Cherry Creek - Dani Matthews Page 0,39

that has me caving, though. It’s that quick smile of his that seems to make my heart clench.

We begin to walk to the parking lot, and I'm conscious of Trace standing close to me. So close that our shoulders brush slightly, and I fight the urge to lean closer so I can touch him more. These feelings he evokes within me makes me uncomfortable, because I can't understand where they are coming from. I'm relieved when we reach his SUV and there's some distance put between us. The drive is short since it's only four blocks. I thank him for the ride and flash him a genuine smile before I walk to my own car. Well, it's not really my car. It’s only temporary, I correct myself.

When I get back to the Deveroux mansion, I settle in my room and think over my meeting with Sheffield. After the amount I paid, he better come through with information. He'd warned me that I might have to pay more depending on how much it costs him to track her down. If he racks up bills and she's difficult, I'll owe even more.

After I change for bed, I remember the list I'd made at the diner. I should transfer it over onto the computer and start making notes of all my suspicious findings or thoughts. Unfortunately, when I search my purse for it, I can't find it. I dump everything out of my purse, but it's gone. Had it fallen out? I could have sworn I'd shoved it inside my purse, but I wasn't looking at the time because I'd been focused on Trace. I suppose there's a chance it might have fallen out.

Unless Trace stole it.

No way.

That would be ridiculous.

***

I'm back to being paranoid the following morning. The items in my room are seriously beginning to bug me. I've felt this way for a while now, but I never tried to figure out why I'm so bothered.

Until today.

As I look around, I try to make sense of what I feel when I look around the room. It’s as if I've seen a lot of this décor before. No, I know I've seen some of it before. I can't help but start walking around the room, peering at the assortment of figurines and accent pieces. I pick up a vase and study it, looking carefully at the delicate design that seems oddly familiar. Where have I seen this before?

For a couple minutes, I simply stand there, staring at the vase. Then, it comes to me. I have seen it before. There was a store back in Missouri I walked past daily when the city bus dropped me off at the diner where I'd worked. This vase had been sitting in the window, and I remember pausing at the window to gaze at it more than once.

But how would Khristos know about it?

A bad feeling creeps over me, and I quickly set the vase down before picking up the hummingbird figurine. I go through each and every item carefully. I can't find any tags, but some of them I remember seeing back in Missouri. Lastly, I walk over to the pretty, blue lamp. My first day here, I remember thinking how odd it had been that Khristos had bought the exact same lamp that I could have sworn I’d seen before. I don't know what makes me think to do it, but I carefully tilt the lamp to the side to peer at the bottom.

Bingo.

I carefully peel off the price tag and gently set the lamp upright again. First of all, the lamp had cost a whole hell of a lot more than I'd originally thought it'd cost. Second, the store name is on the sticker. A minute later, I settle into one of the blue chairs by the fireplace and search the internet for the store's website. Sure enough, its address matches up with the store I'd seen it in. In Missouri.

That intuitive feeling that something isn’t right comes back to me. Almost everything in this room is from Missouri. There is absolutely no way Khristos could have just happened upon all my favorite things in only the short week he was there. Not to mention I hadn't left the apartment after Brad's attack until I'd had no choice but to go out to breakfast with my mom and Khristos. After that, I’d refused to leave the apartment. I’d spent a lot of time in my room once I’d learned my mom was