Chapter 26
Kipp
I smiled as I looked at the review that was left. It was my first five-star rating, and it made me feel lights-out. Granted, it was nothing compared to last night when Hattie took me to heaven.
Being with her made me feel like everything was amplified — heightened.
I was curious about everything involving her, but watching her climax was next level, and the way she rode me felt almost spiritual.
Sure, a lot of guys thought everything was like that when they came, but that wasn’t what I was talking about.
Getting off was one thing, but being inside Hattie, touching her skin …
I couldn’t even put into words how moved I felt.
To me, she was that first flower in springtime or that scent of the rain in the summer that brushed over you.
Everything that reminded you of the good in the world, combined with the best feelings, in all the right places.
The inner voice that called me an idiot for not wearing a condom surfaced, but I pushed it aside. I wouldn’t take it back. When I told her that it would be okay, I truly meant it. Whatever happened, it would be OK.
Running through Cabin Three, I cleaned it vigorously and dumped the linens into the lodge’s washing machines, all while watching the clock, just as Rhodes called.
Fuck, through everything that had happened over the last few days, and Hattie and I growing closer, I’d totally forgotten about asking for the background check. Now it was coming back to bite me.
Guilt washed over me as I responded. “Hey, man.”
“I have your info.”
The few encounters I’d had with Rhodes (I could count them on one hand) had all shown me that he was no bullshit all the time, and he was busy.
“It’ll still cost you those six cabins,” he warned.
“Yeah, yeah. Don’t get your panties in a twist, asshole. I saw your reservation already and comped it for your little craft retreat.”
He snorted. “Sure. Craft retreat. You’re cute.
” I could hear shuffling on the line. “So Josephine Harriet Harper. She goes by Hattie. Thirty-two years old. Had an identical twin, Jane Cannon, married to Nolan Cannon, who is a real fuck face. Sister disappeared six and a half years ago on the East Coast. The body was never found, but Hattie had huge suspicions that Jane’s husband killed her.
Probably right, but she could never make anything stick.
Hattie left her high-powered marketing job, sold a bunch of stuff, and started podcasting.
Originally, she was all about making her sister’s case more high-profile so it would get more attention, but eventually she started taking on other cases.
She earns enough to cover gas and stuff, but any profit goes toward domestic violence shelters and advocacy.
She doesn’t draw a salary,” he paused. “All this information I’ll send to your inbox.
Most of her other living expenses are drawn from investments she had from her previous job or side jobs she takes. ”
My eyes shifted to where I knew Hattie was, and even though I had already adjusted what I thought I knew about her, this confirmed it.
Her parents divorced right after Jane disappeared.
Mother has had some live-in boyfriends, but nothing serious.
She and Hattie text and call, but Hattie doesn’t visit her, and she doesn’t call her father.
” Rhodes continued through the information, and I was a little taken aback by the depth he’d gone.
“She has a small group she works with. They all think they’re invisible, but they’re not.
One was a little trickier. I’m still working on him, but the others are all clean for your purposes.
She has a friend who is a second-grade teacher. No threat there.”
I wasn’t sure what to say about all that.
So she had trauma in her background, like everyone else.
Loss and death. Everyone did, I wasn’t sure why my insides were twisting back and forth like they were in a fucked up spin cycle.
I closed my eyes against the heat and sunshine, listening to Rhodes drone on a little about her best friend before I perked back up.
“This Finch case she’s on, that’s an interesting one. I think she’s on to something,” his voice was pensive.
“Why do you say that?” I didn’t disagree with him or Hattie, but I wanted to know what Rhodes saw and if it matched what I did.
“Galloway has a long history of questionable behavior, but he really crossed the line here. Hattie and her team are gathering information on the chief and his boy wonder, but what really stands out is that they’re examining the crime scene photos, and the chief never processed the car.
There’s a dark spot on the seat in a photo that could be blood.
One of her team members has already found out that Allison was working as a cam girl.
Light work, really. Nothing too revealing—just bras and panties—but she was making good money and putting it into a private account.
The husband might have a motive. There were also messages sent to her cam account between Barry Galloway, the chief’s son, and Allison, but they were hidden behind a fake name.
So that could be a motive for the younger Galloway, too. ”
Playing the devil’s advocate, I added. “Could also be money she was saving to get away from the husband, or she was having an affair.”
“Could be.” Rhodes sounded noncommittal.
“You going to keep digging?” The answer was obvious to me, but I wanted to be sure.
“Yep. The case smells rotten, and you and I both know it, but your girl knew it first, just for the record. That girl is probably dead in the woods somewhere. You need to get Wade on it and let OSP figure out that dumb shit. I don’t do bureaucracy.
All that political red tape.” He made a disgusted sound.
“It’ll be a process for sure, but I’ll touch base with Wade. Let me know if you find anything else.” Another grunt. “See you in the fall then.”
“Sure.”
Click.
I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to ease the tension there.
The information overload was a lot to process—not just about Hattie’s background and the reasons she turned to true crime, but also about the Finch case.
I’d gotten myself into a mess, and it was definitely my fault.
There was no excuse for digging into Hattie’s past except my insecurities.
I knew Wade wouldn’t be happy that I called Rhodes, no matter how I sugar-coated it.
The whole Galloway situation was also complicated.
It wasn’t like either of us could decide to reopen a cold case on our own.
There were potentially ways that it could happen, but we were all going to have to step carefully.
Making a call to Wade, I read him in rolling my eyes while he lectured me, and kept an eye on Hattie’s door while I threw a stick for Fish.