揑f the PI hasn抰 finished the investigation, why did Troy tell me it was suicide??
Isn抰 that the big fucking elephant in the room?
揥hen I find out, you抣l know,?I promise.
揅an I tell you something??she asks quietly.
Dammit, Destiny. I抳e got to figure out how to move this pig of a luxury car in a storm.
I don抰 have time to be father of the year right now. Still, I know she抯 scared and confused, so I breathe slowly and nod.
揜emember what Eliza said the day my necklace got stolen? She said random robbers wouldn抰 have left my purse and phone.?She bites her lip nervously.
揑 know, little bee,?I say, gently brushing her hair.
Eliza was too right about a lot of things.
When I look out the window again, Tom guides us into a parking lot for a small grocery store. He must lose control because we slide, hydroplaning across the pavement before the car comes to a stop.
揑t wasn抰 random, was it, Dad??Destiny抯 voice is hollowed out.
My gut aches, empty and unsettled.
揑 don抰 know. It doesn抰 matter. You抮e safe with me,?I tell her. I just have to make sure Eliza is, too. 揟om, get in the back with Destiny.?
He turns around slowly with a bewildered look.
揝ir??
揇o it. Quickly,?I bite off.
With a shrug, he climbs out and gets in the back of the car. By the time he抯 seated again, I抦 behind the wheel, soaking wet from the rain.
揗r. Lancaster, please. This storm is terrible and it抯 due to last for at least another hour. We can抰 drive in this.?
揥e抣l see,?I say, wiping cold rain and hot sweat from my brow. 揗y eyes are younger than yours and I have tactical driving experience.?
揇ad…？Destiny purses her lips like she抯 in awe from the back seat, her eyes gleaming.
揝ir, unless you抮e part hawk棓
揘o need. I抦 taking us to Eliza, even if I have to drive across the whole damn Pacific.?
23
The Devil抯 Cup （Eliza）
Go ahead and say it.
I was wrong.
Until about five minutes ago, I thought the biggest mistake of my life was abandoning a lovable grouch of a man plus the best job I抣l probably ever have thanks to said lovable grouch and his dumb mouth.
Nope.
Turns out, my biggest mistake was getting in the car with this babbling psychopath.
How did I never notice how strange Troy Clement is?
We抮e outside Seattle now, and this is definitely not the way to the UPS store or the airport.
The way the rain keeps coming, it抯 hard to tell exactly where we are.
But that smug smile he always wears is gone and he抯 driving like a bat out of hell.
He keeps muttering to himself梬hining about his own 'jackass stupidity'梐nd I抦 long past scared.
I managed to send Cole a semi-clear picture of a mile marker not too far back, and then sent the same blurry image to Dakota. All while trying to hide my screen from Troy.
Everyone must be out fighting the rain on their own, though, because neither of them have responded.
揌ey, Troy, any idea how the route looks now??I ask, trying so hard to keep my voice neutral, free from panic.
揧eah. We抣l be at UPS shortly. I know a better store out this way,?he says coldly.
I frown, wiping the condensation from the side window, peering at nothing but more wet darkness. 揙h. I thought you didn抰 want me mailing the necklace? It抯 okay, I can always do it from San Diego…？
揘ot my choice.?He gives me a frosty, almost menacing look that chills me to the bone. 揘othing ever fucking is.?
Big yikes.
His eyes flick to my hands again, focusing on the small black turtle still dangling idly from the chain. He抯 been staring at it for the last five minutes, ever since I made the mistake of fidgeting with the necklace again.
Not good. He needs to keep his eyes on the road.
揥hy do you keep looking??I ask gently.
He clenches the steering wheel so hard it抯 amazing he doesn抰 snap a finger.
揇oing what??He flicks his eyes back to the road.
揧ou keep staring at my hands and the necklace… I抦 not in the driver抯 seat, but if you don抰 watch the road, we could have an accident.?
With a nasty curl of his lip, he stomps the gas, flying into heavy sheets of rain. His eyes land on my hands again, anchored on that turtle.
揑 know how to drive, Eliza. Relax,?he growls.
Oh, okay. I抣l just lie back and start Googling funeral arrangements while he rams us head-on into a truck.
I take a deep breath, trying my best not to explode.
揚lease tell me what抯 going on? Troy, I抦 serious.?
He answers with another dull chuckle that sounds like there抯 nobody home behind the silver spark in his eyes. 揧ou want to know? Fuck it. First, what did Cole tell you about Aster抯 suicide??