according to my source, it’s legit. Again, how , I haven’t a clue. Worse, it’s probably going to take a week to find, catalogue and validate that they have all the bones and do their search of her home … everything.”
“Bones are bones, right?” Ian asked. “Have them date ‘em, for fuck’s sake. How hard can that be?” Ian rolled his eyes, closing them for a second. “Or, has innocent until proven guilty been forgotten?”
Emma’s gaze strayed his way with a discernible tilt to her head and furrowed brows. Ian mirrored her look. Tripp gave him a similar one.
“What?” Ian asked.
Tripp leaned forward, elbows on knees. “An hour ago you were complaining that she was a criminal, now you’re advocating for justice?”
Lexi returned with a small pint of ice cream in her hand. She stopped, turned to Tripp, to Ian, Emma and back to Tripp. “I’m sensing some emotional upheaval.”
With a smirk, Tripp said, “Ian’s in love and doesn’t like it.”
“I am not!” Ian stood and stormed to the sliding glass door, facing out where a spring thunderstorm brewed.
“Ian’s in love?” Emma asked. “With who?”
“Taylor Marsh,” Lexi said.
Ian spun. “Son of a bitch! What is up with you three?”
They all smiled.
“Well, that explains three things,” Emma said. “The moodiness. The half-pissed off, half-smart-ass, half-rockin’ attitude.”
“That’s two point five, Em.” Lexi sat with Tripp again. “Or four, depending on how you count.” She turned toward her husband. “You didn’t tell him, did you?”
“And ruin all this fun?” Tripp chuckled. “Not on your life.”
“Will someone please—” Ian began.
Lexi patted the seat next to her. “Come on, Ian. I’ll tell you.”
He flopped back into his original spot.
“When Taylor called me—” Tripp started.
Emma sat bolt upright. “You already looked!” She slapped her palm on her knee. “What about your ‘I don’t use my superpowers on people’ deal?”
Lexi licked her spoon clean and waved it at her sister. “This is my story, Em, so zip it. But, yes.”
Ian leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees, as interested as Emma seemed excited.
“So, as I was saying …” Tripp pointed at both Emma and Ian. “Stay quiet for a minute, and we’ll explain.”
“Fine,” Emma and Ian both said.
“When Taylor called me and told me she’d been arrested on suspicion of murder, I asked Lexi if she’d be willing to check out the stor—”
“And I said ‘no way in hell’.” Lexi’s body trembled—Ian assumed from the question and not brain freeze from the giant mouthful of ice cream she spoke around.
“That’s my girl.” Emma giggled. “Stick to those principles you and no one else in the world still uphold.”
Lexi rolled her eyes. “I don’t use my gift on people for a reason, Em. You know that. And, we don’t know that this person was murdered. All it is is a pile of bones. For all we know, that was a cemetery plot.” Lexi drew in a deep breath. “But, because said person is dead and gone and thus can’t ask anything of me … I decided to bend my rules a little and simply search for who they were . That’s all. Just ‘who’, and if that would give Tripp an answer, he could figure out the rest.”
Emma’s lips curved down. “I thought your gift let you find tangible stuff, like rings and purses, paintings, and people who’re alive and kickin’. Not … ones who don’t exist.”
“I thought that, too, Em, and, well … I didn’t exactly get an answer.” Lexi’s shoulders fell. “Instead, I got a picture … that is, a photograph came to mind.”
“A photograph? Of what?” Emma asked as Tripp grinned.
“Of who is the better question.” Lexi scooped up a big spoonful of ice cream. “What’s weirder is that the photo was very clearly hanging on the wall of this house before we bought it. You know, the ones that were up there.” Lexi pointed to the fireplace across
“Bones are bones, right?” Ian asked. “Have them date ‘em, for fuck’s sake. How hard can that be?” Ian rolled his eyes, closing them for a second. “Or, has innocent until proven guilty been forgotten?”
Emma’s gaze strayed his way with a discernible tilt to her head and furrowed brows. Ian mirrored her look. Tripp gave him a similar one.
“What?” Ian asked.
Tripp leaned forward, elbows on knees. “An hour ago you were complaining that she was a criminal, now you’re advocating for justice?”
Lexi returned with a small pint of ice cream in her hand. She stopped, turned to Tripp, to Ian, Emma and back to Tripp. “I’m sensing some emotional upheaval.”
With a smirk, Tripp said, “Ian’s in love and doesn’t like it.”
“I am not!” Ian stood and stormed to the sliding glass door, facing out where a spring thunderstorm brewed.
“Ian’s in love?” Emma asked. “With who?”
“Taylor Marsh,” Lexi said.
Ian spun. “Son of a bitch! What is up with you three?”
They all smiled.
“Well, that explains three things,” Emma said. “The moodiness. The half-pissed off, half-smart-ass, half-rockin’ attitude.”
“That’s two point five, Em.” Lexi sat with Tripp again. “Or four, depending on how you count.” She turned toward her husband. “You didn’t tell him, did you?”
“And ruin all this fun?” Tripp chuckled. “Not on your life.”
“Will someone please—” Ian began.
Lexi patted the seat next to her. “Come on, Ian. I’ll tell you.”
He flopped back into his original spot.
“When Taylor called me—” Tripp started.
Emma sat bolt upright. “You already looked!” She slapped her palm on her knee. “What about your ‘I don’t use my superpowers on people’ deal?”
Lexi licked her spoon clean and waved it at her sister. “This is my story, Em, so zip it. But, yes.”
Ian leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees, as interested as Emma seemed excited.
“So, as I was saying …” Tripp pointed at both Emma and Ian. “Stay quiet for a minute, and we’ll explain.”
“Fine,” Emma and Ian both said.
“When Taylor called me and told me she’d been arrested on suspicion of murder, I asked Lexi if she’d be willing to check out the stor—”
“And I said ‘no way in hell’.” Lexi’s body trembled—Ian assumed from the question and not brain freeze from the giant mouthful of ice cream she spoke around.
“That’s my girl.” Emma giggled. “Stick to those principles you and no one else in the world still uphold.”
Lexi rolled her eyes. “I don’t use my gift on people for a reason, Em. You know that. And, we don’t know that this person was murdered. All it is is a pile of bones. For all we know, that was a cemetery plot.” Lexi drew in a deep breath. “But, because said person is dead and gone and thus can’t ask anything of me … I decided to bend my rules a little and simply search for who they were . That’s all. Just ‘who’, and if that would give Tripp an answer, he could figure out the rest.”
Emma’s lips curved down. “I thought your gift let you find tangible stuff, like rings and purses, paintings, and people who’re alive and kickin’. Not … ones who don’t exist.”
“I thought that, too, Em, and, well … I didn’t exactly get an answer.” Lexi’s shoulders fell. “Instead, I got a picture … that is, a photograph came to mind.”
“A photograph? Of what?” Emma asked as Tripp grinned.
“Of who is the better question.” Lexi scooped up a big spoonful of ice cream. “What’s weirder is that the photo was very clearly hanging on the wall of this house before we bought it. You know, the ones that were up there.” Lexi pointed to the fireplace across
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