The Best Man to Trust - By Kerry Connor Page 0,47
His reflexes likely impaired, he moved too slowly to retain his hold on it, his fingers closing around empty air a moment later.
His eyes narrowed, glittering with suppressed fury. He slowly held out his hand. “I’m going to ask you to give that back,” he said with deadly calm.
“I think you’ve had enough courage for now. It would be helpful if you did without for a while.”
“You know you have a house full of alcohol. Taking one little flask isn’t going to stop me from getting a drink if I want one.”
“Well, this is one less drink for you to have, and right now that sounds good to me.”
He glared up at her, the look in his stare sending a shiver of warning through her. Then he pointedly looked away. “Suit yourself.”
“Good,” Meredith said. Shoving the flask into her pants pocket, she glanced around the room. “Now I still need to check on Rick and Ellen and try the phone lines again. Can everyone please stay calm while I do that?”
It took a few moments, but she eventually received a few nods in response.
“Thank you,” she said, meaning it. “I’ll be right back.”
Meredith quickly turned and stepped out into the hall. She felt Tom fall into line beside her. She didn’t question his impulse to come with her. Given the current situation and how tense things that gotten, it felt good not to be alone.
They’d crossed the main hall and were entering the side corridor leading to the kitchen, safely out of earshot of everyone in the living room, when she finally spoke. “We have to figure out who’s behind this. If we don’t, the killer might not have to bother taking anyone else out. They’ll all kill each other.”
“This might be what the killer wants,” Tom noted gravely. “Haley’s body was left out to be found and create fear. Even if Jess’s wasn’t, that still might be what he or she wants. To keep everybody on edge and turning on one another.”
His words sent a tremor of unease rumbling through her. “But why?” she asked automatically, even though she knew he didn’t have the answer. It was more a groan of frustration than an actual question.
As expected, he didn’t respond, the tension and frustration emanating from him palpable in the close confines of the hallway.
Two people were dead, and they still were no closer to understanding why.
Chapter Thirteen
They found Rick and Ellen in the kitchen. The pair looked up warily at their entrance, Rick from his seat at the island, Ellen from where she stood at the counter.
“Are you both okay?” Meredith asked.
“As well as we can be,” Ellen said. “Compared to what I saw upstairs, I can’t complain.”
Spotting the phone on the wall, Meredith moved toward it.
“It’s still not working,” Rick said just as Meredith pulled the phone from the wall and raised it to her ear. “Checked it a few minutes ago.”
The silence that met her ear confirmed the statement. “Of course,” Meredith said as she replaced the receiver. “I should have known you would.”
“Can’t hurt to keep checking,” Ellen murmured.
“Did either of you see anything today?” Tom asked. “Anyone coming out of Jessica’s room? Anyone looking suspicious?”
“Nope,” Rick said.
“Like I told Meredith,” Ellen said. “I hadn’t seen anybody in hours before dinner.”
They sounded honest enough. “Everybody’s in the living room if you want to join us,” Meredith offered. It might be better if they all stuck together. She’d certainly feel better if she knew where each person was. Still, she would understand if they turned down the offer, wanting to be nowhere near the people who kept getting murdered, one of whom—if Rick and Ellen weren’t involved—was likely the killer.
“Think I’m going to tuck in early,” Rick said flatly. “So I can get started digging my way to the garage in the morning.”
“Me, too,” Ellen said. “Just as soon as I get this food put away.”
Meredith looked at the meal Ellen had prepared, all of it untouched. Ellen had the storage containers, aluminum foil and plastic wrap out. Meredith figured if anyone was hungry later, it would at least be in the refrigerator. “That’s fine.”
“I can help you dig tomorrow if you have more than one shovel,” Tom told Rick.
The other man eyed him gravely, as though considering whether he trusted him. After a moment, he nodded slowly. “That’d be a big help.”
“Great,” Meredith said. “I’ll see you both in the morning then.”
She quickly turned toward the door, Tom moving to follow. The whole way there,