Page 141 of Fire and Bones

My heart just wasn’t in it. I’d planned to ask Ivy for suggestions about romantic getaways in the area, but now that didn’t feel right.

I fidgeted, antsy. Swiveled in my chair, wondering what to do with my empty afternoon.

My gaze fell on the sorted and stacked photocopies provided by Ivy. Some read, others not.

I’d heard nothing from Lizzie Griesser. Hesitated to call her again. Might one of the articles shed light on the name or fate of the tiny subcellar lady?

In for a penny.

Before turning to the old news stories, I fired off a text to Katy. Queried the state of the floors at my town house. Birdie’s disposition. Her knowledge of romantic spots near DC.

She replied within minutes.

Cat sulky.

Floors delayed. Occupancy still a no-go.

Salamander Resort, Middleburg, Virginia.

I googled the hotel, then linked over to the website. The place looked perfect. A two-night stay might require me to sell a major organ, but what the hell. Ryan and I badly needed some romance. He’d arrive in two days and stay with me at Ivy’s. Once I knew the date that Chuck and I would part ways, I’d book us in.

I spent the rest of the day and well into the evening reading about the Warring brothers and the colorful exploits of the Foggy Bottom Gang. Juicy stuff, but uninformative regarding the subcellar remains.

At six, I spoke with Ryan for almost an hour. Considered telling him what I’d seen at the Petco. Decided that might qualify as gossip and didn’t. Besides, he knew neither Ivy nor Zanetti.

At ten, I zapped a frozen pizza for dinner.

While eating, I watched a West Wing rerun—I was in DC—then Colbert.

I fell asleep just past one.

It was getting to be routine.

Startled awake by a buzzing on the bedside table, I reached out and scrabbled for my mobile.

The screen told me it was 4:24 a.m. And that the caller was Jada Thacker.

“Are you a fan of Groundhog Day?” she asked cryptically.

“What?” Brain still too sleep-fogged to pick up on the reference.

“Bill Murray? Reliving the same day over and over?”

“It’s four in the morning and you’re asking for a movie review?”

“Another fire’s going gangbusters in Foggy Bottom.”

That snapped my mind into focus.

“Any fatalities?” I asked.

“One DOA is rolling toward the morgue as we speak.”

“Holy sweet Jesus,” I said, and thought of the four corpses that had lain on my table.

“Yeah.”

“Arson?”