29. Field Investigation
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
FIELD INVESTIGATION
Claire
My phone buzzes.
It’s the group chat Sloane created years ago to coordinate birthdays and family dinners. That noble purpose didn’t survive long. These days it’s mostly horse videos from Lucy, questionable memes from Sloane, photos of Ellie, and the occasional message that’s actually useful.
I open the chat and immediately regret it. Sloane has changed the group name again.
Last month we were The Chaos Coordinators. Before that, Lucy’s Emotional Support Humans. The previous masterpiece: Sloane’s Legal Defense Team.
Today’s title is...
The Investigation Committee
Sloane: I would like the record to reflect that I did not sleep last night.
Lucy: That’s because you drank three iced coffees after five pm.
Sloane: Wrong.
Please enlighten us.
Sloane: I was working the case.
Lucy: There is no case.
Sloane: There is absolutely a case.
Refer above to Lucy’s response.
Sloane: The evidence locker has been updated. I have officially logged Exhibit A into the case file: one suspicious restaurant receipt from a secret Seattle weekend. Frankly, Ethan should be embarrassed by his lack of operational security.
Lucy: Ethan told everyone he was going to Seattle for a conference. It wasn’t a secret.
Sloane: Exactly. That’s what makes it brilliant.
Please stop watching crime documentaries.
Sloane: Never.
Lucy: Ethan has been part of this family for twenty-five years.
Sloane: Exactly why we’re investigating.
That’s not how investigations work.
Sloane: That’s exactly how investigations work.
Lucy: We are not investigating Ethan.
Sloane: Then why did we spend ninety minutes at a coffee shop discussing evidence?
It wasn’t evidence.
Sloane: It was literally a receipt.
Lucy: I hate that she’s technically correct.
I still think I’m overreacting.
Sloane: That’s what someone says right before discovering something important.
Lucy: Or it’s what someone says when they’re overreacting.
Sloane: Your negativity is hurting the investigation.
Lucy: We are not private investigators.
Sloane: Then explain the notebook. It’s full of highly professional observations. Exhibit B: The suspect continues making poor decisions.
You have a notebook?
Sloane: Of course.
Lucy: She labeled it with a magnifying glass.
Please tell me you’re joking.
Lucy: I wish I was.
What does it say?
Lucy: Don’t answer that.
Sloane: Operation Waterfront.
A faint groan escapes my lips as I slap a hand on my forehead.
Lucy: I warned you.
You’re forty.
Sloane: And thriving.
Sloane: New question.
Lucy: No.
Sloane: You don’t even know what it is.
Lucy: Experience has taught me that’s irrelevant.
Sloane: Has Ethan mentioned Seattle since he got back?
I stare at the screen longer than I should. The playful energy of the chat vanishes as if a switch was flipped.
Not really.
Sloane: Interesting.
Lucy: Not interesting.
He was tired.
Sloane: Suspicious people are often tired.
Lucy: Everyone is tired.
I’m always tired.
Lucy: See?
Sloane: Fine. Next question.
Lucy: I regret asking.
Sloane: Has he been on his phone more than usual?
We don’t monitor each other’s phones.
Sloane: That’s what someone with something to hide would hope.
Lucy: Stop! You’re not helping.
A picture appears in the chat, bright and stark against the dark background.
What is that?
Lucy: Is that a cork-board with red string?
Sloane: Yes.
This is not an episode of dateline.
Lucy: Why am I on the board?
Sloane: Everyone is on the board.
Why is there a box labeled “Possible Waterfront Activities”?
Sloane: Because we need to consider all scenarios.
Lucy: I can’t believe you’re related to me.
Sloane: Blood isn’t always thicker than investigative excellence.
You two are ridiculous.
Lucy: She’s ridiculous.
Sloane: Yet somehow, I’m everyone’s first phone call during a crisis.
Lucy: Unfortunately.
She has a point.
Sloane: Thank you.
Lucy: Don’t encourage her.
Sloane: Friday night, Uncle Peter is picking up Ellie from theater rehearsal. Covert operations begin then.
Lucy: What does “covert operations” mean?
Sloane: It means the three of us are having a girls’ night.
Lucy: That sounds harmless enough.
Sloane: It may or may not involve sneaking into the school after rehearsal.
Lucy: I’m trying to get pregnant. I cannot go to jail.
Absolutely not.
Sloane: You haven’t even heard the plan.
Lucy: The fact that there’s a plan is the problem.
Sloane: Have either of you looked at the flowchart? Amateurs improvise, professionals prepare.
We’re not breaking into a middle school. What flowchart?
Sloane: ‘Breaking in’ is an unnecessarily negative term.
Sloane: The flowchart is in your email. The file is encrypted just in case.
Lucy: What’s the positive version of ‘breaking in’?
Sloane: An enthusiastic self-guided tour.
Lucy: You’re forty years old.
Sloane: And yet, somehow still the smartest person in this group chat.
Lucy: So your plan is to sneak into the school to spy?
Sloane: When you say it like that, it sounds bad.
Lucy: Refer to my earlier response about not going to jail.
Sloane: Thank you for your feedback. I appreciate your commitment to the legal system. Unfortunately for the legal system, we grew up with the entire Juniper Ridge police force. I’ve smoked weed with the majority of them.
We’re not spying on anyone.
Sloane: Then why are we discussing logistics?
Lucy: We are not discussing logistics.
Sloane: Then explain why I’ve already assigned responsibilities.
That is deeply concerning.
Sloane: Thank you. I’ll continue adding to my list.
Lucy: That wasn’t a compliment.
Sloane: Agree to disagree.
A few minutes pass before another message appears, the bright ping startling me.
Sloane: Next question.
Lucy: I dread this question.
Sloane: Has Ethan ever mentioned Brooke outside of theater-related things?
I don’t know.
The words feel hollow, even to me.
Sloane: That’s not reassuring.
He seems to enjoy working on the set build so I guess she comes up in conversation.
Lucy: That seems normal.
Sloane: Does it?
Lucy: Yes.
Sloane: Counterpoint—Ethan once spent fifteen minutes explaining why the school needed a better parking lot design.
That’s because he’s an architect.
Sloane: Fine.
Sloane: Has he talked to you much about the conference?
No. And I didn’t really hear from him while he was there.
Lucy: That seems normal. Conferences are busy.
Sloane: If I spent an entire weekend away, I would tell everyone every detail of my trip.
Lucy: That’s because you blast everything on Juniper Ridge social media.
Sloane: Fair.
Sloane: Also, I would like everyone to know that I looked up the restaurant that was listed on that receipt.
What did you find out about the restaurant?
Sloane: It isn’t anywhere near the convention center.
Lucy: How far away is it?
Sloane: About thirty minutes. Also, according to the conference website, a formal dinner for conference attendees occurred Saturday night at the hotel. Why would he be at a restaurant across town?
All amusement drains out of me.