Page 16 of The Murder Club

“It might have been a different story if she’d been alone,” Dom insisted, knowing he was overstepping the line. As far as Bailey was concerned, he was barely more than a stranger. But he was genuinely concerned. He wanted the law officials in town to understand that Gage Warren was a threat. “Plus, I’m sure he was drinking.”

Zac’s jaw tightened. “Do you want to press charges?” he asked his cousin.

Bailey shook her head. “No.”

Zac hesitated, as if wanting to insist that Bailey give him a reason to haul the man into his office and give him a stern warning. Then he grimaced. Bailey knew what she wanted. And she’d said no.

“Call me if you need anything,” he finally said, heading out of the door with a glance toward Dom that warned he would be swinging by Dom’s temporary residence to discover why he was hanging around his cousin.

Dom shrugged. That was okay with him.

Shutting the door, he turned to discover Bailey regarding him with a resolute expression.

“Thank you for your help, but you don’t have to stay.”

It was politely stated, but Dom sensed she wanted him to leave. No doubt she needed some privacy to process everything that had happened.

“Do you have someone I can call to check on you?”

She shook her head. “No, really, I’m—”

“Fine. I know,” he interrupted with a teasing smile, studying her with a lingering concern. The color had returned to her face and she was sitting with her back straight, but he was reluctant to abandon her. “I still don’t like the thought of you being alone.”

“I won’t be,” she assured him. “Bert and Ernie are next door. As soon as they realize I’m home, they’ll be back.”

“That’s not the same as having someone here with you.”

She shrugged. “I’m used to it.”

It wasn’t a complaint, just a simple statement of fact. Dom got it. He had friends who were important in his life, but at the end of the day he was alone. Some days that was great, other days . . .

Not so much.

“Okay. You have my number if you need it.” Lia had set up a group chat when she was organizing the wedding to keep everyone up-to-date. “I’ll be back later.”

Chapter 4

Pauline Hartford watched her grandson pace across the carpet of her elegant living room. Kevin Hartford was a tall, heavyset man with bald spots peeking through his pale hair and a round face that was marred with a petulant expression. He was wearing a pair of dress slacks and a sweater that were at least one size too small, as if he’d had to dig them out of the back of his closet. Which was probably right. He hadn’t had a job in months. No doubt he spent his days in sweatpants.

“Why are you being such a pain about this?” he abruptly whined, glaring in her direction.

Pauline rose to her feet. Unlike her grandson, her expensive pantsuit fit her slender form to perfection and her silver hair was pulled into a smooth bun. She might be eighty-three years old, but her career as superintendent of the Grange School System meant she understood the importance of maintaining the proper appearance. Even if she did spend most of her days alone in her house. A gift that had been lost on Kevin.

“Don’t take that tone with me,” she chastised.

Kevin pinched his lips, as if holding back his angry outburst. “All I’m asking is for a few bucks to get me through the month,” he finally muttered.

“I gave you more than a few bucks in August. In fact, it was over five thousand dollars. What happened to that?”

“What do you mean, what happened to it? Shit is expensive. Do you know what it costs to put braces on my kids?” he demanded. “You’d think they were wearing gold grills studded with diamonds.”

Pauline sniffed. “If you can’t afford braces, then why did you have them put on?”

“You want your grandkids to look like trash?”

“Great-grandkids, and I’ve been supporting them since they were born.”

“That’s what family is supposed to do. Help each other out, right?” he repeated the words he used every time he showed up at her door.