important than hers, that she should’ve thought better about sleeping with her boss if she wanted to keep her job. He insinuated she chased him, but we all know that wasn’t true.”
My stomach twisted. “Yeah. He was the sort of guy who bragged, even if there was nothing to brag about.”
“Exactly.” Grandpa’s eyes narrowed as he regarded me. “What are you going to do with this information?”
“Probably pass it on to Hunter. Don’t worry. I won’t tell him where I heard it.”
“I appreciate it.”
“It’s the least I can do.”
HUNTER WAS KNEE-DEEP IN A NEW security system when I bolted upstairs to change clothes after my shift. He barely looked up as he sat cross-legged on the kitchen floor and paged through a thick instruction manual. The kitten was nestled on his lap and seemed intrigued by the action.
“How was work?” he asked absently.
I briefly wondered if I should tell him about the scene Monica made. It would be an uncomfortable conversation and I didn’t want to get into it when I had a lead to track down. “It was work. I’m going to change clothes and then I’ll help.”
That was enough to get him to look at me. “No offense, Stormy, but I don’t need your help.”
I dubiously regarded the various pieces of the security system strewn about the floor. “Are you sure? I’ve grown to be pretty good with electronics.”
He looked haughty. “I’ve got it.”
I watched him a long moment and then nodded. “Okay. I’m going to change my clothes and run out. I have a few errands.”
Hunter didn’t look interested in my errands. Instead he waved off the statement and went back to the instructions. Apparently he planned to sit there until he climbed that particular mountain and beat it into submission. That was so like him.
“Good luck,” I called out before dashing into the bedroom. I was out of clean clothes, so I had to dig something out of the hamper. I now had no choice but to go to the laundromat or I was going to have to spring for more clothes. I wasn’t sure which was worse.
Once I exited the restaurant and hopped in my car, I plugged Tina’s name into Google. After a couple of clicks, I found what I thought was probably her house, and drove in that direction. It was on the outskirts of Shadow Hills, in a not unpleasant neighborhood. In fact, the closer I drew to her street, the more impressed I became. Compared to the rest of the town, which contained rundown homes and overgrown lawns in certain areas, everything here was neat and tidy. I wasn’t an expert on real estate, but the houses looked more expensive, too.
It took me three times around the block to find the house I was looking for because some of them weren’t properly marked. When I did, I was pleasantly surprised to find a pretty redbrick ranch with an abundance of flowers in the front garden. If Tina was hurting for money, I couldn’t see how she could afford this house. Perhaps she’d managed to find another job after all and was thriving.
I parked on the street and exited my car, giving the house a long once-over before starting up the sidewalk. I wasn’t sure how I was going to approach Tina — it would be difficult no matter what tack I chose — and my mind was already on what I was going to say when I noticed a hint of movement out of the corner of my eye.
“Can I help you?”
I widened my eyes when I saw Tina. She was dressed in ratty shorts and a T-shirt and looked to have a small garden hoe clutched in her hand. She appeared as surprised to see me as I was her.
“Hey, Tina.” As far as greetings go, it was the lamest of the lame. Still, I’d been caught off guard and it was going to take me a moment to recover.
“Hello.” Tina looked wary, furrowing her brow as she looked me up and down. “I don’t want to buy anything.”
“I’m not selling anything,” I reassured her quickly. “I just ... um ... .”
She narrowed her eyes. “Stormy Morgan?”
Relief washed over me. That was one less problem. “Yeah. It’s me. I’m back in town.”
“I guess so.” The mistrust that had been on her face only moments before evaporated as she smiled. “What’s going on? When did you get back?”
“Two weeks ago, but I was moving back and forth between Harsens Island and