Between Storms and Scars (Crimson Ice #6)
Chapter 1
One
Ashton
The Evergreen University Police show up at our front door in the middle of a storm. Not just a thunderstorm, either, a full-blown hurricane inside, with a dead body in the mix.
Turns out someone reported gunshots, but the police weren’t exactly certain where they came from. I’m relieved it wasn’t Harper who called the cops.
They’re canvassing the area, going door to door, trying to find out what they can for their report.
It’s a good thing I’m a fast thinker. Of course, Zeke crying inside the house isn’t helping.
“Everything okay in there?” the male officer asks, and I force a smile as I stand on the covered porch. The rain has since tapered off to nothing more than a drizzle.
“It’s all good. Just my nephew woken by the storm. We had a window blown out by the wind. Then lightning struck the roof. Are you sure it was gunshots?” I ask the officers.
“That’s what we’re investigating,” the female officer says. “You didn’t hear any gunshots?”
“I just got back from hockey practice, but no one mentioned it. I’m sure my roommates would have said something if they’d heard gunshots around here.”
“Can we speak with one of your roommates?” the male officer asks.
“She’s putting my nephew back down to bed, and the other one is a toddler.” I don’t mention Nova. It’s easiest if I can steer these officers away from the property sooner, rather than later. Besides, I refuse to let her get interrogated by these officers or any other ones for that matter.
In the distance, I catch sight of a dark SUV slowly coming down the road. They park on the street, watch, and wait.
I catch a glimpse of Moreno from the window and try not to pay him too much attention.
“You have surveillance cameras.” The male officer nods toward the property.
“Yes, my friend’s father insisted we install them for our safety. We also have an alarm system.”
“Would you be willing to provide us access to the feed?”
“Sure, if you give us a warrant signed by a judge.” Another flash of lightning and clap of thunder.
Rain begins to patter down the roof as it picks up steam, and the slow drizzle turns swiftly into a downpour.
“If you don’t have any other questions, I’d like to go back inside, where it’s warm and dry. ”
“Of course,” the female officer says with a forced smile. “Lock your doors, just in case there is someone out there.”
I give her a peculiar look. “I’m sure it was just the storm, but I’ll be sure to lock my door. Thank you for the advice.” I head inside and glance out the peephole, relieved when the officers turn and head to the next house on the block.
“Everything okay?” Nova asks, glancing at me. There’s worry in her eyes, and I reach for her hand, pulling her toward me.
Nothing is okay. There’s a dead body in the hallway. Eventually, it’s going to start smelling up the place, but I suppose we have a little while until the stench turns all of our stomachs.
“Yeah, just peachy,” I grumble and glance at Nova. “Your dad is on his way over. I saw him park across the street.”
There’s a prominent knock on the front door.
I glance through the peephole, ensuring that it’s Dante or Moreno, not the police officers returning with more questions.
Opening the front door, I cautiously let them sneak inside.
“What trouble have you gotten yourselves into?” Moreno asks, glancing from me to his daughter.
Nova steps forward, embracing her dad in a quick hug before getting Dante and him caught up to speed on what happened earlier in the evening, about the man who broke into Zeke’s bedroom, tried abducting him, and holding Harper and her at gunpoint.
“Where is he now?” Dante’s voice is cold and dry.
“Hallway,” I say and point behind us. It’s just out of sight from the door, his body and the blood.
Dante and Moreno step farther into the house and head for the hallway, examining the deceased from a distance. “Just the one intruder?” Moreno asks.
“Should we be expecting more?” Nova’s voice raises with alarm.
Dante exchanges a silent glance at Moreno, his jaw tight and lips a firm line as he takes two steps closer to further examine the body, without so much as touching it.
He’s careful to step around the pooling blood that’s seeped into the carpet and keep a distance as not to leave any of his own DNA or evidence behind.
“He’s Massimo’s son, Santino DeLuca. From the chatter, we’ve ascertained that Santino was running his father’s business.” Dante rubs his jaw, clearly troubled. He turns his attention to Moreno. “This doesn’t strike you as odd?”
“It does, but Santino is young and foolhardy.” Moreno clears his throat. “Do you mind?” he asks Luca as he points toward Zeke’s bedroom.
“Go right ahead.” Luca holds Zeke to his chest, comforting the little guy and letting him eat a purple popsicle which has now covered the kid in stickiness.
Zeke sniffles, but Luca is careful to keep just out of view of the dead body and blood, trying his damndest not to re-traumatize his son.
Careful to step around the deceased and not leave footprints in the blood-soaked carpet, Moreno pushes open the bedroom door and steps inside.
“What are you hoping to find?” I ask, watching with intense curiosity. I’m cautious when I take a step into the hallway and follow Moreno into Zeke’s bedroom.
There’s glass shattered on the floor beside the window. It’s clear the intruder entered from Zeke’s bedroom, which fits the story that Nova gave Dante and her father.
I never expected Nova or Harper were lying.
Had that been Moreno’s concern?
Are the girls keeping something else from us?
“Not sure yet,” Moreno says as he examines the windowsill and the broken glass. “Do you have a tape measure around here?”
“Yeah, I think I can find one for you.” I hurry out of Zeke’s bedroom, careful through the hallway and retrieve a tape measure, handing it to Moreno. Measuring the window, he jots down the information into his phone.
“I’ve got some plastic in the trunk we can use to keep the kid’s room dry and tape it up to the wall for tonight. I’ll get the replacement window tomorrow and have a crew come out and install it. In the meantime, we need to deal with other matters.”
The dead body.
Moreno is careful with his wording and for good reason. While I don’t think anyone is listening to us, the window is open. No reason to alert the authorities, especially with them snooping around.