Snow Blind - Lori G. Armstrong [40]
Whoa. I unwrapped my scarf and let my eyes drift to the conference room.
“Amery’s not here. She’s in Vegas.”
Thank God. “Doing what?”
“Travel agents’ conference. She was supposed to leave the day of the storm, but the Rapid City airport closed and she wasn’t able to get a flight out until yesterday morning.”
“How bad was it here?”
“They advised no travel due to the whiteout conditions. Amery swung by my place and ended up snowed in with me.”
“Lucky you.”
“Were you really stuck at the ranch, alone, with Doug?”
“Yeah. It sucked in more ways than I can get into. And I’d like nothing better than to pretend it never happened.” I detoured to the conference room and poured a cup of coffee. “What’s on the agenda today?”
“Not much. I’m surprised you came in.”
135
I headed to my office for a cigarette to make my morning ritual complete. When I spun my chair around after firing up my computer, I was surprised Kevin sat across from my desk, looking . . . uneasy. “What?”
“I want to apologize.”
“For?”
“For letting Amery say what she said to you. She didn’t know what the hell she was talking about. You’re a damn good investigator. You found out more than I would have if I hadn’t been so goddamn busy thinking with my dick.”
“You’re admitting the little head led the big head astray? What’s next? You gonna take Kim up on her offer to teach you how to knit and start spewing Dr. Phil?”
“Fuck off.” He pointed his finger at me. “This is why it’s hard to be nice to you. Because you don’t know how to act. Or how to graciously accept an apology.”
My thoughts backtracked to Martinez’s ministrations last night. Talk about nice. Maybe I was only gracious to those who deserved it. I smoked, waiting for Kevin to get to the point.
“Anyway, while we were snowed in, Amery and I spent a lot of time talking about her grandfather. She didn’t want to hear it, but in the end she realized you were right.”
I sucked back a neener neener smart retort with a lungful of smoke.
“She told me when she returns from Vegas her priority will be to get him moved into the acute care unit 136
at Prairie Gardens.”
“Any idea on how she plans to do that? Management wasn’t too keen on helping Amery before, which was why she hired us.”
“She mentioned hiring a lawyer. Or at least contacting AARP to see if they can recommend an elderly rights advocate.”
“Smart move, allying with a qualified professional who’s better suited to deal with Vernon’s problems. She shouldn’t try to buck the system on her own.”
Kevin gave me a strange look.
“What?”
“Nothing. Just been a while since you agreed with me on anything.”
“Where’s the fun in that, partner?” I stared back at him with equal curiosity.
“What?”
“So this . . . thing between you and sweet young thang. What happens now?”
“What do you mean?”
“I assume we’re done working for her.”
He fidgeted, an unusual “tell” for him. “Yeah. So?”
“So why didn’t you jet off to Sin City with her?
It’s not like we have pressing cases. I can’t believe she didn’t ask you.”
“She did.”
“Why didn’t you go?”
Kevin’s sharp green eyes cut through the crap and right to the truth. “Because you were missing. 137
Martinez isn’t the only person who cares about you, Jules.”
A heavy pause hung like a slab of rotten meat.
“As far as what happens when Amery returns? I don’t know. I like her. She’s . . . different from Lilly.”
“Duh. Because she’s about twenty years Lilly’s junior.”
“Ha ha. If I recall, your former boy toy Kell was the same age as Amery.”
“True.” I ground out my cigarette. “Don’t know what it is, but Amery seems younger.”
“You wouldn’t say that if you knew her. In some ways, she’s old beyond her years.”
I so didn’t want to know if he was alluding to her sexual experience or his perceived age of her soul. Kevin’s cell phone jangled. He frowned at the caller ID before he answered, “Hello,” brusquely. The corners of his mouth turned up in a soft smile. “Hey. No, I’m sorry I didn’t recognize the number. I forgot you didn’t have your cell. How’s Vegas?”
I didn’t pretend I wasn’t eavesdropping. If