh, before I forget. Her autopsy came back, and death was blunt force trauma to the head. There was no foreign DNA on her body, which is surprising since somebody grabbed her head and slammed it onto your porch.” Now anger sizzled through the line. “Somebody wore gloves and knew what they were doing.”
“I’m sorry, Aiden. I’d help if I could do anything,” I said.
“Just be you and that helps everything. For now, I think the lack of DNA works in your favor as a suspect.” His phone rustled as he must’ve moved. “At least something is going our way. Kind of.”
I didn’t like hearing Aiden so frustrated and down. “I wish you were here,” I said quietly. “I’d give you a back rub.”
“I’d give you a front rub,” he said instantly.
I chuckled. At least I’d lightened his mood for the moment. “I had fun last night.”
“Me too.”
Now I had his attention. “I meant with the talking, but the rest of it was okay, too.” Actually, it was spectacular.
“Just okay?” His voice grew intimate. “Hmmm. I might have to try again.”
I smiled into the darkness, feeling happier than I had all day. “I guess I could let you try. I mean, it’s the least I could do.”
“You’re a giver. All right, I have to go. Miss you.” He clicked off.
“I miss you, too,” I whispered before standing and all but gliding back into the living room. Aiden missed me. He’d said the words. It took me a second to catch the tension blanketing the living room. Even Zena lay on the floor and watched me come closer with soft brown eyes. “What’s going on?” I asked.
Donna looked up from her phone and then handed it over. “You’re not going to like it.”
My good mood evaporated faster than a Nordstrom’s gift card. I took the phone and saw the online version of the Timber City Gazette. I groaned. “Don’t tell me.” I scrolled down to see a new article by Jolene about me. I read the headline out loud. “Local Attorney in Protective Custody: Either as a Witness or a Cold-Blooded Killer.” Shock caught me, and I looked at Quint.
He stood and turned around, raw fury on his face. “I’m sorry. I—”
“You told Jolene?” I asked, my voice quivering. “What I said to you in the office? You told a reporter?”
He paled. “I’m so sorry. She seemed concerned about you, and we’d just spent a few good days together relaxing, and I didn’t think she was on the record. I sure didn’t think she’d run with a story like this.”
Zena whined and moved toward him, apparently catching his distress.