Amey approached the table with Mr. Tiner, and Lincoln rose from his chair.
She stopped next to him and introduced their client. “Allow me to introduce you to Mr. Tiner.”
Lincoln extended his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Tiner. My name is Lincoln Hoyt.”
After Mr. Tiner shook his hand, he said, “I’d prefer it if you call me Jacob.”
“Then, you must call me Lincoln.”
Mr. Tiner pulled out a chair for Amey. “Please have a seat, Miss Amey.”
“Thank you, Jacob,” she said as she gracefully sat down.
Lincoln stepped closer to his wife and growled, “It’s actually Mrs. Hoyt. We’re married.”
Jacob glanced between them. “My apologies. I hadn’t realized.”
Amey reached for her napkin and placed it on her lap. “It’s rather a recent development,” she said.
“How recent?” Jacob asked as he sat down across from her.
“Yesterday,” she answered.
Jacob had a baffled look on his face. “Shouldn’t you be on your honeymoon?”
Lincoln moved his chair closer to Amey and sat down. “We’re agents, first and foremost. There will always be time for a honeymoon later.”
“I see,” Jacob said, picking up a menu. “Should we order first? Then I can fill you in on the details of my case?”
“Splendid idea,” Amey murmured as she kept her focus on the menu.
A young woman with brown hair approached the table. She wiped her hands on the white apron tied around her waist before asking, “Have you decided what you would like for breakfast?”
After they each gave their order, the waitress collected their menus and headed toward the kitchen.
Jacob grew solemn as his eyes darted around the room. “Thank you for coming so soon.”
“It’s our pleasure,” Lincoln replied.
Jacob ran his hand through his dark blond hair. “I need you to find my wife’s killer as quickly as possible.”
Amey spoke up. “We’ve read your case file, and we know your wife was found strangled in the woods behind your house.”
“That’s correct.”
Lincoln interjected, “Just to confirm, she’s been dead for about three weeks now.”
“Twenty-two days, to be exact,” Jacob replied.
“Can you tell us anything else?” Amey prodded.
Jacob had a pained expression. “My wife was heading into town the morning she died, and she didn’t want me to hitch the wagon,” he shared. “She said she wanted to walk since it was such a beautiful day.”
“Was it normal for your wife to walk to town?” Lincoln questioned.
He nodded. “It was,” he said. “She would cut through the woods near our home. The town was less than two miles away.”
“Did she make it into town that day?” Amey asked.
“Yes,” Jacob answered. “She bought some fabric from the general store.”
“Can we see the fabric?” Amey pressed.
Jacob shook his head. “It wasn’t found near her body.”
Lincoln placed his hand on the back of Amey’s chair. “Did the sheriff ever find it?”
“He did not,” Jacob replied.
He exchanged a glance with Amey before asking, “Were there any signs of a struggle where your wife’s body was found?”
“No, there was not,” Jacob said, lowering his gaze. “When I found her, I first thought she was asleep.” His voice hitched. “Then I saw the bruising around her throat, and I knew something terrible had happened.”
Amey leaned forward in her seat and gently asked, “Were you and Doris having any marital troubles?”
Jacob’s eyes snapped back up toward her. “Absolutely not,” he said, his voice rising. “We were happily married.”
“We just have to ask,” Amey assured him. “We have to rule you out as a suspect first.”
Jacob’s eyes narrowed. “I hired you. Besides, what fool would hire detectives to investigate his wife’s murder if he was the one who killed her?”
“Believe it or not, that is not completely unheard of,” she admitted.
“Fine, but you should know that I have an alibi,” Jacob snapped. “I was with my ten cowhands all morning as we were rounding up cattle. It wasn’t until our midday meal that I suspected something was wrong since Doris wasn’t home yet. I asked for the cowhands to stop what they were doing and search for her.”
“And you were the one who found her?” Lincoln asked.
He nodded. “I was.”
“Was anyone with you?”
“No, but I shouted for help as soon as I saw she was dead.”
Amey gave Jacob a reassuring smile. “I know these questions are hard, but we just need to discover all the facts so we can do a thorough investigation.”
“Do you suspect any of your cowhands could have done it?” Lincoln questioned.
Jacob shook his head vehemently. “No, I do not. All my cowhands were accounted for, and I trust them wholeheartedly.”
“Is there anyone in town that would have wanted to hurt Doris?” Amey asked.
Tears came to Jacob’s eyes. “Everyone in town loved Doris,” he replied. “No one had a reason to hate her, much less hurt her.” He removed a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his eyes. “The whole town thinks I murdered her.”
“And why is that?” Amey pressed.
Jacob returned his handkerchief to his pocket. “Because who else could have done it?”
“That’s what we intend to find out,” Lincoln replied firmly.
“I love…” Jacob’s voice trailed off. “I loved my wife with all my heart. I wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of our lives together.”
“I am truly sorry for your loss,” Amey said, compassion filling her voice.
Jacob met her gaze. “Thank you,” he murmured. “These last few weeks have been exceptionally difficult.”
“I can only imagine,” she remarked.
“I feel as if my heart has been ripped out of my chest,” Jacob stated, his voice hitching.
Amey offered him a weak smile. “I can’t presume to know what you’re feeling, but I lost a brother tragically about two years ago. For the first few weeks, all I could do was just put one foot in front of the other.”
Jacob’s eyes watched her closely. “How did you go on?”
“I found a new purpose.”
“Which was?”
“Finding his killer,” she stated. “I won’t rest until he’s been brought to justice.”
Jacob nodded. “I feel the same way.”
The waitress approached their table with three plates of food. As she placed
