Currently, the sun was setting, lighting up the hillside with bright shades of orange and red, making it appear as if the entire hillside was on fire. It would have taken Raven’s breath away if she were alone and not having her first official dinner with her boyfriend’s parents.
“How are the wedding plans coming along?” she asked Fiona after they’d ordered their food and their drinks had been delivered.
While Cade and Sean broke into a conversation about work, Fiona filled her in. She couldn’t remember being this comfortable around his family before. Actually, if memory served her right, when she and Reggie had been dating, she’d had dinner at Fiona’s house, the one that had burned down. She’d been so silly back then. So naive. So… utterly young. So nervous.
When Cade’s hand found hers under the table, she smiled and felt a wave of warmth flood her. It had been so different with Reggie.
As she laughed and enjoyed dinner, her thoughts kept returning to the rumors spreading around. Revenge couldn’t be the only reason her uncle had it out for her.
Sure, she’d taken away everything he had. His home, his job, his life, and his reputation, but he’d gotten away with millions. How much money did one man really need? Where had it all gone?
It wasn’t as if they’d been hobnobbing around town. Actually, the word was that they were staying at a friend’s place in Redding now. Completely broke.
Liza was sticking it out in the room upstairs. She’d even gotten a part-time job at one of the boutiques in town to help pay for the room.
Liam Montford had shown up on Raven’s radar a month after she’d fired her uncle. The man had actually put the resort down on his resume as a reference at a casino in Vegas that he was trying to get the manager’s position at.
Morgan Roche was lying low. The woman had pretty much disappeared shortly after she’d been brought in for questioning about Rachelle’s murder.
“You’re quiet,” Cade said with a squeeze of her hand.
“Just thinking about Morgan Roche. I haven’t seen her around town for a while,” she answered.
“She’s in Paris,” Sean broke in.
“You let her leave town?” Cade almost barked the question out.
“She was cleared of all three murders,” Sean replied.
“What about the case against her about the money?” Raven asked.
“She’s got a very good lawyer.” Sean sighed. “He claims that since she has dual citizenship, she is required to go back to France every six months. They worked something out with the judge.”
“Didn’t she just return from Paris?” Fiona asked.
Sean nodded. “Yeah, like I said, she had a really good lawyer. Apparently, her family has a lot of money.”
“Enough money that my three million looks like change?” Raven asked.
“Her father is not only an ambassador, but one of the wealthiest men in the country due to his business dealings,” Sean answered.
“Then why the hell—” Cade stopped when his mother gave him a look. “Excuse me. Why the heck does she live in Cannon Falls and own a business and work as a CPA?”
“Daddy issues,” Sean suggested dryly with a shrug.
“I hear my aunt and uncle are in Redding again?” Raven asked.
“Yeah.” Sean nodded. “I’m having the local PD keep an eye on them. I’d be happy if they never returned to Cannon Falls.”
“You and a lot of people,” Fiona said softly. “Sorry.” She winced and looked at her.
“Don’t be. I’m one of those people,” she admitted.
“There are a lot of new rumors going around town,” Sean said, causing Raven’s entire body to stiffen.
This time it was Fiona who reached across the table to take her hand. “They’re just rumors,” she said clearly to Sean.
“Right.” Sean nodded. “I never give any clout to anything I hear in the diner.” He smiled across the table at her.
“We made a list of reasons why Colin would start spreading this new one,” Raven admitted.
“You think it was your uncle who started it?” Sean asked.
“Who else?” Raven asked.
There was a moment of silence before Sean answered.
“The murderer,” he finally said.
A silence fell over the table, and Raven felt a shiver race up her spine.
“I’m going to find whoever is stalking this town,” Sean promised. “Whoever has everyone looking over their shoulders in fear.”
Just hearing the words made Raven’s heart leap. She wasn’t alone in her fears. As much as she wanted to succumb to them, she had to endure, to rise above and show the world that she was stronger than them.
“Rumors don’t matter,” she told the table and herself. “But if someone is starting them, couldn’t we use that to lead us back to the beginning?”
Sean’s eyebrows shot up. “Hunt a killer by finding the source of the rumors?”
She nodded slowly. “If you believe the person starting them is the killer.”
Sean surprised her by smiling. “Damn. Why the hell…” When Fiona gave him a look, he cleared his throat, much like Cade had done moments ago. “Why the heck didn’t I think of that?”
“I blame all the detective shows I watched as a child.”
After this, they ordered dessert and the conversation turned away from the murders and back towards the wedding.
As they were walking out and passing the bar area, Raven stopped for a moment to appreciate just how packed the place was.
“This has turned into quite the hot spot,” Fiona said.
“Yes, it has,” Raven agreed with a smile as Cade’s arms wrapped around her.
“So, have you two made it official? Are you living together?” Sean asked.
“Sean.” Fiona slapped him on the shoulder.
“What?” Sean acted hurt. “Everyone in town wants to know. I mean, if you’re the kind of person who listens to rumors…”
Raven smiled as Cade laughed.
“No, we haven’t made it official. Actually, I was going to ask Raven this weekend, on our trip to the beach”—he turned towards her and winked— “if she’d move in with me full time.”
“Of course, I will.” She hugged him and laughed when he spun her around in the air.
It was time. There was no more holding back the fire. The spark had started and now the fire was raging on. But as with before, this time there were no carefully laid plans. With each kill, they grew more relaxed, stronger, more desperate for the thrill.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Sometimes you have to throw yourself into the fire to escape from the smoke. ~ Greek Proverbs
Cade counted the hours until he could clock off work on Friday. He hadn’t looked forward to a weekend this much in a long time.
Normally, Raven worked on Saturdays, but she’d planned to take the entire weekend off just so she could be with him.
He didn’t want to let her in on the secret, but he’d booked a room at a little B and B in Fairhaven starting tonight. He’d planned on springing the surprise on her when he stopped by the resort and picked her up. Since she still had clothes at the resort, he figured it wouldn’t take her long to get some clothes together for the two-night stay.