“Tomorrow?” he called behind her.
It never hurt to do a little gloating of her own. He couldn’t see her expression, but mischief bloomed in her smile. “We’re having coffee with Jerome.”
Jerome.
Ryan blew out a breath as he followed Katie up the sidewalk to Jerome’s front door. The morning had dawned clear and bright with the sun burning off a thin layer of clouds. He’d had breakfast at home, chatted with his mom, then swung by Doreen Sue’s place to pick up Katie. Sam was in school, and Ryan’s work shift didn’t start until noon. He wasn’t exactly looking forward to filling the intervening time talking to Jerome, but the guy wasn’t without a unique perspective on recent events.
And he was clearly infatuated with Katie. Best to put an end to those fantasies before they mushroomed larger.
Jerome greeted them at the door, surprised and plainly disappointed to find Ryan hovering at Katie’s side. Apparently, she hadn’t told him Ryan would be joining their get-together.
“I hope you don’t mind I tagged along.” Ryan offered what he hoped passed for a friendly smile. “With everything going on in town, I thought you might have some insights to help us at the sheriff’s office.” With luck, the offhand comment would bolster Jerome’s confidence and offset the letdown. Nothing like putting a damper on the party.
Jerome’s smile faltered but he motioned them inside. “Always glad to have an audience.”
Ryan wasn’t certain if he was being facetious, but followed Katie into the living room. The house had undergone a makeover since the last time he was here. Newspapers and magazines still occupied a spot by the window, but they were tidily arranged and pushed back from the main walking area. Everything from the end tables, to the coffee table, and furniture looked recently cleaned. Pine air freshener replaced the odor of stale cigarette smoke and greasy fast food. Clearly, Jerome had taken the time to make his house look as appealing as possible for Katie. Ryan almost felt bad for the guy, given the trouble he’d gone to.
“How about some coffee?” Jerome directed them to have a seat. “I’ve got donuts, too, and picked up a few cinnamon muffins from Early Start.” He twined his hands together, a nervous bird unmistakably out of his element. “They’re fresh.”
“Just coffee for me, thanks.” Ryan took a seat on the sofa, conscious of the cushions sagging like a swayback horse beneath his weight. “Black is fine.”
“Same for me.” Katie’s smile lit up the room. “Can I help you, Jerome?”
“No, I’ve got it.” He shook his head, nearly tripping over his feet as he trekked backward.
Ryan waited until he’d disappeared into the kitchen, before taking Katie’s hand and tugging her down beside him. “You’re going to give him a coronary, smiling at him like that. The guy’s besotted with you.”
“He’s being friendly. I think he’s lonely.”
“Of course he is. He’s got a room in the back that’s looks like a shrine to the Mothman and little green men from outer space. Not exactly hot date material for most women.”
Katie cast a sideways glance. “How would you know?”
He held up a hand. “Just saying.”
“Well, try to be nice. I like him.”
“As long as you don’t like like him.”
“That territory’s already been claimed.” She leaned forward and kissed him.
The sound of Jerome clearing his throat pulled them apart. Ryan glanced up to find the scrawny man holding a tray with three mugs of steaming black coffee. Jerome’s face flushed red as if he realized how foolish he was to think Katie might be interested in him.
She recovered quickly and patted the coffee table in front of her. “Here, Jerome, why don’t you set that down?”
“Yeah.” His voice spiraled lower, matching the misery on his face. He grabbed a cup with a bug-eyed alien on the front, then retreated to a chair across from the couch.
Ryan guessed he’d hoped to sit beside Katie, but the kiss he’d witnessed had naturally dispelled those ideas. “Smells good.” Ryan picked up a mug with a silhouette of Bigfoot. He took a sip of coffee. “Hot too.”
Katie’s cup read MOTHMAN HUNTER in big red letters, but she merely retrieved it and cradled it in her lap. “It was nice of you to ask me to visit, Jerome. How have you been feeling?”
He worked a skinny shoulder into a shrug. “Good, I guess.” His lips squashed into a sour line as he looked down at his mug. “It irks me to think someone played around inside my head and I can’t remember any of it.”
“You mean Deputy Brown?” Ryan took another sip of coffee. Aside from being hot, the stuff was strong enough to peel rust from metal. No wonder Jerome was a rail. If Ryan drank this junk on a regular basis, he’d be bouncing off the walls. He set the cup back on the table. “Katie’s been reading that book you gave her, and I glanced at it too.” He’d taken a peek, nothing too serious, honing in mostly on Jerome’s scribbled notes. “You’ve heard about the dogs we found in the TNT, and about Wilson’s cows?”
Jerome nodded, his earlier dejection replaced by a flicker of interest. “What about them?”
“Do you have any idea what could have caused their deaths?”
Jerome hesitated, narrowing his eyes. “I thought you had Doc Holden check them out?”