14
Atickle along the edge of my senses roused me around five in the morning, and I eased off the beanbag to investigate. Immediately, I regretted my life choices. Pretty sure my back snapped in half while I slept.
Colby was out like a light, so I tiptoed from the room, leaving the door open a crack.
The kitchen glowed warm and welcoming in the otherwise dark house, and I headed there.
“Hey, sleepyhead.” Clay glanced up from his screen and rubbed his dry eyes. “Everything okay?”
A notable absence in the room caused me to reconsider my answer. “Where’s Asa?”
“Doing a perimeter check.” He stretched his arms over his head. “He’s been out there maybe five minutes.”
“Ah.” I joined him at the table. “I sensed a disturbance through the wards.”
“Sorry about that.” Clay swept his gaze over me. “I didn’t realize you were that sensitive.”
“Paranoia,” I said by way of explanation, and he grunted understanding. “Any updates?”
“We heard from Malone.” He leaned back in his chair. “He said the fuel used in the generator is a match for what he smells at the kill sites. An exact match. As in, Olsen must have hoarded fuel too.”
There was no telling what the Bureau would turn up when all was said and done. There would be caches all over that property. And who better to ferret them out than an ornery lynx with a nose for the killer?
“Ask Malone if he would be willing to help the teams locate the various caches.”
“I’m sure he’ll be happy to help,” Clay said dryly. “You give great motivational speeches.”
Intimidating little old ladies, even ones who baked people cookies, wasn’t a talent I wanted to cultivate.
More emails of lesser importance arrived, requiring my attention, and I settled in with Clay to work.
Two hours later, deep in research, I almost jumped out of my skin when a hand landed on my shoulder.
“I didn’t mean to startle you.” Asa raised said hand like he had been burned. “I was just reporting in.”
Blinking away the lines of text behind my eyes, I stared up at him. “Find anything?”
“Nothing.” The edges of his lips twitched. “Except for an elderly woman with a yellow camo shotgun.”
“She’s up with the dawn.” I stood in a rush. “How long ago did you see her?”
My neighbors didn’t expect me home yet, and I had left my car in the driveway. That meant they had no way to gauge my return unless they saw me with their own eyes. The sight of a strange SUV in my yard must have sent Mrs. Gleason into a tizzy. Enough she walked our property line for a read on who had dared to trespass while I was away.
“She’s been on high alert since Clay dropped in unannounced.” I didn’t have to remind Clay she pumped his butt full of buckshot. “She might have seen or heard something we can use. I’ll go talk to her.”
“Not alone, you won’t.” Clay made it an order. “Ace, you go with her.”
Asa cocked an eyebrow in response, clearly not expecting to be paired with me.
“The kid likes me better,” Clay said smugly. “She’s less likely to panic if she wakes up alone, and I’m here.”
“Fair point.” Asa lowered his head. “All right.”
“Let’s take my ride.” I touched his arm. “That way, she probably won’t shoot when she sees us.”
“Probably?” Asa flicked a glance at me. “I thought you were friends.”
“We are.” I shrugged. “But she’s got arthritis, and that makes for a twitchy trigger finger.”