Page 54 of Traitor
Chapter Twenty-One
Peyton
“Should I come now?”I ask when I call Ford back after seeing his text at my first break. “I can catch a cab, or I can ask Alice to bring me over.”
“No, you should stay there. I have to go talk to Hadley at the station first. I’ll have Nell bring your car to you, if you wouldn’t mind dropping her back off at her house.”
I want to ask him if he’s sure. More than that, I want to be there because I don’t like the vacant tone in his voice. “That’s fine, if you’re sure. God, I can’t believe it was Lola. Her restaurant was the first place I stopped when I got into town.”
“I have to go,” he says abruptly. “Don’t leave the studio without someone there.”
“I won’t.”
Then the line goes dead.
Dread pools in my stomach. I turn to go into the studio and find Alice locking up, her face snow-white and lips bloodless.
“I’m sorry, Peyton, but we have to close today. My sister—” her voice cuts out and tears spill over her cheeks. She dashes them away with her hands. “I got the call she was found dead. She was supposed to be gone for a conference. I figured that’s why I hadn’t heard from her, but…the police found her. I have to go. I’ll let you know when we plan to reopen.”
She doesn’t give me a moment to offer comfort or share sympathy. For the first time since I began working with her, granted not a long time, she looks harried and distracted. With an attention for detail that could rival Nell’s, Alice is usually so put together it makes me envious. Understandably, not today.
I blow out a breath and dig my phone back out of my pocket. Ford is going to be at the sheriff’s station for a while. I should spend time with Uncle Bradley before he goes home—or at least spend time convincing him heshouldgo home. It’ll be a hard sell considering the news, but I don’t need a babysitter, no matter what either of them thinks.
“I’m glad you called me,”Uncle Bradley says, as we take a seat for lunch at the local Mexican joint.
I order a sangria and extra queso from the waitress and he gets a Coke. “Thanks for coming out to lunch with me. I figure we both have some things to talk about.”
His salt-and-pepper beard twitches. “Oh? And what did you want to talk about?”
“In case you haven’t heard, the police have found the body of a woman this morning. If I’m right, it’s going to turn out to be the woman I saw killed at the lake.” Before he can interrupt me, I raise my hand and cut him off. “No, I’m not coming home. I don’t want to keep running away or hiding when things get rough.”
The waitress delivers our drinks and Uncle Bradley takes a careful sip of his before he answers. “You’re being unreasonable. I only want you to be safe.”
I nod. “And I will be, right here.”
“You can’t claim it’s safe here when you’ve got a murderer in your bed.”
“What are you talking about?” Derailed, I place my queso covered chip on my plate. Rage causes my hands to tremble, so I hide them under the table on my lap.
“I’ve read up on your man. Seems he got into some trouble overseas during his last deployment.”
“I’ve heard about that, his niece told me.”
“But didhetell you? Have you looked it up for yourself?”
My appetite evaporates. “What are you saying?”
He begins to speak and immediately I want him to stop. “He killed a teammate, Peyton. Cold-blooded murder. They were attacked, and his teammate was holding them back. He stole morphine from the team medic and injected enough into the wounded Marine to kill a horse. That’s why he was discharged. Of course, they couldn’t prove it, so it wasn’t dishonorable, but the media and the courts had a field day for a couple years.”
“You’re mistaken.” My voice trembles and Uncle Bradley reaches across to squeeze my shoulder.
“I’m not. This morning when I got to my room, I did some research. I know you think it’s ridiculous, but I wasn’t comfortable with you seeing someone when you’re clearly so vulnerable.”
“I’m not vulnerable,” I say slowly, clearly.
“You may think you’re not, but you don’t even know who the person it is that you’re seeing. I don’t want you to get hurt again.”
I study the wood grain in the varnished table, my stomach rolling from the scents of cilantro and salt, which had been so appetizing only a few minutes prior. When I’m steady again, I meet my uncle’s gaze.