Dead as a doornail - By Charlaine Harris Page 0,61
the same.”
“This is when you need me the most,” he protested, the words spilling out of his mouth in his haste to persuade me. “You need me now. I need you now. We’re right for each other. You know it.”
“No, I don’t. I know that you’re worried about a lot of things right now. You lost your lover, however it happened. I don’t think it’s sunk into you yet that you’ll never see her again.”
He flinched.
“I shot her, Alcide. With a shotgun.”
His whole face clenched.
“See? Alcide, I’ve seen you rip into a person’s flesh when you were being a wolf. And it didn’t make me scared of you. Because I’m on your side. But you loved Debbie, at least for a time. We get into a relationship now, at some point you’re going to look up and say, ‘Here’s the one who ended her life.’ ”
Alcide opened his mouth to protest, but I held up a hand. I wanted to finish.
“Plus, Alcide, your dad’s in this succession struggle. He wants to win the election. Maybe you being in a settled relationship would help his ambitions. I don’t know. But I don’t want any part of Were politics. I didn’t appreciate you dragging me into it cold last week at the funeral. You should have let me decide.”
“I wanted them to get used to the sight of you by my side,” Alcide said, his face stiffening with offense. “I meant it as an honor to you.”
“I might have appreciated that honor more if I’d known about it,” I snapped. It was a relief to hear another vehicle approaching, to see Andy Bellefleur get out of his Ford and watch his cousin knocking down my kitchen. For the first time in months, I was glad to see Andy.
I introduced Andy to Alcide, of course, and watched them size each other up. I like men in general, and some men in specific, but when I saw them practically circle each other as they sniffed each other’s butts—excuse me, exchanged greetings—I just had to shake my head. Alcide was the taller by a good four inches, but Andy Bellefleur had been on his college wrestling team, and he was still a block of muscle. They were about the same age. I would put even money on them in a fight, providing that Alcide kept his human form.
“Sookie, you asked me to keep you posted on the man who died here,” Andy said.
Sure, but it had never occurred to me he’d actually do it. Andy did not have any very high opinion of me, though he’d always been a big fan of my rear end. It’s wonderful being telepathic, huh?
“He has no prior record,” Andy said, looking down at the little notebook he’d produced. “He has no known association with the Fellowship of the Sun.”
“But that doesn’t make sense,” I said into the little silence that followed. “Why would he set the fire otherwise?”
“I was hoping you could tell me that,” Andy said, his clear gray eyes meeting mine.
I’d had it with Andy, abruptly and finally. In our dealings over the years, he’d insulted me and wounded me, and now I’d encountered that last straw.
“Listen to me, Andy,” I said, and I looked right back into his eyes. “I never did anything to you that I know of. I’ve never been arrested. I’ve never even jaywalked, or been late paying my taxes, or sold a drink to an underage teen. I’ve never even had a speeding ticket. Now someone tried to barbecue me inside my own home. Where do you get off, making me feel like I’ve done something wrong?” Other than shoot Debbie Pelt, a voice whispered in my head. It was the voice of my conscience.
“I don’t think there’s anything in this guy’s past that would indicate he’d do this to you.”
“Fine! Then find out who did! Because someone burned my house, and it sure wasn’t me!” I was yelling when I got to the last part, partly to drown the voice. My only recourse was to turn and walk away, striding around the house until I was out of Andy’s sight. Terry gave me a sidelong look, but he didn’t stop swinging his sledgehammer.
After a minute, I heard someone picking his way through the debris behind me. “He’s gone,” Alcide said, his deep voice just a tiny bit amused. “I guess you’re not interested in going any further with our conversation.”