slipped the car into gear.
“If you don’t mind, I’d really appreciate you keeping that to yourself.”
“You got it.” He glanced at her, then pulled away from the curb. “You can trust me, you know.”
“Trust is a door that swings both ways,” she reminded him. “So back at you, Malone.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Saturday, August 13
11:00 A.M.
When Mira arrived at the studio the next morning, Connor was waiting for her. He stood beside his car, in the shade of a dogwood tree. As she parked, he came to meet her.
“Morning,” she said. “What brings you by?”
“Really?” He looked as tightly coiled as a snake. “You don’t know?”
“No.” She frowned. “Is something—” Then it dawned on her. “The detectives called you, didn’t they? They said they might.”
“They came to see me.”
She slammed her car door, surprised. “Okay. That seems a little over the top, but whatever.”
“Actually, it’s a lot over the top, Mira. We need to talk.”
“Sure. But inside,” she said. “It’s too hot out here.”
He nodded and together they rounded the building, then headed into the studio. Deni heard them and called out a greeting from the workroom. “We’re in here.”
Mira glanced at Connor. “I need to say hello. Come with me?”
He nodded and followed her. Deni and Chris were sitting on the floor in front of the Magdalene window. They were sharing an Abita root beer and some cheese crackers. The sun was positioned just so and the light flooded through the window, setting the color on fire.
“Hey, you two,” Mira said as she and Connor entered. “What’s up?”
“Taking a break,” Deni said, smiling back at them. “Hi, Connor. I thought that was you out there.”
“Yup, it was me.”
Chris looked over his shoulder. “We were just talking about you, Mira.”
“Really?”
Deni elbowed him. He winced and rubbed his arm. “What?”
Mira laughed and crossed to stand beside the couple. “Okay, spill it.”
“It’s no big deal,” Deni said. “We were just saying that you look like her.”
“Like who?”
Chris motioned the window. “Maggie here. There’s a resemblance.”
“There’s not,” she replied. “You two are nuts.”
“No,” Connor said, “I see it, too. Something in the eyes.”
“Really?” She tilted her head and studied the stained-glass image. “I don’t see it, y’all. Maybe—”
“Oh, my gosh!” Deni exclaimed, cutting her off. She jumped to her feet. “Your cross, you got it back!”
“I did. Last night, but—”
Her assistant hugged her. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Me, too.” Chris stood and gave her an awkward hug.
“What happened?” Deni asked. “How—”
“He brought it back.”
“Who?” Deni frowned. “You don’t mean that Preacher guy?”
“I do. I woke up and my cross was … there. Hanging off my nightstand lamp.” The two simply stared at her, as if trying to understand, and she added, “So it must have been Preacher, but I don’t have a clue how he got in. Neither do the police.”
“ Who was in your house?” Connor asked.
Deni answered for her. “This psycho person the police called Preacher. He wandered in here the other morning when Mira was alone and attacked her.”
Mira jumped in. “It was pretty scary, but he didn’t hurt me.”
“But we thought he had.” Deni glanced at Chris as if for confirmation. “He had this long piece of glass, the police thought he probably got it out of our trash. There was blood everywhere—”
“The blood was his,” Mira said quickly. “He yanked off my cross and ran.”
Connor frowned. “And you’re saying he was in your house last night?”
“Must have been,” she said. “My cross was back. How else could that be?”
“You seem pretty calm about it all.”
“I’ve been through worse.”
“Well, I’m glad everything’s okay,” Chris said, “but maybe you should think about getting better locks or something.”
“I
“If you don’t mind, I’d really appreciate you keeping that to yourself.”
“You got it.” He glanced at her, then pulled away from the curb. “You can trust me, you know.”
“Trust is a door that swings both ways,” she reminded him. “So back at you, Malone.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Saturday, August 13
11:00 A.M.
When Mira arrived at the studio the next morning, Connor was waiting for her. He stood beside his car, in the shade of a dogwood tree. As she parked, he came to meet her.
“Morning,” she said. “What brings you by?”
“Really?” He looked as tightly coiled as a snake. “You don’t know?”
“No.” She frowned. “Is something—” Then it dawned on her. “The detectives called you, didn’t they? They said they might.”
“They came to see me.”
She slammed her car door, surprised. “Okay. That seems a little over the top, but whatever.”
“Actually, it’s a lot over the top, Mira. We need to talk.”
“Sure. But inside,” she said. “It’s too hot out here.”
He nodded and together they rounded the building, then headed into the studio. Deni heard them and called out a greeting from the workroom. “We’re in here.”
Mira glanced at Connor. “I need to say hello. Come with me?”
He nodded and followed her. Deni and Chris were sitting on the floor in front of the Magdalene window. They were sharing an Abita root beer and some cheese crackers. The sun was positioned just so and the light flooded through the window, setting the color on fire.
“Hey, you two,” Mira said as she and Connor entered. “What’s up?”
“Taking a break,” Deni said, smiling back at them. “Hi, Connor. I thought that was you out there.”
“Yup, it was me.”
Chris looked over his shoulder. “We were just talking about you, Mira.”
“Really?”
Deni elbowed him. He winced and rubbed his arm. “What?”
Mira laughed and crossed to stand beside the couple. “Okay, spill it.”
“It’s no big deal,” Deni said. “We were just saying that you look like her.”
“Like who?”
Chris motioned the window. “Maggie here. There’s a resemblance.”
“There’s not,” she replied. “You two are nuts.”
“No,” Connor said, “I see it, too. Something in the eyes.”
“Really?” She tilted her head and studied the stained-glass image. “I don’t see it, y’all. Maybe—”
“Oh, my gosh!” Deni exclaimed, cutting her off. She jumped to her feet. “Your cross, you got it back!”
“I did. Last night, but—”
Her assistant hugged her. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Me, too.” Chris stood and gave her an awkward hug.
“What happened?” Deni asked. “How—”
“He brought it back.”
“Who?” Deni frowned. “You don’t mean that Preacher guy?”
“I do. I woke up and my cross was … there. Hanging off my nightstand lamp.” The two simply stared at her, as if trying to understand, and she added, “So it must have been Preacher, but I don’t have a clue how he got in. Neither do the police.”
“ Who was in your house?” Connor asked.
Deni answered for her. “This psycho person the police called Preacher. He wandered in here the other morning when Mira was alone and attacked her.”
Mira jumped in. “It was pretty scary, but he didn’t hurt me.”
“But we thought he had.” Deni glanced at Chris as if for confirmation. “He had this long piece of glass, the police thought he probably got it out of our trash. There was blood everywhere—”
“The blood was his,” Mira said quickly. “He yanked off my cross and ran.”
Connor frowned. “And you’re saying he was in your house last night?”
“Must have been,” she said. “My cross was back. How else could that be?”
“You seem pretty calm about it all.”
“I’ve been through worse.”
“Well, I’m glad everything’s okay,” Chris said, “but maybe you should think about getting better locks or something.”
“I
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