“Mins?” Max called and Mindy nodded so Max carried on with a one word answer that was obviously meant to explain all. “Dodd.”
It apparently did for Brody nodded.
“He needs you for Bitsy,” Brody guessed.
“That and he wanted my alibi,” Max informed him.
Good-natured, teasing Brody disappeared and his heavy, auburn brows snapped together dangerously before he bit out, “What the f**k?”
Here we go again, I thought.
“Brody, it’s fine. He’s talked to a lot of people,” Max assured him.
“Yeah, but you?” Brody was still unhappy.
“Can we go in?” Mindy butted in. “I need a soda or somethin’.”
“Yeah,” Max said, his arm coming from around my waist but I felt his finger hooking, this time in a back belt loop of my jeans and putting pressure on to propel me forward.
“Doubt Mickey’ll come up on a vandalized car, not when he’s workin’ a murder,” Brody noted as he walked beside us up the steps. “Probably send Jeff or Pete. Still, gonna have words with him ‘bout visitin’ you for an alibi.”
“Let it go,” Max said softly but firmly, sliding his key into the lock at the front door. “He’s just doin’ his job.”
Max opened the door and pushed me in front of him but I still saw the look Mindy and Brody exchanged.
“I’ll get the drinks,” I announced, ignoring their looks, telling myself all this mystery was none of my business anymore not that it ever was. “Mindy, you want a diet?”
“Yeah Neens,” she answered, skip-dancing to a stool.
I shrugged my purse off my shoulder and plopped it on the dining room table, calling, “Brody?”
“Beer.”
“Max?” I asked when I’d hooked my jacket around a chair.
“Beer, honey.”
I nodded and hit the kitchen. Mindy sat on the stool. Brody pulled himself up to sit on the opposite counter. Max assumed his usual position with h*ps against the kitchen sink. I got the drinks and then took my can of diet and went to sit beside Mindy on the other stool. When I settled in I chanced a look at Max to see I was right about feeling his eyes on me. He was watching me and I got the impression he didn’t like that I put space and a counter between us.
“Stayin’ at Mins’s place in town,” Brody declared and Max’s eyes went to him. “Gonna look for Damon, have a word, finalize shit.”
“How much time you get off?” Max asked.
“Gotta be back Wednesday,” Brody answered.
“Brody and I decided we’re all goin’ to The Rooster for steaks tonight,” Mindy announced, bouncing twice on her stool with happiness at this idea and Max’s eyes took her in before they cut back to me. This was both good and bad. Good because his eyes cut to me rather than him going to his gun, bad because he didn’t look happy.
“Made a reservation and Mindy got Bonnie to cover for her at The Dog tonight,” Brody added.
Mindy turned to me and explained, “The Rooster’s steaks are awesome and you get to dress up!”
“Um…” I muttered, feeling the heat of Max’s stare and feeling the pressure of his unhappiness.
“I’m wearin’ high heels and this absolutely fab… you… las top I found at the outlet store. It’s designer but they mismarked it and I got it for a song. You’ll love it.”
“That’s great, darling, can’t wait to see it,” I said to Mindy and then glanced at Max to see he, unlike Mindy, was not thrilled at the idea of The Rooster and he, unlike me, could indeed wait to see Mindy’s designer top.
“What’re you gonna wear?” Mindy asked.