anyone before that. But it bothered him to learn that his father had wanted the hotel torn down.
Laurel stared out the windshield. “My mother talked to some of the people who lived near the hotel, and they said my aunt had never worked or lived there. And your father, as sheriff, corroborated that.”
“How do you know that she worked there for certain then?”
Laurel explained to him about the postcard. “In the basement in one of the maids’ rooms, a small letter C was carved into the baseboard, as if the maid claimed the room as her own. Maybe she’d been a maid.”
“So management lied about her working there.” He pondered that for a moment, then thought about what else she’d said. “So she was seeing someone? That’s what Stanton said. It sounded like a love triangle.” His father and Warren Wernicke maybe? CJ ground his teeth.
“Yes, but Aunt Clarinda didn’t give a name. My mother wondered if the man was a mated wolf, or if he was human and she didn’t want my mother to know.”
“If he was human, would your aunt have turned him if he had returned the affection?”
“My mother thought she would. Aunt Clarinda was often reckless. She hadn’t liked their father’s rule and had run off on her own when she was just a teen.”
“All I can say is that we’ll do everything we can to learn the truth. I wanted to tell you about my father’s previous crimes, but maybe in doing so, I’ve caused you to worry about more when there’s no reason to, and for that, I’m truly sorry.”
“No, thank you for telling me. Thanks for taking me skiing and for the run tonight. And”—she smiled a little—“for humoring me and helping me to track down the ghost wolf. I had fun, but I’m exhausted. The business with the Wernicke brothers is troubling too. It’s just a lot to absorb.”
He started to get out of the truck to walk her to the house, but she shook her head. “I’ll see myself inside. Thank you.”
She was out of the truck in a flash, stalking through the snow on the stone path that led to her front door. She waved good night, and he waited until she had gone inside and turned on a light.
He’d wanted this night to end differently. A kiss, maybe sharing a drink—and something more to eat because he was hungry again.
If his father had something to do with Laurel’s aunt’s disappearance, CJ didn’t think he would ever fully come to grips with what Sheridan Silver had done.
* * *
Later CJ stood in his kitchen, trying to decide what to make to eat, not really caring about the kind of food when all he wanted was to make the situation right with Laurel. He yanked out the leftover spaghetti and stuck it in the microwave. His cell phone rang and he pulled his phone out of his pocket. Brett. CJ thought he knew what his brother’s call was all about. “Hey, Brett…”
“Yeah, Brother. Are you free to share a meal with me? Or are you busy?”
CJ would have loved to have been busy in the way his brother meant. “I’m free.”
“I’m on my way.”
CJ suspected Brett had gotten word about the situation with the Wernicke brothers and the MacTires’ missing aunt. Knowing Brett, CJ thought his brother wanted to make sure things were all right.
Feeling a bit cheered that he’d have Brett to talk to, CJ thought again of Laurel and how she was all alone. He wished her sisters were home already. Better yet, he wished that he and she hadn’t ended the night on such a sour note. He took a deep breath, wishing he could say something that would make her feel better. But until they learned who had done what and resolved the issue with the Wernicke brothers, he didn’t feel he could say anything to her that would help.
He pulled the container of leftover spaghetti out of the microwave and put it back in the fridge.
Within twenty minutes, Brett was at CJ’s house. CJ swore his brother was over here more than he was at his own house. Though he loved Brett’s company and was glad for it, especially tonight.
“How’s it going with Laurel?” Brett asked as he brought in groceries—steaks, pumpkin pie, whipped cream, and a premade salad.
At least his brother always brought food. And it was good food. Though when CJ saw the pumpkin pie, he thought of how he had missed sharing some