Elemental Assassin 02 - Web of Lies

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    112 JENNIFER ESTEP
    Web of Lies 113
    “No. I’m in the mood for something sweet.”
    the hollow. Stella knew Fletcher and Warren were both I grabbed the butter out of the fridge, then rummaged in love with her. She’d go out courting with first one, through the cabinets. Flour, oats, dried apricots, golden then the other. She liked playing them against each other. raisins, brown sugar, vanilla. I pulled them out, along Pretty soon, they were fighting over her.”
    with some mixing cups, a baking pan, a spatula, and a
    “So who got her in the end?” I asked.
    bowl. Finn settled himself at the kitchen table and drank A wry smile curved Jo-Jo’s lips. “Neither one of them. his coffee while I worked. By the time Jo-Jo walked back She ran off with a boy from the city. But by then, it was into the kitchen, I was sliding the batter into the oven. too late for Fletcher and Warren to repair their friendship.
    “Whatcha making?” the dwarf asked, pouring herself Fletcher moved into the city to start the Pork Pit. Warren a cup of coffee.
    stayed where he was up in the hills and took over his fam“Apricot bars,” I replied, wiping my hands off on a ily’s general store.”
    cloud-covered dish towel. “Which I’m going to turn into I looked at Finn. With his walnut hair, green eyes, and a poor man’s cobbler. They’ll be done in a few minutes, smooth smile, Finn was the spitting image of Fletcher at which should give you just enough time to tell us all his age—and handsome to a fault. I wondered what Warabout Fletcher and Warren T. Fox.”
    ren T. Fox had looked like in his youth, to give Fletcher Jo-Jo nodded. She took her coffee to the table and sat Lane a run for his money.
    down next to Finn. I leaned against the refrigerator so I
    “Warren’s store, is it called Country Daze?” Finn took could keep an eye on the oven. It just wouldn’t do to get another sip of his chicory coffee. “Because that’s where the apricot bars too brown.
    Violet Fox gets her paycheck from every two weeks.”
    “Fletcher and Warren grew up together in Ridgeline Jo-Jo nodded. “Been in the family for four generations Hollow,” Jo-Jo said. “Best friends who were thick as now, counting the girl in there.”
    thieves. More like brothers. Always together, from sunup My gray eyes flicked to Violet Fox, who continued to till sundown. Sophia and I knew their parents. Grandsleep on the sofa. “If Warren and Fletcher had a falling parents too.”
    out all those years ago, why would Warren’s granddaughFinn shook his head. “Dad never mentioned anyone ter come looking for Fletcher now?”
    named Warren Fox to me. Never. Especially someone Jo-Jo shrugged. “I don’t know. But if the girl or Warwho was his best childhood friend. What happened beren are in trouble like you think they are, asking Fletcher tween them?”
    Lane for help would be the very last thing the Warren T.
    “A girl,” Jo-Jo said. “They both fell in love with the Fox that I know would do. Pride’s one of the most imsame girl. Stella. She was a pretty thing who lived up in portant things to him. Which is why he never made up Estep_Web of Lies_1P EP.indd 112-113
    12/17/09 9:32 PM
    114 JENNIFER ESTEP
    Web of Lies 115
    with Fletcher. Stella humiliated them both, and Fletcher the front door to the house banged open. Heavy, familiar reminded Warren too much of that.”
    footsteps sounded, and a moment later, Sophia Deveraux I grabbed a cloud-shaped oven mitt, opened the oven enter the kitchen. Her black Goth clothes looked out of door, and took out the apricot bars. The smell of warm place among the pastel appliances, like a storm cloud sudfruit, sugar, and melted butter filled the kitchen, along denly passing in front of the sun.
    with a blast of heat. A combination I never grew tired of,
    “Want some dessert?” I asked, fixing another bowl of especially on a cold, gray night like this one. I grabbed apricot bars and ice cream for her.
    another oven mitt, set it on the table, then put the pan
    “Um-mmm.” Sophia grunted yes and sat down next on top of it. Finn’s fingers crept toward the edge of the to Jo-Jo.
    container, but I smacked his hand away.
    Finn waited until Sophia was halfway through her ice
    “I’m not done with them yet,” I said.
    cream before he asked her the inevitable question. “Any
    “Come on, Gin,” he whined. “I just want a taste.”
    trouble picking up the body?”
    “And you’re just going to have to wait, like the