Fuck.
Trace must have picked up on her stress because he eased back into his seat and held her tighter. But he misread her concern when he communicated, “Relax, baby. Everything’s going to be fine.”
Perhaps it was the tension over the entire situation, or the fact that Keegan was recuperating passed out in the other room, or even the overwhelming sense of danger coming from the land itself. Whatever the case, Melinda had never been more uneasy, and she couldn’t help feeling like Mitch was keeping something from them. He’d dropped a few bombs, but maybe he was trying to protect them from the brunt of something so soon after Keegan’s injury.
Why?
The good news was that as far as Melinda knew, Mitch had no idea she was sensitive. If he was hiding something, she would figure it out. He seemed off.
She shuddered to consider the possible implications. She needed to calm down and get rational. Mitch was a long-time friend of Keegan. Whatever bullshit the feds were exploring, Mitch would clear it up.
And then she had an idea. What if the same person who killed Friedmont and sent the threatening email to Keegan had also gotten his hands on Mitch? It wasn’t farfetched. Anyone paying attention would think Keegan had imparted details to Mitch.
Even Melinda assumed both men were privy to the same information. Why, then, was Mitch stating otherwise? He insisted he and Keegan had worked different angles and not conferred. Was that possible?
Could he be receiving payment to push this under the rug? Or worse, threatened if he didn’t?
Someone else knocked at the door.
Melinda jumped out of her skin this time. She was so focused on Mitch, she hadn’t detected anyone approaching. Again.
When she twisted her neck to see who was there, she was shocked to find Mimi at the door. The woman had already been there that day. Why was she back?
“I’ll get it,” Melinda said as she nearly knocked the coffee table over in her haste to jump up. She padded to the door and opened it. “Mimi. Did you forget something?”
The woman chuckled as she walked into the house. “I may be getting up there in years, but have you ever known me to leave something behind?”
Not unless you did it on purpose.
Mimi’s face changed as she stepped farther into the living room. Her gaze roamed the room and settled on Mitch.
It was possible neither Mitch nor Trace could read the expression Mimi saw hidden under her façade. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt,” she lied.
Melinda held her tongue, hoping Mimi felt the same weird vibe as she did coming from Mitch. She needed the validation in order to feel somewhat sane.
Mitch stood, pasting a huge smile on his face. “Not at all, ma’am. I was just checking on Keegan.” He stepped around the couch and reached out a hand. “Mitch Highland. Pleased to meet you. You’re the spitting image of Melinda. You must be her mother.”
Okay, that was laying it on thick.
Mimi took his hand, appearing far more eager than usual to touch another human being. Typically, Melinda had always known Mimi to avoid direct human contact. Her grandmother was far more sensitive than Melinda, probably from years of honing her skills as a medicine woman. Touching people often annoyed her. She said she knew too much about them afterward, though she never elaborated.
“Grandmother,” Mimi corrected. “What did you say you do?”
He hadn’t said a word yet, but Melinda knew Mimi had an angle she was working.
“Is your grandmother okay?” Trace asked silently.
“Yes. Play along.”
Trace furrowed his brow.
Mitch smiled again. “I’m Keegan’s boss. I’m a building inspector.”
“Ah.” Mimi nodded as if this were a revelation, though Melinda suspected the woman knew far more than she let on. She finally let her hand slide from Mitch’s and took a seat in an armchair that swallowed her whole.
Was it Melinda’s imagination, or was the woman nervous? Never had Melinda witnessed such a strange display from her grandmother. Trace didn’t know her well enough to pick up on the vibe. And Mitch didn’t know the older woman was a shaman.
Mimi set her hand across her heart in a gross exaggeration of despair. Never had the woman been so dramatic. “Oh, you poor dear. It must be so crazy at work with Keegan injured from that horrible accident and those deputies crawling all over the job site. Have they caught whoever’s causing all the drama?”
Trace grabbed Melinda’s hand. She hadn’t even felt him approach. “What the hell is Mimi up to?”
“Shh,” she said into his head. Mimi knew every detail about that casino and its problems. Up to the minute. Hell, she’d already been to the house that morning.