Powdered Murder

A lot of good that'll do.

Patrick looked at me and immediately pulled me close to him in a tight embrace. I remained stiff at first, not wanting to let myself spiral back into the same thought process from high school. Always analyzing every word Patrick said to me. Always doubting myself. But after smelling his woodsy cologne and feeling the heat that radiated through his core against my own, I caved and hugged him back. For a brief moment, I closed my eyes. When I opened them, Taryn and Eli were gawking at the two of us. I automatically pulled away.

"No, I'll go to the station alone." I took a few steps back. "And … don't call off the wedding because of me, Patrick. You should do what you think is best." I nodded and reassured the three of them I really was okay before I went back outside to warm up my car. A snowflake touched my skin and reminded me how things used to be around here before Patrick came back. Things were less complicated, and I wasn't in a state of severe paranoia. I wanted to lock myself in my apartment and wait for the weekend to be over.

Patrick, Eli and Taryn all watched as I walked through the parking lot. I glanced up at the sky as if another weight might drop from the heavens. I reminded myself that as long as I was far, far away from the hotel, that wasn't possible unless a helicopter flew by. And if something heavy did fall on me from heaven itself, I should accept that it was really my time to go.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

I almost had a heart attack when I got back to my apartment and saw the figure of a man leaning by the front door. I reached into my coat pretending I had some sort of weapon hidden away for situations like these. All I found were a pair of gloves and stick of ci

I exhaled a sigh of relief the moment I recognized the man looking back at me. His jeans were worn and his boots glistened from trudging through the snow. His breath was visible as he exhaled and eagerly waited for me to unlock my door. I looked over my shoulder one last time before I gave him my full attention.

"Wade," I said quietly. "You better hope Mrs. Tankle didn't see you." My landlady was fully aware of the ups and downs of Wade and Joy's relationship. Hearing a heated couple screaming at each other through the walls because one of them forgot to fill the tank with gas was bad for business. More than once a customer of The Painted Deer has complained.

"That nosey old bat is still ru

"Yep," I informed him. "And she dislikes you just as much as my sister does."

"I'm pretty sure that's not true." He leaned in as I opened the door to my apartment and let him in.

Wade was never one for giving a girl her personal space. He's the type of person who sits a little too close to you on the couch, leans in just a little too close during a conversation, and hovers too much when he is curious. Though even I can’t deny that he is attractive in his own rugged way, I think he only does those things to get a reaction out of people.

Well, a reaction out of women.

If it wasn't still winter, his shirt would be off. And most likely his pants.

"You are probably right." I took off my coat and tossed it on a kitchen chair next to one of Joy's. Her things were usually scattered around the apartment. "Is there a word for when you beyond hate somebody?"

"Our marriage," he joked. Wade helped himself to contents of my fridge. He looked past my bottles of vitamin water and homemade chocolate chia pudding with a frown on his face. "What's all this?"

"You mean, why are there seeds in my pudding or where is the booze?" I chuckled, knowing Wade never missed the opportunity to snag a free beer. "Booze. Joy hid them somewhere."

"Of course she did," he muttered. "She's not even here and she's making my life Hell."

"Why are you here, Wade?" I grabbed a vitamin water and loudly sipped it in front of him with a grin on my face. I knew that I couldn't let him stay for too long because Joy was due home sometime before the big wedding di

"That guy you were asking me about," he replied. "He came poking around the mine this morning asking questions."

"John Slagger, the reporter or photographer or whatever he is?"

"That's the one," he answered, grabbing a vitamin water too. He unscrewed the cap with almost no effort at all and cautiously took a sip. He wrinkled his nose. "I thought you should know, and why do you put seeds in your pudding?"

"They're chia seeds and they're really good for you. Plus, they absorb liquid so adding them to my chocolate mix basically makes the pudding for me."

"You lost me at chia seeds." He nodded and took another sip of his vitamin water like the flavor might have changed the second time around. He wrinkled his nose again and looked at the label. "What am I even drinking here? Magnesium? Zinc? What am I, a metal refinery?"

"They're minerals, Wade." I pulled out my cell phone, wondering if Patrick pla

"The good parts." Wade placed his half full bottle on the counter instead of throwing it away. One of the many things about him that drove Joy crazy. He never threw away his trash. Wade retreated to the living area. He plopped down on the sofa and grabbed the TV remote like he was back home in his cabin.

"Uh." I quickly blocked his view to ensure that I would have his full attention. "As much as I enjoy your company Wade—"

"I'm on my break," he interrupted. "I'll be out of your hair in thirty minutes tops."

"I assume that no amount of yelling, screaming, or bribing can get you to leave before then?"

"Man, I've missed you Stratter girls." He smirked and resumed cha

"Promise me that you'll be out of here before Joy gets home."

"I promise," he agreed. He glanced back at the kitchen table where Joy's coat was hanging over a chair. He'd noticed it right away along with the various other items of hers that were sitting around the apartment. A pair of her shoes. An empty handbag. A tube of lipstick. Her favorite coffee mug. Deep down I knew Wade had stopped by for his fix of Joy.

"I'm going to look for something to wear for a di

Wade nodded as I went into my room and opened up my closet. If the wedding di

My cell phone screen lit up as I tossed it on my bed. I stared at Bev's number again. Was it possible that Bev backed out at the last minute because she knew something like this was going to happen? Don't kid yourself, Essie.