Franco after saying they were federal investigators. That left Jareth Davey. He’d had the balls to contact Franco and ask for the file. It was the only explanation. That wasn’t good.
I’d finally gone to bed with Bud at the front door making me feel all safe. Except, of course, that Aiden had gotten in the night before. I hadn’t mentioned that to anybody.
Today I needed to try and talk to Charles again, if he was up to a visit. First, I’d pop by his house and feed his dog again. Maybe if I took a couple of pictures of Snuffles, Charles would talk to me and tell me where that stupid lab was located. I really needed to finish this case.
I showered and dressed in light jeans and a peach-colored sweater before taking a cup of coffee and bagel out to Bud, who was parked beneath the eve of the garage. “Why are you still here?”
“I’m off duty at ten,” he said, his face lighting up at the coffee. “Thanks.”
“Sure.” I handed over the bagel and told him my plan of hitting Charles’ house and then the hospital. “After that, I’ll just be at the office for the rest of the day.”
“Good.” Bud leaned back and stretched his neck. “I could use a break.” Then he took a couple more drinks of the pumpkin flavored brew. His gaze tracked the area around the garage. “Is your sister Donna single?”
“Yep.” I turned for my car. “You can ask me questions at Monroe’s place.” I had plenty of questions to ask him if he wanted to date Donna. While he seemed like a pretty nice guy, that didn’t mean he was, although Donna had appeared interested, and she had far better taste in men than either Tessa or I did. For sure.
I kept the top on the car out of respect for the darn storm waging around me, driving toward the retirement community. Once I parked in Charles’ driveway, I dashed inside with Bud on my heels. “Why are you coming?” I asked.
“Last time I was here I got attacked. Let me clear the house.” He did so with Snuffles jumping around him, trying to get attention. “All good.”
I let the dog out back and replenished his food and water before taking several pictures of the pooch. Maybe those would appease Charles. “All right. Let’s go.” I led the way outside after locking the door. The rain continued to fall, while the wind had increased in force and blew my hair back. When would summer arrive? I walked along the house to the driveway, where I stopped short.
Pauley was jumping out of a tall red truck in Melvin’s driveway, his notebook in his hands.
“Pauley?” I called. Wait a minute. Pierce had ordered a uniform to watch him until he went to the library this morning. Right now, Pauley was supposed to be safe at the college before his mom drove him over the hill to take some pictures of the river this afternoon. What was he doing there? I turned to yell for Bud just as he walked down the stairs.
A man wearing a Lorde’s cut came around the side of Charles’ house, firing a big black gun three times toward Bud’s back. The sound was deafening. Bud’s eyes widened, and he flew face first into the hydrangeas, landing hard and not moving. “Bud!” I moved for him, flattening my hand over his lower back.
Something hard. Oh. Bullet proof vest? Was he alive?
“Get up.” The guy pointed his gun at me. I squinted, trying to breathe, my chest hurting. I stood and turned to face him, blinking through the rain. The man was vaguely familiar. He’d been one of the guys in the Lordes’ garage the other day when we’d executed the warrant. Then he gestured toward the driveway.
I took one last look at Bud and then walked around the house. God, I hoped Aiden was in that truck. Pauley stood on the other side, his gaze darting around, his head bobbing.
Spider stepped out of the driver’s side. “What is going on?”
Panic tried to grab me, and I sucked deep to stay calm. I searched the back of the truck. Nope. No Aiden.
The guy behind me nudged me in the ribs. “I saw the cop car and investigated. Had to shoot him.” He prodded me across the grass and over to Thelma and Georgiana’s half of the driveway toward the truck. “Look who I found.”