Yours truly,
Patrick
Ryan whistled. “That sounds like it has an interesting story behind it.”
“That’s weird. It’s dated two months ago.” Bailey flipped the paper over to look at the back. “My mom had a really distant relationship with the Mortons—especially after my dad died.”
“What do you think he’s talking about, her being guilty? What could she be guilty of?”
“I have no idea.” She huffed out a breath and looked around at the piles of paper. “I have no idea what any of it means.”
“It’s okay, we’ll figure it out,” Ryan said.
“God.” Bailey dropped her head on the desktop. “I feel so confused. My father was so close with his brother. Why would my mother stop speaking to him? What could she have threatened him with?”
Ryan rubbed a hand down her back. “I don’t know, but let’s keep looking. Maybe there’re more letters here somewhere.”
“Ha, yeah.” Bailey snorted and threw her hands up. “Unless she burned them.”
“Okay, I think it’s time for a break.” Ryan stood just as someone knocked on the front door. “Are you expecting someone?”
Bailey shook her head. “No, it’s probably your dad.”
Ryan opened the door and was surprised to see one of the busboys from El Lago. “Chris, hey. Is something wrong?”
“No. Here.” He handed Ryan a bag of takeout containers. “Lucas sent this over for you and Bailey.”
“Man, I knew he was a good person to keep around.” He pulled a ten-dollar bill from his wallet and handed it over. “Thanks for dropping it off. Here, put this in your gas tank and tell Lucas thanks.” When Chris turned away, Ryan closed the door. “Talk about perfect timing.”
“Lucas is just awesome,” Bailey said. “How thoughtful of him.”
“I think he’s trying to win you over with food,” Ryan said, taking out the food containers and napkins. “Isn’t that an old saying, get to a woman through her stomach?”
Bailey laughed. “You’re such a dork. It’s the other way around. With men it’s food, with women it’s diamonds. Maybe he’s trying to win you over.”
“Nah, I’m not his type.” Ryan smiled. “But he was sure drooling over you when you stepped into that kitchen on Saturday morning with that beautiful morning hair.”
“Shut up. I didn’t have a beanie handy like you did. And Lucas isn’t trying to impress me. He’s just a very considerate person. I’m pretty sure he’s got it bad for Mae.”
Ryan’s eyes drifted up to the ceiling as he thought about it. “You know…you might be on to something. He does seem a little starry-eyed around Mae these days.” He unwrapped a huge burrito and cut it in half, then put one half on a plate for Bailey and one half on a plate for himself.
Bailey inhaled with a low moan. “God, this smells so good.” She lowered herself to the floor, and Ryan dropped down across from her. She wasn’t kidding—the combination of chicken, grilled veggies, and hot sauce smelled incredible.
After a few bites, Ryan said, “So tell me more about the Mortons.”
“I don’t really know. We moved here from Wisconsin when I was four, and we didn’t go back to visit often.” Bailey finished chewing. “My Uncle Pat visited a lot. He was pretty close to my parents.”
Ryan swallowed a bite and downed some water to counter the heat in the burrito. “Wasn’t he at Helen’s funeral?”
“Yeah, I had dinner with him the night he left town. It was a good visit, but he didn’t mention anything out of the ordinary.”
“Did I meet him?”
“Yes, I’m sure I introduced you and your dad, but you’ve met him before.” Her eyes lifted to the ceiling as if trying to remember. “At my dad’s funeral. Oh, my God…”
Ryan furrowed his brow and stared at her for a moment. “Is he the guy your mom had that huge argument with?”
Bailey closed her eyes and sighed. “Yes…I completely forgot about that.”
“Do you remember what the fight was about?”
Bailey shook her head. “No, geez, that was years ago. I’m surprised you remember.”
“It’s hard to forget. We didn’t often hear shouts coming from your house. My parents were worried. My mom wanted to come over here and check on you and Helen, but my dad stopped her.”
“I don’t remember ever hearing my parents fight.”
“Obviously something happened between the three of them. What did you talk about during dinner with him?”
“Normal stuff. He asked a lot of questions about my life, trying to get to know me.”
“Nothing weird stands out?” Ryan asked.
“No. He asked about work, boyfriends, and a lot of questions about my friends. He asked about my relationship to you. I told him about El Lago, about Dex. He asked a ton of questions about Dex, too.”
“Do you have any photos of Pat?”
“Yeah, a bunch.” She rolled her eyes and gestured toward the garage. “They’re all dumped in a pile on the garage floor.”
“What do you think about taking a short trip? We could spend a few days in Wisconsin, visit your uncle and maybe talk to some of your parents’ old friends.”
“Really? You’d do that? Fly to Wisconsin with me?”
“Of course.” He lifted a shoulder in question. Why does she find that so hard to believe? “That seems like the most likely place to start our search since that’s where you were born.”
Her face lit up, and a smile spread across her cheeks. “Thank you, Ryan. I think that’s a great idea.”
He stared at her grin for a long time, glad her mood had lightened. “You know, I don’t think the police are going to do much about the break-in since nothing was stolen.”
“I know.” Bailey closed her eyes for a moment, her smile fading. He could have smacked himself for changing the subject and ruining her mood. “I just don’t get it.”
“Maybe someone
