Page 28 of Captivating Anika
As tempting as it is to go back for another taste of those lips, she needs to get some sleep, and I should get home. I wait at the bottom of the steps until I hear the slide of the deadbolt before I make my way to the truck.
As I drive out of her neighborhood, I abruptly pull the truck off on the side of the road and call Evans.
“How is she?” is his first question.
“Shaken but okay. I just left her house and am second-guessing myself. Was it him? Cooper?”
“Doubtful. Looks like he and his brother spent the afternoon at the Sky Ute Casino in Ignacio, drinking. Lots of cameras around.”
“So you’re saying it was random vandalism?”
He snorts. “Nope, not saying that. I’m saying Cooper personally didn’t do it, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a hand in it. People don’t generally carry around roadkill to dump in a random car. It takes a certain level of dedication to scrape skunk corpses off the pavement. There was definite intent, but I’ll be damned if I know why. It’s gonna be another long night for me.”
“I’m turning around,” I announce. “I shouldn’t have left her in the first place.”
“Do what you need to, but we don’t even know if your girl was the target. Did you know Kim Cooper drives a small red car as well?”
No, I had no idea, but I see what he’s saying.
I could go back, sleep on her couch, but she’d still be alone tomorrow night when I’m on shift. She has an upgraded, state-of-the-art security system she put in right after buying the house she feels safe with.
If I show up on her doorstep, insist on staying the night, who am I doing it for?
“If it helps, I already have a patrol car doing some extra drive-bys at the salon, I can tell them to include her house as well.”
“It helps.”
CHAPTER NINE
Anika
“You don’t have to do that.”
Hog sits back in the booth and wipes his mouth with a paper napkin.
“It’s not a big deal. I’ll call Brick on my way home, see if he has time to pick it up from the lab. Then after I grab some sleep, I’ll head up to the Arrow’s Edge shop to see what he says. I’ll get him to do up a quote and you can send it through to your insurance company when I come pick you up.”
Bill Evans left me a message last night I could retrieve my car. I already have the police report for the insurance adjustor, but I need to know what repairs would cost.
“I’m just afraid they’re going to decide a twenty-plus-year-old car isn’t worth the repairs, when it’s worth much more than its book value to me.”
“To be honest, I don’t think repairs are going to come close to what remains of the value of that car, but why not let Brick tell you. I think your biggest concern would be whether he can guarantee that smell can come out.”
I scrunch my nose, the memory of that god-awful stench still fresh in my mind.
“More coffee?” The waitress passes by the booth holding up a thermos.
“Not for me.” I crave my own coffee.
“We’re good,” Hog rumbles. “Just the bill, please.”
Normally I might have insisted paying my own way, but I get the sense I would’ve lost. Plus, Hog looks tired, and considering what he’s already done for me, I don’t have the heart to argue with him.
Without going quite as far as admitting it out loud, it is sort of nice to let someone help carry the load for a bit. It’s funny, I don’t feel that constant need to prove myself with this man.
I’ll always be my dad’s little girl, there won’t be a time where Mom will let me live down the gray hairs I’ve caused her, and I’ll be forever the annoying little sister to Bodhi. But Hog sees me as I am now.
The waitress gets hung up when a table of six shows up and it takes a while for her to bring our bill, apologizing profusely for the delay. As a result, I’m already a few minutes late when Hog pulls up in front of the Chop Shop.