“That car is registered to a Josiah and Maria Branson who live on Hollow Rock Road near Grand Portage.”
“Did you call them?”
“Yeah. No answer. But listen. That’s not why I called you.”
Duke knew this tone of voice, had used it many times himself when delivering bad news to victims or their loved ones. The same voice the oncologist had used when delivering his mother’s diagnosis. “What is it?”
“There’s a car on fire up at Rusty’s gravel pit, and we think it’s Boone’s.”
THURSDAY, 5:16 P.M.
Zuri quickly changed back into her jeans and sweater. Leaving the dress on the hanger, she ran her hand down the silky fabric and smiled. Duke was right. She was here for Vivien. She should push past her own insecurities and stand up for her friend. Even if the thought of all those eyes on her still made her want to pass out.
But the way Duke had looked at her? It definitely gave a girl a boost of confidence.
And who knew? It was early in the game, but maybe she and Duke could figure out a long-distance relationship. It wasn’t unheard of. And they still had a few days together before she left.
She pulled her hair back in a low ponytail and walked into the empty main room of the cabin. Duke must’ve gone outside to take the call from Cole. She stepped into her boots and bundled up in her red coat and black scarf to go out to look for him.
Outside, the sun had set, the outdoor lights casting long shadows on the snowy resort. Duke paced between her cabin and a cluster of pine trees.
“Hey, what did Cole say?” Zuri asked as she approached him.
He looked up and her heart fell. The look on his face said it wasn’t good news. “They think they found the car.”
“That’s great, right?”
“It’s not great, Zuri. The car is on fire.” His glower was back in full force with a bit of an angry glare thrown in for good measure. “I’m going there now.”
The car was on fire?
Before the words could sink in, Duke turned and marched toward the parking lot.
Zuri rushed to keep up. “Hold up. I’m coming with you.”
As soon as he started the engine of his truck, Nat King Cole’s voice sang about chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Zuri jabbed at the music icon on the screen to shut the radio off.
“Wow, talk about bad timing, huh?” She forced a bit of humor into her voice and glanced at Duke.
His jaw clenched tight and his vise grip on the steering wheel were the only hints of emotion she could see. Obviously humor wasn’t helping.
“C’mon, Duke. Don’t lose hope. Maybe they have the wrong car. Or—”
“Let’s just get there and see what we’re dealing with.”
The hopelessness in his grumbly voice tore at her.
The short drive was rife with a silence that was anything but peaceful. Not too different from their first ride together. But they’d gotten over that obstacle. They could handle this too.
Whatever this was.
She spotted the fire as soon as they pulled up to the gravel pit. The fire had totally engulfed the vehicle and the area around it, making it impossible to get near the car or even see it. Flames reaching high above their heads crackled and spat sparks into the bleak night sky. Two burly guys from the Deep Haven fire department aimed the hose at the fire, creating plumes of steam. It didn’t diminish the flames a bit, and the fire volunteers scrambled to get the monster under control.
Duke stood with arms crossed and jaw clenched tight. He toed Boone’s collector license plate, bent and covered in soot, at his feet.
Sheriff Hueston approached and picked up the plate with gloved hands. “We’ll run this for prints and see if we can find who’s responsible.”
Duke only nodded. The warmth in his brown eyes had gone cold.
Zuri reached for his hand. “We can’t even see the car. There’s still a chance—”
“Just stop.”
“But you can’t give up—”
Familiar voices cut through the smoky night air.
Boone.
Uh oh.
“Is that my Mustang?” He and Vivien skidded to a stop at the edge of the clearing.
Vivie’s hand flew to her mouth. She hooked her arm through Boone’s as they watched in horror as the fire consumed what was left of the car.
Duke closed his eyes for a second, then swallowed. “I need to go talk to them.”
“I’ll go with you. You don’t have to do this alone. And maybe there’s still hope—”
“No, Zuri. You’ve done enough.” He practically growled at her. His hand sliced through the air. “It’s over.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I need to stop playing make-believe with you and go tell the groom that not only did I lose his car but also the wedding ring.”
“Wait a minute. You said they think it’s Boone’s car. There’s still a chance—”
“For Pete’s sake, stop!” His eyes darkened, even as his voice lowered—lethal, brutal. Angry. “You can’t slap a bow on this and make it pretty. This is the real world. There’s no miracle coming. This isn’t some fairy tale with a genie granting me three wishes or a superhero to save the day. The sooner you realize that, the better off you’ll be. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a job to finish.” He turned away.
“Duke. Wait—” She grabbed his jacket. “I thought we were in this together. Partners.” Zuri fought to keep her voice even. Was he really dismissing her that easily?
Duke jammed his hands into gloves he dug out of his pocket. “Like I told you yesterday, I work alone. It’s better that way.”
“Better for who?”
“Better for everyone.” He jerked out of her touch.
“So you’ve gone back to grinch-mode, huh? Push everyone away and act like you don’t care. Is that really what you think your mother would want?”
He took a breath, his eyes wide. “Keep my mother out of this!”
Oh, she’d done it now. Duke stood against the black silhouette of the trees, the reflection of the fire heating his face and his breath puffing around him like a dragon.
Yeah, well, he probably meant to intimidate her, but she was from Jersey.
She didn’t intimidate easily. Besides, she knew the truth. “You already do a great job at that. You’re so busy trying to forget her, forget what your ex did to you, that you’ve forgotten how to live. You’ve forgotten that there’s still a lot of good in this world and people who care.”
He blinked at her. “What do you know about my ex? Are you going behind my back now?”
Her voice cut low. “I know you were going to propose but she left you for someone else. And no, I’m not going behind your back. I only asked Vivien why you hated Christmas so much. I was trying to understand you better.”
“Yeah, and did Vivien tell you that Nichole planned the whole thing? Had been texting the guy behind my back for months?”
Oh, Duke.
Zuri shook her head. Even in her anger she could hear the pain of betrayal in his voice.
Duke’s stare went cold. “What kind of detective doesn’t know when his own girlfriend is cheating on him? But like an idiot, I turned my back on my mom, thinking all my dreams would be coming true and I’d have this magical holiday proposal. Instead, Nichole left me for another man, and I came home to find my mother had a cancer diagnosis. So forgive me if I don’t share your Christmas cheer. I don’t have your knack at making ugly things look pretty.” He pointed to the burning car. “This is my reality.”