Lily had never in her life been happier to be back in her own element, the diner. Annie greeted her with a big smile and a “tell me everything” look, but with a shake of her head and pursed lips, Lily’s expression said it all. Annie’s smile went out; returning Lily’s sad expression, Annie passed with hands full of breakfast orders. “I’m here if you need to talk.”
Although grateful for the offer, Lily didn’t think she’d be able to or want to give Annie the details just yet. She made her way to her office and plopped into her desk chair.
Before coming to work, she’d stopped by to let Rex out and clean up the accidents he’d had during the night. She couldn’t really blame him. After all, he’d been alone for hours. He’d met her at the door with that guilty look only dogs could manage. It made her smile and broke her heart all at the same time, poor thing. She’d been neglecting him lately.
Work was her solace now. It was a distraction from the horrible night she’d been forced to spend at Aiden’s. The fury she’d felt for that man when he finally came clean bordered on hatred. She’d wanted to hurt him, physically and mentally. Yet despite her anger, she’d had the common sense to realize she was stuck at his cabin until morning. No use risking life and limb to get home.
He’d begged her to take his bed—“I’ll sleep on the couch,” he’d said, but she hadn’t been able to bear the thought of crawling back into the bed where they’d just made love. In the end, she’d gotten her way and curled up on the sofa. Defeated, Aiden had crept back up to the loft.
Lily had been up as soon as the light of the new day filtered through the windows. Having slept in her clothes, all she’d had to do was put on her coat and boots and she’d been ready to head home. When she’d sat up, she’d been startled to see him sitting on the hearth of the fireplace staring ruefully at her. He’d had on jeans and that flannel shirt she’d found so appealing the night before. Only in the morning she’d wanted to rip it off him for another reason. To shred it and throw it into the ashes of the fireplace.
“Got the driveway done,” he’d said. “Found a small snow blower in the loft of the garage.”
Lily had gotten to her feet. “Then it’s time I go.”
“You don’t even want a coffee? I’d like to talk.”
“Nope.” She’d found her purse where she’d left it on the bench by the front door and quickly put on her coat and boots.
“At least let me drive your car down to the road for you.”
“No thanks.” With those words she’d left.
Before beginning her shift, Lily took a bottle of Advil from her desk drawer and popped open the lid. Shaking two extra strengths onto her palm, she downed them with her coffee. Her head pounded. The result of too much wine, too much stress, and not enough sleep.
By midafternoon, Lily needed a break. With a cup of tea and a Danish in hand, she retreated to one of the booths in the back. Her body ached with fatigue and her eyes burned to close. Thankfully, she’d been able to dodge Annie’s questions and was grateful when she finally stopped asking what was wrong.
“Mind if I sit down?” came a man’s voice from behind her. She knew that voice. She hated that voice.
“Sit anywhere you want, except here,” she answered without turning to face him.
“Lily, I really need to speak to you. It’s important. It’s about Sara’s murder. I’m here on official business.”
So he wasn’t going to try to make things right, to apologize yet again. For some reason that hurt.
“Sit.”
Aiden took off his jacket and hung it on the coatrack attached to the booth before sliding in opposite her. “I spoke to Philip Kemp this morning. Went over there after you left.”
A stab of worry shot through her. Aiden talking to Philip was something she would have liked to have avoided. “And?”
“He told me about seeing you with a gun outside your house and that you had a fight with your sister, but what he claimed happened wouldn’t hold up in court. Fact is, the guy hardly saw anything, Lily. I think his imagination ran away with him and, well, he’s not the brightest bulb in the chandelier. He jumped the gun. Sorry for the pun.” A small smile formed on his lips, but it fell away when she didn’t return it. “Anyway, I’m thinking he didn’t see what he thought he did, and I really need to know what happened.”
Her eyes grew to the size of silver dollars. Did he really want to know her side of the story? Wilkins and Deluca had dismissed her explanation, waving her off and pretty much calling her a liar. She assumed Aiden held the same opinion of her.
Lily sipped her coffee and did her best to give an impression of calm aloofness. Truth was, she wanted more than anything to tell Aiden what happened, especially since he saw the cracks in Philip’s version of the events, but she stopped herself before the impulse took hold. How could she trust him after what he’d done to her?
“I’ve already spoken to Wilkins and Deluca,” she said.
“Yeah. I’ve read your statement and Philip’s, as well as the e-mail he sent. Between the two of you, you’re the more credible.”
She cocked a brow and smirked. “Is this some cop thing you’re doing? Trying to get me to think you’re on my side so you can gain my trust? ’Cause, buddy, you destroyed that last night.”
“No! Lily, please. I really am trying to help. Philip Kemp is just some pretty boy and in my opinion, not a credible witness. My gut tells me a lot more went down that day between you and Sara than you’re letting on.”
He pulled out her typed statement and took a moment, tracing through the lines with a finger, until he came to a stop. “Says here you told the sheriff and his deputy you had a fight with Sara and you did have a gun in your hand, but you never intended to shoot her, but that’s all. Why didn’t you explain yourself? Why did you have a gun? What were you two fighting about? This is so vague. There are so many unanswered questions.” He threw his hands up in a gesture of surrender and looked at her wide-eyed, waiting.
Surprise lit Lily’s face. “That’s it? That’s all that’s there?”
Aiden nodded and slid the paper over to her.
She cupped her hands around her mug and let her eyes stray to the sheet. “I said a hell of a lot more than that.”
“Tell me what happened then. Tell me everything.”