Find Her Alive (Detective Josie Quinn #8) - Lisa Regan Page 0,5

stroked the soft hair behind his ears.

Trinity walked back around the table and sat by her laptop. Her fingers worked to bring the clip up once more. As it started to play, Josie reached across her and snapped the laptop closed. “Enough,” she said. “Stop obsessing. Go for a run. Take a shower. Do something to clear your head.”

Trout startled them both with his high-pitched barking. A second later, over the din, they heard the front door open and close. “It’s just me,” Noah called.

Trout raced into the foyer. Josie heard Noah greet him as the dog’s nails clicked on the hardwood floor. Then Noah appeared in the kitchen, his tousled brown hair sticking up every which way and dark circles gathered beneath his hazel eyes. In his hand he held a small box wrapped in brown paper.

Glancing at the clock, Josie said, “What are you doing home early? Rough night?”

Trout danced around between the two of them, letting out small barks until Noah reached down with one hand and petted him again.

“Gretchen came in early. We had reports of a big off-campus party. Went up there, and the kids scattered. Spent all night rounding up the underage drinkers.”

Satisfied, Trout went over to the corner of the kitchen where his food and water bowls lived and dragged his empty food bowl over to Josie. Keeping an eye on Noah, Josie said, “Always fun. How many of them are education majors?” She filled Trout’s bowl and set it back down for him.

Noah smiled. “You mean how many of them begged us not to book them because it would ruin their future teaching careers? Fourteen.”

Josie shook her head. “What’s that?” she asked, pointing to the box in Noah’s hands. It was no bigger than his palm.

He looked down at it and then back up at Josie and Trinity. “It was outside. It’s addressed to Trinity.”

Trinity held out a hand for the box, and Noah smiled. “Is this your way of telling us you’re moving in? Getting mail here?”

Trinity pushed her coffee cup aside, setting the parcel down and beginning to unwrap it as she answered. “I’m not getting mail here.”

Noah said, “That’s the second box this week.”

“Oh, well, I had my assistant ship me some things from my office. Where was I supposed to have them delivered?”

There was an edge to her voice. Noah put both his hands in the air. “Relax,” he said. “I’m just messing with you. It’s fine.” Then he grinned and Josie knew his next words were meant to be taken as a joke. “By the way, I love what you’ve done with the guest room...”

But Trinity wasn’t looking at him. She was looking inside the box. Her face paled. She set it aside and picked up her mug, downing the rest of her coffee.

“Where did you find this?”

“I told you. It was outside.”

“There’s no postage on it,” Trinity said. “Where was it exactly?”

Josie glanced over Trinity’s shoulder to see that there was indeed no postage, nor was there a return address. “What is it?” Josie asked. “What’s inside?”

Trinity picked up the box and clutched it to her chest. “Nothing important. I’m just curious because it came with no postage. Where was it, Noah?”

Noah said, “It was in the mailbox at the end of the driveway. You know, where we normally get our mail?”

Trinity used her free hand to scoop up her laptop. She looked at Noah, eyes suddenly ablaze. “You have a problem with me staying here?”

Josie said, “Trin, he was joking.”

“Was he?” Trinity snapped, turning on Josie. “Why was he snooping in my room?”

“I wasn’t snooping,” Noah said. “I just happened to walk past the other day when the door was open.”

Trinity hugged both her laptop and the small box to her. Taking a step toward Noah, she challenged, “You don’t want me here.”

“That’s not true,” Noah protested.

A second passed in silence. Trinity stared at him, almost as though she was trying to decide something. She said, “I know when I’m not wanted.”

“What are you talking about?” Noah said. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

Josie cringed at his accidentally terrible choice of word, knowing it would send her sister over the edge. Trinity’s cheeks flushed. Her mouth pressed into a thin line. Trying to defuse the situation, Josie said, “Trinity, you know you’re always welcome here. Please—”

But before she could finish, her sister stormed out of the room. Josie and Noah listened as her feet pounded up the stairs. When the guest room door slammed, Trout looked up from