A Deep and Dark December(38)

“Sure.”

She could feel him, watching, waiting as she put ice in the glasses and poured the tea. Did he think she knew about Deidre and Keith’s affair? She couldn’t figure out which he would think was worse—her knowing and not doing or saying anything about it or her not knowing and being cheated on by her boyfriend.

“Sweetener?” she asked, hoping to extend her hostess duties.

“No. Black is fine.”

She took a breath and faced him across the small kitchen island, needing the barrier.

He reached for the glass she offered, their fingers brushing briefly. Had that simple, accidental touch affected him the way it had her? Did he feel turned inside out and backwards the way she did? She fought for some equilibrium, searching for some sense of what he was thinking in his expression.

He set his sunglasses on the counter and sipped his tea, taking in everything about her. “I like your hair.”

“Thanks.”

She grew warm under his watchful gaze, which lingered improperly on areas it shouldn’t. Alone together, he didn’t bother to hide his attraction for her. It would be so easy to show him hers. He had her so twisted up and off balance, she hardly trusted herself around him.

“Why are you here?” she asked, gripping her glass with both hands.

“The coroner confirmed that Deidre was pregnant.”

She nodded.

“We won’t have the DNA results back for a few more weeks, maybe months, depending on how backlogged the lab is.”

“You’re testing the fetus against Greg’s DNA?”

“Yeah.”

“But he’s not the father.”

“It’s not like I can take samples from every man Deidre ever had contact with.” He put the insinuation of the baby possibly being Keith’s out there for her to pick up in open challenge. His expression gave away nothing as he waited for her response.

Did he think she’d known about Deidre and Keith and had lied to protect her boyfriend? It would almost be better if that were the case. At least then she wouldn’t have to admit that Keith had deceived her. That he was lying to her still. That what was between her and Keith was tainted and wrong after she’d defended their relationship so vehemently.

“No. I suppose not,” she said a little too defensively, her body rigid with denial.

He lowered his gaze to his glass, smoothing the condensation from the sides. That’s when she noticed the phone number Candy had written on his hand. She wondered if he’d use it. “I have to follow up on every lead,” he said.

“You should,” she spat back.

He lifted his head, zeroing in on her. “Every lead.”

“San Rey’s a small town. What you do and don’t do is big news.”

“And if I’m seen talking to someone, people will assume that person has knowledge of a crime. Or was involved in one.”

“People can think what they like.”

“What do you think, Erin?”

“I think…” She took a sip of tea to buy some time.

There were too many thoughts chasing each other around in her head to pin down a coherent one. Anything she said about Keith and Deidre would splash back on her. Was Keith using their relationship to cover up his affair with Deidre and the possibility that he was the father of Deidre’s baby? Going further with that train of thought: could Keith be using their relationship to throw suspicion off him for killing Deidre and his unborn child?

Erin had to choose her words carefully here. Not everyone would think she was innocent and they might even think she conspired with Keith if he turned out to be a murderer. Worse yet, Graham might think she conspired with Keith by making up the visions she saw to throw Graham off Keith’s trail.

“I think it’s more important to find out what actually happened than to worry about what people will assume,” she answered.

And that was the truth. People could bend facts to suit their purposes, but they couldn’t change them.

She puffed out a breath, her mind made up. “You should pursue every lead. Every last one.”

“Even if that means stirring up the gossip hive?”

She looked out the window at the waning daylight. Keith would be there in about an hour to pick her up for their date. “You can give them something to talk about tomorrow, can’t you?” She turned back to find him examining her intently.

They stared at each other across the island, the tension between them hard and tight. She tried to communicate with her eyes what she couldn’t with her words. If he gave her this, she’d owe him.

“It can wait until tomorrow. Only for you,” he added. “This one time.”

If she could get the words out, she’d thank him. Tomorrow Graham would question Keith about his relationship with Deidre and Erin would have freed herself from Keith and the shadow that had hovered over their relationship. It was a relief. She finally had a reason for why she couldn’t ever make things work with Keith. All along it was his fault and not a flaw that lay deep within her. He’d poisoned their relationship from the start. There was no going back from that.

“There’s one other thing,” Graham said. “Deidre’s cell phone and keys were missing from the things we found of hers at the house. Know anything about that?”

She closed her eyes for a moment, picturing the kitchen where Deidre and Greg had died. “No,” she drew out after a moment, opening her eyes. “I don’t recall them.”