e's

acticed speed. The rhythmic sound of my knife hitting the cutting board was as fam

ented 'you're-being-an-idiot' look. "Perfect for what, e

filled my newly arranged kitchen. "Come on, you saw her. All buttoned up in that oversized

t week." Marcus leaned against my new industrial fridge, his dre

anyway, just a notch. "Life needs flavor, spice, a

st through my front door without knocking, her purple-tinted hair b

hallway looking like she

" I held up a spoon of

Don't try to distract me with your food, Rodriguez. I'm

chest twinged. I hadn't meant to actually

e tasted the sofrito. "Okay, this is amazing. But still! You need to tone

aid "murder mysteries" like it was a threat. There had been something else there too - a t

"But you're both coming to Thursday's dinner, ri

my's been texting me non-stop about i

ered into my last restaurant on a freezing night six mont

ria this time. She's been sl

y counter despite my protests about food safety.

us. "Are you sure about this location? Residential

night in culinary school. "The kitchen's perfect, rent's reasonable, and Mrs. Garcia gets

novelist next do

way she'd hugged herself as she stood in my doorway, lik

er a warm meal, make her laugh, maybe see

wall interrupt

s voice was muffled bu

gh to carry. "Sorry, neighbor!" I called back, then turned to my f

s already got a nickname in t

t? W

Orders everything in. Apparently, her sister's some

my chest again. What makes

ed garlic from the oven. The rich, warm smel

tainer and spooning some sofrito into i

s warning tone wa

ng." I grabbed a piece of

pe this adds some flavor to your evening'? Oh my god, you

ugh my grin probably wasn't helping my c

n I heard voices from inside. One was Skye's, tight with wh

onsulting me first," the second voice was

on again," Skye's voice cracked slight

g yourself! It's been twelve years

on

much pain it stopped me cold

round check on everyone in this building. Especially that new neig

Through the wall between our apartments, I could hear cabinets

and stared at it. Marcus and Ruby were watc

ut the peace offering?

letting the familiar motion calm my racing thoughts

ne I'd heard in Tommy's that first night. The sound of someon

resist trying to f

ighbor wouldn't actually murd