Frankie was annoyed by the pit in her stomach. She stared down the ups and downs of the stock market without blinking for a living. She was used to playing with high stakes and she never flinched. Now though, it seemed she’d been given a murder charge with a side of anxiety. It made logical sense that she’d be skittish given her current predicament, but it still frustrated her. She prided herself on not getting rattled.
Maybe she’d have had more luck if Oz hadn’t told her about the phone call. It didn’t seem like Oz had been tempted by the offer of truckloads of cash, but what if that changed? Or what if Frankie was wrong in her assessment? She sighed. There was no point second-guessing now. She’d taken a calculated risk contacting Oz, something she did for work all the time, now she’d have to live with the consequences.
“You okay?” Oz looked concerned.
“Fine, why?” Frankie tried to keep her voice light.
“Because you’ve been huffing and puffing and sighing dramatically since we got off the train. It seems like something’s on your mind.” Oz shot her a half grin.
Frankie debated how much to share before she spoke. In for a penny, in for a pound. “I was thinking about you actually.”
“Oh shit. That’s not good. Too much sighing, not the good kind, for that to be good. What did I do?” Before Frankie could answer, Oz held up a finger. “Wait, I know. It’s the phone call. You’re wondering if you can trust me. Am I right?”
Frankie harrumphed. “So what if you are?”
Oz’s gaze softened. “Then I’m not doing something right. You have enough on your plate without also having to feel like you’re looking over your shoulder with me. Ten thousand years ago when this thing started between us, I told you I’d keep you safe until you proved your innocence or I brought you back to jail. There’s no amendment to our deal.”
“There’s no ‘thing’ between us.” Frankie pointed between them and bit back a smile.
“You’re wrong. There’s definitely a thing.”
Frankie couldn’t help but notice how the light played in Oz’s eyes, like tiny fireflies sparking mischievously. She had dimples that only appeared when a smile captured her whole face, and she was solid and strong and all the things Frankie needed to believe in at this moment.
“No thing.” Oz didn’t need to know Frankie enjoyed the teasing and found Oz wildly attractive.
“There’s a thing.” Oz mouthed before turning more serious. “Do you know where we’re going?”
Frankie nodded. It was good the man she’d come to talk with lived close to the train station. It made it easier to avoid unnecessary interactions and also saved them money by not needing a ride. She pointed to a tidy colonial painted a tasteful light gray with yellow shutters.
They climbed the three steps to the front door. It was ajar. Something felt wrong. Goose bumps erupted on Frankie’s arms. Oz clearly felt it too because she stepped in front of Frankie before slowly pushing the door open.
“Hello?” Oz peered in, one arm holding Frankie behind her.
There was no answer. Oz took a step in the house and called out again. Frankie followed. No way in hell she was going to stay out on the porch alone.
Once inside, she wished she’d stayed outside. “Is that blood?” Frankie looked at the red drops on the floor and a red handprint smeared on the wall.
“Stay here and don’t move.” Oz was deadly serious now. She drew her weapon and crept down the hall.
Frankie waited, torn whether she should do as Oz instructed or follow her farther into the house. Either way, she’d feel vulnerable, but she opted for active motion and picked her way through the blood droplets after Oz.
Before Frankie caught up, Oz stopped abruptly and lowered her gun. “Oh holy hell.” She held up a hand. “Frankie, don’t come in here. You don’t need to see this.”
Frankie’s breath hitched. She knew what was on the other side of the door but didn’t want to believe it. There was too much blood sprinkled around the hall leading into the living room for the scene to be anything other than a nightmare.
“Is he dead?” Frankie needed the confirmation.
Oz was pale when she turned back to Frankie. “Someone is. I don’t know what the guy we were meeting looked like, but it’s probably safe to assume it’s him.”
Frankie’s pulse began to race. Someone was dead, which made her heart ache, but she couldn’t help but think of the implications for her as well. This guy had valuable information she needed. Plus, they were standing in the middle of a crime scene. She couldn’t get caught here. She’d already been accused of one murder she didn’t commit.
