(Blood and Bone, #2) Sin and Swoon(64)

If she only knew.

“He came over whenever he could and let me know what was happening. Those greedy kids of Dick’s are in talks now to divide the whole thing—the cabins and house here in the city and properties in Canada.”

I cock an eyebrow. “Canada?”

“Vancouver—Vancouver something. It will come to me.”

“Do you know when the last time was he came to this house here?”

“Yesterday. He came by and told me he was having these problems. Said it was just a matter of time before things got bad for him, but that he would still make sure someone came and took care of the house. He told me not to go inside, no matter what. Something about a funny gas leak he was having someone look at next week.”

I sigh. “What can you tell me about Dick?”

“Died in a car accident on his way up to Granger Mountain. He went there every weekend. Was an avid hiker and backcountry skier, I guess. And there’s a bit of a backcountry lodge up there.”

“Did his kids ski?”

She shakes her head. “Those kids hated their father, never wanted anything to do with him. Hated the mother before she died too. Always going away to college and living as far as they could. Selfish brats. When people get old they need some extra help, ya know?”

I offer her a warm smile. “I am going to get one of the police officers out front to take you to the hotel we are setting up for all the nice people here on the street. We are going to check that gas leak now.”

“A hotel?” She looks like she might argue.

I walk her to the back gate, through to the alley. “The gas leak might be bad inside. We need to clean it up. The whole block is being evacuated.”

“Oh, all right then.”

“Is there anyone else inside?”

“No. Just me.” She wraps her arms around herself. “I will need my purse, though. It’s on the table at the front door. Would you be a dear and lock up when you grab it? The back door locks on its own.”

I wince and turn, running back to the house. I snag her purse, lock her door, and run it out to the back. Quickly, before I reach her, I call Dash’s cell. “Send a car to the back alley here. A lady needs a ride to the hotel where the people are being evacuated to.”

“Okay, are you all right?”

“Yup.” I hang up so I don’t have to talk in front of her. I am far from okay. I have a terrible feeling about how Old Dick lived and died. The car is there within seconds. “Thank you, Esther, for talking to me.”

“It’s my pleasure, Jane. You take care, and when you find dear Derek, you let him know I said good luck.” She climbs into the car and waves as they drive her away. I jog around the block, hurrying back to the front of the house where the cordoned-off area is.

Men in hazmat suits begin their slow walk to the car. They have tools to test the air quality, and mirrors to check the underside of the vehicle for explosives.

We all back up even more. Dash finds me in the crowd and wraps his arms around my shoulders and kisses the top of my head gingerly. “I just want this to be over.”

“I can’t believe this is happening,” I mutter.

“Me either. I knew he was weird, but not like that. No way was he like that.”

I nod, pulling my cell phone out and making another call. “I need to speak to the three kids who are fighting over the will over here at this house; guy’s name is Richard. Rory is the executor of the will. Somehow he used the alias Derek and became the old man’s nephew. How did we not notice Derek was the name of the nephew?”

The voice on the other side is an analyst named Antoine, a member of my team back home. “Lady Jane, what’re the chances this is a mess-up and my best buddy isn’t a homicidal pervert?”

“Don’t be naive. Not everyone we love is a good person. Most are shit.”

He chuckles into the phone. “I do adore you, Jane!” It’s not affectionate. It’s bitter, and he’s basically using my own words to call me shit. “The son and daughter live at the same house. Address is just sent to your cell, but no one has seen hide nor hair of them for about a month. The adopted daughter lives out of town, close to a place called Tanner. Also sent that address; anything else?”

“Tanner? Stay close to the phone. This shit is unraveling faster than I can keep up, and I am down one partner.”

“Yes, the one who always called in with funny jokes and had donuts couriered over to me.”

“This is serious.”

“Aye, aye, Captain.” He hangs up as I glance at Dash. “The adopted daughter lives just outside of the town where Ashley Potter was from.”