“Next.”Ī playground with a cute monster holding a red balloon and peering out of the bushes followed, then the curve of a road with a bright yellow sports car, then the clouds with a white, almost transparent flying ship. He took a few steps backwards and placed the painting to the left and below the first one. I picked up a stack of paintings and handed him the next one, a tiny sea with a too-big pirate ship on it. “It makes you want to keep looking at them.”īern wandered to the center of the room where the light from the back window shone on the carpet, and put the painting down. I was so sure that there was something hidden here.”īern crouched and picked up the top painting. We were wasting time we didn’t have, but every instinct I had told me that whatever we were looking for was here somewhere. Nothing taped to the inside of the cabinets. No hidden Ziploc bags containing mysterious evidence. Coffee proved to be coffee, rice turned out to be rice, and a container of sugar contained only sugar. An hour later I was done with the kitchen. Rogan’s people had already swept through the place. Houston decided that we really needed some rain, and the light filtering through the dense blanket of clouds was watery and dim. Bern and I walked through the front entrance into the living room, our steps loud on the tiled floor. I just want to think quietly.”īern got up and took his bowl of cereal to the sink. I don’t want to take Leon either, because I don’t want to be responsible for him shooting anyone. I don’t want to go by myself, and I don’t want to ask Cornelius because he’ll bring Zeus and I have trouble concentrating when he’s around. “Will you please come with me to Rynda’s house? I want to look through it one more time in case I missed something. “Nevada, do something!” Arabella snarled behind me.īern sat at the kitchen table, putting away a bowl of cereal. It was morning, therefore Bern would be in the kitchen, eating his second or third breakfast. “I don’t have time for this.” I started down the hallway.

Wildfire by Ilona Andrews