because he was a pain in the ass, but he obviously knew Becca a lot better than she’d let on. They didn’t seem to be romantically involved, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t be. Wouldn’t be. Hell, shouldn’t be. They were an ideal couple. They’d have perfect, pretty children, with brilliant brains. In the evenings they could sit around drinking fancy wine and discussing their common interests. Her dad would be in heaven if she married that dick.
“I’ll let you know if I find anything,” Reitman said.
Owen turned, relieved that the two weren’t locked in each other’s arms. If they had been, it hadn’t been for long.
“No you won’t.” George jabbed a finger at the bags clutched in Reitman’s hands. “That’s evidence. This is a case. You’ll let the chief know, then she’ll decide who else gets to hear it afterward, if anyone.” He shuffled his feet. “Sorry, Becca. Owen. But that’s just the way it is.”
Reitman looked as if he’d sucked on a lime, lips disappearing into his prissy facial hair before he left without another word. Owen’s mom’s shouts increased in volume at the sight of him, though Owen couldn’t understand a word she was saying. George headed for the door.
“I can clean this up, right?” Owen asked.
“You need to wait for an all clear from Chief Deb.” The officer paused. “You should probably leave now too.”
“Swell,” Owen muttered, gaze on the ick.
“We won’t touch anything,” Becca said. “You go ahead. We’re right behind you.” She lifted her hand, palm up. “Promise.”
As the bangs and shouts from his squad car continued unabated, George fled. A door slammed, an engine growled, tires crunched, then blessed silence.
“I’m not going to be able to clean this place up, put it on the market, and boogie, am I?”
“Do you really want to leave now?”
“I want to leave yesterday.” Before he’d kissed her and remembered how much he missed it. Before she’d told him she didn’t want to see him any more while he was here. He’d deserved that, but still, it had hurt.
“Your mother needs you.”
“Did my mother even say my name? Ask how I was? Wonder why I was here? She doesn’t remember me, which means she doesn’t need me.” She never had. All she’d ever needed was a bottle, a needle, a snort, or a pill.
“I doubt she’s forgotten she has a son.”
“I don’t.”
“You’re just going to leave without finding out why she escaped, what that whole ‘die, witch’ thing was about?”
“No.” He might want to, but he couldn’t. “According to her caseworker, Mom’s escaped three times, and they have no idea how.”
“That’s crazy.”
“What isn’t?” Owen waved at the pentagram. “It’s a damn horror show.”
Reggie kept looking back and forth between the two of them, as if following the conversation. Owen rubbed the dog’s head and received a lick on his wrist in return.
“I can’t believe she had anything to do with this,” Becca said. “Animals love her. She loves them. She wouldn’t—”
“I have no idea what she’d do.” He never had. “Except she didn’t escape until after I found this mess. But she came here this time, and she never did before. Why?”
“Why not? It’s home. Or at least the last home she had.” Becca cast a glance toward the front door. “Let’s go back to town.” When Owen hesitated, she took his hand and tugged. “I told George we wouldn’t stay.”
Owen didn’t want to hang around. Even though the sacrifices were gone, their memory remained. So he whistled to Reggie and they followed Becca onto the porch. He was surprised to see the sun was straight up noon. With all that had happened so far today, it should be tumbling down by now.
“I’ll drop you at your parents’.”
“Again?”
“Deb said you couldn’t stay at your place.” Any more than he could stay here. “Both yours and mine are crime scenes.”
“For completely different reasons.”
“I doubt that.”
Reggie cast puppy-dog eyes in Owen’s direction.
“Geth voraus,” Owen said. Go ahead.
The dog trotted into the underbrush—to do his business, chase squirrels, or maybe, right now, his business was chasing squirrels.
“You think Satanism has something to do with the pillow over my face?”
“I think a budding serial killer and an attempted murder are too similar to ignore. Especially in a town that previously had only my mother for entertainment.”
“Nothing connects these two crimes,” she insisted.
“Nothing,” he agreed, and started down the steps. “Except you.”
* * *
Owen’s words surprised me so much I stood dumbfounded on the porch as he headed for the pickup. Then I