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Kenna nodded, encouraging the boy.
Destain disappeared back to the living room. Jax said, “I can make some coffee?”
Merrington took a canister from the cupboard and set it beside the metal carafe that would sit on the stove. Did Jax even know how to make that kind of coffee?
He stared at the can and the coffeepot as if it would suddenly sprout a heads-up display of instructions in the air above both.
Kenna crossed the room and washed her hands. “I’ll make the coffee, if you could stay with Pilsborough.”
Jax squeezed her shoulder.
Kenna caught the edge of a whisper, and glanced over her shoulder.
Merrington’s jaw tightened. Reuben whispered something else. Then he said, “I need to tell the police what I know, or Mrs. Crosby will go to jail for the rest of her life.”
Merrington glanced up to where the wall met the ceiling.
Then he strode from the room.
Reuben looked like he wanted to be sick.
Kenna wanted to tell him he was doing the right thing. Instead, she said, “Your mom says you can fly a plane?”
He nodded. “We have a Cessna in the barn. There’s enough flat ground behind the house to take off, as long as it’s not icy. I’ll get salt down and check the plane.” He turned to the door but paused, glancing back over his shoulder. “You’re the one who found Rebekah?”
Kenna said simply, “Yes.”
Reuben stepped outside in barely a minute flat, geared up for the cold weather.
Jax said, “Something I should know about?”
Kenna wandered over to where Pilsborough lay on the table, still out cold. Did they need to be worried about a head injury? He still hadn’t woken up. “Reuben is Forrest’s alibi for the time of the murder. But his father was unaware what he’s been doing.”
Jax didn’t look like he entirely understood what that meant, but they could talk about it later.
“What happened outside?” she asked.
“Five guys. All of them in the snow. The dogs are patrolling outside. Apparently that’s a thing.”
“And Reuben will be okay out there with no one to watch his back?”
“They’re all dead,” Jax said. “We made sure there weren’t going to be any more surprises. Or attacks.”
Kenna let out a long breath, fighting to hold it together.
“It’s been a night.” His eyes widened, flashing with contentment at the thought this might nearly be over.
“Yes, it has.” A whole lot of running, and not much talking. Whenever they spent time together, she constantly found herself pushing off conversations untillater. “I’m glad we could help Pilsborough in here, and that you all didn’t run into trouble outside.”
“I wouldn’t say there wasn’t trouble.” He gave her a small smile. “But we took care of it.”
And in doing so he—they—had taken care of the family in this house. The people they cared about. Jax had kept them safe, watching their backs like she’d always expect her partner to do.
“You were all right in here?”
“As all right as any of this.” Kenna shrugged. “And it’s not over.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight