Chapter 4 #2
If a basset hound had ever embodied betrayal, this was it.
“It’s okay, Duchess.” Holt bent and scratched the dog’s ears. “Gran is still here to keep you company today.”
The dog whined but sat obediently, her eyes shining with despair as Willa herded the two teenage boys toward the door. “Come on, boys. We need to get moving.”
They headed for the door to a chorus of “Have fun” and “Be careful” from Holt and Rad. Tyler threw a quick grin over his shoulder. Andy said goodbye as they rushed through the door. Duchess gave a theatrical sigh and flopped dramatically onto the floor the second the door closed behind them.
Silence and calm once again settled over the kitchen.
Holt picked up his coffee and took a sip. “How are you feeling, son?”
Rad glanced over from the counter where he was sliding eggs and bacon onto a plate for his father.
“Fine. And before you say it, I really didn’t need to spend the better part of a day and night in the hospital.” Rad handed the plate to Holt. “Tyler didn’t get to dishing up for you.”
“Thank you.” Holt took the plate from him and slid onto a counter chair. “Smoke inhalation is not a minor inconvenience. Ask Dean Parker.”
“Dean’s condition is from years of doing what he did for a career.” Rad sat across from him with his own coffee. “Since we’re talking about healing, how is your side?”
“It’s healing well enough.” Holt cut into the eggs. “Lucy seems satisfied, which is usually the standard that matters.”
Rad nodded, then watched him for a moment over the rim of his mug. “You were out late last night. Were you at the police station?”
Holt kept his expression neutral. “I was working a lead. Investigating a possible angle into Lacey’s accident.”
That was not a lie. It simply omitted the rather unpleasant dinner date.
“Do you think Lacey’s accident is linked to Dr. Vernon’s accident?” Rad’s brow furrowed.
“We have no concrete evidence of that.” Holt took another sip of coffee. “But my gut is definitely screaming that it is.”
“That makes two of us.” Rad looked down at the table for a moment, then leaned back in his chair. “I got June to update me on the case last night,” he admitted. “At least, she gave me the basics. I’m pretty sure she was still holding a lot back.”
Holt couldn’t help the small smile that touched his mouth.
That sounded exactly like June. She had always known where the line was, even when she bent rules in every other direction. If she had given Rad enough to keep him informed without handing over everything, then she had drawn the line with precision.
“June has good instincts,” Holt said.
“She does.” Rad nodded, watching Holt with narrowed, suspicious eyes.
“Do you have any insight into Lacey’s accident or the four major fires so far? The campground, Henderson’s farm, the vet clinic, and then Teacups.” Holt set down his fork and leaned his elbows on the counter.
Rad shook his head slowly.
“Nothing concrete. No piece I can stand up in front of anyone official and say here, this is it. But instinctively…” He exhaled. “My instincts are screaming that they’re all connected.”
“Yes, if only we could get a conviction on instinct.” Holt sighed and picked up his coffee mug.
“I know.” Rad held his father’s gaze for a beat. “I have to confess. We went with June last night.”
Holt’s eyes narrowed. “With June where?”
“To Cedar Key. We were trying to find out what we could about Dr. Vernon.” Rad didn’t flinch as he held Holt’s eyes.
“I told June not to go there.” Holt’s shoulders stiffened, and his jaw clenched as his fist tightened slightly around the mug.
“I convinced her to go,” Rad said calmly. “And I’m glad I did, because we think we found Judy Vernon’s smartwatch.”
“Where?” That caught Holt’s attention, and he put the mug down.
“At one of the beach parking spaces,” Rad replied.
Holt sat back. “Where is it now?”
“I have it bagged. Along with another piece of evidence we found at Teacups last night as well.” Rad finished a forkful of eggs.
“You went to Teacups?” That actually surprised him.
Rad swallowed his food and wiped his mouth.
“Yes.” Rad’s tone remained steady. “When we got back from Cedar Key, Margo wanted to see it.”
That tracked. Holt could hardly blame her for that. “The forensics team went over Teacups with a fine-tooth comb,” he said. “What evidence did you turn up that they somehow missed?”
“First,” Rad said, “when we were in Cedar Key, we also went back to the inn where Dr. Vernon stayed. The night clerk told me she phoned to say she was checking out, but he said she sounded strange. Hoarse. Like she had the flu.”
“So it may not have been her.” Holt’s brows rose.
“My thoughts exactly.” Rad nodded in agreement with his father.
“And the evidence in Teacups?” Holt moved the conversation back to it.
“Margo found a bracelet beneath the cooker where the fire started. It was wedged nearly under it. The flashlight caught the glint.” Rad scooped up the last of his eggs.
Holt went still.
That was wrong.
Not impossible, but wrong.
Forensics would have photographed the entire area, cleared the debris, examined the source point, and bagged anything remotely out of place. A bracelet wedged under the cooker should have been found, unless it wasn’t there when they processed the scene.
“Will you meet me there and show me where it was found?” Holt asked.
“Sure.” Rad bit into the eggs on his fork.
“Do you have the evidence here?” Holt watched his son.
“I’ll get it.” Rad put down his fork, wiped his mouth, and stood. “I’m ready to head to the station after this anyway.”
Holt’s brow furrowed tightly as he wondered how on earth a bracelet had been missed when the forensic team was supposed to have completely swept the place. He didn’t like the direction of any of it or the implications of what it meant.
Rad came back a few minutes later with two evidence baggies and his jacket on, keys in hand.
“Here,” he said. “I’ll forward all the photos I took last night.”
“Thank you.” Holt nodded, looking at the evidence in his son’s hand.
Rad handed him the first bag. “This is the watch. June said it looks exactly like the one Judy Vernon wore.”
Holt took it and examined it under the kitchen light. The watch face was scratched but intact. Sand still clung faintly around the band. He turned it slightly in his hand.
“Are you doing the same thing with this evidence that you’ve been doing with the rest?” he asked.
“Yes,” Rad said. “I’m keeping it out of the chain until it goes through someone I trust.”
“Good.” Holt hated that the precaution was necessary, but at this point pretending otherwise would have been willful stupidity.
Rad handed him the second bag.
“And here is the bracelet we found in Teacups.”
Holt took it.
The instant he saw it clearly, his heart slammed hard against his ribs.
His brows rose.
There was no mistaking the white gold, the old craftsmanship, the delicate links with a distinctive clasp. Then there was the tiny hand-worked engraving so fine most people would miss it unless they knew where to look.
A question screamed through his head.
How had this piece of jewelry ended up at Teacups?