A Good Day for Chardonnay (Sunshine Vicram #2) - Darynda Jones Page 0,46
I found clippings and reports from an old case with multiple missing persons right here in Del Sol.”
He lifted a strand of her hair and studied it. “Okay.”
“Long story short, we’re pretty sure Mrs. Fairborn is a serial killer.”
Surprise took hold of him. “Mrs. Fairborn?”
She nodded.
“The Mrs. Fairborn?”
She nodded again.
“The same Mrs. Fairborn who just celebrated her eightieth birthday?”
“Yep. And we need help breaking and entering into Mrs. Fairborn’s house tomorrow while she’s at the station confessing to stabbing that man at The Roadhouse and hitting Levi with a Toyota Tundra even though she can’t drive and has no car.”
“Okay.” He said it so nonchalantly, Auri tried to figure out how to make him understand.
“You’ll be doing the breaking.”
“Okay.”
“It’s illegal.”
A dimple creased one corner of his mouth. “Did you expect me to try to talk you out of it?”
“No. Well, maybe. A little.”
“The way I see it, if I get caught breaking into a house with the sheriff’s kid, my part in all of it will get swept under the rug.”
“You think my mother would sweep a third-degree felony under the rug?”
“Yes, I do. You’re her daughter.”
She scoffed. “You don’t know my mother very well.”
“I’m not saying you won’t get in trouble. I’m saying I won’t. Because you compelled me.” He tucked the strand of hair behind her ear. “I’d be under your spell. That’s something your mom will understand. I promise. Also, she likes me.”
Auri tilted her head. “She does, doesn’t she?”
“She let me stay in your room when she could’ve arrested me.”
“That says a lot.” Something dinged on Cruz’s small desk and Auri looked over at the clock perched atop it, the red digits forming the numbers eight zero zero.
“Oh, my God.” She catapulted to her feet. “Is that the time?”
“Did you sneak out again?”
“I’m so sorry.” She twirled around, looking for her things even though she didn’t have any. “I have to go.”
“I thought you were going to cut back.”
“My grandparents went out on a date. They’ll be back any second. Is that really the time?”
“Yes,” he said, casting her a sideways smirk.
“I’m dead. I am so dead.” She ran to the window and practically fell out of it. “Oh,” she said, turning back to him once she gained her footing, “wear comfortable clothes tomorrow and shoes you can sprint in, just in case we have to run from my mom.”
“Okay,” he said, watching her from the window.
Auri jumped on her bike and sped off. A light came on in the kitchen as she rode past and blind panic spurred her faster. She could only hope she didn’t get Cruz into trouble.
10
Forecast for tonight:
Alcohol, low standards, and poor decisions.
—SIGN AT THE ROADHOUSE BAR AND GRILL
It wasn’t that late when Sun and Quincy got back. Part of her felt bad considering her parents had wanted a date night. But another part, a bigger part, didn’t feel the least bit concerned. It was their fault she was sheriff.
After checking in at the station and finding out they’d recaptured Randy the raccoon, rescuing him from inside a vending machine, Sun headed home for a much-needed shower and a glass of wine. She would have made it, too, had her fuel light not come on.
She pulled into the Quick-Mart and parked beside her favorite gas pump: number three. Humble. Nondescript. Unassuming. But because the credit card machine still wasn’t working on pump number three, she had to go inside to pay.
She stepped into the small convenience store and slammed into a brick wall. When she bounced back, she looked up into the face of the brick wall. A wall named Levi Ravinder. For some reason, her hand immediately went to her gun. Thankfully she had the wherewithal to leave it holstered, but he’d tracked the involuntary movement with his caramel-colored irises before refocusing on her face.
She did the same to him. The bruising had only gotten worse. His left eye was swollen with dark, puffy splotches. His jaw was a combination of several shades of blue under the scruff, yet somehow the damage only added to his appeal.
When he questioned her with a minuscule lift of a single brow, she dropped both her hand and her gaze. The latter landed on the items he’d just bought: a large coffee and a giant bottle of painkillers.
Concern rocketed through her, but she slipped into her best poker face and stared him down. Or up, as the case may be. “I see you’re still alive.”