Chapter 25
TWENTY-FIVE
After the hostess seated them at their own table across the dining area from Samantha, who’d left shortly after they’d finished. Ferd picked up the menu with a long sigh.
“What a day.”
“Yeah, not sure what to think. I don’t even want to speculate right now. How is it possible that no one knew about their engagement?”
“She’s not from here. She’s from Cottonwood. No one here knows her. As an outsider, they likely didn’t care or want to know.” She could relate.
Duke gave a nod of agreement. “I suppose you’re right. It’s just silly though. Then again, I wonder if it wasn’t kept at least a little secret by Bailey, knowing about his ex’s anger and retaliation any time something in his life changed.”
The server came over, disrupting her train of thought for a moment.
Once he left, Ferd had to recall what they’d been talking about.
Right. Anger. Ferd took a deep breath. “I didn’t get a good vibe from Monica, but I didn’t feel anything but sorry for Samantha.
Not that I’m a mood ring or anything like that, but that was my gut feeling. ”
Duke snorted. “I got the same read so if you’re a mood ring, so am I.”
“What did you think about that threat she mentioned?”
He sat for a moment, giving her question real thought instead of just answering. She appreciated a partner who didn’t jump to the first conclusion.
“I think people say things they don’t mean when their ‘normal’ is under fire.
It wouldn’t make a bit of sense to kill the guy who could still be taken to court at any moment to pay support.
And since the court didn’t know he was paying her support currently—even his boss didn’t know that—it makes even less sense.
If he got a good job wherever they were planning to move to, he’d be subject to the same court order as before.
It doesn’t lose effect just because he leaves the state.
So, I think she was angry and said things she shouldn’t have. ”
That puts things in perspective.
“I can see how that would happen. I don’t know if I readily believe that after meeting her, but I can see how that’s an option.”
He laughed. “That’s why I asked you to join me on this case. I think you would’ve looked into it anyway, since you were there from the outset and you have a curious mind, but also because I noticed you and I look at things differently.”
“Like, we could clash if we’re not careful.”
He tipped his head down slightly and one side of his mouth lifted. “Badly. But if we’re working, it’s professional. I can argue with you, and it'll probably help the case. If we were working against each other, we might never figure it out.”
Without Duke's badge, she'd still be standing outside every suspect's front door. “It’s been weird. In the city, from what I hear from the detectives, it’s usually pretty cut and dried. Honestly, nine times out of ten, it’s the spouse. If not the spouse, it’s the spouse’s best friend because they have a relationship they shouldn’t.
Honestly, the longer I work there, the more jaded I get. ”
“Connor would want you to stay here. I could find you a job. You don’t have to go back and risk turning sour, or worse.” He looked away as he took a sip of his drink.
Nope. Not happening. I’m not enough to fit in here. Anywhere.
“I can’t live here. I wanted a family so bad, but family means they think they know all about you.
If my brother ever found out what happened to me in training and when I started my job, the situation that led to my injury, he’d probably go after the person.
I can’t have that. Too many people need Connor for him to go to prison. He does important stuff.”
Duke tilted his head slightly. “So do you. You’re just almost twenty years younger.” He glanced up as the server slid their plates in front of them.
“Anything else I can get for you right away?” The server looked back and forth at them.
“No, thank you.” Ferd bowed her head and said a quick prayer. When she raised it, Duke was still praying over his own food.
He looked up and dug right into his French fries. “I’m going to take a wild guess and say you don’t want to talk about any of this?”
She cut her burger in half while thinking of an answer. Duke couldn’t even be called a friend yet. They were partners on a case. She hadn’t even told Anna, her best friend. “No. Not really. Sorry.” Though she wasn’t.
“That’s fine. I’m sure you have people at Wayside to talk to.
Just don’t let it fester. I can’t tell you how many cases I’ve worked where if people had simply had a conversation with each other, it all could’ve been avoided.
People can’t stop thinking that their personal belief about what someone will say or feel is absolute fact.
It’s not. Often, it doesn’t mean what they actually think or feel.
” He popped another fry into his mouth and grinned.
“That’s the end of my psych consult. That’ll be $500. ”
Ferd snorted and let herself laugh. “You are an expensive person to eat dinner with.”
He frowned. “Partner. Temporary partner. Don’t let it go to your head.”
She couldn’t help laughing. That worked for her. She lifted her glass in a faux toast to signal her agreement. “So, partner, where do we go from here?”
His phone buzzed and he glanced at it. “Not sure. I just got a text. They were able to dredge the box from the bottom of Red Lake, but since the lock had been cut, water filled it and there was nothing left inside. I destroyed evidence without meaning to.”
“It was an accident. The pulley slipped. When it hit the side of the boat, it sliced the air pocket holding it up. That wasn’t your fault. You did the right thing. How could we have known it was even part of the case unless you looked inside?”
“Did we learn anything from it though? I saw what looked like white powder on the bottom, but I didn’t photograph it. I should’ve. I know mistakes happen, but that was a big one.”
“You were also worried about me. I was freaking out because of the water. It’s just as much on me as it is on you.” If they were temporary partners, the least she could do was be understanding.
“Well, thanks. Unfortunately, either way, that lead is a bust.”
Kelly appeared beside their table, clutching her hands in front of her. “I’m really sorry for interrupting your supper.”
“It’s fine. Is something wrong?” Duke asked as he laid down his fork and focused on her.
“I don’t want you thinking I’m some gossip who spreads rumors without proof.
There are enough people who questioned me about it that I figured I needed to provide something.
At home, I have one of the cans I cleaned up from his apartment.
I’m sure you could test it for his fingerprints or whatever it is you guys do to prove all that stuff.
I’m not making up what I said. His apartment was usually pretty clean except for the wall of beer cans on his counter every time I went in there. ”
Ferd clenched her jaw to keep from saying what she shouldn’t. Why keep only one can? Why keep any at all? There was no way he could be that sneaky. There were signs. Yet no one could say they’d actually seen him take a drink.
“Is there something special about this can? A reason you kept it?” Ferd set down her fork.
Kelly glanced away. “It was pretty. I know that sounds silly, but I’d never seen one like it.”
“Can you put on a pair of gloves to prevent adding more prints to the can, put it in a plastic seal-top bag, and bring it to my office tomorrow?” Duke asked.
She nodded quickly and backed away a step. “I’d be happy to. That’ll help me sleep a little better. No one wants to believe they might be a murder suspect because of what they said, especially when what they said was true.”