Deadly Intuition(17)

Sophie leaned back in her seat, trying to push the persistent reservations clouding her mind away. “Let’s go.”





Eight


Grady walked Sophie back to her car, fighting the urge to wrap his arm around her and ward off the evening cold for both of them. He then followed her car through the empty night streets, finally finding his way to her house in Clinton Township. He was surprised when he pulled into the driveway. He didn’t know what he was expecting, but an expansive split-level ranch with ornate front gardens wasn’t it.

He got out of his truck, running his hand through his hair to make sure it wasn’t disheveled, and waited for Sophie at the front door. When she joined him, she looked unsure of herself. “I never said thank you.” Her voice was so low it was almost a whisper.

“You’re welcome.”

Sophie opened the door, ushering Grady into her inner sanctum. When he entered, he realized the house was devoid of personality. Most people managed to make their home feel like it had a presence. Sophie’s house lacked that warmth.

“Why don’t you get settled at the dining room table,” she instructed. “I’ll get my files and join you there in a second.”

Grady wandered through the house slowly, trying to get a sense of who Sophie was as a person. There was nothing there for him to grasp onto, though. After a few minutes, he gave up. When Sophie appeared in the dining room, her hands filled with files, Grady was at a loss.

“This place is … sparse.”

Sophie looked around blankly. “It has everything I need.”

Grady pictured his parent’s house, realizing what Sophie’s abode was missing. “You don’t have any stuff.”

“What do you mean?”

“There aren’t any pictures,” he said. “The walls are blank. There are no photographs. No knickknacks.”

Sophie shrugged. “I’ve never seen the point of that stuff.”

Grady thought about Mandy’s apartment. She spent most of her nights with James these days, his apartment serving as home base for the couple out of convenience, but she still rented the two-bedroom abode she’d lived in when she’d needed their help a few months ago. The environment had been small – but homey. Mandy had filled shelves with books, movies, stuffed animals, and a multitude of reminders that pointed to a happy childhood. Sophie had none of that.

“You don’t read?”

“I have a Kindle.”

“You don’t watch movies?”

“Isn’t that what On Demand is for?”

“You don’t like decorations?” Grady pressed.

“They just seem like a waste of money.”

Grady cocked his head to the side. Nothing she said was arguable. Still … . He turned his attention to her files. “What are these?”

Sophie pushed the top file in front of him. “This is how I first discovered the missing money.”

Grady listened as Sophie laid out her investigative tracks. When she was done, he was impressed. “That’s … wow.”

Sophie’s face was nonplussed. “That’s just the way I do things.”

Grady rubbed his eyes. “So, you got all of this through … cripes … the world’s longest paper trail.”

“It’s all here.”

“You showed me.”

“I don’t think you get it.” Sophie moved behind him, leaning over so her hair was brushing his shoulder. Her proximity – her scent – made Grady’s mind wander. Unfortunately, it was wandering up the stairs and toward what – he assumed – was her bedroom.

Get a grip!

“Can you verify that the money moved from the county’s general fund to the sheriff’s department?”

Sophie stepped away, leaving Grady feeling inexplicably cold. She rummaged through the files for a second, ultimately pushing a sheet of paper in front of him. “This shows that the funds were officially allocated to the sheriff’s department.”

Grady glanced at the document. “It’s a copy, though.”

“Well, finding the original isn’t exactly an option.”

“No,” Grady agreed. “And what did Morgan tell you?”

“He just keeps saying the money is there,” Sophie said. “It’s just been misplaced.”

Grady tried to focus on the information she was presenting. Her scent – a simple coconut and lime body mist – was driving him to distraction. “Do you believe him?”

“Do I believe that he’s hiding the money? I don’t know. I think it’s impossible that he doesn’t know who took the money, though. That seems just so … improbable … and a little unbelievable to me.”