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“There’s something about that kid that gives me the creeps and always has,” Denver murmured as we both watched that “kid” walk away. He slipped into the movie theater a few blocks down before Denver continued. “He graduated when my oldest had started freshman year. Would’ve been in the same grade. I’m glad they weren’t. She never liked him, and I’ve always thought he was a bit of a creep. It’s like he has zero emotions. Went to that graduation. Remember, right after his parents died? Able’s brother graduated, remember?”

“Yeah,” I said. “I was there working security.”

“It was literally the day after they died. And he gave that speech, smiled, laughed. But there was no sadness to him at all,” Denver said. “It was like he didn’t care. I wouldn’t have been there if my parents had just died. Valedictorian or not.”

I actually remembered thinking that same thing.

Milo had brought him in for the graduation and had stood next to me while he’d given his commencement speech. There’d only been happiness at having graduated.

“Milo told me that he wanted to go,” I said. “Maybe it was still shock.”

Denver snorted. “What fourteen-year-old boy, or girl, do you know that could’ve given that speech, where their ‘good’ parents should’ve been, and not broken down?”

He had a point.

Leo had always seemed a bit detached from damn near everything.

Unless it came to his sister.

Then he was pretty passionate.

“I’ll go speak to Milo,” I mused. “You headed out?”

“Yep,” he confirmed. “Have a good one, Black.”

“You, too, Denver.”

I didn’t go see Milo, though.

I’d do that in the morning after I dropped off Jessamy’s car.

Or, I would have had I not gotten a call from Milo early in the morning, first.

I drove up to Milo’s front door, staring at every single light there was blazing bright.

Getting out, I headed to the front door, yawning as I did.

I’d had a solid two hours of sleep on the couch in my office, but it hadn’t been nearly enough.

Milo met me at the front door, pissed as hell.

“What’s up?” I asked. “The dispatcher said that the house had been vandalized?”

He showed me into the house and pointed out the back door.

“What the hell is that?”

Milo worked his jaw before saying, “Looks like a dead cat.”

It sure the fuck did.

“Came out to get coffee started for the day,” Milo murmured in his deep voice, “just to find that.”

“Stray?” I asked.

“Barn cat,” he answered. “Just had a litter of kittens.”

“Shit,” I said. “Any sign of the kittens?”