I flipped the TV on as he walked down the hall to the bathroom. It was early and there wasn’t much to watch, so I switched to the local news. The first thing I saw almost had the remote dropping from my hand. A scrolling banner at the bottom of the screen read:Clearidge Man Found Murdered.
I turned the volume up.
“…currently have no leads on the death. The body was found very early this morning inside an abandoned SUV by passing motorists. The county coroner has yet to complete an autopsy, but sources within the police department, speaking under anonymity, tell Channel Nine News that it appears the victim was strangled to death.”
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d heard of a murder in Clearidge. Strangled? Good lord. They flashed a picture of the man on the screen. I didn’t recognize him, which I was thankful for. I wondered what he could have done to get killed in such a way-killed and left on the side of the road.
The next thing that flashed on the screen did make me drop the remote. My blood ran cold, and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end when Nurse Cleo appeared on screen, her eyes bloodshot and her cheeks red from crying. I left the remote on the floor and shuffled closer to the television, hoping I was imagining what I was seeing.
“I…I…my Johnathan is gone. I don’t know what to do now,” Cleo said, wiping fresh tears from her face. It looked like she was in front of a hospital.
“Mrs. McGuire, do you have any idea why someone would do this to your husband?” the reporter asked.
A feverish, terrified look crossed her eyes before she answered. “No. No idea at all.” She looked directly into the camera, like she was trying to talk to Javi through the lens. “I don’t know. I know nothing. I just miss my Johnathan. I need to go.” Without another word, Cleo pushed the microphone away and walked off-camera.
“Stay tuned to Channel Nine??”
The TV flicked off, and I jumped, startled by the black screen and sudden silence. I looked over and saw that Sebastian had picked up the remote from where I’d dropped it. He grimaced and shrugged. “You weren’t supposed to see that. Not yet, anyway. Nico and Felipe found that guy’s body last night. Nico wanted to tell you.”
As though he heard his name, the sounds of footsteps coming down the stairs pulled mine and Sebastian’s eyes away from each other. Nico stopped on the stairs. He looked startled that we were both looking at him.
“What? What happened?” he asked.
Sebastian gestured at the TV. “Maddy saw a news report. The nurse’s husband?”
“Shit,” Nico said as he descended the rest of the steps. “I really didn’t want you to find out yet. I thought it might be too much, after everything else that happened last night.”
I honestly couldn’t disagree with him. It was a lot. I felt awful for the nurse. Yes, she’d tried to kill me, but only because the man she loved was in danger. If I’d been put in the same situation, what would I have done? If someone had my parents?
It was terrible, but I knew that the decision wouldn’t have been an easy one. Now Cleo’s husband was dead.
“This is awful.”
“You can’t blame yourself,” Nico said. “I know it’s easy to go down that path, but that’s not fair to you.”
“No, yeah, I get that. I’m not being a martyr or anything. Javi is why that man is dead. I just feel…empathy. It’s not my fault, but I can’t help but think about how awful all this is for them.”
Nico nodded and kissed me lightly on the forehead. “Good. I’m glad you see it that way.”
“How is all this being handled, though? Sebastian said you and Felipe found the body. Did you tell the cops about Javi?”
Nico and Sebastian shared a look, then Nico shook his head slightly. “It’s complicated. Shifters are held to the same level of law as everyone else, but there’s a bias. All of us know it, so we have to be more careful. Felipe and I think the body was dumped where it was on purpose. They knew we’d be hot on their tail and would probably find it first. If someone else found it? Oh well. If we found it? Then we’re on the police radar. If they can prove in any way that I had something to do with that death, it’s a one-way ticket to prison. We have to be even more careful now.”
“We don’t need to worry about the nurse talking,” Sebastian said. “She looked scared to death on the news a minute ago. When Luis set her free, he said she wouldn’t be a problem. After seeing her on the news, I think he’s right. I think Javi got to her again and made sure she knew she’d be next if she said anything.”
The doorbell rang, and Nico groaned. Before he even had the chance to answer it, the door swung open and an older man and woman walked in. I could see instantly that the man was Nico’s father. He was the spitting image of him, but about twenty-five years older. The woman, who I could only assume was his mother, looked harried and walked straight toward Nico.
“Do you know anything about this murder? The shooting at the restaurant and this body that was found?”
“Mom, calm down.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down. Tell me the truth. Does this have something to do with Javi?”
Nico sighed, glancing first at Sebastian before his gaze rested on me. “Fine. Sit down. Let me tell you what happened.”
I sat where I was, feeling incredibly uncomfortable. I hadn’t even met his parents yet, and now I was sitting here listening to what sounded like the beginning of an argument. Sebastian caught my eye, and I could see he also wanted to be anywhere else but in this room.
Nico went over everything that happened the night before. The shooting, the body, everything.
“Maddy’s fine, though,” Nico said, nodding toward the living room where I was sitting on the couch.
Nico’s mother stood and hurried to my side, taking my hand in hers. “Are you okay, sweetie? Can we do anything for you? I can’t imagine how awful this must be for you.”
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