“She startled me, too. I wasn’t expecting anyone to come by so early. Or at all, for that matter.”
The sheriff nodded. “She promised your grandmother before she went into the hospital that she’d look after the peacocks. She’s been feeding them ever since.”
“Gram would appreciate that. It would have broken her heart to have them taken away.”
“My sister has always had a soft spot for strays. Even the kinds that bite.” His innuendo was hardly subtle. “I’m Tom Brannon, by the way.”
“I know who you are.” Adam’s gaze dropped to the badge clipped to the man’s belt. “Ellie speaks highly of you.”
“That’s a surprise. She tells me to my face that I’m a pain in the ass. You know how it is with big brothers. We have a tendency to be overprotective and overbearing.” His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You’re the one who called in the body. Can you walk me through how you found him?”
“Like I told one of your officers, I’d been working inside the house all day and decided to take a walk to get some fresh air. I usually head back when I get to the bridge, but today I kept going. Needed to work out the kinks. I saw the body floating in the water, called 911 and then doubled back to wait for the first responders. I figured it would be easier if I led them back. That’s when I spotted the overturned fishing boat wedged up against the bridge supports. It wasn’t noticeable from the other direction. I waded out to make sure no one was trapped underneath and then I climbed up to the road when I heard the sirens.”
The sheriff took all that in without comment. “Your grandmother’s house is on the water. Have you noticed any unusual activity on the lake since you’ve been here?”
“I don’t know about unusual. I sometimes hear boats at all hours. Night fishing must be pretty popular around here.”
The sheriff’s expression turned glum. “Among other activities. You’ve been here, what? Close to a week?” He gave a quick nod toward the body. “You ever see that man on the water? Or maybe on one of your walks? He had a fishing cabin across the lake from your grandmother’s house. He may have been staying there before he died.”
“I never saw him there.”
The sheriff gave him a shrewd appraisal. “You sure? He’s not that easy to recognize in his current state.”
Adam squinted into a patch of dying sunlight. “I’m sure I would have recognized Dr. Nance if I’d seen him on the water or anywhere else.”
Brannon stared at him for another long moment. He didn’t seem surprised by the revelation, though it was unlikely he knew about Adam’s friendship with the dead man. He couldn’t have known about that last phone call, either, unless Dr. Nance had gone to him for help. Given that possibility, Adam decided not to hold anything back. Information had a way of coming out, and the last thing he needed was to have the local authorities turn on him, too.
“You might have mentioned earlier that you knew him,” Brannon said.
Adam shrugged. “I had no idea who the victim was until you turned him over. Even then, I wasn’t certain until I heard you say his name.”
Brannon accepted the explanation with a vague nod. “How did you know him?”
“He was my grandmother’s doctor for years. She thought the world of him.”
“Everyone did. He was one of a kind. He’ll be sorely missed around here.”
Did he detect a hint of accusation in the sheriff’s tone or was he being paranoid? Adam wondered.
“I can understand why,” he said. “When my grandmother took a bad turn, my dad had her transferred to a facility in Dallas. Dr. Nance still came to see her as often as he could. He and I became acquainted during his visits. We were both with her at the end. His kindness made an impression. You don’t often see that side of human nature in our line of work.”
Brannon’s gaze flicked to the scar on Adam’s scalp. “Ellie tells me you were a detective.”
“I still am, Sheriff.”
He looked unimpressed by the clarification. “She said you were wounded in the line of duty. Said you almost died.”
Adam hesitated. He would share what he knew about Dr. Nance, but he had no intention of elaborating on his own injuries or the fallout from the shooting. That was private business. He’d told Ellie Brannon enough to quell any misgivings she might have about her new neighbor, but he’d kept the really dark stuff to himself. The threats and suspicions. Stephanie’s betrayal. The underlying politics involved in his delayed reinstatement.
“I don’t like to talk about it,” he said. “You can understand that, having been through a similar event yourself recently.”
A frown flickered. “Ellie told you about that?”
“She said you’d been shot. She didn’t supply the details and I didn’t ask for any. That’s your business. What happened in Dallas is my business. It has nothing to do with Dr. Nance’s death.”
“Maybe not, but I can’t help wondering what brings someone like you to Belle Pointe. We’re not exactly on the beaten path. Why now when your grandmother’s house has sat empty for so long?” He glanced over his shoulder at the body. “Under the circumstances, you can understand why I might find your timing a little curious.”
Tom Brannon was nobody’s fool. Adam warned himself to tread carefully with this guy.
“The timing isn’t coincidental,” he admitted. “I came because Dr. Nance asked me to.”
“He asked you to come to Belle Pointe? Why?”
“He said something
