Page 19 of Night Watch
“You named him after a video game.” Vintage games had been his favorite way to let off steam, and it looked like that hadn’t changed. “I should’ve known you’d do that.”
Erik grinned, a cute little boy grin that melted her heart. “He’s a golden lab, and he’s trained as a sniffer dog for electronics.”
“Oh, wow,” she said. “Interesting. I’ve read a few articles on dogs like that, but haven’t seen one in action.”
“He’s something to see.” Erik’s eyes lit up with a sparkle they’d once held when talking about their future together. “I can have him demonstrate for you if you want.”
“Sure. I’m always glad to learn more about forensics work.”
He flipped a light switch and stepped back. “Excuse the mess. I wasn’t expecting company.”
Curious about his home, she stepped down a long hallway that opened into a great room with an open kitchen boasting contemporary wood-toned cabinets. It smelled like toast and coffee.
She heard the dog whimpering from the living room and peeked to see him dancing to get out of his crate. The far end of the room held a big dining table, and the largest remote control model helicopter she’d ever seen sat on top of it.
She looked back at him. “I see you’ve upped your RC helicopter game.”
“Don’t you know it.” That grin appeared again, and memories of how she’d once hoped to have children who had the same smile haunted her. “That baby is one of the biggest on the market. Blades alone are twenty-six inches.”
Eyes lit with joy, he went to the crate, and Pong darted out the moment Erik opened the door. “Sit.”
Pong’s expression said he objected, but he sat and remained sitting in that spot when Erik came back to the table.
She set down her small suitcase that Erik had offered to carry, but she’d declined, and went over to look at the orange-and-neon-green remote control aircraft. “And you can really get this monster off the ground?”
“Sure thing.” He patted the body. “I’ve been giving it a tune-up and was going to take it up this weekend. You should—” He shook his head and faced the other way. “I’ll take Pong out for a quick break and then pack my things and change the bedding. Once that’s done, we can talk and head up to the office.”
“What can I do?”
“I got it.” He jerked a thumb at the kitchen. “Help yourself to anything you want. Drinks. Snacks. But remember to stay in the condo.”
Kennedy nodded but didn’t move as he hitched up Pong’s leash and exited the condo. Her thoughts went to his family. Soon she would see Aiden, Brendan, Clay, and Drake for the first time in years.
She chuckled. Without realizing it, she automatically ran through their names in alphabetical order. She’d always thought it was cute the way their parents had named them, but Erik? Nah. He’d gotten tired of it. Still, the brothers often did things in order without thinking, like lining up or choosing who went first.
Just the thought of seeing all the brothers together had her dropping sideways into a nearby chair and resting her arm along the back. She was going to have to tell them about WITSEC. She didn’t think a pyramid scammer like the guy her father testified against would kill anybody, certainly not by administering excess blood pressure medicine, but then who did such a thing? More likely it would be someone with access to pharmaceuticals. People like the thugs who wanted to stop her mother’s research.
If the break-in hadn’t occurred, Kennedy might’ve started to believe Finley and the medical examiner and let it go. But now she’d gotten Erik and his brothers involved, and they would help her figure out what happened to her mother once and for all.
She closed her eyes and rested her head on her arm.
Please. Let us find the answers I need. And keep everyone safe.
She lost herself in prayer, completely focusing on God and the power He held over her life.
“We’re back,” Erik’s voice startled her. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.”
“It’s okay. I was just praying.”
“Praying is always a good thing, but if you’re worried about your safety, you can trust us to keep you safe.” His eyes narrowed as he assessed her.
She worked hard not to show her discomfort under his study. “I know you will.”
“But?”
“No but. Can we talk first and then you do the other things?” She pointed at the chair next to her. “I really want to get this off my chest.”
Forehead furrowed, he unhooked Pong. The lab looked at her. “You two should be properly introduced.”