“We have to get out of here. You can’t be seen here.” Oz took Frankie’s arm and pulled her back toward the door as if reading Frankie’s mind.
Against every instinct screaming for her to leave, Frankie hesitated. “No, not yet. Trust me, I don’t want to be here either, but this guy knew things about InvestBioX. Everything I’ve learned points to him getting ready to blow the whistle. That’s why I wanted to talk to him and probably why he’s dead right now. But a guy who’s ready to take on InvestBioX doesn’t leave anything to chance. He’s got receipts and I want to find them.”
Oz looked disgruntled. “There’s nothing in here worth dying for. Or ending up back in jail.”
Frankie crossed her arms, annoyed. “What he has might be the best shot I have of staying out of jail. You can wait outside if you want. I need a minute.” Frankie turned back to the interior of the house and tried to think.
“Fine, but we have a timer and it starts now.” Oz checked her watch. “What do you know about this guy?”
“He’s a midlevel accountant. He lives alone. Unmarried.” Frankie ticked things off on her fingers.
Oz looked around the house. “What else? Anything more personal?”
“He’s an avid fly fisherman if his social media is anything to go by. He’s in an online group for people with dog phobias, an unfortunate fear for him since InvestBioX allows pets at work. Judging by the high-end knives in the kitchen over there, he’s a decent cook or at least wants to look like one.” Frankie stepped into the kitchen, careful not to step in any bodily fluids.
Oz followed. She glanced at the knife block. Frankie noticed one missing and shuddered. She didn’t want to spend a lot of time thinking where it might currently reside.
“Don’t let your mind run away with you, okay? Let’s focus on why we’re here.” Oz’s voice was gentle.
Frankie nodded. She looked away from the counter and scanned the rest of the room. They probably needed to explore upstairs, but her desire to stay and search was quickly waning. The longer they were here, the more likely they got caught. Oz interrupted her inner conflict.
“Didn’t you say this guy lives alone?” Oz was staring across the kitchen, a confused look on her face.
“Not even a pet, why?” Frankie moved next to Oz to try to see what she was looking at.
Oz pointed. “Then why does he have a bag of dog food in the pantry?”
Frankie felt the jolt of excitement she got at work when she had a promising lead. Could this be her break?
They picked their way across the kitchen, careful not to disturb anything. Oz gently unsealed the bag and looked inside.
“I can’t decide if I want to curse you for finding it first or kiss you right now.” Frankie felt her cheeks heat to blast furnace temperatures. “It’s a figure of speech.”
“So I shouldn’t pucker up then?” The mischief was back in Oz’s eyes.
“Maybe I’ll reconsider if you find me what we came for.” Frankie peered into the bag again.
Oz looked a little shocked. “Well, if that isn’t motivation, I don’t know what is.” She winked and turned her attention back to the bag.
After a minute of digging, Oz triumphantly pulled a cylinder covered in duct tape from the kibble. It looked like a paper towel tube that had been taped over completely.
“This has to be it. I think we’ve pushed our luck being here this long. Let’s sneak out and hope no one saw us come in.” Oz handed their find to Frankie and pulled her toward the door.
Frankie took one last look around before following Oz back into the sparkling, sunshiny day. It felt jarring to see the sun and cloudless, impossibly blue sky, after experiencing such a grisly scene inside the house.
“Walk casually. People will take note if we run or look nervous. We’re two women out for a walk in this beautiful neighborhood, nothing more.” Oz slowed her pace. Her body looked relaxed.
“I’m having a little trouble with that. Every instinct is telling me to run.” Frankie gripped the duct-taped treasure tightly, her hands shaking.
Oz nodded. “You can do this.” She took Frankie’s hand and held on. “Hold on to me. We’re fine.”
Frankie immediately felt calmer. Oz’s strength was contagious. Why did she feel so comfortable hand in hand with Oz? Frankie didn’t want to probe too deeply into her feelings. For now, she was content to walk and enjoy the feeling.