20. Elrik

20

ELRIK

S he was perfect. Beautiful. Precious.

And my mate.

With my cock still buried deep inside her, I eased us to the side, taking her with me, spooning her with my body.

"You're mine," I growled again. I kept saying it over and over.

"Yours," she kept replying.

We drifted to sleep, and I didn't wake until dawn was cracking open the day and light started peeking in through the window.

I sensed her waking as well. She reached back and stroked my hip, her fingers moving inward until she could wrap them around my cock. I'd been inside her twice during the night, first with her riding me and the second time when she sucked me off as she'd promised.

We'd both won, and I couldn't be a happier ice lord.

My phone buzzed. I should ignore it. But it could be a message from my family. My parents weren't young any longer, and Dad kept insisting he was perfectly safe hiking across glaciers alone. I disagreed.

I rolled onto my back and grabbed my phone off the bedside table, scrolling into it.

"Oh," I said.

Melly rose up onto her elbow. "Oh?"

"It's Katar. Sue wasn't feeling well, and she went to the doctor. She called him to let him know in case we still had questions. She's worried they'll admit her to the hospital again."

"Oh, my gosh." Melly slid from the bed and tugged on a robe. "Do you think she'll be okay?"

"We'll find out."

"I'll text her. I want to go see her. I'll stop by Fairytale Florals before work and buy her some flowers. Carla can cover the shop until I get back. Assuming anyone plans to stop by for ice cream at a place with such a horrible rating."

"Not everyone reads online reviews."

"I'll try some of the strategies I used initially to draw in customers. Free samples. Coupons. Advertising. I haven't had to do any of that since the first week I opened, but I need good reviews to balance the rest. I hope the PR person has come up with other ideas."

"I hope so too." I got up. "Breakfast before you leave?"

"I'd love to, but I need to check on Grannie and set things out for her before I leave."

I rounded the bed and tugged her into my arms, holding her for one moment. Life was thrusting itself between us, and it would be some time before we could step back into just us once more .

"Do you want to have dinner tonight?" she asked. "I could cook again."

"Why don't I get takeout for the three of us from Kraken's Keep?"

"That sounds wonderful. Four-thirty? Grannie prefers to eat early. She likes to be sitting in the living room with her feet up and her knitting on her lap before it gets dark."

"Perfect. Any preferences as far as food goes?"

"We like just about anything."

She stepped backward and grabbed some clothing from her bureau. "What's on your agenda today?"

"I'm going to question Bob."

"Fill me in later?"

"Sure. After dinner, we could take another walk on the beach."

"I'd love that."

"Last night was special." I watched her face and was rewarded when she sent me a sultry smile.

"Very special. Um . . ." Her gaze fell. "You could stay again tonight if you want."

"Oh, yes, I want." I strode over to her and swept her pretty hair across her shoulder. "I'll park at the supermarket again and walk over after dark."

She hugged me quickly before backing away. "No talking about lint tonight."

"You mean you don't want me collecting lint and turning it into a dog scarf?"

Her laugh snorted out, which was my intention. "You're silly sometimes. I like it."

Then I'd keep dreaming up ways to make her laugh .

She went to take a shower. Whistling between my teeth, I left her apartment and walked to my truck, driving to Bob's home. I'd called the day before, and he said I could come by early, that he woke at five every morning and by eight he would've had his breakfast and his mind would be sharpest.

I knocked on the door and a woman about thirty-five years old opened it. "Elrik?"

I showed her my ID and she let me inside, urging me to follow her into the living room to the right of the entrance. "Bob's in here." Her gaze sought mine, and she frowned. "I'm not sure what this is about. I'm Ginny, his caregiver, by the way."

She was Rose's younger sister's stepdaughter. Ex-stepdaughter since they'd divorced.

"I'm investigating the poisoning on behalf of Grannie Rose," I said.

"I see. She didn't do it."

"I don't think so either."

"I don't know who did, but it couldn't be her. She's too sweet. Too kind."

Inside the living room, I settled on the sofa. Bob sat on a recliner with his feet up. His gaze took in my tall frame, narrowing as he studied my eyes. I wasn't sure what conclusion he drew, but his face relaxed.

A large metal device with a canvas sling had been collapsed and parked near the wall, and I had no idea what it was.

"That's Bob's lift," Ginny said. "He's not able to get around on his own any longer, and with his macular degeneration, he can't see well either. I use the lift to get him out of his bed and into his chair."

"If I could, I'd stand to greet you," Bob said in a crotchety voice.

"No problem."

"What can I do for you today, Elrik?" His gaze drifted across Ginny before settling on me again.

I didn't know much about macular degeneration other than it was a degenerative disease of the eyes and that the person usually lost their sight. Once it had progressed, they weren't completely blind, but they couldn't see well enough to drive or do many daily tasks.

"I wanted to question you about the night of the poisoning," I said.

"Of course. Have a seat," Bob said.

I dropped into a chair near the coffee table. "Could you tell me when you arrived that night?"

"I was the last one inside, like usual," Bob said. "Ginny brings me in the handicap van I bought. It has an amazing lift like the one we use here."

"You can't walk at all?"

He shook his head. "Haven't been able to do that for years. I use an electric scooter to get around most of the time. It's amazing mobility."

I had a hard time believing that someone who couldn't see well and wasn't ambulatory could've poisoned the punch, but I had to question everyone who was there that evening.

"Ginny brings me to the social club event each week," he said. "Which is quite kind of her. She gets me out of the van and brings me inside. "

"I usually sit in the van while the social club members meet," Ginny said. "I scroll on my phone. Read. I've got three thousand followers on TickingClock, so I make some videos for that and post them. Gotta keep my followers happy."

