He Kills Me, He Kills Me Not

entered last night into an informal eating area next to the kitchen.
    To her disappointment, Logan wasn’t there. Karen was. She was sitting at the round, mahogany table in front of the French doors that led onto the back deck. Amanda remembered there was a matching porch on the front of the old Victorian, but she’d noticed little else last night because the agents had rushed her inside.
    “Good morning,” Karen greeted her as she lowered a coffee mug and a copy of the Shadow Falls Journal . “I hope I didn’t startle you. I did tell you last night I’d be here today, didn’t I?”
    Amanda pulled some of her hair forward. “You didn’t startle me. I’d hoped Logan was still here though. Seems kind of early in the morning for you to start babysitting duty.”
    Karen laughed, the deep-seated lines crinkling around her eyes. “Babysitting huh? I guess you’re not too thrilled about this arrangement.”
    “Nothing personal. I’m used to being alone.”
    “Some fresh coffee will make you feel better. Always works for me.” Karen pushed back from the table and went around the black granite bar into the kitchen. “How do you take it?”
    “I appreciate the offer, but I’m not a coffee drinker.”
    Karen’s brows raised in surprise, as if someone not drinking coffee was a mortal sin. “Water? Soda?”
    “Soda would be great. Thanks.”
    “Coming right up.” Karen opened the refrigerator. She came back carrying a can of Dr. Pepper, which she set on the table in front of Amanda. “Is that okay?”
    Amanda blinked, surprised Logan had her favorite drink on hand. “That’s perfect, actually. Thanks.” She sat down at the table.
    Karen didn’t sit. Instead, she took a long sip of coffee and picked up her newspaper. “I’m here to protect you, not babysit you. I’ll try to stay out of your way most of the time. Lord knows I have plenty of paperwork to catch up on. I’ve set my laptop up in the mother-in-law suite in the front of the house. Yell if you need me.”
    “Wait.” Amanda softened her request with a smile. “I was wondering, about last night, do you know anything about . . . the murder?”
    Karen shook her head. “Not really. By the time Logan got in, it was close to two in the morning. We were both too tired to talk shop. I ended up crashing in the mother-in-law suite instead of going home to Mike, my husband. Logan was gone before I got up.”
    Amanda pulled the soda can towards her and ran her finger across the condensation. “Do you think Logan would mind if we called him?”
    “I don’t see why not.” Karen’s brow crinkled with concern. “Are you worried about your safety? I assure you Logan’s got the best security system around. The entire perimeter of the yard has sensors and cameras. If anyone steps on the grass, we’ll know it. Besides,” she tapped the gun holstered on her belt, “this isn’t just for decoration.”
    “No, no, that’s not it at all,” Amanda hastened to reassure her. She was relieved to hear about the security system, but she was more concerned right now with the murder. She wanted, needed, to know what had happened. Had the same man who’d attacked her killed another woman? Just the possibility had anger pulsing through her. Had she waited too late to offer her help? Could she have prevented the murder? “I just need to talk to him.”
    Karen shrugged. “Sure, I’ll call the station first and see where he is. I don’t want to call him if he’s interrogating someone and doesn’t want to be interrupted.”
    “Thanks. I appreciate it.”
    Karen nodded and punched some buttons into her cell phone.
    Amanda drummed her nails on the table.
    The call ended quickly. “He’s not in the station. He’s out in the field, off Mill Cove Road on Black Lake. Not sure why. I’ll go ahead and call his cell.”
    Panic churned in Amanda’s stomach but she fought it down.
    “No,” she said, wincing at how loud her voice sounded. “I’m sorry,” she said, lowering her voice.
    “Something wrong?”
    Yes. Black Lake was where the killer had taken her and Dana, right off Mill Cove Road. Was Logan looking for clues? Was he in the same cabin she’d been in four years ago? The soda can pinged because she was squeezing it so hard. She forced herself to relax her fingers.
    “Amanda, what’s going—”
    “I’m fine.” Amanda shoved the can back and stood. If there was any chance she knew something, going back to Black Lake was probably her best