Chapter 16 #3
"I guess we try to go to sleep."
"Our clothes smell like smoke."
"I know. We'll have to get some new clothes in the morning." I got up and went into the bathroom, then poked my head back out. "Good news. There are two robes in here and two complimentary toothbrushes. I'm going to take a shower, unless you want to go first."
"I'll do it after you," she said.
It felt good to step into a warm, steamy shower and wash away the dirt and smoke that was clinging to my skin and hair.
Unfortunately, the water didn't wash away the images from the night, the murder scene, the fire, not even the dreams I had of Paige.
They were all still with me, and they weren't going to go away until I got to the truth—if I could get there.
I might be stubborn, but I wasn't stupid. Someone had set a fire to trap us, maybe kill us. And we were still alive, which meant there was a good chance they would try again.
I really hoped Barclay could get some info from the crime scene. Because we had to find the killer before he…or she…found us.
I woke up with a start on Friday morning, not sure where I was for a moment, and then I saw Morgan still sleeping in the bed next to mine, and it all came rushing back. Turning on my side, I glanced at the clock. It was almost eight. At least I'd slept for a few hours.
As my phone buzzed, I realized what had woken me. I grabbed it from the nightstand, seeing Colton Barclay's name run across the screen.
"Hello?" I asked, keeping my voice quiet so as not to wake Morgan.
"Are you all right? I heard about the fire at your apartment."
"We're both fine, thanks to the fire department getting there just in time."
"You're definitely a magnet for trouble."
"That means I'm making progress. I have your Jeep. It was parked down the block, so it's fine."
"I wasn't worried about that. I can get it from you later."
"You don't need it for work?"
"I have a police vehicle I can use."
"What's happening with the investigation? Do you have any leads on who killed Cabot? Do you think it was Hale or someone else?"
"Too early to say, but I'm hoping to narrow in on some leads today. I need to go now. I'll text you later. Feel free to drive the Jeep wherever you need to go."
"Thanks a lot, Detective."
"You're welcome. Be careful, Tessa. Someone is gunning for you and your friend. That fire wasn't an accident."
"I know. But don't try to tell me to leave."
"I wouldn't waste my breath."
As I set the phone down, Morgan turned over in bed and gave me a sleepy look. "What's happening?"
"Detective Barclay heard about the fire. He didn't tell me anything about the investigation, except that it was ongoing. He wouldn't say if Hale is a person of interest, but he has to be, right?"
"I would think so. But Cabot was a retired detective. It's possible someone else had a grudge against him, and this is a coincidence."
"The timing doesn't allow me to believe that."
"I don't believe it, either," she admitted.
"I need to talk to Professor Hale."
Morgan sat up in bed. "You can't confront him, Tessa. Who knows what he would do, especially if he is the one who killed Cabot?"
"I feel like a conversation with me might shake him up even more."
"That's not a good thing."
"It could be. People who are rattled make mistakes."
"Or they get rid of the person who's bothering them. What are you going to do? Go to his house? Or go to the theater? At least, the theater would be public."
"He wasn't at the theater yesterday." I thought for a moment. "I won't go to his house. He'd have too much power on his home turf."
"Exactly."
"The university," I said, scrambling out of bed to grab my laptop. "He's still teaching."
"It's the middle of August. Is school in session?"
"Yes. He almost always taught in the summer session. If that's still true, I can go to his office, talk to him there. It's perfect. It's a public location. I'd be safe. He'd be surprised. It's a win-win."
I opened up my computer and searched the university website for his class schedule. "He's teaching a class from ten to eleven, with another one at noon. That's a one-hour break. He'll be in his office then."
"I guess that's not the worst plan," Morgan said grudgingly. "What are you going to ask him?"
"I'll figure that out on the way. I need to get dressed, although I wish I had something better to wear than what I had on last night.
" I did another quick search on the computer to figure out what retail shops might be close by.
"Good news. It was so late when we got in last night, I didn't realize how close we are to Fairmont Street.
There are a bunch of retail stores a block away, and a couple open at nine.
I'm going to put on my smoky clothes and see what I can find. "
"I'll go with you. We can pick up coffee and breakfast, and then I'll get back to work on the computer while you meet with Professor Hale. Unless you want me to go with you?"
"No. It's best if it's just me and him. We have unfinished business, and it's time I finished it."