"I stay in my chair throughout the evening, and the others are nice enough to help me with my food and drinks," Bob said.

"Did you have any punch that night?" I asked.

"Never have. Never will." His lips tightened. "It's much too sweet for my taste. Contrary to popular belief, not everyone loves Rose's punch."

"I don't think it's that bad," Ginny said. Her gaze met mine. "Grannie Rose used to make it around the holidays, and everyone loved it."

"What did you do after you arrived?" I asked Bob.

"Let me see." Frowning, he tapped his temple. "My mind's not quite what it used to be, sadly. Part of my disease process. If I remember correctly, I was sitting there like usual, waiting for someone to bring me a plate of food. Not shoving myself to the head of the line like all the others usually do. As Ginny said, everyone thinks Rose's punch is amazing. They're like wild dogs sniffing prey. All over it whenever she serves it."

"Even when Melly makes it for her," Ginny said. "Which she did while Rose was in rehab and even after she got home. It was only that last night that Rose made it herself like she used to. Sometimes, Melly drops her grandmother off like I do Bob. But while I wait in the parking lot, Melly drives away." She huffed. "Maybe next time, she'll stay around in case Grannie needs her. "

"Come now," Bob said. "You know Rose is doing fine. She might've needed help when she first came home from rehab, but she's weaning herself off that walker quite quickly." He smiled in a reminiscent way. "She's still quite the woman. Rose was something else in her day. I asked her out a few times. Did you know that? She shot me down each and every time."

"I imagine she liked you well enough," Ginny said with a shrug. "Just not enough to date you."

"Her loss." Bob grinned. "All that's water under the bridge now."

I'd pretty much ruled Bob out. He wasn't mobile, he could barely see, and these things weren't something anyone could fake. Grannie Rose turning him down a few times years ago wasn't a strong enough motive to frame someone for poisoning others. It appeared he'd had no way to reach the punch on his own. He arrived last, after the punch had been made. As for Ginny, she'd brought Bob inside and it sounded like he kept her busy until she went to the parking lot to wait. "You said people started getting sick shortly after you arrived?"

He frowned again. "I think so." His face cleared. "Oh, yes, I remember now. Alfred vomited, then Sue. Not sure if hers was sympathy vomiting or not. You know how it is. Someone vomits and before you know it, the smell hits you hard in the sinuses, and it's all you can do to hold down your cookies."

"How did you know it was Sue and Alfred?" He couldn't see well.

"Their voices." He tapped his earlobe. "I don't see well, and my memory can be faulty, but my hearing's as sharp as ever. I could kind of see them out of the periphery of my vision. They were bent over the big black trash bucket the janitor leaves for us. Hazel and Carla weren't far behind in vomiting." He tsked. "It was a damn shame actually. Other than samples the police took of the dishes, everything got thrown out. We get to take food home after the evening, and I look forward to it. I bring bread as my contribution. Store-bought cookies. It's not much, but it's an offering for the potluck. Ginny picks them up for me in advance. As my reward, I come home with at least three home cooked meals from the leftovers."

Ginny's concerned gaze swept across Bob. "I'll keep taking him to the socials for as long as I can."

"If they ever start back up again, that is." Bob's lips thinned. "I probably shouldn't bother going any longer. It's not like I can dance, though I sway in my chair. But I like to get out, and I don't know how much longer I'll get to do it. I look forward to it each week even though I can't play poker any longer. Can't see the cards or follow the play; not like I used to. But I eat with everyone else and visit."

Ginny stared toward the ceiling, clearly thinking. "Grannie was in the bathroom when Bob arrived. Sue and Alfred were near the punchbowl with Hazel and Carla. Everyone held cups of punch, and I remember Alfred joking that he'd had three cups already. Sue laughed and said she'd had four. The bowl was almost empty."

"That's the way it always is," Bob said. "That punch goes fast. In addition to cookies and bread, I usually bring a few bottles of ginger ale, which I drink instead of the punch. I have to drink diet. Once the punch is gone, the rest drink ginger ale while they play poker. I sit nearby and listen. That's almost as much fun."

"I asked Alfred and Sue if they had something contagious, because I would've whipped Bob around and taken him back to the van," Ginny said firmly. "He can't afford to get sick. Even a cold could wipe him out for a week or more."

"Compromised immune system," Bob offered. "Sometimes, living sucks. Don't you agree?" His cackle rang out. "But it sure beats the alternative."

"I'm sorry," I said.

Bob grunted. "Don't get old, son. Don't get old."

Kind of hard not to, but I knew what he meant. I stood. "I think that's all the questions I have, but if I think of anything else, I'll call."

Ginny rose. "I'll write down my number. Call me, and I'll ask Bob and get back to you."

"Thank you."

She walked me to the door. "It was nice meeting you."

"You as well." I had a few things to think about. Clues that might lead to nothing and others that might tie this all together. I still had no idea who might have spiked the punch, however.

"If you see Rose, tell her I'll drop off the paperwork next week," Ginny said as she opened the front door.

"Paperwork?"

"In addition to caring for Bob, I pretty much run his business." Pride shone in her voice.

"What paperwork are you talking about? "

"Everyone knows, so I'm not sharing confidential information. Grannie fell and broke her hip at the church function room a few months back. Bob's business held the liability policy for the church. But Grannie said she's not going to sue for damages despite her slipping on a big glob of floor polish. The janitor must've missed it when she was cleaning prior to the social." Ginny leaned close and lowered her voice. "Bob doesn't know that I've worked with Grannie, that I made sure the extra cost of her rehab was covered by the insurance company in exchange for her signing off on anything further."

More twists in the plot? "What's the name of Bob's insurance company?"

"Everyone knows that too. Sterling. Sterling Life and Indemnity."