Read Online Skeletons in the Mist (The McCall Twins) by Jennifer Hayden - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jennifer Hayden
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and traumatized. You are a stranger to him.”
“And this foster family isn’t?”
“More or less. But they’re a temporary fix. He’s smart enough to know that. I just think you should be careful, that’s all. I can tell you from what I know about him, just from the time I’ve spent reprimanding him at the station, that he’s a resourceful, mischievous and troublesome kid. He’s
smart
and he’ll know how to get to you. You’re not a parent so you won’t see that.”
“And you are?”
He folded his arms over his chest arrogantly. “I handled my sister well, didn’t I?”
“Maybe. But the two situations are hardly similar. Dylan will know that I’m here to help him. So will Devon. I’m all they have.”
“Okay. I can see you’re going to go about this your own way. That’s your prerogative.”
“It is,” she agreed defiantly.
“So are you ready?”
“I’ll get my bags. I assume you’ve figured out what to do with me tonight?” She shot him a nasty stare and he grinned in return.
“I’ll let you know when I do. You may spend another night in my bed.”
“In your dreams,” she snapped, trying to sound self-assured when she was dying inside. She wasn’t used to guys like this one. He was the most arrogant egomaniac she’d ever met.
“You have the wrong impression of me,” he said, after watching her for a moment. “But I’ll let that go for now.”
“I think I have exactly the right impression of you.”
“We’ll see,” was all he said.
SIX
Nothing ever went off without a hitch, Chas figured, as he watched the road in front of him. The normally thirty minute drive from Cavern Creek to Spokane was taking more like an hour. There had been several pockets of road construction, and then he’d had to pull over to answer a call. Trace wanted to know what he had planned today. When he’d told his brother he was with Roxy Tavish, he’d received a whistle in response. Then Trace had given Chas a friendly piece of brotherly advice, as he’d called it. The advice consisted of five words:
don’t fuck up this case
.
Chas would have to have a more in depth discussion with his twin when he got back to town. Obviously his brother had the wrong idea. He wasn’t quite sure why. He hadn’t given off any signals that indicated he was interested in RoxyTavish in any way other than professionally.
Had he?
“Are you going to tell me what your brother called about? It was obvious from your responses that the conversation had something to do with my brothers—with me.” Her voice interrupted his thoughts and he looked over at her. She’d taken the time to pile those curls of hers loosely on top of her head in some sort of top knot. It looked good, he decided, but he liked it better down.
He frowned when he realized he had no right to an opinion about her hair.
“What?” she asked again, now sounding agitated. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Like what?” He turned back to the road.
“Like you’re the spider and I’m the fly.”
“I did not look at you that way. You’re being dramatic.”
She raised her brow.
“My brother is working on questioning witnesses and that sort of thing. We just like to be in sync when we’re working on a case, that’s all.”
“That’s not the way it sounded to me.”
“How did it sound to you?” he asked, almost afraid to hear her answer. He inwardly cursed the speakers on cell phones. They were far too loud.
“It sounded to me like he was worried about something. What I want to know is what it is he’s worried about.”
He didn’t look at her. Better to keep his eyes off her face, he decided.
“Hello?”
“Look, I can’t discuss official police business with you. It’s nothing for you to worry about. We check in with each other every day, multiple times, when we’re not together.”
“You can’t discuss police business with me, even when it concerns me?”
“It doesn’t concern you. Can you ease
“And this foster family isn’t?”
“More or less. But they’re a temporary fix. He’s smart enough to know that. I just think you should be careful, that’s all. I can tell you from what I know about him, just from the time I’ve spent reprimanding him at the station, that he’s a resourceful, mischievous and troublesome kid. He’s
smart
and he’ll know how to get to you. You’re not a parent so you won’t see that.”
“And you are?”
He folded his arms over his chest arrogantly. “I handled my sister well, didn’t I?”
“Maybe. But the two situations are hardly similar. Dylan will know that I’m here to help him. So will Devon. I’m all they have.”
“Okay. I can see you’re going to go about this your own way. That’s your prerogative.”
“It is,” she agreed defiantly.
“So are you ready?”
“I’ll get my bags. I assume you’ve figured out what to do with me tonight?” She shot him a nasty stare and he grinned in return.
“I’ll let you know when I do. You may spend another night in my bed.”
“In your dreams,” she snapped, trying to sound self-assured when she was dying inside. She wasn’t used to guys like this one. He was the most arrogant egomaniac she’d ever met.
“You have the wrong impression of me,” he said, after watching her for a moment. “But I’ll let that go for now.”
“I think I have exactly the right impression of you.”
“We’ll see,” was all he said.
SIX
Nothing ever went off without a hitch, Chas figured, as he watched the road in front of him. The normally thirty minute drive from Cavern Creek to Spokane was taking more like an hour. There had been several pockets of road construction, and then he’d had to pull over to answer a call. Trace wanted to know what he had planned today. When he’d told his brother he was with Roxy Tavish, he’d received a whistle in response. Then Trace had given Chas a friendly piece of brotherly advice, as he’d called it. The advice consisted of five words:
don’t fuck up this case
.
Chas would have to have a more in depth discussion with his twin when he got back to town. Obviously his brother had the wrong idea. He wasn’t quite sure why. He hadn’t given off any signals that indicated he was interested in RoxyTavish in any way other than professionally.
Had he?
“Are you going to tell me what your brother called about? It was obvious from your responses that the conversation had something to do with my brothers—with me.” Her voice interrupted his thoughts and he looked over at her. She’d taken the time to pile those curls of hers loosely on top of her head in some sort of top knot. It looked good, he decided, but he liked it better down.
He frowned when he realized he had no right to an opinion about her hair.
“What?” she asked again, now sounding agitated. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Like what?” He turned back to the road.
“Like you’re the spider and I’m the fly.”
“I did not look at you that way. You’re being dramatic.”
She raised her brow.
“My brother is working on questioning witnesses and that sort of thing. We just like to be in sync when we’re working on a case, that’s all.”
“That’s not the way it sounded to me.”
“How did it sound to you?” he asked, almost afraid to hear her answer. He inwardly cursed the speakers on cell phones. They were far too loud.
“It sounded to me like he was worried about something. What I want to know is what it is he’s worried about.”
He didn’t look at her. Better to keep his eyes off her face, he decided.
“Hello?”
“Look, I can’t discuss official police business with you. It’s nothing for you to worry about. We check in with each other every day, multiple times, when we’re not together.”
“You can’t discuss police business with me, even when it concerns me?”
“It doesn’t concern you. Can you ease
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